Main Dojang
October 11, 2014
Last summer, through a series of coincidences I decided to restart my Martial Arts journey with Grandmaster Jung. When my daughter Cassie graduated from high school we went to Osaka’s Restaurant where we ran into Kyle, the previous editor of the Tae Kwon Do times. He found out that my daughter Cassie wanted to be a writer and offered to interview her for a position as an intern at the magazine. She worked most of the summer at Tae Kwon Do times, at which point, she was “highly encouraged” by Grandmaster Jung to start taking Tae Kwon Do classes.This was her first experience with the Martial Arts, however, my journey began over 35 years ago when I took a Kung Fu class as a teenager. Since then I have studied off and on, in various styles including Tae Kwon Do and Karate. In 1994 I earned a black belt while studying Matsumura Kenpo in Lake Worth Florida.
My original reason for beginning to study here was that I agreed to go to class with my daughter. Being in class with her has been a good way for us to connect now that she has moved out of the house and started college. We get to train together, practice at home and go to tournaments and tests. It also gives us common ground to communicate the lessons and philosophy of Grandmaster Jung’s unique style of Tae Kwon Do. I am very grateful for this opportunity to share Tae Kwon Do with my daughter as I believe it strengthens our bond and makes us both better people. I have read books on Asian philosophy and Martial Arts and I am really thankful that I renewed my active participation in Tae Kwon Do. Jung’s Tae Kwon Do has been the best experience I have had in the Martial Arts.
Since beginning training with Grandmaster Jung last summer, I have lost 30 pounds and reduced my waist size by over 5 inches. Needless to say, I am physically in much better shape. I would say that on most days I feel at least ten years younger. It is at times a challenge to come to class after a long day of work, but I always feel energized both physically and mentally when I finish class. I certainly sleep a lot better after my workouts, my mind is more clear and I am much more relaxed. As a result of now being a lot older I have more physical limitations than years ago when I could rely more on “brute force.” This has given me a much needed dose of humility which I hope has improved my character. Through seeing what I can no longer do, I have learned to better appreciate the abilities that I do have.
I would encourage everyone to study Tae Kwon Do at Grandmaster Jung’s school, not only for the physical gains and self-defense aspects, but also for the mental and spiritual dimensions. I believe that the Black Belt instructors push the students and challenge them with the goal of making them better. This is necessary because everyone will be uniquely challenged by the circumstance of life to overcome adversity and survive. Tae Kwon Do is a good preparation for these challenges and I look forward to continuing my journey.
