Service for the Benefits of Humanity ( HONG IK IN GAAN )

Tae Kwon Do isn’t all about the Poomses. A big part of it is being a good friend to other people and helping people feel good about themselves. Over the last three years me and my family have visited an older women named Ada, until she died in December. I used to sing her songs and tell her stories. These visits were very important to her because she didn’t have her own grandchildren. We were like family to her. During the time we visited she was slowly losing her eyesight. It was very frightening for her, but we cheered her up and made her smile. A lot of kids my age don’t spend a lot of time with older adults. Spending time with Ada taught me about having respect for them. We talk about respect a lot in class, but this really made it come to life.

I also help people in my own family. For example, my little sister, Sutton, can get very upset sometimes and have temper tantrums. I am the only one who can get her out from under her bed. I help her brainstorm some ideas to fix the problem, figure out what she needs to say if someone is upset with her, and I spend time with her when she’s upset. By helping Sutton I learned about having self-control. When you’re trying to calm someone down, you have to be patient and be understanding. Sometimes it’s very frustrating because I don’t understand why she’s upset. It makes me feel like we have an amazing connection because even when she is upset, at the end of our talks, we are both smiling.

In Tae Kwon Do the Masters have taught us about respect and how you treat other people. They teach you to set goals for yourself and how to be your best self. But all that you learn in class you should use outside of class, too, in your everyday life. I believe that I do that. Tae Kwon Do as taught me so much about life and how to be successful.

– Written by Sydney Korn who accomplished 1st degree black belt on 10/22/2016