The Benefits of Exercising In the realm of possibility, as far as maintaining my overall physical, emotional, spiritual and mental wellness, working out regularly proves to be a necessity in my daily life. Since the day that I have been introduced to Taekwondo, I have been reaping the benefits of the sport endlessly. Years ago, when I started practicing, I recall that our motto consisted of three words: Honesty, Intelligence, and Respect. One may question the rapport between these three words and learning how to kick and punch, but we were taught to value and draw helpful life principles from these three simple but significant terms. We were taught how to be in tuned with ourselves and our environment by being honest; our intelligence was expanded through calculated perseverance. And as for respect, it was intensely implied that we must value ourselves and others. This “mantra”, which we had to repeat before and after working out, left an indelible mark on my memory and subsequently on the person who I have grown to be. My lifestyle determines who I am; my eating habits, my ways of thinking through situations presented before me, and also the way I emotionally react to them reveal how healthy I am. Since Taekwondo is a sport that requires an all-inclusive physical fitness, practicing it brought me flexibility, aerobic fitness and muscular endurance and strength. In order to keep up with my sportsmanship, it was thus an obligation to eat healthy food. My ability as an athlete strengthened my character as it built up my confidence. I learned to transfer and use that positive persevering energy, that stamina that moves me as I work out in my approach to my academic, professional and even personal goals. The sport brought me to a point where I even extended the definition of fitness! Since physical health, as important as it is in my life, cannot be reached without the other three, mental, spiritual and emotional, I quickly understood that it was a continuum that I had to keep on fueling with the right substances. My mental, spiritual and emotional fitness depended on how well I did academically, socially and professionally; therefore, I pledged myself to learn from my mistakes, persevere and thrive in all I undertook. Long-term success became my fitness motto. What I learned in Golden Kick School through Taekwondo is best stated in the movie, The Great Debaters. In that movie, James Farmer Jr. says, “We do what we have to do in order to do what we want to do”. Indeed, to remain all-inclusively fit I have to not only eat right, keep working out regularly to relieve occasional stress, but also I have to apply myself in my study and my work; as I am confident that success, unquestionably, follows. Having the opportunity to be part of that learning experience is life changing, and I strongly exhort anyone to whom the chance is presented to take advantage of it. Those who partake in Golden Kick School’s initiative to extend its mentorship via Interface, will very well reap the same substantial principles that I personally benefited from this nurturing and supportive institution. In the realm of possibility, with a positive mind, we will be amazed by how a ripple of “all-inclusively” healthy individuals within Interface will expand to be a wave of entities that will change the outcome of our community for a better tomorrow. Péguy Gaboton 12/31/08 When I met G.Roots, I was 2nd Dan black belt, but with him I have discovered the true values of Martial Arts, and Tae Kwon Do was more than just Kicking and Punching. One of my colleagues called him “Viejo”, because he didn’t want us to call him Master. During his classes, every time he said: “it’s not in your text book, write it down”, I was the first one to pay close attention. Then we became partners; he is the kind of persons who respect your opinion and challenge your researches – he never likes cliché. Professor G.Roots always wants to ensure that all students are immersed in the subject (kicking, foot working, environment, eco-toxicology etc…) through individual and group activities that significantly increase our knowledge and concepts to a maximum effect. From my “BROTHER” G., I’ve learned how to discover and nurture the unique talents within each of my students and how to project authority without being overbearing. I was so proud to work under his directions, since he didn’t want to treat me as a student. He always said “If you have a degree (rank), you also have some corresponding responsibilities”; “Gentlemen, you need to develop a sense of integrity”, and I pass it on my students. i Professor G.Roots, Thank you ! Jimmy Hermann 01/13/2007 5th Dan
Posted on: Mon, 28 Oct 2013 18:00:44 +0000