11/08/2021
"A Black Belt is a White Belt who never quit or gave up" I AM SO INCREDIBLY PROUD OF MILES WHO TESTED BY HIMSELF FOR HIS BLACK BELTS TODAY AND PASSED! Congratulations to Miles, who has earned the rank of 1st Dan and are certified Black Belts from the Kukkikwon, which is the highest Governing Body of Taekwondo and it is official according to the World Taekwondo Headquarters as well! I am so proud of him and the hard work he has put in! He worked for over 3 hours and fought lots of emotions to get his Black Belt! He has been with me since he was 6 years old! I have watched him grow up and become a confident young man who grew out of his shell right before my eyes! He is now 10 years old and I can't believe the journey he has went on and how he transformed before my eyes! He started out as shy, quiet, and scared! Now he is strong, tough, and a confident leader who can tackle things without me! It is amazing to see how he can lead and help teach and how he doesn't need me anymore! I watched him transform into a strong fighter and a board breaker! He started out as a mini punching bag and now is one of the best around! He was scared of getting hurt when breaking a board and now he can do breaks blindfolded and isn't afraid of anything! I watched him break out of his shell and learn how to make decisions on his own! I watched him grow in confidence with each new belt he got to, or new technique he mastered, or new form he could complete on their own! I watched him tackle his fears on breaking boards and performing in front of others and helping him to remind him that he doesn't let fear control him! I watched him as he succeeded, triumphed, fell, cried, broke down, got frustrated, got angry, and wanted to give up! He got knocked down many times and each time he got back up! There were many tears shed and times he wanted to quit, but each time he continued to push forward! There was some blood, sweat, tears as he became a fighter and now he loves to Sparr! He now is one of the leaders of our Tournament Team and wants to continue to help those below him and continue to compete! He loves tournaments and always looks forward to the next one! He had the biggest heart ever and gave it his all! He showed me effort and perseverance and reminded me I can do the same thing in anything in my life! He had an Indomitable Spirit and was strong in Mind, Body, and Spirit, which is what we teach in Taekwondo! I never thought my studio would get this far or that I, as an Instructor would ever have Black Belts of my own! Many doubted me and told me I would fail! I was told to give up and that I wasn't very good. I wanted to give up many times, but I never did and knew others needed me! I kept thinking I was going to make a difference in someone's life and inspire them to get to Black Belt! I figured one day I would have Black Belts of my own and now that has happened with Miles and a few others! I am so glad himself and his family believed in me as a new Instructor and trusted me to teach and coach him! I am not the same Instructor that I once was when I started! I used to be shy and quiet! Now I am more confident, strong, and have a voice that I am not afraid to use! It was an emotional day for him and for me! Our studio is continuing to move in the right direction and the future is bright with him leading the way for others! This is not the ending, but a destination in his journey! He has reached this one and now begins a new journey! His story is not done, but only another chapter complete! He accomplished his original goal and now has a new one set! He has inspired me to continue to train, work hard, and lose weight so that I can finally test for my 3rd Degree Black Belt sometime in the near future! I wish you could have seen this Mike Sheehy! It breaks my heart you were not there in person, but I know you watched from Heaven! I know that you and Lexi were smiling at me and cheering me on! I wish you could have seen this as well Lexi! I miss you both a lot! I also know you both had tears of joy for me! I know how proud both of you were of me and that you both saw it from above! Thank you to both of you for always giving me guidance, confidence, and courage no matter what I do! Thank you to everyone who has supported him over his years and for putting in the work to help him achieve his goals! Thank you to all of the students who came and watched Miles today and helped him through some of his sections of testing! I know it meant the world to him and we both appreciate you all and for all your support of him! So thank you to Kiera, Enoch, Drake, Nia, Olive, Jason, Mylan, Madison, Zach, and Nick! Thank you to everyone who continues to support our studio and the kids that walk through those doors! This program doesn't run without the kids, or the parents that bring them and I am grateful to everyone for all the effort and hard work you put in! I can't wait to see the next few students tackle their way to Black Belt and for the others who continue to move up in their lower Belts! Miles, I am so proud of you and for deciding to do this on your own! You truly deserved this today! I will always remember you as that shy little kid who was so scared when you first started! Now look at where you are now! I will also always remember how we both loved Harry Potter and how we connected over that! In honor of you getting your Black Belt I am watching the 1st movie that started it all tonight! "Winners are not people who never fail, but people who never quit." ~ Jeremiah 29:11😊😊🥋🥋🥋🥋🥋🥋🥋🥋🥋🥋👊👊👊👊👊💪💪💪💪💪😊😊❤❤❤❤❤
