Candidate Journals

This is my 50th journal entry! I went to the mountains this weekend and I had a lot of fun rafting and going to a waterfall to swim in the river. I didn't do any requirements while I was there though. I am so glad that I don't have school today. I need to work on a few things like my essay, written test questions, and homework that I can get ahead on for the week.

Thursday will be my catch up day. I didn't have time yesterday to do my run, finish homework,eat dinner, and still go to sleep at a decent time. So, I will double up on what I miss on Thursdays. I only have a couple of journal entries left. YAY!

Today was okay, I went to class in Belmont at 4:30, took PMAA at 5:30, and stayed to help with the 6:30 class. I thought that the 4:30 class was really cool because we put on double chest protectors and we could kick harder than usual. I liked the PMAA class because we got to work on knives. I was working with someone today and Master Shin had just showed us a pretty complicated change of grip and he got it right on the first try! I thought that it was pretty cool... Today was also Hayden Currier's birthday so we got to beat him up with noodles:)

I started piano lessons again for the year. Yay! I am excited to play something new every week. I also had a mentee session again. I went over their kicking combinations and their poomsaes. I went to black belt class afterwards too. We all retook the pre-test just to see what we got wrong. We also went over some Kukkiwon changes. It is really hard to get used to putting my blocking hand on the outside and I bet that it would be pretty funny to watch us all try to figure out which hand goes where...

Today I went to class in Belmont. The A/C wasn't working so it was really hot. We worked on a lot of the changes from Kukkiwon. I am also having a lot of trouble keeping my blocking hand on the outside. We also worked on red and high red self-defense.

Everyone did so great yesterday! I found out that I got a 90 on the written test. YAY!! I definitely have to work on my pullups though... I didn't do a lot today. I worked on my new skill and I went for a run. I did a few things for school too.

The pre test is tomorrow!!! I'm really excited but also pretty nervous. I have done my best to prepare and I hope that everyone does well tomorrow! I worked with Master Shin today. We worked on a lot of stuff like hapkido and stick form 3 and 4. I had a great time and I got to get a lot done.

My day has been pretty uneventful... School was okay but it is hard to get back to the routine of waking up so early. I am really excited for the pretest but I am also trying really hard to get better at running and getting my endurance back. Speaking of running, I am about to go while my brother is at this practice. I am going to try to double up today since I didn't run at all yesterday.

I took PMAA and regular class today in Belmont. I also had a lot of fun helping with the 6:30 class. I didn't run today so I guess I will double up tomorrow!

I went to class in Belmont today. We worked on Pal Gwe forms and also worked on making study guides for the written test. I had mine from 2 years ago but there were a few changes that we had to make. It was very helpful. Before black belt class, I had a mentee session. I worked on their kicks and stretches with them.

First day of school... I am so exhausted, hearing teachers repeat no gum, no food, no phones, etc. really takes it out of you! I also went to class in Belmont today. We went over a lot of the changes to the Tae Geuk forms. It was really hard to get used to some of them, especially putting my blocking hand on the outside instead of the inside! After that, I went for a run/walk while my brother had football practice.

I had a great time at Master Hama's seminar yesterday! I learned a lot of different combinations that I can use. I am incredibly sore! School starts tomorrow... I am really not ready to wake up so early! I am spending some time getting everything in order and I also finished my white belt challenge essay today.

I am so excited to see my numbers. I am almost done and will just have to practice physical requirements for the test. I have started looking at the written test questions. I have forgotten so much in 2 years...

Today, I went to Master Hama's sparring class in Belmont. I really enjoyed it even though it was challenging. I thought that a lot of the kicking drills that he had us practice were very interesting. I was able to do most of the excercises too!

I went running today. I ran/walked 2.75 miles!!! I had to stop occasionally because my knee would start popping but it doesn't hurt to run anymore. Now, I just have to practice. I also had a mentee session. I was glad to see that my mentees had practiced their poomsae and they had gotten a lot better since the last time I saw them.

