August 10, 2013
Tae Kwon Do in My Life
As I began preparing for my fourth degree black belt test, I started to reflect on my journey in Tae Kwon Do. I have been in Tae Kwon Do now for nearly half of my life. It began as a hobby, something to do for fun, but over time it has become a part of my life and a part of who I am.
I first joined the Northeast Iowa branch when I was in fourth grade, almost ten years ago. Initially I had signed up because I had seen it was something my brother really enjoyed so I thought I would give it a try too. I had no idea what to expect and I really didn't know anything about Tae Kwon Do or Martial Arts. I began training regularly, going to classes three nights a week with my brother. As a young color belt I
saw Tae Kwon Do as a hobby and a way to help me stay in shape. I did not yet fully understand the meaning behind the five tenets of Tae Kwon Do. As I have progressed through the ranks, I have continued to learn and build upon my understanding of courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self-control, and indomitable spirit, as well as using them in my everyday life.
Perseverance is something I think I have used the most during my life outside of Tae Kwon Do. During high school I used perseverance to do well in my classes and maintain a high grade point average in order to graduate at the top of my class. Starting college last fall, I used perseverance even more than I had in the past. I am majoring in nursing and some of my courses were very challenging, like Microbiology and Organobiochemistry. I demonstrated perseverance during those courses, spending a lot of extra time studying for exams, going to extra discussion sessions on the material, and talking with my professors. At the end of the semesters my hard work and perseverance had paid off. I didn't necessarily enjoy either course, but I worked hard and pushed myself to do the best I could.
Courtesy is something else I use everyday during encounters with different people. During classes I would come across people with very different opinions than my own, but I was always courteous and respectful to them. In addition to adjusting to college course work, I was also on the women's golf team. During our seasons in the fall and spring I had to miss a lot of classes for golf tournaments. Most of my professors were
very understanding and willing to work with my golf schedule, but there were a few who were not as nice. Most professors were willing to go over the notes from lecture with me when I returned or allow me to turn assignments in online. However, there were a couple of professors that still penalized me for missing class, even though I did the assignment. Either way, I was always courteous when speaking with my professors and scheduling times to make things up.
Self-control is one tenant that I am still working on, especially during golf. I get very frustrated and mad when I don't play well. I always want to do my best, especially during tournaments. When I have a couple bad shots or a bad hole, I get very upset. When I use self-control, I am able to overcome those few bad
shots and move on from them, allowing myself to play better on the next hole. I also demonstrate self-control at school. Living at school, an hour and a half away from home, I didn't have my parents there to check up on me and make sure I was getting all of my things done. It was up to me to make sure I had all of my assignments read and turned in on time. Sometimes it took a lot of self-control to say no to hanging out with friends and instead spend time studying or doing homework.
During my time in Tae Kwon Do, I have gained confidence in myself, met many new people, and learned many things. Tae Kwon Do has become a part of my life and has helped shape who I am today. As I continue with school and my life after that, there will be many situations that make me feel uncomfortable or people who I disagree with. Through Tae Kwon Do I xhave learned how to handle those situations as well as how to treat people and act in everyday life. I plan to continue with Tae Kwon Do while I'm in college.
Although I may not always make it to class like I would like, Tae Kwon Do has taught me many lessons that I will take with me for the rest of my life.
