TESTIMONIES

FROM BEING BULLIED TO STATE SPARRING CHAMPION
BY IRENE N. RINCON, Parent of Kai Nishibayashi-Rincon

Since Kai has joined Kiffmann Taekwondo he has grown tremendously. He is very devoted to Taekwondo and attends classes 5 times a week.

• He has a more positive attitude
• He has made many friends at Kiffmann Taekwondo
• He is no longer afraid to stand up for what is right
• He is more physically fit and has more energy
• He has so much more confidence in himself
• He does well in school academically and socially

Putting Kai in Taekwondo has been one of the best decisions we have made as parents.We have watched him excel and grow. We no longer have to worry about him being bullied in school, we are confident that he is able to take care of himself. Having your child learn self defense is priceless!

NOTE: ON MARCH 12, 2011 KAI won the forms and sparring division at the 2011 Hawaii State Taekwondo Championship/USAT National Qualifier-press release

“Worthwhile”
By Josh Kepler at age 11, May 2011

I wish I could say my black belt journey has been an easy one. Sure I’ve experienced great highs: two medals at the 2009 Junior Olympics, three state championships in my sparring division, and the Embodiment of the Oaths award at my black belt endurance test.

Those highlights are just that, though, highlights. In between came a lot of hard work, pain, injuries, and exhaustion. Not only was I physically exerted, but my mind often fought me as well. Many times, I really wanted to stay home and play video games, not head off to a three-hour practice. Other times, I was so sore that even moving hurt. Sometimes, it just seemed easier to quit.

See, taekwondo is not just physical. It’s emotionally challenging. Our masters push us hard. I don’t like not doing well. I want to succeed. I want to be perfect the first time I do something. I don’t want to keep on trying, trying, but that’s exactly what taekwondo is all about. Taekwondo pushes me out of my comfort zone and teaches me that failing is okay. The main thing is that I try again. I have lost more matches than I can count. I still get frustrated when I can’t master a technique, and yet I know that even these things are good for me. Getting my black belt has taught me that failing is only failing if I don’t try again.

While the journey has been tough, it has been worth it. It’s given me good friends, boundless energy, and confidence. It has helped me in other sports because I have endurance. It has made focusing in school easier. Most importantly, taekwondo has helped me to apply the tenets--courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self-control, and indomitable spirit--to my life. So while my black belt journey hasn’t been easy, it has been worth it.

Brandon Yoshikawa
August 14, 2010
What Tae Kwon Do Means to Me

When I started Tae Kwon Do, I was 4 years old and now I am 9 years old testing for my Black Belt. Tae Kwon Do has taught me to help people succeed in whatever they are doing. It has taught me to be a good person and to never give up. Tae Kwon Do is not just about protecting yourself from bad people. It has also taught me to be respectful and the 5 tenets of Tae Kwon Do: Courtesy, Integrity, Perseverance, Self Control, and Indomitable Spirit.

Tae Kwon Do has helped me to be a good sport even though I may lose a match. My Masters have taught me to never give up even though I may be losing. This has also helped me to be a better athlete and student in school.
Tae Kwon Do helps me to always try my best. It has taught me to know the difference between right and wrong. It has taught me to be respectful and avoid a fight if someone may be a punk or a bully.

I like training in Tae Kwon Do because I learn new things and I learn how to protect myself and my family. I have been training for 5 years and it has taught me NOT to be a bully to other kids. It is a long journey from white belt to black belt. I like Tae Kwon Do because it has a goal for you to work hard at and my goal was to be a black belt and to always be a good person.

NOTE: Brandon is also a US National Sparring Gold medalist-check out his awards here

NEVER GIVE UP !!!!
by Camryn Henry

The thing I like best about Taekwondo is that it has taught me to NEVER GIVE UP!!.. When I was 6 years old, I wanted to try Taekwondo, because my friend David Lee convinced me that it was fun. So, one day at 4:00 pm I went to the Dojang to watch them train. The instructor asked me if I wanted to try out. I said, “yes, I would like to”.

My mom signed me up and I started going to class everyday. About 6 months after I started, I got invited to the Competition Team. I noticed that Taekwondo was way easier for my teammates because they always won matches.

For 2 years, I lost every single match. But, each time I lost, I learned something new. I kept going to classes and trained really hard. Overtime, I improved and started understanding the strategy. I entered more competitions and started winning some of my matches.

