Essay for 6th GUP
How TKD has affected my life so far.

When I first joined TKD I joined mostly because I thought it would be good exercise and fun to learn something new. Well as it turns out that was just the tip of a very large and mostly unexplored iceberg.
Since I have joined, I have become more flexible and more agile as well. Before TKD my joints were to say the least stiff. I could crack my ankles, knees, hips, and my arms, since I have been training my stiffness has gone away. My stamina is way up from where it was when I started, although I hope to continue to increase it.
I have also achieved improvements in other areas as well, although I am still nervous demonstrating patterns or techniques in front of my senior instructors I have greater confidence in my abilities when dealing with my peers. As well as increased confidence, I have noticed a increasing sense of inner peace. Although I have a long way to go where I will feel totally calm 1oo% of the time, I have noticed it takes more to get me upset and less to calm down again. I think part of this is a result of focussing on warming up as hard as I can and doing my patterns well but with power. It is hard for me to explain but I think that putting that negative energy that builds up in between classes, into the warm ups changes it to a more peaceful positive energy for after the class.
My greatest Joy in Tae Kwan Do has been to watch my daughter grow from the training and philosophy we practice each class. I take great pleasure from listening to her telling me what they did in class, and how she did really good kicks for example. I enjoy practicing with her, I don’t think that she listens to me as well as the instructors but she does try.
The last thing that I would have to say I have gained is a sense of belonging. I have renewed the acquaintance of some old friends and I have made some new ones. Everyone has made myself and my child welcome without knowing who we were. And that is one of the best thing about TKD.