Getting ready for a black-belt test

In the early spring of 2001, my wife was looking through the YMCA catalog for a class for my oldest son to take while his siblings were swimming. There was a karate class starting, and she thought he might like to try that. Which he did. 6 months later, one of his brothers started. Within a year, all four of my kids were studying Tang Soo Do at the YMCA, and occasionally at the studio in North Reading. In late 2002, after sitting in the lobby of the studio and watching for months, I though it looked enjoyable, and in January of 2003, I first donned a do bok and entered the do jang.

It's been a wonderful experience so far. We attend classes at least twice a week, usually 3-4 times. With any type of activity like this, the quality of the experience is directly related to the quality of the people. The people in the American Tang Soo Do Association are all first rate. They're great teachers, they're great with the kids, and the art is obviously important to them.

Tang Soo Do is a traditional Korean martial art, with some chinese influence. When the Japanese occupation of Korea ended in 1945, Grandmaster Hwang Kee opened the Mu Duk Kwan to teach the art that he called Tang Soo Do. Tang Soo Do, much like Tae Kwon Do, eventually spread to the US largely on the shoulders of American servicemen who had trained in the art while stationed in Korea.

And on Saturday, my son (now 12) and I will both be testing for cho dan, first degree black belt.