Essay on Personal Narrative - Tae Kwon Do

On my way to the competition, as I always have, I inserted my earbuds into my ears and watched as our car passed hundreds of trees. Every gymnastics meet created such a sickening feeling in my stomach and made my head spin. My father asked if I felt alright. I lied and told him I felt fine. I jokingly said that I only imagined myself at the top of the podium; a first place medal around my neck. My parents tried to encourage me to accomplish this. Therefore, they promised a stuffed animal and an ice cream cone if I won. I made a half-smile because I doubted myself too much. If only I knew what would soon happen to permanently change myself as a gymnast. When I arrived, all of my teammates crowded around me and pulled me into the gymnasium. Because we were competing at our ‘home meet’, a gymnastics competition at my team’s gymnasium, I felt more comfortable. After warm-up, I went to vault. I did not feel pleased with my score, but

Half a dozen guys were in the BJJ room grappling, the view was astonishing as I stood outside the foggy glass observing. I knew this was something I wanted to do. My fears, insecurities, sadness, and anger Jiu Jitsu would reach inside and rip them out. Weiss Sakhizada was the coach he looked young and invigorating , he treated me with such kindness and was so cheery to know that I was

The blistering heat glistened on my face as I stepped out the car door. It was June and I was preparing to test for my 2nd degree brown belt, a belt only two other people around my same age had tested for. My father encouraged me by saying, “You’re on track to becoming one the youngest black belts in your school!” I felt the pressure building up inside of me, the fear of failing this test was evolving. I stepped through the door of the karate school, which was still packed with younger students who just finished testing for their first belt. I walked to the back to take off my sandals, greet the others testing, and wait. Fifteen anxious minutes later, we were called out to stretch on the mats.

“Life is like a baseball game. When you think a fastball is coming, you gotta be ready to hit the curve.” -Unknown. Baseball is a game, one that is not timed, one that is not rushed either, but is only allowed twenty-seven outs. For some it means everything to them, for some the opposite. Even though it is just a game, the characteristics and necessities that come along with it, is what people don’t understand. Baseball can teach individuals, all ages, the tools they need to help themselves, schooling and their future. Within this comes the aspects of teamwork, self-confidence, and the importance of family.

When I started Jiu Jitsu it changed how I felt about being more social. One sunny day in a hot summer me I have sandy blonde hair and blueish green eyes I prefer to read books and be in loud places, my sister Cheyenne a fifteen year old that has blonde hair and blue eyes she loves to read books and pink items, and my nephew Nate is a hyper thrill seeking seven year old were all sitting on the couch trying to find something to watch. Going through the boring choices of movies we couldn’t choose anything then I flicked of the tv, and turned to Chey and Nate let’s go do something this is too boring I said with a little-bit of enthusiasm. Then we went on a hunt to see some fun things we could do we found Jiu Jitsu. Chey and I talked to Mom about our special activity, and she said she would think about is. Later that night I fell asleep hoping she would say yes.

In Arm Wrestling with My Father Manning’s father is the protectorate and authoritarian position throughout his younger life, but Manning would always detest ideas, fight, and with no avail, he would always contest with his dad at strength tests, arm wrestling, as this was the main way he and his father would communicate. Eventually, Manning was able to overcome his dad at arm-wrestling (with many convictions), and this very closely correlates with my success at going to Area my senior year. I vividly remember watching the results for trombonists held in a director’s hand moving towards the window for display as a huge mass of bodies surrounded me profusely sweating from roughhousing for the past hour or so, and I read the scoring list bottom up as I thought I had done poorly. I discerned my hopes and dreams of becoming an Area finalist in the Houston area. I kept scrolling my eyes higher and higher up the list and as soon as I was done reading the second highest band my heart fell to the bottom of my chest thinking I had not even made a single band, but out of nowhere I saw my name in the Area bracket.

