The outdoor ribbon exam was held in Redwood City, with masters Gerardo Ortiz (5th Dan) and Henry Villar (4th Dan).
Editor. Peninsula 360 Press [P360P].
Three students from Casa Círculo Cultural and Metro Tae Kwon Do, in Redwood City, took the first stage of their outdoor black belt exam this Saturday with masters Gerardo Ortiz (5th Dan) and Henry Villar (4th Dan).
It takes a person between four and six years of arduous and constant training to obtain the black belt. "Due to the pandemic we had suspended the exams, but today we resumed outdoors, with social distance and using masks, so that the students do not fall behind. In addition, these children continued training with a lot of effort via Zoom from their homes", said Master Ortiz.
It took Eliot six years to reach his 1st Dan black belt exam. He started training taekwondo and is currently 12 years old. Neal and Sofia were tested for 2nd Dan.
Taekwondo, explained Master Ortiz, provides enormous benefits to children, adolescents and adults. "This sport forms human beings with discipline, perseverance, and high self-esteem, in addition to serving as an instrument of self-defense".
However, obtaining the black belt is a great achievement that very few reach. "I estimate that out of a hundred children who start training taekwondo, between one and two will reach the black belt 1st dan," said Master Ortiz. "Moving on to second and third dan is even more complicated. Possibly, one out of every 500 taekwondo students reaches these grades."
"Whether a boy or girl gets a black belt depends not only on his or her great effort, but to a great extent on the parents, since they are the ones who should support and motivate their children. Many parents keep their children jumping from one activity to another, and that's not wrong, but that way the children don't get to go deeper in anything or learn to complete what they start," said Ortiz, who began training this sport since his childhood in Mexico.
However, explained Master Ortiz, all students who train taekwondo, regardless of the belt they reach, obtain a benefit that is usually for life.
For more information about taekwondo classes: http://www.metrotkd.org
