Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Closing a chapter

"When are you quitting Taekwondo?" the boys would ask them.  Tai Pi and Pumpkin took up Taekwondo together with their friends back in late 2005.  One by one their friends dropped out of Taekwondo after earning their Black Belts but the girls stayed on and even joined the competition team.

Taking part in competitive sparring has been a great character-building experience for the girls.  It has tested their nerves, their ability to think on their feet, their fighting spirit, and taught them to win with humility and lose with grace.  Wasn't easy on me either, watching them fight.  Once I was shaking so badly I almost dropped the video camera during Tai Pi's sudden death fight.

But now the girls have come to the hard decision of giving up Taekwondo.  Pumpkin went for her last class two Sundays ago while Tai Pi plans to continue till she gets her 2nd Dan which would be sometime this year.

When I told Pumpkin that I had informed the school of her decision to quit, she broke into tears.  Although it was her decision, she must have felt sad to bring to an end something which she had been doing half her life.  Oh well, she may have changed her Sunday routine but she will always be a Taekwondo Black Belt.

Pumpkin with her silver medal and her team mates 
at last year's National Taekwondo Championships

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

U mean she's stopped pattern class too? EJ's eager to stop too. He's mentioned a few times tt once he's gotten his 2nd Dan, he wants to stop. But juz now, he said he doesnt want to go anymore :( I feel sad too, cuz it's been such a big part of his life too.

"d other Yvonne"

fuzzoo said...

Yes she stopped pattern class as well. P might continue afterall, even after getting her 2nd Dan. She said the reason why she left the competition team was bec she felt she had lost her touch. I don't think she lost her touch, just that she has stagnated. She was lucky her opponents in the Nationals were not so strong if not she wouldn't have won the gold.

Just bec they stop now doesn't mean they can't pick it up again. Maybe after a break EJ will want to return to it.

Anonymous said...

yes, it's true. We've always told him tt once he got his black belt, he can stop. He can come back again when he's a teen. He & I've mixed feelings abt dis end of d journey.


"d other Yv"