I’m Amelia Rude, and I’m 12 years old.  I’ve been at the Asian Arts Center for around five years.  Testing to 2nd Dan was something that I could call anything but easy.  Nothing has tested my patience or my ability more than Taekwondo, but at the same time, nothing has brought me to more triumph and brought me more strength and pleasures quite like Taekwondo. Testing to 2nd Dan was a process that helped me prove to myself that I can do what my heart is set on doing.  The past 5 years have challenged and helped me with skill set, purpose, and strength. Testing to the Black Belt may seem like a simple thing to some people, but until they have experienced it for themselves, I must say that they cannot truly understand the process.

Taekwondo may seem like a physical activity, even a sport, but to me it is so much more.  You get out of it what you put into it.  Taekwondo is a very mental activity, and it challenges my emotions.  Through my previous training I have learned so much and am better able to control myself, and I hope to further this and gain much more knowledge and ability in my future training.  The Black Belt itself has no set value; it is worth what you make it yourself. My Black Belt, 1st and now 2nd Dan, means more to me than imaginable.  So many days and nights I have put sweat, effort, and focus into training to be a better me.  Every class I push myself harder than the last, strive to be better, and I feel as if I achieve something each and every time I set foot into the classroom.  An empty, beginners’ mind is all that it takes to learn something new.  I work hard to enhance my training and my personality and I feel as though I could not be the same me without Taekwondo. The journey to Black Belt is not an easy one. Nothing worth having comes without a price. I’ve gone through many hardships from training: a broken arm, pneumonia from training in the rain, and the everyday aches and pains that we all go through.  I had a lot of trouble with my pull-ups, and I’ve found Hyper training to be quite the challenge as well. I’ve always heard it said that what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.  I find this statement to be extremely accurate: everything that I’ve gone through has made me stronger and I find that it’s always worth it in the end to push myself harder every class and every test.

It’s so amazing to think back to when I first started: I’m a completely different me!  I’ve benefited from my training in so many ways, but two mental things that I think I’ve really gotten from Taekwondo are determination and friendship.  Determination, defined as firmness of purpose, is probably the most important mental skill that I’ve gotten from my journey to Black Belt. Determination within every kick, every punch, every form, and most of all, determination to keep moving forward.  And secondly, friendship.  This testing group and my last testing group, all of my instructors past and present, and all of my fellow Black Belts and 1st gups in black belt class have made my experiences at the Asian Arts Center so enjoyable.  I feel so welcomed and accepted here, and I feel very close to my work-out partners because they are whom I have very much respect for.  The testing process couldn’t be done without the encouragement and support of my fellow Black Belts and my instructors, and I thank you all so much for the experience.  You’ve helped me learn so much about myself, and I know now that I can never give up on myself.

In my current testing group, I see so much support and potential. All of those testing with me, you deserve it so much. With my 2nd Dan, I plan to continue to stay at the Asian Arts Center and train whole-heartedly until one day I receive my 3rd Dan.  I hope to take my training as far as achievable, and I know that I should never put limits on myself because everyone can surprise themselves with their own ability. I enjoy volunteering at the Asian Arts Center, and I hope that those whom I help train are able to one day feel as if they received as much as I have from this journey, and as much as I will continue to gain in the future.  I love coming to class and putting new obstacles in my way every day.  This was my road to 2nd Dan and what will be my road to going much further.  Thank you.