3 years ago I was a green belt in taekwondo. I liked taking taekwondo lessons and my goal in taekwondo was to reach a black belt. But my mini story is about when I was a green belt at a tournament at the Northglenn High School gym. Tournament day was a really fun day because all the taekwondo schools in the district got together to spar, and show what we learned to the other schools. The sparring was my favorite part of the tournament, I was not the best at sparring because I wasn’t aggressive enough as the other teachers told me constantly. But today I was doing really good in the sparring tournament and was beating all the opponents that I faced. I was getting really excited because if I kept doing really good I might get to the finals and win

Admittedly I’m not the best wrestler, but my hard work ethic and determination is what makes me exceptional. At the 2015 regionals I lost my first match of the tournament which really brought my spirits down quite a lot. Going into my second match I knew if I lost my season would be done, and sectionals would be out of question for me. I ran out onto the mat, my heart is pounding through my chest. I didn’t want to let my parents and coaches down again. The match started and instinctively I grabbed my opponent’s leg and pinned him in 23 seconds. Winning this match put me into the finals for third place. When I ran onto the match for the finals match my heart dropped when I saw the guy who beat me come out to wrestle me. This meant I had to wrestle the guy that beat me to get into sectionals. The match started and he took me down, so I

I looked through the corner of my eye seeing everyone saying to be on top so I did. When the whistle blew I chopped my opponents arm and he fell. I tried to get a half Nelson in but he got out before I was able to fully get it and that's where it went bad. My opponent put a counter in and put me in a half Nelson. I was so surprised because it was quick and clean. I put my shoulders up and stayed up not being able to pin and I slipped away. When I stood my opponent grabbed my leg but this was just what I need. I hooked my arm around his arm and twisted both of us falling but I got up first and tried to put a half Nelson in. The whistle blew.

To vault in front of hundreds of people, the your adrenaline going within the competition, is hard. It is truly hard to do something like that, but over time I have built courage, to go up against my opponent with every bit of effort that I have, to do the best I can. And when I give all of the effort I can give in a competition, then I won.

Most of my life was consumed with the sport of gymnastics. I remember the rush I would get as it was my turn to compete in front of the cheering crowd. In those moments nothing else mattered; just me, the chalk on my calloused hands and the equipment in front of me. I have competed in gymnastics ever since I was five years old. I spent six days a week in the gym practicing all year round and even volunteered part of my time to a community program teaching gymnastics to children. Gymnastics had a tremendous role in shaping me into the person I am today and it is also what led me to want to become a Physician Assistant.

My first varsity college wrestling match was short but a success. Prior to the match we had to drive five hours to Olivet Michigan to wrestle in the tournament we were competing in. We left after class on Friday around 3:30, so we can get to the hotel and have time to relax. I was super enthusiastic all the way there. It was my first match on varsity in college! I knew I had to get the win to start off my college career.

I love the adrenaline rush and when the ref raised my arm up high when I won a match. I loved being able to do a sport I was great at for once. I was quick, knew a lot of moves, and knew how the wrestling worked. I just always hated the nervous feelings I always got before a meet. My nerves would make my stomach feel upside down and cause me to think twice about wrestling just in case I ever got hurt. But Like I said before this meet was different. Ten minutes after my successful match I was feeling overconfident and didn’t have that nervous feeling I had at the beginning of the meet since I had won a match so quick. I was called to be next for my second match that night and still was feeling way too confident. I never should have thought my match was going to be as easy as my last. Once my strap was on and shook hands with the other wrestler right before the whistle blew I was pulling moves like crazy. The different wrestling moves I used worked many times but the other guy, oh no. He was good. He knew how to defend himself from me and tried to get me mad by always pulling on my head down. That was irritating to me because I chipped one of my front teeth. So in my mind after about 2 rounds with this guy, I told myself I needed to finish him and win like I did the last match. Yet again, I still had that overconfidence in me. I tried to bring him down which almost worked, but he aimed for my ankles and pulled me up. I didn’t want to go down so

My brain goes silent. I forget my problems, my issues, my struggles, and everything that makes me feel dead inside. Nothing gives me more hope and happiness, then running on floor to hanging on a bar. From the darkness inside comes a light that feels like an eternal flame that can never be extinguished. Nothing can stop me from feeling more alive. Starting gymnastics has been the best decision I have ever made and has made me the person I am today. With every move, every skill, and every moment, gymnastics makes me feel alive.

Judo has been a large part of my life since I was six years old. Twenty-one years have passed since I started judo, and the role that it has played in my life has transformed tremendously over the years. To me, judo has always been a sport. I have practiced countless of hours on perfecting the technique of my throws, sweeps, pins, chokes, and armbars, and my work has paid off in competition. I have competed in multiple tournaments on the national and international scope, and I have won awards in both shiai (sparring) and kata (form). However, judo to me changed into so much more after my experience at the 2015 Special Olympics World Games during the summer after my high school junior year.