My Dojo is MY house. I have an immense sense of belonging and pride when I walk through those doors and step on that sacred mat. My fellow students and instructors are my family. In the couple of months that I have been practicing TKD, I have developed some very deep connections with those that I practice with.
I am now down 13 pounds and testing for my Orange Belt in 3 days!!! I am ready and very excited! I have butterflies when I think about testing, because I've never been through this experience before. What I've gained in just 2 months of studying TKD is so amazing. I think back to the day that I walked into my Dojo for my trial class and the transformation is incredible. I never want to be that person again. I know that the journey ahead of me will be lifelong, and I'm learning to enjoy the journey instead of solely focusing on attaining an endall goal. The misconception that most have is that once a martial artist achieves Black Belt status, they have achieved the highest level. The truth is that once a martial artist achieves Black Belt status, the journey really has just begun.
Yesterday I did 3 classes! I had so much fun and sweat my ass off. My mascara was all over the place. I've gotten to the place where I need to completely wash off my makeup before starting class. It's always in my eyes and stinging.
My instructor invited me to attend his Leadership Class and I was very honored. My goal will be to train as an instructor, when I get to the level where that will be allowed. I taught group exercise (in my day we called it aerobics classes) for 17 years and miss that a lot. Instructing martial arts will definitely fit in well with dusting off those skills in my repetoire. I have the innate desire to Lead whereever I'm placed. It's really hard for me to resist - God's wiring and plan.
I'll write again after testing. Wish me luck!!!!
Kihap!
Dedie
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Thursday, April 10, 2008
The TKD Way ...
I open every class saying:
I will pratice in the Spirit of Tae Kwon Do
Having Courtesy for fellow students
Loyalty for my Instructor
and Respect for my juniors and seniors, Sir!
I close every class saying:
I shall persevere to live in the Spirit of Tae Kwon Do
Having Honor with others
Integrity within myself
and Self Control in my actions, Sir!
As I grow in the pursuit of my sport, I am learning to persevere. There are times in class when I want to quit, and I punch, kick, and try harder. I attend each class with complete focus on doing my personal best. My worst critic is the perfectionist in me. There is a part of me that feels that if I can't do something perfectly, I should not even do it all. Getting my ass kicked in my classes each week is teaching me that perseverance is about the journey along the way and enjoying the trials, tribulations and victories in this glorious (and supremely rewarding) experience. Translating this to other areas of my life will be truly enlightenment. One step at a time ....
As I work toward discovering the Black Belt within myself, I want to exude the Spirit of Tae Kwon Do in everything that I do. I am now feeling the connection to my career and my relationships. I now know that I will not accept anything less than excellence from myself and those around me. And instead of being in a constant state of competition, empowering others and building them up is the true art of leadership.
It's truly exciting to see myself change physically, mentally and emotionally since I began my first class in my dojang. I am forever changed!
Kihap!!!
Dedie
I will pratice in the Spirit of Tae Kwon Do
Having Courtesy for fellow students
Loyalty for my Instructor
and Respect for my juniors and seniors, Sir!
I close every class saying:
I shall persevere to live in the Spirit of Tae Kwon Do
Having Honor with others
Integrity within myself
and Self Control in my actions, Sir!
As I grow in the pursuit of my sport, I am learning to persevere. There are times in class when I want to quit, and I punch, kick, and try harder. I attend each class with complete focus on doing my personal best. My worst critic is the perfectionist in me. There is a part of me that feels that if I can't do something perfectly, I should not even do it all. Getting my ass kicked in my classes each week is teaching me that perseverance is about the journey along the way and enjoying the trials, tribulations and victories in this glorious (and supremely rewarding) experience. Translating this to other areas of my life will be truly enlightenment. One step at a time ....
As I work toward discovering the Black Belt within myself, I want to exude the Spirit of Tae Kwon Do in everything that I do. I am now feeling the connection to my career and my relationships. I now know that I will not accept anything less than excellence from myself and those around me. And instead of being in a constant state of competition, empowering others and building them up is the true art of leadership.
It's truly exciting to see myself change physically, mentally and emotionally since I began my first class in my dojang. I am forever changed!
Kihap!!!
Dedie
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
3 Weeks to Orange!!!
Yesterday rocked. I took a White-Orange-Yellow class at 6:45pm and followed it by taking the Advanced All Belts Class at 8:15pm. I'm posting this morning at 6:30am and my body hurts all over from the intense workouts! I only slept 4 hours last night because of being sore. It's a good ache, though. I know that I'm pushing myself to the limits of what I can do. I see the physical and mental benefits.
As far as physical changes, I'm down 11 pounds and definitely down inches! I am getting comments from others on my weight loss. what's so fantastic is that I no longer crave the junk that I used to because I know that it will only hinder my abilities to excel in my sport. (God it feels good to say that!) I see the slight changes in my body and expect so much more from myself. I still want to drop another 20 pounds and increase my lean body mass. I need to work on agility, speed and flexibility.
