Morning Sun Café– 아침해카페
Personal Essay for 1st dan Testing
By Stephanie Files (May 12, 2012)
It
has been six months since I initially tested for black belt. The journey recently has focused on
strengthening bonds with fellow students, masters, and instructors as I learn
new techniques and refine old ones. I am
also becoming more comfortable sharing what I have learned with lower-ranking
students. It can be both humbling and eye-opening to struggle to answer their
questions that arise during practice.
Yet that struggle gradually builds one’s confidence.
I
wrestled also with some anxiety before sparring at the recent Tae Kwon Do
tournament sponsored by Master Yi’s Academy in Topeka, Kansas. I wondered how
many black belt women would compete in my division. Would their skills exceed
mine? I certainly did not want to injure
anyone or be injured myself. My masters and instructors told me not to
worry. I discovered a deeper level of
focus in sparring at the tournament than I had previously realized. Keeping your
eyes fixed upon your opponent’s arms, legs, and your target zone—only altering
the gaze to occasionally check the direction of your opponent’s stare, which
might foretell their next move. I tuned
out the audience, their noises, and the bulky safety gear to which I was not
accustomed. Unfortunately, I also tuned out the instruction Master Yu called
out for “more bouncing,” like we hear in sparring practice. It was not until I
watched my son’s video of the match the next day that I realized my listening
error. This was followed by a prompt apology to our Grand Master Yu!
Master
Sims had spoken of a level of focus in which a virtual mental curtain comes
down to block out distractions when you demonstrate a form or technique. The
six minutes or so of sparring at the tournament gave me a glimpse of this
ability.
The
tournament also gave me the opportunity to take pride in not only the physical
skills of my classmates, but also the courtesy and ethics of our Academy.
Winning is nice, but it is more important to leave a legacy of respectful
behavior, which my classmates, Masters, and Instructors demonstrated. Other
clubs notice. In departing the Expo
Center with my family, a Master from another club commented that Grand Master
Yu was one of the most exceptional and kind people that he had ever met.
This
leads me to the recent unveiling of Master Yu’s personal website, which is an
incredible, diverse collection of photos, videos, history lessons, natural
beauty, and wisdom. My initial
impression was that it reminded me of a Yu’s Academy Black Belt Club meeting.
The website is a virtual, living scrapbook which people from all over the world
have already begun to enjoy. I strongly suggest you visit the Morning Sun Café
website. It exceeds your expectations, just like the experience here at Yu’s
Academy.
Stephanie Files
To be Continued
방문하신그대의모습이너무나아름답읍니다–향기나는MSCcafe아침해카페에서…
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