We have classes tonight at the new Centerville location, 661 Lyons Rd, 45459, across from Sam’s Club in the Washington Park Plaza. Just down the street from Springboro, Spring Valley, and Bellbrook, Ohio.
Next Tuesday, July 3rd, I will fight in the USTA National Tournament in Dallas, Texas. I have been training seriously since the first of the year and have accomplished my mission of qualifying for the middleweight class instead of the unlimited. Good news for me because the gold medal winner from the unlimited class in 2010 is back and bigger than ever. The hardest part of preparation has been making the weight but I have succeeded and I am ready; the hay’s in the barn once again.
At age 60 this might be my swan song. My philosophy is to never say never but the practicalities of continuing my fight career are limited by my age and the fact that most of the other guys my age chasing golf balls.
I am addicted to the training, camaraderie and the ritual; the single minded preparation is a relief in today’s world. Aside from coaching, my future in the world of competitive Taekwondo sparring is hazy. But that’s projection, there’s still a fight to fight. And all of the experience that has come in the past 12 years of competing will not go to waste. I am committed to bringing some form of martial arts training to my peers from here on out.
When we return from Dallas (my better half Mary will coach) I will be considering some new fields of endeavor. Number one contender at this point involves reviving my running career and tackling the ultra-marathons; no one to fight but myself.
Choshim (beginner’s mind); let’s get it on.
Dennis Schaefer is an Instructor at the Asian Arts Center Taekwondo School in Dayton, Ohio. www.aacdayton.com
First of all I want to say thank you to my parents for supporting me through this process, to my family for driving down to congratulate me, and to every person at the Asian Arts Center for believing in me. When I first started training at the Asian Arts Center, I was scared it was going to be like the last place I trained at when they were mean to me. But when I took my first class, everyone there was kind and welcomed me and that is something I love about this place. When I became a 1st gup and got my black belt book, I saw all the things I had to do before my test. I got overwhelmed and nervous that I wouldn’t be able to finish everything by the time I would have to move. Later on, I was just not doing the boxes for push ups and sit ups and when my parents checked it, I ended up having to do several boxes everyday.
I think my favorite part out of all the things I had to do was my community service project. I liked the idea of helping people so I decided to help St. Vincent’s Homeless Shelter. When it was time to test, I was super nervous about what could go wrong, and I couldn’t think about anything else besides that. Then my parent’s reminded me that I had already passed everything on the assessment, and I should be fine. It turned out that I did fine on everything, and I was a Black Belt. Once again, I want to thank everyone who helped me in the process. Kamsamida.
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.
I’m Ryan and I’ve been doing taekwondo four years. It feels great that I am finally a Black Belt. I have been practicing a lot between a white belt and a black belt. I had to work very hard for a five-day long test. I was so tired after that week, but it was worth it because I got my Black Belt. I’m very thankful for the instructors for helping and showing me the correct movements for everything. If they never helped, I would never have passed. My goal was to be a Black Belt, but now it’s to be a 9th Dan Black Belt. I first found out about taekwondo from my friend, so I have to give him thanks too. My experience with taekwondo is pretty big. I am very excited to get my Black Belt now.
The journey to my Black Belt has impacted me in many different ways. One of the ways is that it has taught me self control. I am now able to control myself better when I am angry or frustrated. The journey has also taught me what it means to be a Black Belt. Being a black belt means you have mastered all the basics. You can defend yourself or someone else if needed.
Another way my journey has impacted me is it has taught me that it takes time, education and self-discipline. If you want to make good grades or get better at a skill, it takes all of the above. You need to practice, study and work harder on your homework. The dedication is when you practice your skills frequently. My journey has also taught me self-discipline. Now I go outside and practice my Taekwondo, soccer and other sports without being reminded.
Another thing my journey has helped me realize is that there are many different needs in my community. To get my Black Belt, I had to do a community service project. I chose to help with a battered women’s shelter by providing meals. Now I know that I need to continue doing community service projects to help my community in the best ways possible.
Upon the completion of my Black Belt, I am thankful to have had the opportunity to learn all these things and many more. This journey has made me a better person all around, and I plan to continue to use my knowledge to benefit others.
My martial arts journey started when I was five. Two weeks after I turned five, I went to an open house at a martial arts school in Potomac, Maryland. I liked it and joined the little ninjas program. I went twice a week. I was a good student and progressed easily. Sometimes I faced challenges. For example, I was sparring once and my partner chipped my tooth. I did not quit and got the tooth repaired. When I was brown belt, “The belt before black belt in my old school,” I moved to Ohio and resumed my martial arts journey at the Asian Arts Center. This was very hard, but fortunately they gave me credit for my karate belts. This meant I had to learn all the forms sharp enough to test for black belt. Mr. Matt started me off at a navy blue belt. I took many private lessons, and I worked very hard and advanced to first gup. All my instructors were great! Who knew, that when my journey started out about five years ago that I’d be testing for black belt? I learned from my journey how to reach my dreams and control anger, and become more focused at home, school and in daily life. My journey has also helped me physically too. The journey has made me MUCH stronger and taught me how to defend myself. It feels great to reach my goal.
Hi, my name is Maya Reyes. I would like to thank all the instructors for helping me with this journey to become a 2nd Dan. I would also like to thank my parents for their help. A challenge for me was the 3-mile run. It encouraged me when everyone ran the last lap with me. Thank you for your support. I learned that even though something is hard, you can do it if you push yourself and keep trying. The push-ups and crunches were easy for me. I felt prepared for the black belt forms because I have practiced them a lot on my own. This process has taught me to keep trying even when things get tough.
I am Parker Reyes. This journey has been both challenging and enjoyable. A challenge for me was the 3-minute plank. As a personal goal, I went home and accomplished the 3-minute plank without touching the ground. I enjoyed the format of this testing schedule. When I tested for my 1st degree Black Belt at my Knoxville karate school, we did it in one exhausting day. Testing throughout the week allowed me to rest and review for the following days requirements. I feel that testing for my 2nd Dan I am physically stronger and more mentally prepared.
I have learned how important breathing is for self-control and relieving stress. In our Black Belt class Mr. Matt taught us that our body cannot tell the difference between physical stress and emotional stress. When you breathe while under physical stress, you will train your body to breathe under emotional stress. This will help me control my actions and be able to act in a more rationale way while under stress. I would like to thank the instructors for the time they took to lead me through this journey. I would like to thank my mom and dad for their support and helping me achieve my 2nd Dan.
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