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Crack! The pieces of wood fly through the air; I gain my balance, then yell with confidence. I take a deep breath and feel my heart swell with pride as the beat begins to slow down. I have just broken three wooden boards — one with an axe kick, one with a snap kick and the third with a palm strike. I would never have imagined that I could do these things, but as a taekwondo student, I have developed physical strength and stamina as well as confidence and discipline.

Just two years ago, most people would have considered me to be a shy, introverted person. I kept mostly to myself. I had a few good friends but not many, and I spent a lot of time alone focusing primarily on my schoolwork. I made good grades, but I had very few extracurricular activities.

To make matters worse, I was out of shape. I didn’t have regular physical activity. Sure, I would occasionally go to the pool and swim or go for a bike ride, but I didn’t have a routine that kept me in good physical condition. I had very little energy and just didn’t have the motivation to get “out there” and get fit and trim.

When I began taekwondo training all of that changed.

I’ll never forget my first taekwondo class as a beginning white belt. I must admit it was a bit daunting walking into the doe-jahng (Korean for martial arts school) for the first time. It was very loud — lots of yelling! I would soon learn that all those yells or key-hahps had a purpose (to strengthen the abdominal muscles), but at the time it made me nervous. It seemed a bit chaotic and I was more than just a little apprehensive, but within a few minutes, the masters at White Tiger Taekwondo pulled me into the class and made me feel very comfortable.

Since that initial day, as my taekwondo training progressed, I began to notice a transformation in myself. I was becoming a more confident person. I found it much easier to engage others in conversation. I was making new friends — lots of them — and strengthening the friendships that I already had. Although I had always made reasonably good grades, I noticed that I could focus so much better when studying — even for those dreaded vocabulary tests.

Additionally, I feel great. I have considerably more strength and endurance than I had less than two years ago. I burn plenty of calories, kicking and punching in the 45-minute class sessions.

Taekwondo has motivated me to introduce additional forms of cardiovascular and strength training exercise into my routine. I now run more than 15 miles per week. In fact, as I enter my first year of high school, I plan on joining the cross country team. I would never have considered trying out for a sport prior to taekwondo training.

I am no longer apprehensive when I walk into the doe-jahng. Instead I feed off of the energy there. Whether it’s sparring, practicing poom-says (sequences of kicks, hand strikes and blocks) and self defense techniques, sparring, or breaking boards, I always look forward to my taekwondo classes.

I have learned a great deal from my taekwondo training. I’ve discovered it can provide a lifetime of rewards, benefitting the mind, body and spirit.