I have two more gradings to pass until I accomplish my goal of becoming a black belt. If I train hard it’s likely that I’ll be able to accomplish this goal within the next 6 months. One of my goals for the past 4 years has been to earn a black belt. Once I do this I’ll be able to cross it off of my goals list and I will feel more confident about myself. I will also return to being a white belt; back to the basics. Who is a black belt? Someone who has mastered the basics.

I’ve been practicing Taekwondo since my first year of University, it’s been approximately 4 and a half years since my first class. I’ve heard that it takes around 3 and a half years on average for Tae Kwon Do students to earn their black belts, however I’ve been taking my sweet time. What’s the hurry? I want to feel that I’ve actually earned my black belt. BUT this thinking can be problematic: does that mean students who take 3.5 years truly “earned” their black belts? But I’ve been taking too much time and I figure it’s now time for me to really strive for it. I began practicing Tae Kwon Do out of curiosity, but I stuck with it because I enjoyed it and because I believe that when you start something, you should finish it, if you are able to.

I disliked university with a burning passion until I started Taekwondo. I attended one of the top business schools in Canada, and as such it required a lot from me. While I studied hard to obtain good marks I made the mistake of changing the healthy lifestyle routine that I developed in high school, the one that allowed me to get the marks and credentials that I needed to get admitted to a top class business school while living a healthy balanced lifestyle. In high school I studied often and I got involved in extra curricular activities, so I was very busy, but I also exercised; lifting weights and jogging. When I started university I deviated from this and just studied. No jogging, no lifting weights, just studying. Late nights working on essays, constant group study projects, assignments to finish and of course chapters to read. University was a new experience for me, and given the fact that I chose to get through university without student loans, I was working part-time as well. Everything that I had to deal with from the pressures of obtaining good marks to financial pressures made my stress rise to very unhealthy levels, followed by bouts of anxiety.

I was walking through York University with one of my friends when I saw the sign “Taekwondo Classes at York University”. On this sign was a picture of two black belts sparring and portions to tear off with a number to call. So I tore off a portion and I called the number on that same day and asked my questions. The classes were free, all I had to do was pay a small fee for insurance and purchase my uniform. Free Taekwondo classes from qualified instructors, why pass up the offer!?! So I called my friend Kevin, told him about it and encouraged him to join as well. We went to our first class, and thereafter many more. I decided to stick with it. Kevin came to a few classes as well but his heart drew closer to Brazilian Jujitsu, so he didn’t stay too long.

Taekwondo wasn’t difficult when I started. Some of the moves which seem basic to me now took some getting used to. But of course, with practice, difficult things become easy. I enjoyed the classes, I looked forward going to them twice a week. They were organized and not only was our teacher skilled (you don’t want to learn a martial art from someone without the proper knowledge or experience) but he was also funny. So while we exercised, learned new techniques and patterns, we also smiled and laughed because he added some light humour to the class and told us stories of his experiences to help us understand what we were being taught. There were also some other students in the class who were interesting personalities themselves. One of the students was a guy from Ivory Coast who was experienced in Kyokushin Karate. So though he was a junior belt in Tae Kwon Do, he was actually able to perform more advanced moves. You felt sorry for the one in his division who had to compete against him at tournaments. We had another student in our class who was a black belt, he had a small stature but what made me notice him was that he always had a smile on his face, always. You will find many different characters in a dojang, but they add to the experience.

I haven’t gotten into any fights since I started practicing Taekwondo, nor do I intend on getting into any. Taekwondo is an art of self defence so the practitioner should use it to defend himself and others and not abuse the art; our instructor told us that if we are ever in a situation where someone wants to pick a fight with us then the first thing we should do is run away. Then if the person catches us, then we fight, with control of course. It’s not about being afraid, but if you know full well that you have the capability of sending someone to the hospital in a matter of seconds then why do it? You’ve already proven yourself in the dojang so there’s no need to prove your skills to others on the street. He also taught us a move to cut off someone’s air circulation and make them suffocate to death, in only a few minutes. Deadly techniques.

Learning Taekwondo was one of the best decisions I have made in my life. Besides the fact that it helps me maintain the body I worked 4 years to get,

Besides the fact that it gives me something beneficial to do with my free time,

Besides the fact that I get to meet and interact with cool people and learn interesting things,

Besides the fact that it gives me theconfidence that I can protect myself and my loved ones in threatening situations

Besides the fact that I am learning skills that I can personally teach to my children,

Besides the fact that it helps me maintain discipline in my life,

Taekwondo helps me maintain my self esteem, it makes me feel good about myself. Because I am learning valuable skills that benefit me not only in the dojang, but that I can, and do apply, to the rest of my life.
So, what will I do once I earn my black belt? Our head instructor said that once we receive it we go back to being a white belt; we go back to the beginning and work on our fundamentals. Maybe I will start teaching, but even if I don’t I will continue training because this martial art has become part of my blood. There remain many things for me to learn and many things for me to improve on, however I look forward to it.

The 5 Tenets of Taekwondo
1. Courtesy
2. Integrity
3. Perseverance
4. Self Control
5. Indomitable Spirit

Quadri O.

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24 year-young maker, martial artist and aspiring Arabic grammarian. Sharing stories and lessons learned from this journey of life. If you liked this piece please click recommend, share and feel free to reach out.