On the mental side, I am gaining confidence in every area of my life. Those that don't practice martial arts can not understand the mental workout that is required. The intense amount of focus that I have in the dojang provides a terrific outlet from work. I love what I do professionally, however, I'm the obsessive type. I'd much rather obsess about my family and my sport over my career. I feel like martial arts has given me balance in life.
I have 3 weeks to prepare for my Orange belt testing. OMG!!! My goal is to drop another 6 pounds and to perfect self defense, weapons, my kick/punch combos and Songahm 2 (my poomse). I have much work to do. I am now attending 5 hours of TKD weekly and need to continue with at least 2 home workouts of cardio, light weights, and plyometrics.
Gotta get ready for my day!
Kihap!
Dedie
As far as physical changes, I'm down 11 pounds and definitely down inches! I am getting comments from others on my weight loss. what's so fantastic is that I no longer crave the junk that I used to because I know that it will only hinder my abilities to excel in my sport. (God it feels good to say that!) I see the slight changes in my body and expect so much more from myself. I still want to drop another 20 pounds and increase my lean body mass. I need to work on agility, speed and flexibility.
On the mental side, I am gaining confidence in every area of my life. Those that don't practice martial arts can not understand the mental workout that is required. The intense amount of focus that I have in the dojang provides a terrific outlet from work. I love what I do professionally, however, I'm the obsessive type. I'd much rather obsess about my family and my sport over my career. I feel like martial arts has given me balance in life.
I have 3 weeks to prepare for my Orange belt testing. OMG!!! My goal is to drop another 6 pounds and to perfect self defense, weapons, my kick/punch combos and Songahm 2 (my poomse). I have much work to do. I am now attending 5 hours of TKD weekly and need to continue with at least 2 home workouts of cardio, light weights, and plyometrics.
Gotta get ready for my day!
Kihap!
Dedie
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Kickin' Ass!!!!
Today ROCKED!!! I decided to take an earlier class because Monday's class was such a disaster. I thought that maybe I was cut out to hang with the other white belts instead of hanging with the higher belts. I attended the 4:30pm White/Yellow/Orange belt class. It was a great workout, however, not at all challenging, as far as stretching my physical and mental abilities. My instructor questioned why I attended the class and I was honest with him. I told him that I needed a confidence booster and that I felt like I completely sucked. I also told him that I was leaving in tears - out of sheer frustration - on Monday and Wednesday nights. He asked me if I was coming back to night class. I didn't even know that I could attend more than twice per week.
I went to have my nail repaired (In Monday's class, some guy round kicked me and shattered my sculptured nail in 2 places - cool!), and my salon just happens to be across the street from the dojang. As I was sitting there, I realized that I was giving up and not doing my best. In the Tae Kwon Do code that I recite before and after each class, I promise to do my best and live with perseverance. By attending an easier class, I am completely going against both of those ideals.
I decided to attend the 8:15pm advanced class, as well. I am so glad that I did! First of all, my instructor took notice, although he didn't say anything. He was teaching the black belt class. As I geared up, I socialized with my class mates - really great and cool people who are becoming more than acquaintances. Class was incredible! We punched, kicked, and performed numerous hook kick variations. Hook kicks kick my ass. They are truly artful when executed with precision, but very difficult to master. My instructor believes that the hook kick is the basic kicking element that sets Tae Kwon Do apart from other martial arts. The spinning hook kick is what threw me off my game last Monday night. In tonight's class, however, I was able to really grasp the elements of the hook kick and I'm truly getting it.
Surprise! My Partner was Miss Perfect Blonde again. She is really trying and advancing, too. As we worked together, I decided that she and I could truly form a friendship. I need to be easier on her and appreciate the girlie girl in her. She was very supportive and complimentary of the progress that I made since Monday's class. I can tell that her attitude is changing each class to that of a serious student. Tonight I asked what size she is - SIZE 4. WHATEVER - I don't think that I was even born a size 4.
I broke my first board with a round kick! I broke it on the first try - too easy. Next time I'm going to ask for the hardest board.
At the end of class, I was told that on April 25th, I'm testing for my orange belt. I am so excited! I have my form down - Songahm 2 - and just need to work on self-defense and weapons to perfect those skills. It will be an exciting night for me, as my family will be there to watch me. I want to show them the impact that Tae Kwon Do has had in my life.
I ordered a new dobak and hope that it'll be ready for my testing. I had to order a new size, because I've lost 10 pounds AND inches!!!
Tonight I can definitely Kihap!
Kihap!!!
Dedie
I went to have my nail repaired (In Monday's class, some guy round kicked me and shattered my sculptured nail in 2 places - cool!), and my salon just happens to be across the street from the dojang. As I was sitting there, I realized that I was giving up and not doing my best. In the Tae Kwon Do code that I recite before and after each class, I promise to do my best and live with perseverance. By attending an easier class, I am completely going against both of those ideals.
