Main
Studio
North
Portland
Gallery
Giving
back to the Community
Tenets
of Taekwon-do
Visiting
Portland?
Other
Taekwon-do Web Sites.
|
Teresa O'Louglin
"In our family, Jessica was the first to start taekwon-do. It
was a choice between gymnastics and a martial art. She was painfully shy.
We thought she would gain self confidence and be really talented because
of her athletic ability. After starting she obviously has gained in confidence,
she also had some anger issues and the control she learned helped with
that as well. She learned to let it out in a different way. She is so strong
now for one so little. We think it will help her all through life and it
has given her goals that she has set for herself and followed through on.I
think the changes in her have been physical, mental, and emotional. "We started the other kids for different reasons. Emily played basketball and softball we thought the taekwon-do would help her in those sports and give her conditioning all year around. She also tends to be lazy so it was something to get her moving. Also to help with her coordination. She tends to have issues with being in front of a crowd and speaking or performing. Having to do promotion tests and tournaments is helping her be more comfortable in those situations. "Zoe we brought in just to have her try a sport. We know she is the least athletic of our family.Also she had such bad eye sight as a little girl it was making her gross motor skills suffer. We didn't know until 1 grade. That is why she doesn't pick up her feet much she has almost no depth perception She never has run good or picked up her feet well and we are trying to get her to realize she can. She also needs to be just a little tougher and stand up for herself. She is so soft we think the life skills from doing taekwon-do will help her later in life. She is getting in better shape as well. Last but not least is Simon. For him it is learning to listen to someone else take directions and expend his energy. He is as athletically endowed as Jessica if not more. It is harnessing all of that into a sport. I am sure he will be a 3 or 4 sport kid as he gets older but we think that doing the taekwon-do will help him with flexibility and focus and following through with his sport. Also to support other people and a team. " We have seen so many changes in all of the kids it is an amazing thing
to watch. It is also nice to have friendships with kids all over the city
that have their sport in common but all different backgrounds. Whenever
they have problems at school I tell them how nice it is to have their taekwon-do
friends as well to get away from some of those growing up pains and just
be themselves around kids who accept them for themselves. "As for myself I always wanted to try a martial art since I was younger. I just never found the time. Well after watching Jessica for almost two years it was time. I started for the work out. I hadn't done anything on a regular basis since I had all the kids. I had just healed from some major surgery and was thinking about starting and another mom had decided to start. So we did it together. I feel that the rewards are that I am in better shape than I have been since before I had children. Also I feel better and I miss it if I can't work out. "I love the atmosphere at our do-jang. Every one is helpful and supportive
of everyone. I feel more relaxed and more level when I work out on a constant
basis. Doing taekwon-do makes me feel more rounded as a person. I feel
more grounded and balanced in life. I feel that it helps me be a better
mom and wife I have a release for stress and my patience is better. I feel
like I take better care of myself.I just enjoy the release of a great work
out and it shows in all of my life."
|
|
