"Life Events" --  By Ms. Carol Jury, Cho Dan

   As I look back over my experiences as a martial artist, I realize certain significant events have shaped my life. These events not only make me who I am today but will also frame future decisions. In a total of six years I have achieved a dream and created so many more.
   In the fall of my junior year of high school, I decided I would give martial arts a try. I am not from a bad neighborhood but I wanted to learn self-defense and be in better shape. I joined a Tang Soo Do studio about fifteen minutes from my house. The instructor was a wonderful teacher and during my first lesson I got my first taste of discipline. No matter how much I wanted to quit I kept pushing myself. I see this as the first significant event in my life, taking the first step and becoming a martial artist.
   When I graduated from high school, I moved to State College to attend Penn State University. I wanted to continue my training so I joined the Penn State Martial Arts Group. I realized quickly that training at Penn State was more formal than what I was used to. Even with a demotion back to white belt, I wanted more than anything to pursue the goal of black belt. It took courage and determination but I moved up through the ranks and began to make an impact. I earned my Cho Dan Bo in the spring of my junior year of college.
   The second significant event in my journey as a martial artist was maintaining my training and earning my blue belt. Because I had received my blue belt, I was able to attend the 2000 Region 8 Dan Clinic. My apprehension was fueled by the horror stories I had heard but I decided that I had come too far to give up. The stories were true and even worse than expected but I had a wonderful time. I was able to learn and take with me the knowledge of several high-ranking Tang Soo Do instructors. I broadened my horizons in the art forms of Judo, Tai Chi, and Ki Kong to name a few. My legs hurt so badly after the clinic I could not walk down stairs but I consider it one of the significant events in my training.
   Lastly, in April 2001 I tested for my black belt. It seemed like such a logical next step but in the grand scheme of things it was a huge achievement. The test itself was fairly difficult and I put my all into every kick and punch. I knew I had to show that I deserved to be called a black belt. After the test, I knew I had achieved my dream of black belt. At the 2001 Region 8 Dan Clinic, my instructor of four years Master Michael Kaye was able to tie on my new belt. Testing and receiving my black belt was another significant event in my martial arts training. Now I have moved on and hope to develop my career and my life. I will continue to remember all the significant events in my life that have brought me this far. I will also persist in my training and hopefully someday achieve another of my dreams and goals - Master rank.