Black Belt Means What to Me?

As I asked myself this simple question: Black Belt Means What to Me? I came up with several experiences with Master Peter’s Studio.

The first time I walked into Master Peter’s Studio was not as a student or even a person who was thinking of taking class. When I walked into the studio it was a lot bigger then the YMCA class which only had about five energetic seven and eight year olds. As we walked in, an instructor, who we later learned that her name was Linda, scurried over the blue and red mat and asked if my dad needed any information. While talking to my dad, I watched as instructors walked around counting while the kids kicked. It looked pretty cool but not cool enough to give up my current sport, swimming. Connor looked on in amazement. I could tell he was sold on this studio. His eyes were as big as eggs and he could not stop talking about it on the car ride home.

At first it was only my brother, Connor into Taekwondo, but Andrea after breaking her arm wanted to quit ballet and it went down hill form there. Soon even my younger brother, Alexander found his way into Taekwondo and I could tell my time would soon be coming. Little did I know, it was only one month after Alexander started that I started.

I remembered that first day clearly when I walked into Master Peter’s Studio for the first time as a student. About ten kids showed up to the class and that day was labeled the hardest workout in my life. From learning how to kick, to squatting down and walking across the room, I learned to hate the word “Go” that came from the instructor’s mouth. Once I came home after an exhaustive workout, I went straight to bed, not even caring to eat my supper. I was exhausted. What made it even worse is that my brothers and sister could run around and you could not tell that they even had a work out. I soon got used to squatting and walking across the room that gave me a little victory in itself. Later I learned that I would have to accomplished many tiny victories before getting to my final color belt.

After two months of learning punching, and kicking I got my first taste of sparring. The first person that I sparred was someone who was half my size and was ten times faster then me. Thanks to her I learned a lot. As time went on my habit of kicking with my toes got to me leaving me with tears in my eyes and a badly bruised toe. Thanks to Master Peter I have since then learned how to kick correctly and have gotten a tiny bit faster.

Still I lately had to overcome even another obstacle in my way. After trying six or seven times to break a board I finally overcame the board and it cracked but not after twisting my ankle and jeopardizing if I would quit, of course as you can see I did not.

Yellow, Purple, Orange and all the other color belts seem to be the most obvious accomplishments but before you get to yellow you must know how to kick, punch, count, jump, roll and so on.

So what does Black Belt mean to me? It means that I, Morgan Thomas, can accomplish whatever I set my heart to do.