8th Grader Takes Martial Arts to the Next Level

Taekwondo is a Korean martial art invented over 2000 years ago. One of our very own students, 8th grader David C., practices this art every Tuesday and Thursday at his local academy. He spends almost 10 hours a week learning Taekwondo, memorizing forms, using weapons, and then practicing sparring.  Every two months, he then does testing where he has to memorize a form, learn a new weapon, and then spar with other students.

David’s journey started when he was seven years old, and since then his love for martial arts has only grown. Now a second degree black belt, he has sparred in many tournaments, even placing fourth in districts between Missouri, Illinois, Oklahoma, and Kansas. At the tournaments he is judged on kicks, forms, stances, and then sparring. Each is worth points based on which place he gets in the tournament. 

We asked David what his favorite weapon is, and he said, “My favorite weapon is the Double Mon Monge,” which is similar to a small scythe.  We then asked him what he learns at Taekwondo. “I learn flexibility, power, and control,” he says. Afterwards, we asked him how the testing works (testing is when he moves from one belt to the next), and he said, “Testing is every two months, it takes one testing for color belts and five testings for every black belt”.

Photo credits: parent Carla C.