Proudest moments

[terryl965]

What is some of the proudest moments you have had during your TKD experience and why?

As an Instructor what has been some of the best highlight during your carrer?

As a TKD'ist it was scoring a 9.4-9.4-9.3-9.5-9.6 while competing at state back in the eighties, I was doing Koryo the original version, those was the higest score's I ever recieved during competition and the norm back then was high eights all the time. So it was a crowning moment in my journey for perfection.


As an instructor it has to be seeing a student training five years and eight months 5-6 days a week and finally getting everything and re-testing and pass his BB test. He waited a year after failing the first time for the re-test and you could really tell the difference between both test. He came to me afterwards and thanked me for making him re-test and not just giving him his BB.

 

[Brad Dunne]

I have to salute you for being a man of integrity and honor to your art. Your students are most fortunate to have an instructor of your caliber.

With Respect...........:asian:

 

[terryl965]

I have to salute you for being a man of integrity and honor to your art. Your students are most fortunate to have an instructor of your caliber.

With Respect...........:asian:

Thank you what about you though what are some of your proudest moments?

 

[mango.man]

As a parent, I am going to list 3, only because to me they are all so close that I can't possibly pick ONE as the proudest.

So, in no particular order, other than by date of occurance:

Seeing my daughter pass her very first test and going from white belt to yellow belt.

Seeing my daughter receive her 1st poom.

Seeing my daughter medal in 14-17 World Class Black Belt at her first Jr Olympics.

 

[Twin Fist]

my 2nd test.

When my first white to black student passed his shodan.

When I was picked to be the "black belt potential trainer" to get the testees up to speed for thier black belt tests...

a few others

 

[Kacey]

For myself - when another instructor presented me with a knife engraved with our association symbol, and told me, in front of his class, that it was because he had seen more improvement in my technique than in any of his students.

For my students - when one of my students, who thought he had done poorly in a tournament, was awarded men's grand champion. Or maybe it was the student who wanted so badly to compete that she showed up at a tournament with a fever of 101... as a white belt. Or maybe it was when one of my students who is preparing for black belt broke his first tile; how often do you see a 44 year-old man jump up and down for joy because he broke a piece of cement? Or maybe it was one of my students who broke his foot, hasn't been able to work out for 3 months, who still shows up at class regularly (crutches and support boot - now just boot) and helps teach all the time, because he doesn't want to forget anything? Or... well, I could go on about my students all night, because most of my proudest moments are about them rather than myself.

 

[YoungMan]

I couldn't list all of them, but here are a few:

Earning 1st Dan and seeing myself in the mirror wearing the organization black belt. You never forget that.

Seeing a black belt I trained beat the guy who beat him to take the gold medal.

Watching my first students earn 1st Dan.

Being complimented by Hae Man Park on my 4th Dan break.

Receiving 5th Dan belt and certificate in front of all organization master instructors and guests. I got to receive my certificate with the Grandmaster who judged me.

 

[KickFest]

Winning my first medal at a tournament for sparring.

Getting my first belt with no white in it.

When I first realised I could kick at my own head height (I've never been the most flexible guy).

Whenever I see people in the club who still turn up after they fail a grading, and applaud the passing members as their belts are handed to them.

Of course all of the personal ones will probably be blown away once I get my black belt

 

[ProTaekwondo]

Mine seems lesser than all of yours but here they are...

1) Finally moving past the white belt

2) First time being able to touch my toes with my legs straight

 

[IcemanSK]

One would certainly be testing & receiving my 3rd Dan (19 years after testing for my 2nd). It was really sweet to see my name on a legit certificate that I actually earned.

As an instructor, watching it finally click for many of my students. I had an odd compliment a few months ago from a parent. Her kids had been with me for awhile. They had been to several other schools in town as well. I charge a fraction of what other schools in my town charge because I want kids who couldn't afford it to be able to learn Taekwondo, too. When discussing the price of classes with her, she said, "I'd pay what those other school charge for what you've taught my boys. You're worth it." That was very kind.

I look forward to many more proud moments in the years to come.

 

[terryl965]

Those are some great moments.

 

[DojangMom]

For my son:
- watching him take home the 2nd place trophy for sparring at his very first tournament.
- watching him turn to the kid who had just beat him out of 1st place and say, "Wow! That was a really good match!" and then shake his hand.

For me (remember, I'm still very new at this, so my "moments" are nowhere near as cool as some of yours...yet):
- doing 20 push-ups (on my toes, not my knees) during my first belt testing (prior to joining TKD, I couldn't do 5 push-ups to save my life)
- pretty much every time I come out of class sweating buckets, because I know I've pushed myself harder than I have in years (I can almost say "decades")! :ultracool

 

[0425]

For my son: Watching him stand on the podium at his first competition, as they award him with the Gold in white belt 10 & under sparring.

This was one of the best moments I've had as a father. I've never been more proud.

 

[Gizmo]

Receiving a text message on my mobile from my student while being on weekend shopping (my wife actually made me to leave the house and go shopping with her as she couldn't stand my nerves anymore...) stating that she just became European Champion.

My first students receiving their 1st Dans.

