Returning to Taekwondo After 40 Years

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....

  I’m incredibly grateful to have passed my Junior Bodan Belt Test in Taekwondo this evening! It’s an honor to continue training under Master Nam’s guidance. Now, I’m eagerly looking forward to my final color belt test this June. It's been an incredible journey, and I'm excited for what’s ahead!

  I had an exciting day at the New Jersey State USA TaeKwonDo Championship in Newark, NJ! It turned out to be a rich and rewarding experience, I received a gold medal in P oomsae (forms) and a gold medal in Board Breaking in my division (The old guy red belt division). This means I qualify to compete in the National Championship which is scheduled in July out in California.

  Since I don't compete on Sundays, I am only registered for Poomsae and Board Breaking on Saturday, March 8th.  

  This evening, I successfully tested for my Bo-Dan belt (half black, half red). Bo-Dan are the ranks preceding black belt. If all goes well (DV), I’ll start the series of black belt tests in 2025. In the picture with me is Master Nam, for which I owe great respect and appreciation.

            I had an exciting and adventurous day competing at the New Jersey TaeKwonDo Open! It turned out to be a fantastic experience—I earned a silver medal in Poomsae (forms) and a gold medal in Olympic Sparring in my division (red belt). This was my first time trying Olympic-style sparring, so it was a significant learning opportunity. I also made several new friends along the way. One gentleman, in particular, kindly stepped in to be my coach, helping me put on my gear and offering invaluable advice from my corner. It’s moments like these that make the journey in TaeKwonDo so rewarding! Lesson's Learnt:   Comment #1:   For the Poomsae I was more relaxed, but I had a moment in my form where I forgot the next movement and had a 2 second pause - which I think costed me the gold in Poomsae. The good thing was I did not stop, I went blank, but did not show it, took a deep breath, and then recovered.  In the end the judges wer...

  7th New Jersey Tae Kwon Do Open Championships I registered for this NJ TKD Open Championship as a Red Belt for WT Forms.   Likely my last tournament for 2024.   I thought this would test my nerves before the Houston tournament.   :)