I have been taking Taekwondo for 3 1/2 years now and I have seen lots of my teammates quit. If I had quit during the 2 years that I lost, I would not be where I am right now. Right now, I compete as a Black Belt and have medaled at the US National Championships.

Camryn Henry
Jr. Black Belt
Straight “A” Student

NOTE: in 2009 Camy became the first female competitor on Maui to have medaled at the US National Championships’ Black Belt World Division!!

BLACK BELT EXAM TESTIMONY
BY CASSIE KEPLER, Parent of Joshua Kepler

Hi Mr. and Mrs. K,

I want you to know how much taekwondo means to our family. I know it is hard doing what you do and that you don't get nearly the "thanks" you deserve. It's not just good for the kids, though, but for me, too.

After Josh's black belt test, I wrote this journal entry. I thought I'd share it with you to show how you inspire me to better things. It's copied below.

I don’t like to live vicariously through my children and I feel badly for those who do. Yet, at this moment, I find myself wanting to experience what my ten-year-old son just went through.

He’s exhausted, sick, and a little bruised-up. He walks with a slight limp and is too queasy to eat dinner. Oh, and he just lost some of his stomach contents in front of a whole lot of onlookers.

So why do I want to be in his shoes? Because he just learned what it’s like to push himself beyond his physical capacity and still keep going. He learned that he really does have a warrior spirit and that he does not have to be an adult to do incredible things. Most importantly, though, he realized he can accomplish what he sets out to do. Today it was a black belt endurance test: It could be anything tomorrow.

He’s been preparing for this test for almost three years, and still, it was harder than he expected. He began with forms and blocking, pumped out more pushups and snap-kicks than I could do in a whole day, and ended with two-on-one ninja sparring, all of the while, fighting a cold. Those three hours seemed like a really long physical test. After all, don’t Olympic marathoners finish in two hours and change?

Yet, as I watch his face flush with exertion, I see something new in his eyes. His body is physically tired and yet he’s stronger somehow. He’s proven to himself that determination, combined with dedication, can accomplish amazing feats. He’s ready to take on the world, and for the first time, he knows that he can.

I eat my dinner, secretly wishing I possessed his hard-earned glow. With each bite, my envy gives way to new beginnings. Suddenly, I see possibilities that I thought were long cut off. PhD? Why not? Another marathon? No big deal. Adventure racing? I’m not too old. Who knows what’s next: it’s all possible.

WHAT I LOVE ABOUT TAE KWON DO
by Rhonda Fosbinder

I LOVE the way Tae Kwon Do makes me stronger, both physically and mentally.
I LOVE the way Tae Kwon Do accentuates the strengths and weaknesses in my character that are all too easy to ignore in my daily life, and gives me a way to either demonstrate my strengths, improve upon my weaknesses, or find a balance, as may be appropriate. I find that in my daily life I am both more aware and more tolerant of the strengths and weaknesses in myself and others.
I LOVE the way Tae Kwon Do makes me move my body in ways it hasn’t moved in many years, if ever, which I consider to be A Very Good Thing.
I LOVE the way Tae Kwon Do gives me definable, achievable goals for making physical and mental improvements. With each belt level, it is not just more elaborate physical movements that are requird, but also a more focused, disciplined mindset.
I LOVE the way my Tae Kwon Do instructors provide inspiration and act as role models for a balanced life. They clearly demonstrate each of the tenets of Tae Kwon Do, along with compassion and perspective.
I LOVE the way Tae Kwon Do is full of surprises, both in what I can do that I never thought possible, and in what could obviously be improved in my conduct, that I hadn’t before realized.
I LOVE the way Tae Kwon Do brings together a diverse group of people who are united in seeking improvement in themselves and their community, and who are devoted to encouraging one another in the pursuit of such improvement.
I LOVE the way my fellow students cheer me when I do well, and encourage me when I don’t, understanding that there is value in both, and just in trying.
I LOVE the way I can have days, weeks, or even months worth of conversations with fellow students without ever feeling judged by what I do in my daily work. I am judged by how I train and conduct myself in class, equally with everyone else, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity or social status.
I LOVE the way Tae Kwon Do develops individual expression, yet has a clear set of rules.
I LOVE the way Tae Kwon Do makes me think, and not think too much, all at the same time.
I LOVE the way Tae Kwon Do has a cultural and philosophical history that transcends time and place.
I LOVE the way Tae Kwon Do develops both the yin and the yang, and brings balance to my life.

With thanks to Mr. and Mrs. Kiffmann.