Reviews of New Bern Taekwondo Academy

My parents said when I started school the teacher asked me to count and I counted in Korean. I got to be apart of the growth of our first Martial Arts program. I grew up in watching my parents build something that they continue to implement in the lives of so many children to this day.

The question what have I learned? I have learned discipline not in the sense of being beat into any kind of submission, but discipline in how I study, and live my life, and I am not always on target, but continue to strive to be a better person. I have been taught to be humble, and it’s a struggle everyday to be humble, but I am trying. All the things my parents have instilled in me over the years of training is a journey of trying to implement them into my life.

Its like the one thing we have to learn, and that is the meaning of a white uniform, meaning it’s a white sheet of paper that we can write the knowledge of Taekwondo on, and knowledge of life on, and there is always more to learn. I haven’t always followed the knowledge received on my sheet of paper, but the beauty of that is I can continue to write that knowledge with Sabum nium because it’s never full, and there is always more to learn.

I hit the teenage years and got lazy, and into my own thing and got away from my training, and have now gotten back to what I have missed most. This year I have helped my mom, and dad open a school in New Bern, and have been helping with the classes and the events and promoting the school so that it will grow. I have enjoyed teaching the younger ones and it’s funny what they can teach you in the process. The one thing about it is my mom and dad are working together, and that makes me very happy. I love the fact that we are working as a family in Taekwondo again. That means a lot to me.

I have been through a lot of trials over my 17 years some good some bad, but I believe without Martial Arts being a part of my life I would have handled some of the things differently then I did at the time. Other things I could have handled because of my upbringing in the Martial Arts but didn’t.

It is my goal to continue to grow in this program, and help my parents in continuing to bring this way of life to the community I live in as well as the surrounding communities.

“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference”

Robert Frost, the Road Not Taken US poet (1874 - 1963)

Three year old Riley Norris joined New Bern Taekwondo Academy at the First of the 2010 year.

When he first started he was shy and reserved. As his journey began we focused on getting him acclimated to a class room atmosphere. We worked on getting him used to other students, as well as myself the instructor.

It has been some months and a belt later, and Riley has a basic knowledge of his stances, as well as blocks. He can stand before the class and lead them in Kwonsool, which is a series of techniques that the students are required to know. He will even Kiyup and now participates an entire hour instead of the thirty minute classes he started with. We are very proud to be a part of Riley’s journey in Taekwondo.

I decieded to put my son in Takewondo because I felt it could increase his self confidence as well as give him an oppurtunity to make new friends because he was shy. Throught out his time in the class (less then a year) I have seen him grow into himself. His confidence has increased as well I have seen him accept responsiblity for more things at home and at school. I think that because Mrs. Lisa not only is concerened with the children learning Taekwondo but with the whole child. My son has truly benifited from this, he knows not only is he accountable to his parents for what he does but he must come to class and address it with Mrs Lisa. Also recently I have enrolled my youngest child, he has had some behavioral issues and I felt he could benifit from the class as well. I have seen a big change in him, he has calmed down alot and he has been doing better in school. I feel like the program has had a positive effect on our family, it is good to know you have someone in your corner to help you,someone who truly cares about your child. It has been said it takes a village to raise a child and this program takes this to heart.