New Black Belt Graduates – July 2025

“During my first few classes as a knee-high ninja, I struggled to focus during 30-minute classes. Some of the instructors were unsure if I was mature enough to take the classes. Over time I developed better focus and that skill has helped me not only as I progressed through TaeKwonDo but it has helped me in my classes for school as well. My focus has helped me achieve straight As throughout school. Rowing and debate, some of my extracurriculars, have also benefited from my better focus because during those activities there are often times that demand more concentration. In debate during competitions, I need to concentrate on everything the other debater says while planning what I will say in response, which takes a lot of focus and multitasking. In rowing during winter conditioning we row for long periods of time without break. During the spring season for the crew I have to stay focused on the person in front of me to stay in time with the rest of the boat. Due to TaeKwonDo, I have gone from having little to no focus to having much more focus allowing me to be better at everything I do.”

“Soon after entering the program, my parents saw a noticeable improvement in my behavior. The calls slowed down, and I even started getting a handful of good notes about how I was able to focus in the classroom. The repetition needed to learn the techniques and constant need to be at attention in class transferred over to school. To this day, I credit TKD for helping me stay in control at school and focus on the lesson. Because of TKD, I have gained confidence, made lifelong friends, and had fun sparring. The skills I learned also gave me the courage to try out for a travel lacrosse team, make the team, and succeed on the field.”

“Tae Kwon Do has significantly helped my confidence. When I was five, I was barely able to speak to anyone other than my friends and family. I had trouble holding eye contact when talking to someone new, which made me look like I did not care about what they were talking about. I also struggled with being a leader in different environments and was often a follower. I was unable to advocate for myself or ask for help when I needed something or didn’t understand something. As I grew older, Tae Kwon Do has progressively helped me build my confidence. It has helped me be able to talk to someone I don’t know and make them feel welcome. I am now able to hold eye contact with someone while talking to them, so they know I care about what they are saying. Tae Kwon Do has helped me ask questions when something is unclear. It has helped me even become a leader in different environments instead of the follower I once was. Jhoon Ree Tae Kwon Do has helped me with both mentally and physically. It has improved my persistence, strength, flexibility, and confidence in life, school, and soccer to help me become the best person I can.”

“Throughout my 7 year journey, Tae Kwon Do has taught me the importance of hard work, determination, and perseverance as well as making me strong enough to do 50 push ups in under 2 minutes and giving me the conditioning to do all of my curriculum. Tae Kwon Do has made me stronger through all the exercises, forms, and combinations that I have done. Tae Kwon Do has significantly improved my confidence through loud yells and public speaking such as assisting in teaching lower belt classes. This public speaking has helped me with the Model UN club at my school which requires a lot of speaking. I have gone to many Model UN conferences and was able to easily speak in front of large groups of kids and parents… Most importantly, Tae Kwon Do has taught me the importance of family. Because of my family’s support, I have been able to stay committed to Tae Kwon Do. I am appreciative of the time they have taken to drive me to my classes and help me achieve this milestone. Without them I could not be here.”

“Throughout the rest of middle school, tae kwon do continued to be a steady presence in my life through new and resurfacing challenges. Though I still felt behind in the studio, the confidence and focus I was regaining helped in a number of areas. In seventh grade, I entered into my middle school band and later jazz band, performing for the first time in front of an audience. That summer, I was finally able to achieve one of my longstanding goals: to get a role in a theater production and be onstage for the first time. This was something I’d been terrified of since elementary school, as regardless of my sociability I’d always had stage fright, but tae kwon do gave me the self assurance to be brave and achieve my goals. Now, at my high school, I’m a valuable member of the marching and symphonic band, and I landed a major supporting role in last season’s winter play.”

