“Why I Started Martial Arts (and Why I Stayed)”

I never thought that when I started my martial arts journey that I would still be here today in this position; almost a decade later. At age 8, I was put into American Freestyle; I only did this for the summer since my schedule became overloaded with dance. I later decided to come back when I was 10 and I’ve been going strong since. However, I was hit with a major roadblock when I was 12; my family decided that we would make a huge move from a small town in Pennsylvania to a bigger community in Florida. I eventually found a new studio in which I still train and practice today, except this time it’s Tang Soo Do and Sport Karate. 

My parents decided to put me into martial arts for self defense and to break me out of my shell. I was always a shy kid; I didn’t start ordering for myself at a restaurant till I was 13. My training in PA gave me a solid foundation for many skills; I truly believe I wouldn’t be where I am today without it. However, despite learning these skills I was still pretty quiet. It wasn’t until we moved to FL that we saw improvement. At my new studio, I was encouraged into uncomfortable situations where I had to interact with others that I wasn’t familiar with. For example, after I was invited into the certified instructor training (CIT) I was required to help with the lower belt classes. My only job at the time was to walk around the mat and compliment the students, and even that was challenging at first. However, my instructors saw more potential in me when I didn’t see it in myself. I eventually became more comfortable with time and training from my instructors; in which I grew into the instructor and person I am today. 

Now, with being in a leadership position where it is such a rewarding experience and I’m so thankful for this job; there can also be downsides to this like any other job. So for a while I’ve been trying to figure out what’s “my why.” Why am I still in this position? Why am I continuing to grow and expand?

Well, this isn’t just a one word answer, in fact it’s not just one answer. So I’m going to break this into two answers:

1. The people / community 

2. The benefits

1. The amount of inspiring souls I have met through this experience is astonishing. The family - like atmosphere martial arts has created around the world is truly incredible. I have met people from Georgia, Minnesota, California, Argentina, Costa Rica, Mexico, The U.K, and more! 

   
   

2. Martial arts has given me more life skills than I could ever imagine, skills that I know will be of great use to me when I am in my career. Martial arts has also given me a job ( which was never originally my goal, until I found out it was within my reach ). WIth this job, I’ve learned how to properly teach students with super powers ( special needs ), how to be a successful leader, and also how to shift negative energy into positive energy. 

If younger me saw me now: teaching classes, running a competition team, and speaking to individuals I don’t know; she would have been blown away. But just because I’ve made progress and I’ve grown in this field does not mean I want to stay put where I am. This motivates me to go further, since I’ve already done that and I know that I am capable, thanks to extremely motivating people I’ve met along the way. Now, with this many people have asked me, what’s next? What are your goals in this field? Well, right now I feel I can’t give a concrete answer. But the answer I can give is …. Wherever life may take me. Who knows I could go down a path that involves me being a member on a top competition team, still teaching while holding a career or even both. No matter what path I’ll be on I will be grateful for the experiences and growth I’ve had along the way.

—Rhianna Cole