Lori and Ian Break Boards for a New Belt in Tae Kwon Do
In this video, I am breaking 3 boards for my red belt in Tae Kwon Do. Next to me is my son Ian, also breaking 3 boards to get his high brown...
Read MoreA Superstar for a Day
This past Monday, I had the privilege of experiencing a once in a lifetime opportunity. A few months ago, a magazine called "Best You" was looking for women who took on a new sport after the age of 40. As I read through the media inquiry, I thought to myself, "hey, I started Tae Kwon Do when I was 44". So for the fun of it, I submitted my story along with the required pictures, and was quite shocked when I found out they had selected me for the magazine. ...
Read MoreHow Do We Teach Children to be Respectful?
The short answer is "model it". One of the values that we emphasize in Tae Kwon Do is "respect". We're not just learning that children should respect adults, but that everyone should be respectful to all people. When we walk into the dojang, we bow, shake hands and say "How are you sir?" to our master and to all fellow Tae Kwon Do family members. Many of the parents that sign their children up for Tae Kwon Do are wanting their children to...
Read MoreBreaking Boards Sometimes Requires Perseverence
Well, today I tested for my brown belt in Tae Kwon Do. In addition to the hundreds of front snap kicks, roundhouse kicks, high rising kicks, side kicks, back kicks and more, we always have to break a board using a particular kick to pass the next belt level in Tae Kwon Do. As a high blue belt, I needed to use a turning roundhouse kick to break a board that is about 3/4″ thick. While there were other boards I broke on the first attempt (in earlier belt testings), today I struggled. ...
Read MoreSad to See Chang Yong Go
Today is our last day with Chang Yong. We have had so much fun together, showing Chang Yong all the fun things to do in America. Yesterday, we took Chang Yong bowling and he absolutely loved it! It was his first time bowling; he was so cute as he danced around in his bowling shoes. When he got a spare, he would jump in the air with excitement. Here are some pictures of our bowling experience. Yesterday Chang Yong gave us a very nice gift. He...
Read MoreMeet Our House Guest
From Friday to Wednesday of this week, we have a house guest. His name is Chang Yong and he is from Korea. Through our Tae Kwon Do school, we had the opportunity to host some children who are visiting from Korea. I thought it would be a wonderful opportunity for my kids to learn about life in a different country, and for Chang Yong to learn about America. It is much easier for us to teach Chang Yong about America because we, of course, can speak to him. But because...
Read MoreTop 10 Reasons Our Family Practices Tae Kwon Do
Our family has been practicing Tae Kwon Do for about 9 months now. I am a huge advocate of martial arts for children and adults. Here is why our family values Tae Kwon Do: 1. Tae Kwon Do is a great workout!2. Tae Kwon Do allows our family to take care of our health together.3. Tae Kwon Do's main value is RESPECT.4. Tae Kwon Do teaches confidence and empowerment to somewhat shy children.5. Tae Kwon Do utilizes the process of goal setting to...
Read MoreConcept of Happiness
It was 8:15 AM yesterday morning, and I was quickly reviewing my orange belt curriculum. At 9:00 AM, I was testing for my green belt in Tae Kwon Do. In order to obtain my green belt, I have specific concepts and terms that I have to know. One of the pieces of information I know Master Lee will ask is what the meaning of orange belt is. I know in general, it means happiness, but this morning I read the full explanation of happiness. This is how the concept of...
Read MoreConfidence, Sir!
Last week I took my six year old son Ian to a Tae Kwon Do class. He’s always been a somewhat shy guy who struggles to overcome his fears. So I thought perhaps martial arts could help increase his confidence, in addition to many other positive character traits. The first class was a little rough. One of the kids purposely pushed him down, causing him to cry. And Master Lee was working the kids pretty hard. Ian was challenged, to say the least, and on many...
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