Why I started Taekwondo ...

I first began TaeKwonDo in 1977, when I was 15 years old. Growing up, I was a pacifist by nature, which unfortunately made me an easy target for bullies. I had always been curious about the martial arts—mostly from hearing stories about Bruce Lee and watching the TV show Kung Fu—but I never thought I would actually train. That changed when a friend invited me to join him for a free TaeKwonDo class. Honestly, I only went because he had a coupon.

To my surprise, from the very first class I was hooked. My friend never came back, but I did. For the first time in my life, I felt empowered. Training gave me a confidence I had never known before, and it began to show in the way I carried myself at school.

Bullies quickly noticed the difference. On one occasion in Shop class, a kid deliberately bumped into me and started mocking me. Instead of shrinking back like I normally would, I jumped onto a table, delivered a flying front snap kick to his chest, and followed up with a flurry of punches. Needless to say, he never bothered me again. Years later, I learned that the Shop teacher retold this story to his future students as a cautionary tale: never pick on someone, because you never know if they’re secretly training in martial arts.

By the time I had progressed through the ranks, the bullying had completely stopped. My confidence was no longer an act—it was real, forged through sweat, discipline, and training on the mat.

Fast forward to 2019: with my children grown and more time to focus on my own fitness goals, I decided to return to the world of TaeKwonDo at the age of 59. I remembered the joy and excitement I had felt as a teenager, and I wanted to experience that again. My wife was completely supportive—in fact, she encouraged me wholeheartedly to pursue my passion once more.