Such a feeling of accomplishment and pride

Kari Richardson

A coworker and friend of mine encouraged me to get my 4 year old son involved in tae kwon do. She had recently earned her black belt at Level 10 and knew that tae kwon do could help Ryan break out of his shell. He’s always been a very shy and cautious child. He rarely spoke to other adults or children, regardless of whether he knew them or not. With Kindergarten quickly approaching, his daddy and I were worried about how he would handle it. We didn’t want him to hide in the background and be afraid to interact with others.
Since starting tae kwon do, Ryan has grown in so many ways. He is more confident. He answers his teachers and myself with respect (yes/no ma’am). He is learning how to control his behavior in certain situations. And most importantly, he responds to others when spoken to (at least most of the time). We’re still working at it, but now he will at least wave and smile in response; and to us, that is a huge accomplishment.
Ryan looks forward to going to tae kwon do class and seeing his Little Ninja friends. He has earned both his yellow and orange belt, and is about to earn his blue belt. After each test, I see such a feeling of accomplishment and pride on his face. Tae kwon do and Level 10 has definitely helped to bring Ryan out of his shell and I’m so glad that we got him involved!