I decided to attend the 8:15pm advanced class, as well. I am so glad that I did! First of all, my instructor took notice, although he didn't say anything. He was teaching the black belt class. As I geared up, I socialized with my class mates - really great and cool people who are becoming more than acquaintances. Class was incredible! We punched, kicked, and performed numerous hook kick variations. Hook kicks kick my ass. They are truly artful when executed with precision, but very difficult to master. My instructor believes that the hook kick is the basic kicking element that sets Tae Kwon Do apart from other martial arts. The spinning hook kick is what threw me off my game last Monday night. In tonight's class, however, I was able to really grasp the elements of the hook kick and I'm truly getting it.
Surprise! My Partner was Miss Perfect Blonde again. She is really trying and advancing, too. As we worked together, I decided that she and I could truly form a friendship. I need to be easier on her and appreciate the girlie girl in her. She was very supportive and complimentary of the progress that I made since Monday's class. I can tell that her attitude is changing each class to that of a serious student. Tonight I asked what size she is - SIZE 4. WHATEVER - I don't think that I was even born a size 4.
I broke my first board with a round kick! I broke it on the first try - too easy. Next time I'm going to ask for the hardest board.
At the end of class, I was told that on April 25th, I'm testing for my orange belt. I am so excited! I have my form down - Songahm 2 - and just need to work on self-defense and weapons to perfect those skills. It will be an exciting night for me, as my family will be there to watch me. I want to show them the impact that Tae Kwon Do has had in my life.
I ordered a new dobak and hope that it'll be ready for my testing. I had to order a new size, because I've lost 10 pounds AND inches!!!
Tonight I can definitely Kihap!
Kihap!!!
Dedie
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Schitzo!!!!!***!!!!!
Being a white belt perfectionist in Tae Kwon Do is a funny thing. One day I'm on top and relishinging in my strong suits (flexibility, strength, precision, power, intense focus, desire, ...) and other days, I wallow in the fact that I completely suck and if I had not prepaid for 3 years, I quit. Tonight I wallow.
I was back in Mr. Middle-Aged Fat Women Don't Belong in Tae Kwon Do's Class. When I walked in the door, I almost turned right back around and walked out. Then, I sucked it up and convinced myself that I would defeat this defeatist attitude, work hard through class and prevail. Within the first 10 minutes of class, we were doing some kind of spinning hook kicks that kicked my ass. I was CLEARLY out of my league - looked and felt completely ridiculous. Naturally, he paired me with Miss Girlie Girl (Miss Perfect Makeup, Perfect Body, Perfect Boobs) and the other only white belt tonight and we probably looked like a spectacle. I'm sure if there was an audience, they would have paid money to see the 2 blonde chick white belt comedy act. We sucked and sucked so badly that it was probably comical.
I struggled throughout the entire class. The only thing I mastered tonight was breaking an advanced board on the first try. Half of the black belts took 2 or 3 tries to break. I love to break boards with my hands. It's a completely empowering feeling.
To summarize:
Bad Points For Tonight: My attitude sucked defeating me more and more as class progressed, I didn't try my best, I'm letting my feelings about that instructor get in my way, and I'm trying too hard NOT to be a girlie girl in class to prove that I'm tougher than that.
Good Points For Tonight: I have not quit - despite the fact that I have wanted to several times. I sweat my ass off tonight, so I know that I got a good workout (I'm down 8 pounds!!!), I broke an advanced level board on my first try, Getting better at sparring, and I'm being challenged by attending the higher belt classes.
I still love my sport. I am VERY discouraged, though. So, I will continue to sit here, reflect and wallow.
No Kihap Left,
Dedie
I was back in Mr. Middle-Aged Fat Women Don't Belong in Tae Kwon Do's Class. When I walked in the door, I almost turned right back around and walked out. Then, I sucked it up and convinced myself that I would defeat this defeatist attitude, work hard through class and prevail. Within the first 10 minutes of class, we were doing some kind of spinning hook kicks that kicked my ass. I was CLEARLY out of my league - looked and felt completely ridiculous. Naturally, he paired me with Miss Girlie Girl (Miss Perfect Makeup, Perfect Body, Perfect Boobs) and the other only white belt tonight and we probably looked like a spectacle. I'm sure if there was an audience, they would have paid money to see the 2 blonde chick white belt comedy act. We sucked and sucked so badly that it was probably comical.
I struggled throughout the entire class. The only thing I mastered tonight was breaking an advanced board on the first try. Half of the black belts took 2 or 3 tries to break. I love to break boards with my hands. It's a completely empowering feeling.
To summarize:
Bad Points For Tonight: My attitude sucked defeating me more and more as class progressed, I didn't try my best, I'm letting my feelings about that instructor get in my way, and I'm trying too hard NOT to be a girlie girl in class to prove that I'm tougher than that.
Good Points For Tonight: I have not quit - despite the fact that I have wanted to several times. I sweat my ass off tonight, so I know that I got a good workout (I'm down 8 pounds!!!), I broke an advanced level board on my first try, Getting better at sparring, and I'm being challenged by attending the higher belt classes.
I still love my sport. I am VERY discouraged, though. So, I will continue to sit here, reflect and wallow.
No Kihap Left,
Dedie
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
