Punch...Block! Kick...Block! Thrust...Parry! Fighting, self-defense, powerful kicks and punches and...breaking boards and bricks, are what most people think about when it comes to the martial arts.
Martial arts is so much more. Yes, there is training to fight and defend yourself. And in that process, training of the body includes training of the mind. And once we can control our mind, we can control our body. I like to think of martial arts as...dedication, perseverence, respect and self-respect, self-discipline, focus, goal-setting, self-esteem...all the skills to be successful in life, to be happy, confident, and to "...be an inspiration for others."
I am a Taekwondo Master, a 6th Degree Black Belt, and have been training for almost 30 years. I continue to train with Grandmaster Byung Min Kim...learning is continuous.
Grandmaster Kim encourages "giving for the sake of giving, knowing that we are making a positive difference in another person's life." This is inspirational to me. And to be an inspiration to my students I teach them to be selfless and show them that I am selfless. As a Master I need to do many selfless acts...this is what I believe a black belt represents.
Please join my UMAC Hike Team as we prepare to hike the Grand Canyon, May 19, 2012. I am raising funds to support blood cancer research for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) and am part of the LLS Team in Training (TNT) endurance sport program. To make a donation, please go to my LLS TNT UMAC Hike Team fundraising website.
I hope I have inspired you to act, to make a difference in someone's life, to give freely and openly. Thanks for your support.
