The Beginning

Post #1

Why am I doing this?

The Blog or Taekwondo?  I'll start with the Blog.  My wife wants me to keep a record of what I'm doing in TKD so that in my later years, I have something to show the grandchildren someday that won't rely on my memory.  I think she's right, so here I am.  As for why TKD, more on that below.

Where to begin?

I started my journey in Taekwondo in June of 2017.  I had enrolled my 5 yr old daughter in January, and weekly sat in the audience, cheering her on.  At the beginning of June, the academy offered a "Father's Day" event, where the child students dragged their dads onto the mats for a brief lesson.  When it was just about over, the Sabum (Master Instructor) announced that the academy was offering a Father's Day deal (1 year of lessons for the cost of 1/2 year).  My daughter became a persistent saleswoman to get me to sign up, and she was relentless.  Within 10 days later, I was in uniform, taking my 1st class.

Why Taekwondo?

It started with convenience.  The academy is located nearby, and many of my friends have children who have attend these classes.  After the first few months, a sense of community began to grow within me.  The instructors were patient, understanding and wanted their students to excel (not just as martial artists, but as people).  I'll be the first to admit that I'm not the ideal body type for Taekwondo.  My legs are a bit shorter than they should be, and I'm not as flexible as I was in my youth, but I've found that I'm progressing better because I need to push myself harder to succeed.

Where do I train?

I live in Upstate New York, just outside of Albany.  I take classes as Pai's Academy of Taekwondo, headed by Grandmaster Thomas Pai.  I'm originally from Canada, and I moved to the US due to marriage.  We're settled in NY more for my wife preference than mine.

What do I plan to with this knowledge?

When I was much younger, I took Kempo Karate. I practiced diligently, and attained my green belt in a few short years.  My greatest passion at that time as a martial artist was sparring. However, an injury playing high school football sidelined me, and I was forced to give up all athletics to recover.  By the time I was able to function at that level again, over 10 years had passed and I was more focused on education and career.
As an adult (and parent), my focus now for martial arts is more about Forms (similar to Kata).  I found that I have a sense inner peace and a greater feeling of self-awareness while doing Forms.
When my daughter started, I took it upon myself to help her at home with stances, techniques and forms.  She excelled quickly, and I took joy in her success.  Once I was in the dojang (training hall) myself, I discovered that while learning the 'how' of a Form was stimulating, understanding the 'why' pushed me into trying harder.  This striving for knowledge has been acknowledged by Grandmaster Pai when he offered me the opportunity to take the Leadership Program (for future instructors).

How has Taekwondo changed me?

When I first tied on my white belt, I weighed in at over 300 lbs and had a waistline of 55+.  I couldn't really jog, and I had issues with my knee (the one I injured playing football those so many years ago), my endurance and my ankles.  I was a sweaty mess at the end of every class, and was so stiff & sore the next day that I questioned my sanity.  The look of joy in my daughter's face before and after classes kept me from quitting.  Today, while I sit in front of the computer typing this out, I weigh +60lbs less and comfortably fit in a 44 belt.  I can jog for over 5 minutes without getting winded, and only have the occasional twinge or two.  I still leave class a sweaty mess, but that's from the effort I willingly put in every time.  The exercises that I couldn't even think about trying when I started are now a big strain but doable.  I chart my success by things like my endurance, flexibility and how I feel the next day.