Earning a Second-degree Black Belt in Taekwondo

Earning a Second-degree Black Belt in Taekwondo

Earning a second-degree black belt in Taekwondo was a significant achievement for me because it marked the successful completion of a long and tiresome journey. Before the onset of my taekwondo journey, I was in the middle of a family and academic crisis. The world seemed to crumble down to my feet as nothing I did seemed to work. Every time I looked at my family, the situation seemed to get worse by the day, and all efforts to restore love and unity turned futile. My academic performance was not comforting either; my grades dropped, and every time I sat for a test, I got a lower grade.

I had a strict self-discipline policy about drug and substance abuse and therefore, using any drug to ease stress was out of the question. Consequently, I spent most of my time locked up in my room looking up random things on the internet, and before I knew it, I had slipped into acute depression. The worst thing is that nobody seemed to notice my desolate state and if they did, they turned a blind eye.

One afternoon, I was locked up in my room with my mind lost in an online game with a virtual friend. Normally, I would dismiss any advertisements, but this one caught my attention. It was an ad talking about an intake in a Taekwondo Dojang. The ad was of how Taekwondo could be used not only as a sport but also as a stress reliever.

I took an immediate interest and looked up how martial arts relieved stress. Of all the benefits of participating in Taekwondo, the one that attracted my attention was about how the sport boosted endorphins and increased happiness. In the state I was in, I desperately needed an activity that would make me happy and reduce depression. Also, events in the dojang gave one an opportunity to unleash anger, and I needed a healthy way to unleash all the angry feelings I was harbouring towards life.

I did not hesitate to sign up for classes, but when I got to the Dojang, I was taken aback because the environment contrasted my expectation. I expected to see smiling people as they danced around and systematically threw kicks. However, I saw sweaty people who seemed tired and worn out. Without a second thought, I walked out of the Dojang, but a man, who I later identified as the instructor, followed me. He asked me why I had walked out so suddenly without giving Taekwondo a try. I told him that I was looking for a sport that would make me happy, relieve my stress and keep me healthy and from what I saw, Taekwondo could not solve my problems. The man let out a sigh and a small laugh, and he led me to a bench where we sat down and started talking.

It is surprising how talking, especially to a stranger, can relieve one of stress. I poured out my frustrations to the instructor as he listened keenly. I told him how my parents, engulfed in a longtime grudge and ego, failed to see our family falling apart, and how it affected my siblings and I., I also told him about my studies and how my falling grades added salt to my injury and how those situations made me feel depressed. I was surprised at how patient the stranger was, all he did was nod as I narrated and complained about my misery and at no point did he show disinterest.

When I had finished narrating, the stranger told me that Taekwondo would not solve any of my problems. However, he assured me that it was therapeutic for people in my situation and as time progressed, I would have regained control of my life. I would also view things from a different aspect and even try to solve my problems more enthusiastically. After some thought, I decided to try Taekwondo because although it would not answer my questions, it would help me slip out of depression.

The first sessions were tough. I was unfit from too much junk food and lack of exercise. However, my Sabum, instructor, never gave up on me. Within time I was fit, and I did most of the activities without straining. True to the words of my Sabum, Taekwondo gave me an avenue to release my anguish, and by the end of every session, I felt like a different person. By the time I got to my first-degree black belt, I was a charismatic person that even I had regained the passion for pursuing my studies from a different angle, a move that improved my grades significantly.

Although Taekwondo did not solve my family issues directly, I gained the courage to talk to my parents which was like an eye-opener that prompted them to resolve their marital problems and save the remaining bits of our family. Life had pushed me to a place where I felt lonely and depressed, but I found refuge in the Taekwondo dojang. The sport had become my refuge, a haven where I relieved stress and made friends. I consider my second-degree black belt a trophy I received after successfully regaining control of my life; a life that had previously fallen to bits.