Friday, December 11, 2015

Jonathan O'Neill--Temporary Black Belt Test

Nashua Dojang
Temporary Black Belt
October 24, 2015

 What Tae Kwon Do Means to Me


Tae Kwon Do means fun in class, tournaments, demonstrations, and testing.  I like Tae Kwon Do because it’s fun.  I have a fun time with everyone.  I have met new friends like Ally and Alex.  They are my friends because I talk to them every Tae Kwon Do class.  We do forms, do free sparring, and do one steps together.  They are really good friends because they are always there for me by helping me when I get stuck.  On the beginning of forms I sometimes get stuck.  They help me by showing me the next move.  I am glad that they are there for me. I have met them because of Tae Kwon Do.

Tae Kwon Do means that I learned challenging things.  My favorite technique is the tornado kick because it makes me dizzy.  It is a weird but fun challenge to see how many kicks you can get in.  I learned the tornado kick from Mister Ulrichs (Keegan).  He was very good at showing us how it is done.  I learned I need to do big inside outside kicks and jump high.  My favorite part of class is doing multiple tornado kicks and doing warming up kicks.  I like doing those because it is the easiest thing besides tornado kicks.

I like going down to Cedar Rapids for testing because I get to see other people and hope I get a belt.  We do a lot of fun things while I am waiting like sitting and talking and doing forms when my mom says.  I like testing because there is a group of us and I just like going to there.

Tae Kwon Do means I get to break boards at class and at testing.  I like it because it gives me a challenge to do better than I did last time.  I have not always been good at board breaking.  I have struggled a lot but I eventually broke the board.  My favorite board breaking move is the palm heel strike and flying side kick.  I like these because they are easy but challenging.  When I go to break a board, I look, breathe, yell, and kick.  I aim for the center of the board.  I feel good that the board is broken and I can be done breaking.

Tae Kwon Do means doing demonstrations and showing others what I know.  Part of the funest part of Tae Kwon Do is doing demonstrations.  I have done some demonstrations in Nashua, New Hampton, Alta Vista, and Fredericksburg.  I like doing demonstrations because it gives me a chance to show off.  Ally, Alex, and I do tornado kicks together and try not to get dizzy.  We also do forms, free sparing, and one steps.

Tae Kwon means I get to do well in tournaments.  Tournaments are fun because I get to experience three new medals and try to get a grand champion trophy.  It is fun and challenging to try and compete with the others and to do my best.  I hang my medals in my bedroom on the bottom of a shelf with hooks.  I like to look at them and say I have done very well in tournaments.  I am proud of my accomplishments in tournaments.

Tae Kwon Do means all of these things to me.  If I earn my black belt I will be really, really happy because I have waited so long for it.  Master Schmitt and Master Bendickson have helped me on the way toward my black belt and many other class friends