Northeast Iowa Branch
February 8, 2014
My name is Isabella Bogdonovich and I am 10 years old. I started Tae Kwon Do when I was 7 years old, in March of 2011. When I started Tae Kwon Do I was very shy and nervous. I was nervous that I wasn’t going to do well in Tae Kwon Do. My instructor, Mr. Johnson, taught me right away the 5 tenets of Tae Kwon Do. They are Courtesy, Integrity, Perseverance, Self-Control and Indomitable Spirit. With me being shy some of the tenets were harder to overcome than others. With everyday practice, class time, and the support and friendships of my Tae Kwon Do family, I feel more confident in myself every day. Tae Kwon Do is a place where I can be me. The hard work that we do at Tae Kwon Do class has helped me also to work hard at other things. I help my Mom and Dad at home more, and I work hard on my school work so I can get good grades. I want to be the best that I can be. Because of Tae Kwon Do I’ve gotten to participate in many tournaments. Having to perform in front of a crowd was something I would have never done before if it wasn’t for the confidence that I gained from practicing Tae Kwon Do.Because of this confidence I can also do other things now that I wouldn’t do before like talk to people when they talk to me without putting my head down, or hiding behind my Mom or Dad.
There are many other things I like about Tae Kwon Do. My family is also involved in Tae Kwon Do. My Dad is testing for his black belt with me, my Mom is a green belt, and my sister is a blue belt. It has meant a lot to me to be able to have my dad by my side my whole Tae Kwon Do career. We get to spend a lot of time practicing together, not only in class, but at home too. It always makes me proud to look over in class and see my dad with me. Proud that I am able to enjoy the same thing as my dad, and it
is something we will have in common for life. A bond that can’t be broken. My mom works a long ways away from home, so I don’t get to see her much during the week, but we do get to be together at Tae Kwon Do class at night, which I always look forward to.
I also enjoy my Tae Kwon Do family at the dojang in Garnavillo. Since the first time I walked in, I felt welcomed. Mr. Johnson, Mr. and Mrs. Kuhse, Mr. Mallicoat, Mr. and Mrs. Springsteen, Ms. And Mr. Wenger, Ms. Doeppke, Mrs. Scherf, have all been great examples and teachers to me. Everyone works very hard, works together, and lives by the 5 tenets of Tae Kwon Do. But most importantly everyone is family. Mr. Johnson works very hard at teaching us all not only just the movements, but the history of Tae Kwon Do and shares with us his knowledge. I always enjoy my time at the dojang with my Tae Kwon Do family. Now as I test for my black belt, I know I have come a long way from who I was when I first walked into our dojang. I also know that I still have work to do. I also know that I will always use the 5 tenets of Tae Kwon Do in my everyday life, not only now but forever.
