Edgewood
August 9, 2014
What I Have Learned
My name is Ethan Staner from Edgewood. Master McDowell is my instructor. I am now eleven years old and soon I will be testing for stripe number one on my black belt. Wow, what a ride it has been to get to black from white! Since I discovered the white building, on the other side of the cornfield, behind my house, I have had the best times learning the art of Tae Kwon Do. Not only have I learned about Tae Kwon Do but I have learned a lot about many other things too.One thing I have learned is about myself. That is, about my strengths and weaknesses - physical and mental. Soon after I started I learned that I could do the forms and also memorize them. I would learn the basic moves first and then the basic moves became part of all my forms. I am stilling learning forms and moves. I know there are a ton of forms to learn and I am not sure I will ever get to them all! However that doesn’t mean I will give up trying! I have learned how to focus when doing board breaks. My most favorite board break I did was a three board elbow strike with a flying sidekick after. I did that combo at Mr. Mallicoat’s tournament a couple of years ago. A weakness I have discovered is my balance. I struggle with finding my core balance when doing moves and forms. Every form I do at class gives me time to find my inner balance. My favorite move is an elbow strike. I like the form Koryo the best because there are cool moves in it.
Another thing I have learned is about the friendships I have found since I have started. I have met new friends at my dojang, main school, tournaments and the summer I went to the Eagles Nest in Colorado. Because we live in a small town, I know most people at my dojang. The best part is I just get to know them better and then I interact with them more at school. When I go to testing there are always a bunch of people that I recognize from other schools. Going to the Eagles Nest in Colorado last year was an awesome experience. I was lucky enough to go with 2 other kids about my age. We had fun and lots of memories where made!
As I try my best when attending class, testing and tournaments, one of the most important things I have learned is how my mom is always there for me. She drives me to class every week. However, what would be better than a ride from my mom is to have a path through the field behind my house that goes right to the dojang that I could ride my four wheeler to class! Oh and my mom always makes sure my uniform is clean. However, I do take the responsible to hang it up after class so that it doesn’t just lay on the floor. My mom also takes me to tournaments. She has always been in the stands watching me. I know it makes her proud. My mom and I talk about how expensive testing is and tournaments. I am thankful she pays for all of that too.
I have learned about myself, strengths, weaknesses, friendships, and the importance of knowing someone believes in me. Without, all of those things I wouldn’t be the person I am today. I am proud of myself to be testing for my first stripe!
