Black Belts for All

It's official.  I have three black belts in my house.  If you can get past my doberman, you'll have the awesome kicking power of my three men to deal with!  They are so awesome, they kick boards to make kindling for my fire!  We are so proud of S.  S has been working very hard for the last six months.  He has worked harder on this than on anything else in his whole (albeit short) life.

 Off with the old belt

Training for black belt has filled S with new enthusiasm for Taekwondo.  It's amazing how when one goes through the training one is transformed on so many levels.

 On with the new belt

And the black belt itself is not really the end of a journey, but the beginning of one.  IJ, who earned his black belt six months ago, has show remarkable improvement in so many areas of his life as well as in Taekwondo.

 A new black belt uniform, a set of nun chucks, and a giant trophy!

M is to be congratulated for his dedication to these boys.  At every class the students chant the chun chin in English and Korean.  The chun chin is a list of qualities that we hope to see in each student: courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self control, and indomitable spirit.  M really showed his chun chin as he has put in a lot of effort to get them on this path.

Still in awe of his own accomplishment, he didn't even do anything funny to show off!

I have to say, I am not always supportive of M's decision to commute so far once a week for their class.  And I was under the impression that once S reached black belt in this school, they would try to find a school that is closer to home.

 The funny business was left to M, IJ, and D, who is breaking a board with his flying side kick!

But what M says is true.  The black belts are just the beginning of this journey.  The families at the dojang have become their extended friends and families.  The boys are becoming friends with people of different races and socio/economical backgrounds-people they wouldn't have the opportunity to meet living out here at Twin Firs.  So I've changed my mind about it all and I'll encourage them to keep up the good fight!

Master, M, S, and IJ

And now we have another little one who is almost old enough to start the family class with her dad and brothers...