[Essay] 1st Degree Black Belt - How Taekwondo changed my life?

[Essay] 1st Degree Black Belt - How Taekwondo changed my life?

 

 

How Taekwondo Has Changed My Life 

 

 

  Training at Hongik Taekwondo Center has been an amazing experience for me. I have tried many sports, but taekwondo sticks out to me as a unique martial art that balances mental and physical training. I am healthier and stronger physically  and mentally every time I use my 108% energy on taegeuk forms, punches and kicks, and even regular everyday tasks like folding laundry. In the beginning, I thought taekwondo was just about punches and kicks and only physical work. Now, I have started to realize this form of martial arts is not just any sport - it is also a mental exercise. Taekwondo has so much more to offer than just breaking boards and doing jumping jacks. It's also about the lessons you learn on the way. 

 

  Whenever I'm angry, taekwondo helps me get out my anger through rigorous exercise, always making me feel better. I always leave my lessons feeling happier than when I enter. I find myself more humble and satisfied after a lesson with Hongik's experienced instructors. Since I have started taekwondo I have learned more about myself and my body. I have gained so much from mental lessons, meditating, and physical training. Over time, I have become wiser and more mature as I train with my fellow peers and our Masters. I am even more confident than before I started training. I have discovered that failure is natural and part of the learning process. It is now easier for me to focus, not just at taekworido, but also at home and at school. Taekwondo has become a safe haven for me to train in peace with friends and masters, who now feel like family after years of practicing.

 

  Taekwondo has also had a major physical impact on my body. I find that I have become more flexible and I have better posture since I have started my practice. I have become more active and fitter as I train with my taekwondo instructors, who always encourage students to reach for the stars. I am now faster and have better reflexes than ever before, being able to do tasks quickly and being able to catch items before they fall. My muscles have grown more and I can lift heavy objects with ease, which I was incapable of doing before my taekwondo journey. I also love how taekwondo is an indoor sport, where the weather won't affect you from training.

 

  I have also made many friends who encourage me to keep pushing past my limits. I am truly thankful for amazing peers who have helped me to get to this pinnacle of success. We have worked together through the sharp movements of Taegeuk Ii Jang to the fluid flow of Koryo and are finally about to achieve black belt together. Their energy empowers me to keep trying through failure and hardship and I could not be here without them.

 

  Even though I have only been practicing for a few years, I have truly enjoyed my taekwondo experience so far and I am excited to begin my black belt journey. I look forward to enriching my learning at each degree, both mentally and physically.