Martial Arts and I are good and old friends. Every time I tell someone I train in Martial Arts; they think it is cool. Every time they ask what belt I am, which I answer, I am a black belt. Upon receiving this answer, they seem shocked or surprised. I guess I do not look like a black belt. But what does a black belt in Martial arts look like? Do you know? Because I do not. With the number of martial arts available to train and learn about, no two martial artists look-alike, train alike, or have black belts that look alike. They do however have similar mentalities.
My Story...
The Beginning
I started Martial Arts when I was 14 years old because I was told I needed to know how to defend myself. Also, I was starting high school and was going to be taking public transportation so, I needed to be safe aside from a can of pepper spray. Prior to that, I loved Martial Arts movies, Jackie Chan, Jet Li, Bruce Lee, Jean-Claude Van Damme, and Michael Jai White. So, of course, when I was told that I could pick, that it did not have to be a self-defense seminar or a 2 week- class. I jumped at the chance to find a Martial Arts school and start learning. And the affair of Martial Arts and I began.
I trained a few days a week to start and then eventually started going 5-6 times a week. In 2 years, I received my 1st-degree black belt in Taekwondo. It was the hardest thing ever. I used to be a serial quitter. I did tap dance, ballet, girl scouts, band, and more. I stuck with it for a bit, but eventually lost interest and quit. Martial Arts were different, and I was so happy that I got as far as I did. My school at that time also taught Hapkido. In the year that followed, about a year and a half, I was able to train and test for my 1st degree in that. I was able to fast track due to the overlap knowledge for this art and taekwondo,
Nex Steps...
So now, I am 18 years old and off to college. I did not intend on stopping my Martial Arts journey, but life has other plans for you sometimes. I chose my college based not only on the curriculum but on the simple fact of “did they have a taekwondo club”. I picked my school, enrolled and arrived before I found out it was ITF, not WT. Now, I could have kept training, but I would not be able to promote through their ranks. At that time, I switched to Kuk sool won, which was “similar” to Hapkido, and rose through the ranks there while in school.
Upon graduating, I was in a search for a WT Taekwondo school to continue training at 22 years old. Unable to find a school that felt, well, like home, I began self-training, forms, kicks, general workouts, and blogging. That only worked for so long, before I became a mom and other things became a priority. Eventually, my family and I found a school, where we felt at home and began training again. In 2017, it started again. By 2018, 11 years later, I tested and received my 2nd degree in Taekwondo. This took a lot longer than I had planned, but I got there. At the pace I am going I will have my 4th degree by 40. Anywho…
More than Just Martial Arts...
Martial Arts were not just about kicking and punching for me. As a teen, I had been searching for a place to belong, and on the mats, I found it. As I grew, it helped me to build confidence and transform from the shy wallflower I was to the woman, I am now. It taught me, yes to defend myself and others, but it also taught control and perseverance. It was never a straight shot from starting to rank up, but I am still going, and I will keep going. I am by no means the best martial artist, the fastest, or the strongest, but I keep trying and keep sharing not just the technique, but the fundamentals that the art teaches. It is not just a means to an end; it is a way of life. Now on to teaching and my 3rd degree.
To learn more about me and this blog, check out the ABOUT ME page.
Till next time keep kicking and blessed be.
