I’ve been whacked on the ankles by a bamboo stick twice: once when the stick was thrown to me, and I dropped it; the other time was when I wrestled a girl, and neither of us won. My taekwondo studio had a reputation for being strict, and their various disciplinary tactics made me tempted to quit countless times. However, I am endlessly grateful that my parents didn’t let me give up. Taekwondo has enabled me to venture outside my comfort zone and accomplish things I could never have imagined, like performing “Gangnam Style” at a mall at the end of a taekwondo demonstration or winning gold medals at tournaments. I had been labeled “shy” and “quiet” all my life, but taekwondo pushed me to overcome my timidity and replace it with strength and confidence. Â
Starting taekwondo as a meek, slightly-built six-year-old was terrifying. My first sparring partner was an older, taller boy, so it was no surprise that I ended up functioning as his personal punching bag during our match. Furious, my mom complained to the grandmaster, and it wasn’t the last time she’d get mad at him. Another time while wrestling, I held a girl down, and she retaliated by wrapping her legs around my neck. My mom freaked out, but I won because I didn’t let her go.Â
Turns out, the perseverance I demonstrated in that wrestling match informed my advancement in taekwondo — it certainly wasn’t that my physical strength or mental agility put me ahead of my peers. On the contrary, I had joined taekwondo with a friend that learned much faster than I did, so I worked hard to keep up with her. My efforts paid off when we were the youngest students chosen to be on our studio’s demonstration team, which allowed me to demonstrate my skills with my teammates at festivals and ceremonies. Initially, I was reluctant to be on stage, but I grew to love watching people collect the broken board pieces and react to our stunts. If I had quit taekwondo a year after starting, like I had wanted to, I wouldn’t have been able to experience the friendships and camaraderie that arose from training with the same people for hours on end. Nor would I have gained the confidence, endurance, leadership, and other skills I learned in taekwondo.Â
I was not the smartest, strongest, or fiercest student to enter my studio when I began my taekwondo journey. But no matter how often I stumbled, struggled, or got whacked by a bamboo stick, I picked myself up and tried again. Ultimately, this was how I succeeded, earned my black belt, and eventually became an instructor. Taekwondo proved that becoming good at things doesn’t happen automatically—it requires patience, dedication, and allowing yourself to make mistakes. Natural talent will only carry you so far. At the end of the day, it is the ability to persevere and outlast those who are unwilling to do the same that will pave your road to success.