Here are some of the quotes from this years Black Belt Essays that were read last Friday.

“When I started Tong Moo Do, I was a shy little girl who was picked on and bullied everyday. Tong Moo Do taught me how to stand up for myself, to be confident and be a leader. Tong Moo Do has given me stability and balance within myself. I am able to achieve things I never thought possible. Tong Moo Do has given me the skills that will help me in every aspect of life. It has brightened my future and taught me respect for myself and others, and made me who I am today. Tong Moo Do has shown me that with hard work, determination, and confidence anything is possible, and I can achieve Black Belt Excellence throughout my life.”

“I remember the first day I did Tong Moo Do. I felt a little shy and I didn’t think I could do it. After a few classes I thought it was fun. As I continued I felt stronger, flexible, faster, and confident. As I get my Black Belt I have learned that I can do anything that I put my mind to in my future decisions. Thank you for teaching me to be a better person.”

“Tong Moo Do has taught me many things, I learned to be brave, to be confident, to be respectful, and to do the right things. Tong Moo Do has also taught me discipline, perseverance, and dedication; when I start on a task, I do not stop until I complete my task or reach my goal. I have also learned how to interact with younger and older people more naturally, I used to be very shy before I joined Tong Moo Do, but now I enjoy interacting and communicating with people. By getting my Black Belt, I believe that it shows that with hard work and some sacrifice and lots of dedication, any goal you set can be achieved.”

It’s Black Belt Ceremony time again! This time of year is always very exciting and motivating for me, as it reiterates to me what an amazing organization I get to be a part of. All the people that test for Black Belt write a paper entitled “How Tong Moo Do Has Changed My Life”, and it is wonderful to read what people have to say about the effect that our organization has had on their lives. Here are just a few excerpts from past Black Belts.

“Tong Moo Do is so much a part of me I can’t even imagine what kind of a guy I’d be if I hadn’t spent a good chunk of my formative years learning and training here. I think, though, that the positive aspects of my personality developed because of my association with this school. Before I joined Tong Moo Do I was insecure, timid, lacked basic social skills, and had motivation to spare but rarely the will to carry it through – basically, I was an ineffective person. My training helped me gain confidence, persistence, and endowed me with the will to continually strive towards self improvement. These three traits have given me a boost in so many aspects of my life that I’ve lost count.”

“To say that something you’ve done has changed your life is a substantial statement that can’t be taken lightly. It’s not every day that you can say that you’ve actually done something important enough that it actually changed something in your life for the better. In my case, Tong Moo Do has truly changed my life.”

“Tong Moo Do has impacted my life greatly. I was a shy child, and my family often jokes that I was as quiet as a mouse. My parent’s decision to enroll me in Tong Moo Do, wasn’t just a great choice as an extracurricular activity but it has proven to be life and personality altering. I have gone from being shy and quiet to gaining confidence in myself and my ability, I feel not only physically stronger but mentally and emotionally I feel more confident and in control. Tong Moo Do as really helped me to become who I am today and the lessons I’ve learned in regards to mental, physical and emotional strength have been character building. Whenever I’ve been faced with a challenge in my life, I draw from the experiences I’ve had at Tong Moo Do, I think about the lessons I’ve been taught in regards to being able to focus, stay strong, and remain confident within yourself and each time when I felt weak, these reminders have helped me to succeed. “

“The physical challenges I’ve met pale in comparison to the internal growth I’ve experienced. Before I started training, I had a fairly negative view of myself and the world around me. I felt like I was a tense knot of hostility and cynicism. My cup was always half empty… and cracked. But now I see things in a much different, much more positive light. I see myself as someone who can achieve the goals I set for myself, and who can overcome whatever obstacles arise. I feel safer and more self-reliant; that I am in control of my life. Even my friends and family can see the difference and have commented on how it has given me a more positive attitude and made me more confident about who I am.”

“The highest compact we can make with our fellow is – Let there be truth between us two for evermore.”

—Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Whatever else may be shaken, there are some facts established beyond warring: virtue is better than vice, truth is better than falsehood, kindness than brutality. ”

—Quintin Hogg

“Every kind of peaceful cooperation among men is primarily based on mutual trust and only secondarily on institutions such as courts of justice and police.”

—Albert Einstein

“The reputation of a thousand years may be determined by the conduct of one hour. “

—Japanese Proverb

Anderson Silva in a recent press conference discussed the martial arts. He claimed that Chael Sonnen doesn’t understand that the martial arts is about, “Respect, respect for a country, respect towards the people and respect towards human beings.”

It’s good to see that the pound for pound greatest still considers himself a martial artist who must carry himself with honour and respect. I love that he bows.

In fact, I am really happy to see that almost all the current champs act with dignity and respect  (JDS, GSP, Henderson, Aldo – these guys act like martial artists).

It would be wonderful if this type of attitude became the norm in the MMA world. Here’s hoping!

“All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.”
—Walt Disney

“Courage is rightly esteemed the first of human qualities… because it is the quality which guarantees all others.”
—Winston Churchill

“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.“
—Steve Jobs