Finally.....Black Belt

On August 18, I attained my goal of 1st Degree Black Belt in TaeKwon Do through the International TaeKwonDo Federation. Almost my entire family was present, and those that were unable to come, were there in spirit! Of all the things I've experienced in my life, I have to say that this is one of the most satisfying. I began my TKD journey in August, 2008; you can see it has taken me four years to go from white belt to black belt. Now, I am on a new journey...that of becoming a 2nd Degree Black Belt. The minimum amount of time allowed is 2 years. I have no doubt that someday I will get there.....no matter how long it takes.

One valuable lesson I learned in this quest, is not to worry one little bit of what people think. If a person really wants to accompish something....no matter what it is....perseverence is key. Most of the students in my class are teenagers. Many times I had to ignore how high their kicks were or their adept moves in sparring. I just kept reminding myself that each day I practiced, I was becoming better and closer to my goal.

And......I now belong to the most awesome family of martial artists. I immediately had an overwhelming sense of belonging to a special group of people......It's truly the most wonderful feeling to put on my black belt and step out onto the floor....Kiyap....