Each student is asked to complete an essay prior to their black belt test. Here are some quotes from those essays:
Tae Kwon Do made me stronger, both physically and mentally, I learned a lot and basically, it made me a better person. I got a lot stronger ever since I’ve been taking Tae Kwon Do. It’s helped me on my physical and mental strength. We did a lot of conditioning like running, stretching, and a lot of exercising that worked on my physical strength. Tae Kwon Do also taught me to never give up and to keep working, which worked on my mental strength. I made new friends while taking Tae Kwon Do, and it helped me realize that Tae Kwon Do is great for self-defense. It helped me stay committed to whatever I was doing. Whether I was learning self-defense or new forms that sometimes got me very frustrated, I never gave up. -Emily Blair
Tae Kwon Do is a great physical sport and you get great exercise while having fun. Tae Kwon Do had given me the endurance and strength in other sport activities and in my life as well. A lot of my friend’s parents are amazed at the way my body can balance and the speed I have, and I feel that Tae Kwon Do developed that. I have learned to respect my friends, parents, teachers, adults, and my sister. I do this by listening to them when they talk, good eye contact, use my manners, help them when they need help, and last but definitely not least, by telling the truth. There are times when I do get frustrated with homework and other areas of my life, but Tae Kwon Do has taught me to never give up and to keep trying until you have it right. -Evan Daly
I have learned a lot in Tae Kwon Do. I learned that it is more than just punching and kicking. Tae Kwon Do is about being able to focus and use your mental ability to do your best. I am learning how to be a good leader. To be a good leader you have to have the right path. -Max Gilchrist
As I have made progress through the ranks, I have learned that if I worked hard to learn the moves and followed the rules, I could achieve my next goal. I am proud of myself when I achieve my goals. Since starting Tae Kwon Do, at the age of five, I have learned a lot and have grown in many ways. I have learned to respect my parents, instructors and family. I have learned how to set goals and work hard to achieve them. -Kelly Rodriguez
Tae Kwon Do has helped me by learning to have self-discipline, patience, and sportsmanship. It has also given me a great deal of courage to help defend someone who is in need of it. -Vincent Lobo
I have a great appreciation of the school’s atmosphere of acceptance, respect, support and encouragement. I respect and admire Master Kim, who keeps the school accountable to a higher standard and serves as an example of that standard. This is a sport that you will get out of it whatever you put into it. It is a chance to challenge yourself and set goals. Actually, it is more than a sport because it instills values and ethics for conduct and behavior expected in real life. It promotes person development on many levels. I believe that the children who are participants at this school will receive lifetime benefits because of the instruction they are receiving now. I believe that adults that participate will find it fulfilling when they challenge themselves and accomplish what seemed daunting. -Rebecca Netzel
After I got to my green belt I realized that there was more to Tae Kwon Do than just kicks and punches and I made a commitment to becoming a black belt. As I earned more belts I also learned to help others, to never give up and to strive for self discipline. During my journey, my instructors always encouraged me by giving me high fives, saying good job and helping me focus on what I needed to work on. -Rebecca Paul
What is there to NOT like about Tae Kwon Do? I can run, kick, yell, punch, and burn lots of energy. -John Peters
Tae Kwon Do has taught me to be a good leader; I feel it is my responsibility to look after those younger that me and to help them in any way that I can. I have learned that perseverance and self control are the most powerful tools to reaching a personal goal. Self control has helped me reign in my emotions and express them in a more positive way. -Jon McMillan
My family and I appreciate the values W. Kim teaches: courtesy, respect, honesty and positive attitude. I would recommend W. Kim Tae Kwon Do to all of my friends! -Christopher Winkler
There are days when I am really tired mentally and physically and I asked myself “what am I doing?”, is this something I should have STARTED doing at my age”; but when these thoughts invade my mind, I remind myself I am limited only by my thoughts. So I say to myself “YES I CAN”.
-Daniel Coleman
I thank W. Kim Tae Kwon Do for teaching me what can be accomplished when focusing the strength of the mind, body and spirit toward a life of balance.
-Nina McIlree
Tae Kwon Do has helped me in a lot of ways. It has helped me in school by teaching me to keep sitting in class and not talk too much. I also know that if something is hard to do the first time that if I keep working on it I will be able to do it.
-Christopher DeSort
I work hard at keeping the tenets of Tae Kwon Do a part of me even when I am not at Tae Kwon Do, I feel it is important to make them a part of who you are, and not just what you do when there are instructors around. Tae Kwon Do has helped me be better at respecting my parents, other adults and coaches, and my brother and two sisters. I have also done better at school because I know what it means to have to be focused.
-Kristen Ottesen
When I was a Brown Belt, I took a break from Tae Kwon Do. This was a big mistake. I realized that Tae Kwon Do meant a lot to me, and how much I missed it. When I came back, I practiced very hard and joined the Demo Team. After six years of dedication, I am at the end of my Black Belt Journey, and ready to begin another journey as a black belt. I am very proud to be part of the W. Kim Tae Kwon Do School.
-Nick Longo
Becoming a black belt is more than just forms and self defense. It’s about being in the best physical shape I can be in, doing the best I can, and having a strong, positive spirit. It’s about viewing a board as a thin fragile object instead of something doors are made of. It’s about showing courtesy, integrity, perseverance and self-control, and having an indomitable spirit in class and in all other areas of my life.
-Faye Vorick
While having fun, without realizing I was actually learning the awesome art of self defense!
- Siddarth Nair
I think Tae Kwon Do teaches you respect towards others and yourself and helps you to act appropriately. It also teaches you how to defend yourself if needed from others. It has taught me how to handle situations at school and with my friends. - Morgan Sjogren
I never thought I would be able to do some of the things I can do now. Thanks to the encouragement and patience from the Instructors and classmates I’ve found that my confidence has increased. Tae Kwon Do has also helped me to focus not only in class but in my everyday tasks. It’s great exercise for both the body and mind. It has also been great stress release.
-Karen Hansen
Tae Kwon Do has helped me with a lot of things. It has helped me mostly with respect. Now, I respect my parents more than before I started. I also have improved on confidence. I could barely talk to anybody I didn’t know before I started taking Tae Kwon Do. Now, I can talk to almost anybody. - Philip Hansen
As I have progressed through the ranks I have learned to set goals, I am proud of myself when I achieve them. The testing process has been a challenging part of my training. I have learned to handle the stress of performing in front of, what feels like, a million people and to concentrate on doing my best. This has helped me in school while giving speeches and making presentations. Since beginning Tae Kwon Do, at the age of four, I have grown in many ways and have learned to respect my parents, instructors and family. It has taught me to work hard and improve my moves, but also to set goals and work hard to achieve them - Ryan Rodriguez
TKD has not only increased my self confidences, but helped increase my determination to reach my goals. TKD has also increased my leadership abilities. - Eddie Graham
Every child is told to be kind. However, that maxim is often challenged in the spirit of “competition”—except here at Tae Kwon Do studio. Here, students are expected to challenge each other, yet with courtesy and kindness. It is never about improving yourself at the expense of another. - Margarita Geleske
