New Black Belt Graduates – November 2024

by | Dec 2, 2024 | Uncategorized | 0 comments

We pride ourselves in helping each student achieve their goals and developing their mental and physical strength. This is what attaining a Jhoon Rhee Tae Kwon Do Black Belt requires.

For some of our candidates this journey to Black Belt began in our Knee High Ninja Program, when they were only four years old!

This month, these candidates passed our Arlington Qualifier and the Panel Exam in front of the Jhoon Rhee Masters from Arlington and Falls Church. Our candidates persevered and we would like to present and congratulate our newest Jhoon Rhee Tae Kwon Do Black Belts!

“Prior to joining Tae Kwon Do, I remember struggling with being able to do a single push up. The strength and endurance that I have developed from Tae Kwon Do has now made it possible for me to be able to easily do fifty push ups under two minutes without getting tired. These physical qualities of strength and endurance have also greatly helped me in gymnastics and in becoming a better gymnast. I remember struggling to get through my floor routine, getting tired quickly which would cause my choreography and tumbling passes to appear sloppy. After years of participation in Tae Kwon Do and gaining endurance, I can now see that this endurance has transferred and seeped into my floor routine, for I am now easily able to perform my routine sharply and without being out of breath after performing. In addition to my floor routine, all the conditioning we do in gymnastics has become a lot easier for me to get through because of the strength I have gained from Tae Kwon Do. Not only has Jhoon Rhee Tae Kwon Do positively impacted my life physically, but also mentally in teaching me courage and confidence. In Tae Kwon Do this has helped me in the leadership program by allowing me to be able to easily communicate with and help the younger white belt students.The confidence and courage Tae Kwon Do taught me has not only helped in Tae Kwon Do, but has also transferred to other aspects of my life. In gymnastics, it has enabled me to become team captain of my gymnastics team where I lead warm-ups and stretches as well as keep my teammates in check. It has also allowed me to perform in multiple school plays, musicals, talent shows, and give speeches on a stage in front of large audiences. If it wasn’t for Jhoon Rhee Tae Kwon Do who gave me this confidence and courage, I truly believe that my shyness would have prevented me from being able to speak and perform in front of so many people and be able to take on leadership roles.”

“I started Jhoon Rhee Taekwondo when I was 5 years old, meaning I have been doing it for over two thirds of my life. Starting out, I was doing great. I was practicing at home – doing pushups, stretching, and practicing forms with my brother and my dad. I was progressing quickly through the belts and having a great time. Once the pandemic hit, however, my life took a complete turn for the worse, as I was stuck in Massachusetts with no uniform, belt, pads, or any Taekwondo gear, and I kind of just gave up on everything…..I realized that something needed to change. I began putting in actual effort at Taekwondo, and thanks to my friends, I actually started enjoying it again. My brother practicing for his black belt inspired me to train as well. I became so much stronger, more flexible, and way better at sparring. I recently got a PR of 50 pushups with good form in 42 seconds, only about two years after I couldn’t even squeak in 40 in two minutes. I am very close to doing the center splits, and I am (self-proclaimed) one of the better fighters among the first browns at Taekwondo. This change in attitude didn’t just affect Taekwondo, though, as I began applying it to the rest of my life as well. I started actually trying in school, and although I still struggled, I was at least improving. I was able to bring my English grade up to a B+, and the rest of my grades to an A at the end of the year. I also started going to the gym, which helped me get stronger and more powerful, which especially helped with tennis, and helped me make the tennis team at WnL (Washington-Liberty).”

“Mentally, Jhoon Rhee Tae Kwon Do has taught me many important things. These lessons have molded me into a better person by teaching me confidence, perseverance, focus and respect. This journey started when I earned my first white belt. Fast forward to today as I support Knee High Ninja classes and watch them recite the student creed, I know that was me eight years ago. Since then, I have grown into a much more confident and stronger person. Through the past eight years of practice, I have become considerably more confident in many ways, for example loud yells during combinations, standing in front of peers, and not being afraid to be embarrassed or make a mistake while doing forms like Yi Jun Gu. Along with confidence, Jhoon Rhee Tae Kwon Do has shown me how to persevere through difficult times. There have been times when I felt like stopping or switching sports, but I didn’t want to be the person that gave up and quit at Green Belt, I wanted to be a Black Belt. …..In class, this looks like using Sirs and Ma’ams, bowing on and off the mats, and facing away from flags and instructors to fix my uniform. Respect is also very important outside of Jhoon Rhee Tae Kwon Do, as it is needed to build a strong and happy community.”

“Taking on leadership or public speaking roles has always been a strength of mine. I’m the first person to volunteer to do a presentation, to talk to adults, or to start a new club. I’ve been a part of theatrical events and other speaking events where all the eyes are on me. My self-confidence has been consistent through the years… Teaching helped me become more familiar with the Tae K won Do curriculum and I had to show off my techniques because students will practice the way you show them to them. I take these lessons that I have learned into my everyday life. I also work as a math instructor and I understand that some students learn differently. I am able to show them various ways to solve problems so it’ll be easier for them. I feel that I am successfully able to help others”

“Jhoon Rhee Tae Kwon Do has allowed me to meet some of my closest friends. I met one of my best friends, Derek S., when we were both white belts. We’ve stayed friends for the decade… I also met another of my closest friends, Kieran N., when we were both white belts. Over our junior year of high school, we met up every other day during our free period and worked on our homework together. We’ve also driven hundreds of miles together — whether it was to get to a drop-in volleyball game or just to talk about how our lives were going. But that’s just two people I’ve met from Taekwondo….. Jhoon Rhee Tae Kwon Do has allowed me to give back to my community. Being able to help with the Adaptive program has been one of the biggest highlights of the past two years, and I’ve developed a real passion for it. I’ve also had the opportunity to help students through the leadership program which has been another exciting way for me to help my fellow students at Jhoon Rhee Tae Kwon Do.”

“I started Taekwondo when I was 4 years old. Right away I struggled with Flexibility and strength. I could barely do 5 push ups and the classes were hard. It was difficult to maintain focus…Over time, my love for Taekwondo grew. I went to more classes, participated in the Super Challenge, and went to fun days on days off of school. My physicality continued to improve, and now I am able to kick above my head and do 50 push ups in under 2 minutes! I’m always at the top of my physical assessments for PE, and I know that taekwondo will continue to help me grow and get stronger. Over the years, I’ve come to appreciate how the lessons and skills I’ve learned in taekwondo help in many ways outside of the studio. During Covid, taekwondo really grew to be part of my life rather than just another after school activity. The strength and confidence I gained in Taekwondo helped give me the courage I needed to participate in other activities such as soccer and piano where you have to perform in front of large audiences of people. In class instructors influenced me to always lead by example whether I am on the sports field, at school, or with my little brother. Most importantly, my years of taekwondo beginning as a knee high ninja and now preparing for my black belt test have taught me that I can achieve almost any goal with hard work, practice and persistence.”