“I also learned the meaning of responsibility through Jhoon Rhee Taekwondo. When I first started, I wasn’t as committed to taekwondo and would even cry to my parents about not wanting to go. However, because of the fun new things we would do in class, I quickly became excited to participate and took charge of my own schedule to make sure I would go to class on time. Now, as I approach black belt, I also feel responsible enough to take on leadership roles at Jhoon Rhee Taekwondo. For example, as a helper in Adaptive Taekwondo, I plan activities and breaks so I can teach students with special needs exercises I have learned over the years at taekwondo. Learning accountability from taekwondo also helps me outside of class. In school, I make sure to turn homework in on time and to begin studying for tests a week before the exam date. This has resulted in being an honor roll student throughout middle school. Ultimately, Jhoon Rhee Taekwondo has taught me lots of important skills to help me be a successful and productive person who is focused and dedicated, able to handle tough practices, tests in school, and many other challenging situations.”

“The positive characteristics I developed through Tae Kwon Do carry over with me outside of class. Using discipline and focus, I hold myself accountable in school, empowering me to complete my work on time and study for important tests. Discipline and focus are also needed when preparing for debate tournaments, as it is a tedious and time-consuming task to research and write cases. More importantly, the public speaking and improv skills acquired from teaching Tae Kwon Do are crucial when competing in debate tournaments to form a clear argument. Respect is another value instilled in me via Tae Kwon Do. Not only does respect make me a better and more empathetic friend, but it also helps me establish relationships with adults, such as teachers.”

“The mental resilience I have learned from Taekwondo has also aided in my academics. I have taken many very rigorous courses in the past year including AP’s and intensified classes. These were very challenging and by far the most difficult courses I have ever taken and were very mentally challenging. Every time I failed at a test or an assignment I went and I tried again until I finally got it. I learned this attitude of perseverance through Taekwondo and I would be in a much worse position without having learned how to pick myself back up again after every failure. I’ve done Jhoon Rhee Taekwondo for so long I don’t know who I would be without it and without the lessons only a sport like Taekwondo can teach. Without learning the valuable life lessons I’ve been taught by Taekwondo at such an early age I would have never become the person I am today. When I look back I realize I may have never overcome my shyness or my poor athletic ability without Taekwondo. I may have never gained the confidence in myself that has led me so far in life.”

“My sophomore year of high school was one the busiest years in life… It was a lot to handle but Tae Kwon Do taught me how to stay structured and disciplined. This helped me build a routine which has helped me manage long days, tough practices, and moments where I wanted to give up… I used to be very shy when I was younger… Tae Kwon Do played a huge role in changing that… Slowly, I began building confidence not only in my abilities but in my voice. Now, I have held speeches in front of over two hundred people… I even assist in teaching Tae Kwon Do classes now and guiding younger students the same way my instructors guided me… Each challenge has strengthened my resilience… It made me realize just how important Tae Kwon Do is to my growth, confidence, and mental strength.”

“Ten years ago I wanted to strengthen my connection to the community by forming a group for tae kwon do women at the Arlington studio. Part of this was for selfish reasons: to give me a chance to get to know these great students better and build friendships with them. Part of this was to strengthen the sense of community at least for half of the adult students. Many published studies have shown that women, especially, are more likely to both maintain an exercise program when newly begun as well as continue an established one if there is social support for it, including having friends with whom to exercise. I wanted to help new women students feel part of the studio community so they would be less likely to stop. Additionally, I wanted to encourage those with advanced belts to continue, including those who started classes with their child but no longer have a child in the program, of which I am one. …one of the most meaningful series of events for me were dinners during Covid, whether potlucks or at restaurants, where we met in person outdoors, providing a meaningful connection when everything, including tae kwon do classes, was virtual. I’ve seen women at the studio be more friendly in class with each other after getting to know one another at an event. I know of two women who considered stopping tae kwon do, but continued coming to classes because they could count on the camaraderie of other women who would be there. Others have told me that knowing someone from the group would be in class gave them the incentive they needed to attend on a particular night. Having a connection with other students who ‘get where you’re coming from’ increases motivation to take class in an atmosphere of peer support. The encouragement one receives from peers makes advancement feel more attainable and women who are higher belts stand as examples of what can be achieved. I have also seen a greater willingness for women in the group to ask one another for help before and during class because each knows the other is there to support them.”