My Experience In Taekwondo And The Lessons I Learnt
“Can we go for a movie one of these days?”, for the past few years the answer to this question, or variations of this question, has usually been “can’t, I have taekwondo.” My tone for the response to the question has varied from anger, happiness and sadness. At first I was exited and happy for the hour that I got to spend within the walls of JH Kim Taekwondo Katong, but as the years went past and I had to miss more days with my friends, I got more angry then excited. It went to a point where I dreaded the days I had to spend doing various forms of kicks and punches. But slowly, the anger once again changed, this time back to excited and happy. The hours spent in the red-floored rooms allowed me to take out all my angers and frustrations out on the kicking bags or on whoever I had to verse. Taekwondo allowed me to express my feelings, as well as control them.
Most of my friends didn’t even know that I knew taekwondo at first. I was embarrassed and worried about what people thought about me, but now I happily announce it to everyone I know. Everyone I know had the same reaction of shock and bewilderment upon my announcement of being a black belt at taekwondo. When most people think of martial arts, they think of aggression, which might be the reason for their surprise of me, a quiet and calm person, to be going for taekwondo classes since the age of seven.
Like it is said in the Taekwondo Tenets, going for these classes have taught me courtesy, integrity perseverance, self-control and indomitable spirit. I have learnt to treat everyone the same with respect no matter their appearance or personality. I understand the importance of determining what is wrong or correct, and how to take the blame for my faults and try my best to fix them. Without perseverance, I don’t think I would be here, writing my essay to be a third poom at taekwondo. No matter how much pain I was in or how much I got hurt, I would always come back and try again. I learnt to control what to say and how to ensure that I am not hurting anyone else, physically or mentally. I am now able to stand up for what I believe in, no matter the backlash that I might receive later from others who don’t have the same ideologies as me.
For a better part of my life, I have spent more than 200 hours in the “Dojang” and I can honestly say that I would never exchange that time for anything else. I have been going to the same place for so long that I remember all the restorations that have been made, as well as all the teachers that have helped me. I will never forget the memories that I have made; breaking my first board, passing my first exam or beating my first competitor in sparring. If it weren’t for my teachers and parents I don’t know what I would be doing right now, or who I would be, because with their help I have become the person that I am right now.