The look on the face of the 6th Dan grading examiner, watching my 1st Dan student performing a pattern, after he found out that her previous instructor told her to quit Taekwondo as she has no chance of achieving anything in TKD, not to mention becoming a blackbelt. Hearing him say "What a stupid &%@$*!" was an additional bonus.

Seeing my 9 years old handicapped student, a boy born without right palm, winning the patterns division for the first time in his life and standing on the podium with an energetic smile that could easily charge a battery within few minutes

Having three of my kid students in the top four of the division, getting ready to fight for medals, and hearing the smallest one say: "it doesn't matter which one wins, the main thing is, we have to make someone from our school having gold!"

And, quite recently, as I was standing happy with my 9 years old female student right after she won gold in sparring, I saw herself approaching me and telling me "This final match was dedicated to you, my teacher". Wow, what can I say...

Many, many more moments that make all you TKD career worthwhile.

 

[miguksaram]

Let's see.. As a regular dojo rat I'd have to say my 2 proudest moments were getting my deputy black belt in TSD from my instructor Arturo Gabriel in 1987. I busted my butt for 3 hours going through forms, breaking, weapons, tournament forms, self defense, one step sparring, then sparring (one on one, two on one, three on one, then my instructor each 2 mintue rounds no rest). The second happened about 16 years later after not seeing him for 15 years and I called him sir, his reply was "don't call me sir. You're not my student anymore, you're my collegue."

As a competitor my proudest moment was during a NASKA tournament where I got 3rd place in weapons and as I was stepping off the mat one instructor who has seen my form through the years told me "That was the hardest and strongest I have ever seen you run it. I literally go goosebumps because I felt you were in a real battle."

As a father my proudest moment? Hmmm...Well for my oldest, it has been his accomplishments as a competitor. At a tournament I overheard two kids in his division "Crap, Sebastian (my son) is here, we might as well just go home." Yeah...I swelled a bit with pride that day. For my youngest it was when he came to me and told me he didn't want to compete anymore because he enjoyed teaching and helping other kids and that is what he wanted to do with his martial arts training.

As an instructor it would be my private sword student. He was diagnosed with a heart condition and the doctor told him to give up martial arts. He blatantly refused to do so. He gave up a lot of the fluff of martial arts (XMA and Competition) and continues to train hard in sword. His perserverance and love for the arts is inspirational.

 

[Manny]

My proudest moments in TKD are these two:

1.-Passing my 1st degree black belt examn and got my black belt.
2.-Seeing my daugther in her first (chance the last cause she does not want it anymore) examn and getting his yellow belt.

My next proudest moment will be on next July when I go for my second degree black belt examination afther... mmmmmmm 22 years if I recall.

Manny

 

[hkfuie]

These have been awesome to read. What a great thread, Terry!

The first one is when a student of mine was attacked at work, took her attacker down, then held him down until more people arrived. She said she didn't hurt him b/c she did not need to. Honestly, I probably would have hurt him, but you can't second guess someone else's decisions. I am very proud of her.

And Kasey's story reminded me of a girl of 16 who had knee surgery and continued to come to class. We created "Katie's Corner," a few minutes at the end of class where she'd read from "Zen in the Martial Arts" and we'd discuss that or other issues relating to martial arts.

Also, a girl was so shy about testing for her jr. bb that she would not come out to the floor. We were about to give up. And a brown belt classmate got her to agree to do the test if she'd do it with her.

Man, these people I get to associate with. I think they are the best thing about martial arts.

 

[jfarnsworth]

One of them would be the picture I just hung up in my room. My instructor is tying my new black belt on.

Second would be the time I spent on the mat with a gentleman who competed at the olympic trials in '92 when we were training heavy.

Although those days for me are past. My students have the opportunity to share in the times of my past as well.

 

[Fiendlover]

I believe I posted this in the thread about spinning kicks but i took down a HUGE monster of a man and i mean MONSTER with a duel spinning back kick to the stomach and a spinning back fist to the side of the head and he flew to the ground (almost to the mirrors). My sparring instructor gasped and my Sensei was amazed.
This was an interesting story too. We sometimes hav another cities dojo come and spar with us because they don't hav an offical sparring class and that day there was only a couple of our actual students and the rest were guests. Well me and my friend were the only green belts and the man was the only green belt from the other city and he was up. my Sensei was in charge of picking partners and he was looking for an opponent for him. He looked over at me and my friend and was about to choose my friend since she was closer to his age (an adult in other words) but she had just sparred the round before so he looked at him and i pointed to myself with a devilish grin (for i LOVE a challenge) and he raised his eyebrows like "you're gonna get crushed" and allowed it. I was about 15 at the time and a rank lower than my opponent. I bowed, hit gloves and knocked him through the air and onto the ground before he could throw a punch. I looked back at my Sensei and smiled. IT WAS AWSOME! my fondest memory. :ultracool lol

good times. I can't say I've done to well in tournaments. I get nervous and trip on my hakama a lot because i love performing with my sais but i get stage fright.

i did get second place once :ultracool....................... but that was out of two people.

 

[Sylo]

my proudest moments...

- when I took gold in both sparring and forms in my very first tournament ever, with my hands wrapped up like kickboxer. (I had all the skin burned off of them in an accident a few days before so I could not do hand techniques at all in sparring)

- when I beat brandonlucas like a redheaded stepchild at my yellow belt test (he was black belt) j/k