Taekwondo Black Belt: My Journey

Taekwondo black belt essay examples abound, as this is a significant achievement in the martial art of Taekwondo. Obtaining a black belt in Taekwondo signifies that a student has achieved a high level of proficiency in the martial art and has demonstrated the discipline, perseverance, and determination required to attain this level.

The journey to the black belt in Taekwondo begins with the white belt, the lowest ranking belt in the system. As a student progresses through the different belt levels, they are introduced to various techniques and forms that increase in difficulty and complexity. The belt colors progress from white to yellow, green, blue, red, and finally black, with each level signifying the student's growth and development.

Earning a black belt in Taekwondo is a significant accomplishment that requires years of training, dedication, and commitment. It is not uncommon for students to train for four or more years before they are eligible to test for their black belt. During this time, students must master a wide range of techniques, including kicks, punches, blocks, strikes, and throws, as well as self-defense skills and sparring.

The history of Taekwondo is a long one, with its origins being over 2000 years old. Modern-day Taekwondo is a combination of many martial arts, borrowing predominantly from, “T'ang-su, Taek Kyon, also known as Subak, Tae Kwon, Kwonpup and Tae Kwonpup.” Very early traces of Taekwondo can be traced back to ancient times when the Korean peninsula was divided into three kingdoms.

Paintings in a tomb in the southwestern area of the Korean Peninsula (belonging to the Koguryo Dynasty) have depicted unarmed people doing techniques similar to modern Taekwondo. During the Silla Dynasty, Tae Kyon was mostly a recreational activity and was renamed Subak. However, during the Koryo Dynasty, it returned to being a primary fighting art. In 1909, in Japanese occupied Korea, the Japanese banned all use of martial arts, banned the Korean language, and even burned books published in Korea.

In 1945 when Korea was liberated, a Taekwondo school in Yong Chun, Seoul, Korea was opened. After having returned to Korea after living in Japan for 30 years during WWII, Choi Yong-Sool. After teaching Hapkido to his disciples, they combined it with various aspects of Taekkyeon, Tang Soo Do, and Judo. The five tenets of Taekwondo are courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self control, and indomitable spirit. According to my research, courtesy means being polite and respectful to fellow students, instructors, and masters. Integrity means to be able to judge what is right and wrong, to be honest, and to live by moral principles.

Perseverance means to be patient. It means that you can work through obstacles that come your way to the black belt without wavering. Self-control is what separates a martial artist from a person on the street. Being able to control emotions through your will allows you to be better in sparring, fighting, and even in your own personal life with personal relationships. Indomitable spirit allows Taekwondo students to push through any obstacle. A student who follows this tenet will never give up. Not even when facing insurmountable odds.

My journey to black belt

I started Taekwondo almost eight years ago in February of 2010. Every day, I would look at the dojang on my way back from elementary school. I would see people training in their uniforms and I thought it was amazing seeing them do what they did. I still remember when I walked in. The previous class had just began, and I could see a desk to my right. An instructor came to greet me and led me to the blue mat. That is when it all began. I have been doing Taekwondo since I was five, and it has greatly impacted my life. My favorite part of training is most likely demo team. I love doing demo team because it pushed me to be able to do kicks I never thought I could do. Also, getting everything in sync with the team just makes it look amazing. I have received many benefits due to Taekwondo.

One of these is self control. Before beginning, I was always all over the place and I could never control my impulses. But now, I have learned how to be in control of my body and control my behaviors. Being able to defend myself against people has been one of the greatest benefits of my training, as it can give me more confidence. It can also protect me in dire situations where I must use all of my knowledge to defend myself. One obstacle I have overcome on my journey to become a black belt is being patient. I have been overly excited for a long time about getting my black belt.

I have been waiting for (currently) seven years and 11.5 months to get my black belt since I have begun. It has taken a long time, but I believe that now may be my chance to finally get something I have been longing to get for such a long time. One of my long term goals in Taekwondo is to be able to improve my skills to be able to go to nationals. This is a goal due to how I feel that, If I can go to nationals, I can do anything.

References

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