World Champion

Special Thanks I would like to give a special thanks to Lutheran High School of Orange County the American Taekwondo Association ATA Brian Evans, R.J. Pelikan, Kassie Cullivan, my instructors Sung Jin Park, Tom Kirk and my family who believed that I would become a success. Although I've reached my goal world champion I want to accomplish an even more impressive goal reaching the title of Triple crown in the ATA. The road to becoming a world champion is not the most easy task you can achieve. The basic training you've got to go through is not always easy because the you've got to be willing to listen to the instructor who is teaching you. Once you've ended up become a black belt then you're eligible to go to the ATA World Championships however you're not allowed to compete unless you've met the minimum requirements in order to earn yourself a spot in the Top Ten. When I first started out as a white belt in taekwondo I did not expect that I would become such a success but it would change my life forever. The first day I went class I had a hard time learning the basics including remembering to say "yes sir or yes ma"am which is not something you don't use everyday in your everyday life. That gift would change my life forever but I soon realized I must use my gift carefully. I could remember anything after memorized it. My instructors were patient and never gave up on me even though it took me a little bit longer to memorize the forms. While I was a white belt I had a difficult time learning the basic curriculm I was almost about to give up but my instructors were willing to help me succeed. When I did my first testing I was not prepared however I was not alone because my instructors made sure I was able to make it through. After my first testing I was still struggling after I earned my orange belt but I was able to do it a little bit better however I was not sure what was going to happen after my second testing. When I was a purple belt is where I learned that going to tournaments strengthens your skills and allows you to become even better even if you lose. My first tournament was held in the L.A. Convention a huge place where many types of events are held. I was nervous when I went to my first tournament because it was a requirement for a student that they needed to go to one regional tournament before they could even test for their black belt. When you go to a tournament you must be ready for anything because a tournament will teach you that all the mistakes you make can cost you. My life would soon change forever because my chief instructor Senior Master W.J. Choi would soon leave so he could be teach closer to his other schools. Many of the junior instructors would leave because they realized that they needed to finish school which left me with memories that I don't want to forget When I became a blue belt I was becoming even more dedicated to taekwondo but I was prepared for the upcoming testing that would bring me a step closer to my main goal; becoming a black belt. I had to learn the blue belt form. I always liked the the blue belt form and its movements because it always seems to repeat itself after the first half of the form. After I passed my blue belt testing I was halfway through of reaching my main goal. Once I earned my brown belt becoming a black belt was still a big goal I was planning to accomplish. The brown belt form is often considered the most difficult of the color belt forms but I finally mastered it after weeks of training. The next belt I would be testing for was my red belt which I was wondering how hard was red belt vs. brown belt? I learned it was going to be a lot more simple than brown belt because it almost repeats itself. The next belt after red is red/black belt which requires the student to remember all nine color belt forms that make up the 1st Degree Black Belt form. When I was prepared to test for my black belt I soon learned that it was going to get even tougher for me but I would soon be facing a new challenge becoming a World Champion in the ATA which soon became my toughest challenge yet. I became discouraged after my first loss at the World Championships in Little Rock Arkansas. However I did not expect to lose again in 2005 but my luck would soon change after two losses in 2004 and 2005 when extreme Martial Arts was introduced in 2006 which made me get my confidence back. In 2006 my friend Kassie Cullivan would soon quit taekwondo which made me feel bad because I felt like she was the one who made a real difference in my life. I I soon seeked a new goal becoming a member of the ATA World Demo Team in 2007 but that was not going to be easy. The ATA World Demo Team only accepts a few new members every year. I soon learned that being a member of the World Demo Team was going to be an even bigger challenge because the members must go to both ATA Nationals one was in Orlando, Florida while the other one was in Las Vegas, Nevada. In 2007 I earned enough points to go to the World Championships in Little Rock, Arkansas to win the title of World Champion for a second time which made me feel special. In 2007 I managed to become a member of the World Demo Team which is an impressive goal that many students of the ATA only dream of. Becoming a World Champion or State champion is an impressive goal but many students never get to become a champion in taekwondo. Although I became a world champion I learned that only through hard work and determination can make you a true champion of the world. Never give up even if you are afraid to accomplish your goal always remember this a champion is someone who continues to fight even after they lost the most important match of their life! Becoming a world champion is no easy task. You've got to fight for what you believe in and never look back on your defeats. I ended up getting on the World Demo Team in 2007 but that is another accomplishment that makes me feel special. In the word of Eternal Grand Master H.U. Lee "If today not possible tomorrow possible." I know that there is no guarantee that I will win the title this year but I will keep trying even if I lose.