I stand before you today, a candidate for the third degree black belt. It has taken me many years to reach this achievement, and I am proud of what I have become today. It all started when I was in the second grade; my parents hoped my brother and I would become more active and focused, and asked us whether we would like to attend a school in Gardner. My brother and I held a discussion and reached a decision. Of course, it was yes. Just try and find a seven year old who doesn't want to be in Tae Kwon Do! So we started, and for me at least, things weren't looking too good. I probably spent more than half of my time in the studio in Gardner on the mat. doing pushups, for not remembering some block, strike or form. And it was looking bleak for a while as to whether I wanted to stay in the sport.

Although progress appeared slow at times, I continued to rise from one rank to another, until I stand before you today. All together, I have learned many open-hand forms, weapons forms, and different self-defense sets, remembering at each stage of progress all the work that has come before. And that, to me is a lot. So,what does the black belt mean to me? First, it means commitment, commitment to persevere, to challenge yourself, and to strive for excellence. Second, it means discipline the self-control to do one more rep and to push just a little harder even when you think you've done all you can. Third, it means respect. because it is respect that creates a bridge between students and teacher, leading to discipline and self-control. It is this respect that turns Tae Kwon Do into a way of life rather than a class.

In my spare time you can find me usually playing guitar or trying to figure out what's wrong with my car. Even though I'm still just a kid, almost an adult, I believe that Tae Kwon Do has helped me on my path to adulthood, preparing me both physically and mentally for the future.
So in conclusion, I believe that yes, I have overcome the obstacles in my path to obtaining this degree in Tae Kwon Do and that I have persevered to maintain the commitment, self control, and indomitable spirit to achieve this great honor