Personal Narrative: Why I Am Taking Taekwondo
“Why I Am Taking Taekwondo”
Written by Letecia Clauder
Since a very young age I had a strong desire to learn a martial art. However, I did not know which style would best suit me. I was the youngest of seven children in my family. Due to our financial instability I was unable to explore this possibility. Fortunately, at the age of nine, with coordination, flexibility, and limited training in ballet, I was accepted into the School of Creative and Performing Arts. This privilege gave me the opportunity to be exposed to some of the same disciplines that Taekwondo has to offer. Such as: self-control, patience, endurance, flexibility, and perseverance.
At this time in my life, ballet is not something that is realistic due to my own
physical limitations. It also does not meet some of the other needs and desires that I have. Spiritual balance through meditation is something that I need at this stage of my life. Without practicing some other form of discipline, it is very difficult to make this a daily priority. Self -defense is something that I can achieve through any martial art training program. However, with a strong background in ballet I felt that Taekwondo was a natural fit for me. It is also extremely empowering to know that one can defend oneself when encountering a dangerous situation, which brings me to my final point of why I chose Taekwondo.
This past year our family has gone through a major transition that could have impacted our self- esteem in a negative way. Through most of this time I have only been an observer of the Tiger program in which my son Joshua has been participating. I feel that this program has helped Joshua to stay strong through this challenging time. It has given him a positive place to release some frustrations through physical activity in a well organized, disciplined and positive self esteem building environment.
So far Taekwondo has met all of my expectations. I look forward to being introduced to new forms and self-defense techniques, while still perfecting the ones I’ve already learned.
Written by Letecia Clauder
Since a very young age I had a strong desire to learn a martial art. However, I did not know which style would best suit me. I was the youngest of seven children in my family. Due to our financial instability I was unable to explore this possibility. Fortunately, at the age of nine, with coordination, flexibility, and limited training in ballet, I was accepted into the School of Creative and Performing Arts. This privilege gave me the opportunity to be exposed to some of the same disciplines that Taekwondo has to offer. Such as: self-control, patience, endurance, flexibility, and perseverance.
At this time in my life, ballet is not something that is realistic due to my own
physical limitations. It also does not meet some of the other needs and desires that I have. Spiritual balance through meditation is something that I need at this stage of my life. Without practicing some other form of discipline, it is very difficult to make this a daily priority. Self -defense is something that I can achieve through any martial art training program. However, with a strong background in ballet I felt that Taekwondo was a natural fit for me. It is also extremely empowering to know that one can defend oneself when encountering a dangerous situation, which brings me to my final point of why I chose Taekwondo.
This past year our family has gone through a major transition that could have impacted our self- esteem in a negative way. Through most of this time I have only been an observer of the Tiger program in which my son Joshua has been participating. I feel that this program has helped Joshua to stay strong through this challenging time. It has given him a positive place to release some frustrations through physical activity in a well organized, disciplined and positive self esteem building environment.
So far Taekwondo has met all of my expectations. I look forward to being introduced to new forms and self-defense techniques, while still perfecting the ones I’ve already learned.