​

I still remember my first taekwondo class. It was four years ago in Year 6, back when I lived in Sydney. I honestly never pictured myself doing any kind of martial art. I only joined because my younger sister was really excited about it, so I got dragged along. My kicks were messy, I was nervous and I kept checking if everyone else was doing the same thing as me because I had no idea what I was doing.

​

But even in that first class, something kind of unexpected happened. I actually had fun. Even though I felt awkward and completely out of place, learning something new felt exciting. Little by little, week after week, I started to improve. Not just in how I kicked or moved, but in how confident I felt. The dojang slowly became a place I looked forward to going, instead of somewhere I had to go and eventually my sister who was so eager to join ended up quitting and I, the one who didn’t even want to start taekwondo, ended up enjoying it more than her.

 

Eventually, I started competing in both poomsae and sparring. Sparring didn’t really work out for me, I tried, but it just didn’t click the same way. I used to feel disappointed about that, but now I’m honestly glad I stuck with poomsae. That’s where I found the part of taekwondo that really suited me and it helped me grow in many ways I didn’t expect. I also found that poomsae is something I genuinely connected with and where I felt myself improving the most. I made so many memories at competitions, from being super nervous for my first small tournament as a blue belt to laughing with teammates and cheering them on in their divisions afterwards.

 

Taekwondo also taught me a lot of independence. It pushed me to take my first flight without my parents, travel over an hour on public transport alone and learn how to handle things by myself even when they felt intimidating. If someone told me back then that I’d end up with two national champion titles, I would’ve thought they were joking. I never even imagined I’d get that far in something I didn’t even want to start in the first place.

​

It’s funny looking back, because when I first moved from Sydney to Melbourne and joined Weiwu, I literally cried on the first day. I didn’t know anyone, everything felt different and it was overwhelming. But I trusted that Weiwu would eventually grow on me, especially since my coach in Sydney had recommended it to me. And now, the people I train with have become my friends; people I grow with, laugh with and actually enjoy seeing every week. Taekwondo ended up giving me so much more than I expected: confidence, memories and a community I never thought I’d find. 

​

Thank you, Master Joyce, for trusting me and for being so patient with me when teaching me all the patterns and self defences, especially since they were so different from what I learnt back in my previous taekwondo clubs.

​

Thank you, Master Benecia, for being someone I can talk to easily and for creating such a friendly and supportive environment in the dojang.

​

Thank you, Master Bryanna, for always supporting me and giving me the best ways to improve on the areas I need to work on most.

​

Thank you, Master Brian, for fixing my poomsae at all times and for also always jokingly reminding me that my kicks, especially my Taeguk 6 roundhouse kicks make me look like an uncoordinated animal.

​

Looking back, it’s crazy to see how far I’ve come. From a nervous Year 6 student who didn’t even want to start Taekwondo, to standing here ready for my black belt. And even though my roundhouse kicks might still look a bit questionable, my taekwondo journey has taught me resilience, independence and the importance of trusting myself and I’m so grateful to everyone who’s supported me along the way.