Taekwon-Do Gradings Day

For over a decade a group of people have gathered every Monday and Thursday to practise Taekwon-Do. We are forming a growing community with our students from The Olive Tree school, others who have joined from outside the school and all their families.

 A special day is approaching in our calendar: Saturday 25th May is our gradings day when our members are graded to progress to the next level: changing the color or Dan of our belts.

It may be that the belts are just a symbol, but I think they also represent a celebration and a milestone as we move along our learning path. Grading gives us a sense of perspective of where we are in our process of growth and self- understanding. It also gives us a certain structure and provides goals to reach without feeling overwhelmed by the whole journey. This is something which translates well in our challenges in the journey of life.

We decided to open up our grading day by allowing families to come & watch to see how their kids are developing. Seeing their speed, flexibility, coordination, self-discipline and dedication is often quite a surprise for parents, who can be proud of what their sons and daughters have achieved.

As a club we have grown a lot since our first season at the Olive Tree, when we had only 10 students at beginner level. On Saturday 25th May half of our 82 students will be grading at all levels, including Ruben, who started over 10 years ago and who will be grading to become a second Dan black belt along with 4 other students. It’s amazing to see how they’ve progressed over the years.

Taekwon-Do as a martial art is a long path that can last a lifetime, but what really makes this special is that with each small step we take together we add a little something to our collective experience as a community.

Grant Mabe – Taekon-Do Instructor

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