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In the summer of 5th grade, my mom dragged me to a PKSA Karate dojang and encouraged me that I should practice karate with my brother. The students in colorful uniforms would take off their socks and shoes to perform aggressive actions such as kicks and punches. I sat down on those wooden benches with my mom, staring at the interactions between the instructor and students. I would never imagine myself performing the movements alongside the other students. At the end of this session, a tall, bald man stood before me and knelt down. He thoroughly introduced PKSA karate and its history, but when he asked if I wanted to be part of the community, I was hesitant to reply. Using his intense passion, the instructor persuaded me to join the next class. I told him I would think about it. Later that day, I decided to give myself a chance. A chance to try new things.

Throughout my years of practicing, I came to enjoy karate because it allowed me to become stronger physically and mentally. By practicing karate, I trained my patience, endurance, and resilience. Overcoming obstacles, one after another. Accomplishing milestones, belt after belt. Until I reached my first-degree black belt.

Four years later, I was ready to take my black belt test. It was an important event as it is a full day to demonstrate everything a martial artist learned in the past four years or more. However, my parents decided to move from Michigan to Georgia during this time, which prevented my brother and I from taking the test. The nearest PKSA karate dojang to Georgia was the coast of Florida. Later that year in September, I accomplished my black belt at the PKSA SpaceCoast in Florida.

Looking back, I guessed that it was a pretty cool experience. Four years seems like a long time, but it passed within the blink of an eye. The black belt was the top of a cliff, and standing at the top of it, looking down reminded me how far I had climbed. I am thankful to all my instructors and friends I met during this journey because they were like the streetlights on a dark, empty road that guided my path.