naisha batra
1st dan | november 2024

I remember when I first started taekwondo, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Feeling a mix of emotions, I was eager to start Taekwondo, not yet knowing that it would become such a big part of my life.

Like any beginner, I struggled at first as I had never done any martial art before in my life. My stances were unsteady, and my kicks lacked precision and accuracy but with time, practice and the help of my masters, my skills improved and so did my mental strength and perseverance. My once unsteady kicks became higher and more controlled.

At first, sparring seemed daunting, but the more my skills improved, the more I would look forward to sparring sessions. Not too long after starting taekwondo, I had the opportunity to join warriors training which made me realise that taekwondo is far from easy. Every training was exhausting, leaving me completely dead by the end of the week every single week but that feeling after completing a tough training was so satisfying, it kept me going even in the tough days. In those moments of exhaustion, I found mental strength that I didn’t know I possessed.

Warriors training also taught me to push beyond my perceived limits and to always try my best. There were many days in between where I felt like giving up and doubts crept into my mind, but I continued anyways which I’m glad I did. Although I was uncontested in many of my competitions, I had the opportunity to compete at the state and national level. I won and I lost but the most important part of it was the learning and the experience, but I will admit, getting badly beaten up was bad but nothing could beat the irritation of losing a really close match.

Competing also allowed me to meet and compete with a range of different people. Some were nice, others were dirty fighters and some even had really annoying coaches that couldn’t face the fact that their student lost. Through all the competitions I’ve been to and the sparring I have done in class, I have taken many hits to the face, groin and legs but I have learnt an endless number of things, and I look forward to learning more.

Due to being in high school, I had to learn how to balance between taekwondo and studies, leaving me with barely any time for a social life, often leaving me burnt out. Taekwondo was an escape from school and school was an escape from taekwondo almost since training took up almost every day of my week. As a result of my back injury, I had to quit warriors training at the end of last year, leaving my life feeling very empty all of a sudden. Although I’m not able to compete at the moment, I still enjoy going to competitions to support my brother and other members of the club but at the same time, I also miss fighting and the thrill of competing. Joining Poomsae training has made me realise that taekwondo isn’t only about fighting but also about perfecting technique and performing the technique with precision, power and poise. I have not been able to compete in a poomsae competition so far but I hope to be able to do so in the following years.

Preparation for this grading has allowed me to reflect on how far I have come and the person I have become through taekwondo. This journey has been more than just learning techniques and moving up belts, it has been about personal growth, resilience and improvement. Earning this black belt, however, doesn’t mean the end of this journey however and I hope to continue learning and growing through taekwondo.

I am deeply grateful of being a part of Weiwu and for the guidance of my wonderful masters: master Brian, master Joyce, master Bryanna and master Benecia. Thank you for all of your support and making this taekwondo journey possible.