1st Degree Black Belt Thesis

by newly promoted to 1st Degree black belt, Sanika Thatte

For two hours each day, practicing taekwondo gave me a sense of calmness as I trained. At the time, taekwondo was just a hobby for me, something I had started a few years ago because my parents had encouraged me. However, around blue stripe, when I began sparring after Covid, something changed. Not knowing how to spar well, I felt defeated. Every time I sparred, there was this fog in my mind, blocking my ability to think, and my ability to perform. I felt as though I wasn’t cut out for taekwondo and more than anything, I wanted to quit. My parents were supportive and said I could quit if I really wanted but indicated that they wanted me to continue. They encouraged me by telling me it would benefit me in the long term. So, however discouraged I felt, I kept going to class each day. Eventually, through the advice from the instructors and seeing other students at the studio, I started gaining more interest. I kept putting effort into it as I still do today. Sparring, like patterns, became fun for me, it led me to focus and constantly attempt to improve each day. This challenge, once my greatest obstacle, became a source of challenge and motivation for me.

After that, up until red belt, taekwondo was inspiring and invigorating for me. For two hours each day, I could come to the studio and take my mind off of the problems that existed outside. Whether it be training with the punching bags, or executing patterns, it calmed me and disciplined me, as for that time alone, I was focused solely on taekwondo. I began enjoying taekwondo and it turned into more than just a hobby. I knew that I wanted to continue what taekwondo had inspired in me, instilling its virtues in me along the way.

However, that all changed one summer. I had just tested for my black stripe, and had been so excited for what lay ahead of me. When I found out that I would have to move away, it crushed me. Friends could be reconnected with, schools revisited, but if there was one thing I would have the hardest time leaving, it was taekwondo. So, when my parents made the decision to let me continue taekwondo at this studio, I couldn’t have been more happy. Previously, I hadn’t realized how much taekwondo truly meant to me. I hadn’t truly recognized how big of an impact it had made in my life and how lucky I was to be able to learn taekwondo and train everyday. Now, despite only being able to go one day a week, I decided I would try my hardest, give it my all, and make the most of it. I was grateful that my parents supported me and drove me all the way to the studio and back, despite the long distance. However, getting up to run at nine in the morning was definitely not easy and created a mental barrier that was difficult to overcome. At many times, I questioned why I was even doing this, why I had to be the only one to get up so early when my friends got to sleep in. But then, I realized that taekwondo was not taking away from me, it was only adding more to my life.

The only thing that kept me going was my end goal. I kept reminding myself of why I wanted to do taekwondo and why I wanted to persevere and be more disciplined, despite the journey being the most difficult one I had ever taken. I recalled, despite how hard it was, how those taekwondo Saturdays always made me feel so much better after. While my taekwondo journey may have started out without a goal, and then that goal changed to wanting to be a black belt, I realized that now, the goal wasn’t to have a rank, or to brag about being a black belt at all. I realized that my goal was now to be a better person, a better individual, and a better martial artist. I realized all that taekwondo had taught and given me, from valuable skills to the ability to defend myself, to virtues that shaped me into a better individual. Alongside this, taekwondo gave me a sense of purpose and taught me how to defend myself and stay calm while persevering through even the toughest times.

Despite all of this, I truly don’t believe I had grasped how much taekwondo had taught me until it became applicable in real life. Around a month before my black belt test, my friend and I were walking around main street, when a man riding a bike rode past us, saying something unintelligible. While I got an odd feeling as he rode past, all we did was change the direction that we were walking in. However, when he started coming back towards us and chasing us, instead of the fog and fear that used to cloud my mind before every sparring match and every patterns competition, my fear was subdued, as I thought about what to do. I could feel my heart pounding in my ears, but I brought my friend and I to the nearest public place, which made the man leave us alone. My friend was terrified but later remarked that the only thing that had saved us was my presence of mind and quick thinking, continuing to tell me that she would have stood terrified, had she been alone. While this experience was definitely frightening, it made me realize the extent of how much taekwondo had taught me. It had taught me not just physical, but mental strength as well.

My taekwondo journey has had many obstacles to overcome along the way. However, I am forever grateful to this studio, the amazing instructors and students, and my parents for giving me the opportunity to learn taekwondo, and for encouraging me even when I felt like giving up. There is so much I have learned and will continue to learn, and I am proud to say that taekwondo shaped me into the person I am today.