“She’s In The Division”
One of my favorite stories is about a student I have named Kelly.
The women that come through my school are very confident and strong. Occasionally, female students will enter tournaments and compete in the men’s division, for the challenge. Kelly was one of those students.
I remember one such tournament. When he first saw her, the guy that Kelly was fighting looked over at the referee and asked,
“Do I really have to fight a girl?”
“Well, she’s in the division,” the referee responded. “Do what you gotta do.”
Kelly ended up beating the guy 5-0, eliminating him from the tournament and pretty much embarrassing him in the process. After the fight, the center referee looked at the guy and said:
“Well… at least you won’t have to fight any more girls today.”
Setting Her Up For A Better Life
Now, I admit that I am biased. I think I think that all people should study Tae Kwon-Do. I see every day what it does for people, and I certainly know what it has done for me. But, I truly believe that beginning a Tae Kwon-Do program at a good school can do wonders for a young girl.
All women are under a lot of pressure, but it is especially hard for young women. Society teaches girls they have to be pretty enough, skinny enough, etc. The reality is that girls just need to be good, strong people, and not worry about the other parts.
We teach everyone at this school that everybody is beautiful. I truly feel that way. There are no ugly students at this school.
Here, we want young girls to believe in themselves, and to know that how they look has no bearing on who they are.
We want them to believe that what they are good at has no bearing on who they are. It certainly might have some impact on what they are, though. For instance, a young girl might be great at math, then go on to become an engineer. But, it doesn’t mean that if she’s not good at math, then she’s not a good person.
We want young girls to understand that they can do anything boys can do. And, we want them to understand that their gender is not a barrier, but that it shouldn’t be a crutch and certainly not something that should be used against people.
I have no desire that my young female students become aggressive. But, I do want them to become people who can defend themselves physically, mentally, and emotionally.
A young girl taking Tae Kwon-Do will have a better body image and overall self image. A young girl taking Tae Kwon-Do can feel good every time she gets up in the morning, knowing that she’s in shape and strong. A young girl can hold her head up high if someone tries to mock her out. She’s not going to crumble.
She will also probably be better at sports, better at school, better at a musical instrument, etc. because of the focus and discipline she will learn through Tae Kwon-Do.
Simply put, a young girl starting Tae Kwon-Do is just setting herself up for a better life.
Master Gorino’s Tae Kwon-Do offers a trial program for individuals and families in Buffalo, NY and the surrounding areas that allows you to get a feel for the different classes, meet our instructors, and experience our dojang. It’s a great way to see if Tae Kwon-Do is right for you. To learn more or to sign up, register online or call (716) 836-KICK (5425) and a member of our team will follow up with you on next steps. We look forward to helping you achieve your goals. Pil-Sung!
