By Brandon Kennedy (Springwood Branch)

Tae Kwon Do has played a major role in my life since the beginning of 2009.  It has not only been a physical benefit for me, but more importantly, it changed the way I look at life and the people around me.  It has helped with my self-esteem and self-discipline that can be taken into the workplace and into life more generally.

All through primary school, and a little bit now also in high school, I was a victim of bullying because I was the small, short one who could not match bullies’ strength.  This is where Tae Kwon Do has given me the knowledge, skills and confidence to deal with bullies in an appropriate way. Having done the training over the years to qualify as a black belt, I no longer see bullies as serious threats, even though some may occasionally threaten me.

As a coloured belt, I used to see being a black belt as the end of a journey.  In truth, earning a first dan black belt is just the beginning of the second and much longer time with Tae Kwon Do.  I realise now that I have so much more to learn from my instructors.  The coloured belt training forms just the basis of this next step.

As equally important as the need to defend myself (and others if need be), Tae Kwon Do has taught me the importance of not fighting because of the dangers it leads to – as one current campaign says, “One punch can kill”.  I have come up with a simple process to try and back out of a fight (after generally warning an attacker against pursuing violence), or if that is not successful, to try to stop a fight in the early phase.  This procedure is as follows: block the first move and warn the attacker to stop; then block the second move and warn again; and if that has not convinced the attacker, then block and counter the third move. I used this procedure in March 2012 to defend a friend at school who was being physically bullied.  I intervened to redirect the attacker’s efforts to me (instead of to my friend), and then used the above process to stop the bullying before it developed into an actual fight.  The attacker got the idea after the second block, realising that it was not worth the hassle and risk to push me a third time.

The ‘One punch can kill’ campaign has shown me just how fragile human bodies are to being hit.  I can see how strikes to the head can cause permanent injury.  When developing self-defence and one-step routines, I am conscious of protecting my own head as well as being very aware of not hitting my attacker’s head unless the threat is very high – such as the attacker using a knife (or other weapon) or if the attacker will just not stop.  In this way, I am demonstrating that I am legally responsible for my own actions, which is expected of a black belt and his/her level of skill.

Tae Kwon Do has taught me to set goals.  I could not have reached Cho Dan Bo rank if I had not pushed myself with each belt below it.  If I can conquer first Dan black belt, I know that I can achieve any goal I set for myself.  I might even be able to show others that they can set goals too. Tae Kwon Do has also enormously improved my fitness because my goal to become a black belt required me to attend hundreds of training sessions.

To earn a first dan black belt, I have had to develop a self-discipline that affects my whole life.  I have now taken this into developing schedules for simple things like study and household duties.

Being black belt would also be a badge of leadership and respect, when I could help guide and train younger students. An example of where this might help would be Isaiah at my branch, a beginner who does not like listening to anyone, even black belts.  I have had some success just this week trying to teach him self-control and respect.

I love going to training – it brings a smile to face no matter how my day was. The social and physical aspects are fantastic, talking to friends, having fun and learning how to defend yourself – what more could you ask. And the idea of being a black belt excites me, because it accomplishes a four-year dream.

Tae Kwon Do has been a major part of my life and development – physically, emotionally and spiritually.  The four years of training to earn a black belt has given me the physical skills and knowledge to defend myself to a good standard, as well as teaching me the importance of being responsible by not using dangerous strikes when it is not needed.  It has certainly required hard work and self-discipline to reach the goal of first dan black belt, but the training has also been so much fun.