I am trying really hard to get as much of my requirements as I can done before school. I have upped my numbers by a lot. It is a little overwhelming but I will be less overwhelmed if I don't have to deal with those along with homework and not having the whole day to get stuff done.

I drove back home from the mountains today. We went kayaking yesterday and my arms are so sore because I did most of the paddling. It was a lot of fun though and we got to go swimming for a pretty long time. I went for a walk/jog when I got home. I did 2 miles but it felt like a lot longer.

I am able to bend my leg 126 degrees. I only have about 10 more degrees until I can bend it the same as the other one. At PT today, I did a lot of dynamic stretches and I will have to continue to do them every day. I am leaving today to go up to the mountains with my uncle and cousin so I will still keep up with my requirements there.

I waited pretty late in the day to start my requirements. I started in the afternoon because my friend came over in the morning. I got it all done and then, I took a 3 mile walk with my mom during my brother's football practice.

I tried jogging for the first time in a few weeks. I was able to do it normally but it still hurt so I didn't go for very long. I also volunteered for the last time this summer today. I was kind of sad but I had a lot of fun this summer working with Holy Angels residents. I also almost had to go to urgent care because I stubbed my toe on the base of a bag and my heart started beating insanely fast and hard. This has happened before and I went to a cardiologist who said that the next time it happens, I needed to have a test done. Well, I left class early to go get the test done at urgent care but my heart stopped pounding in the car on the way there!!!

Today was pretty busy, I didn't get to stay at home for very long. I went with my mom to drop off my brother at his camp and then, we went straight to an orthodontist appointment. After that, we went home so that I could get my uniform and other stuff I needed for class. I had therapy right after that and it went very well. We had to go pick up my brother too and then I went to Belmont. I helped with the 4:30 and 5:30 classes and I took the 6:30 black belt class. I really enjoyed helping with the classes today because we got to think of about 15 different ways to do Kwon Sool. In black belt class, we did a lot of poomsaes and worked on the changes to Koryo.

Today, I went shopping for school uniform stuff. I'm kind of excited that school is starting but I'm also a little bit worried about how I am supposed to get everything done along with homework and classes. I took class in Belmont at 4:30. Ms. Pam taught class and I really enjoyed it. We practiced poomsaes and self defenses. My favorite part was the self defenses because we did them out of order to memorize them better. After that class, I helped with the 5:30 and the 6:30 class.

Today was pretty good. I did my requirements after my family left. I also worked a little bit on my new skill essay. After that, I went to go see Paper Towns with my mom and my friend. It was a great movie but it skipped a lot of the good parts that were in the book.

Today, I got up pretty late. I did some requirements and then, I went downtown with some of my cousins and my family. We went to Discovery Place and it was still pretty cool. I got to do some of my stretches for therapy but I also walked around a lot. When we got back home, I finished my requirements and did the rest of my stretches. I had a really great day.

Today, I had another physical therapy. I am on my way to having a fully functional quad!!! I still can't run, jump, or do a lot of kicks properly though. I am trying really hard to get most of my requirements done before school starts, so I have been doing a lot. I know that I won't finish everything by the time school starts but at least I won't have to wake up at 4:30 to be able to fit everything in before school...

Today was really nice because I babysat this morning and after that, I didn't have to leave the house! So, I got my requirements done and then went out with my mom ad my brother. I also took a walk. I can walk pretty close to normally now but if I'm not thinking about walking normally, I have to be reminded to walk from heel to toe or I will limp a little bit.

Today, I got a few extra requirements done to catch up from the weekend. I think I will have to be doing extras for a few days. I volunteered again today and I had a lot of fun working with the people at Cherubs Candy Bouquet. Right after that, I went to class and I finally learned how to do the rotunda. I could never quite get it before so I'm really excited about it!

I have made a lot more progress with my thigh. I can walk normally and without effort now! It's still really frustrating to not be able to everything that I could. Today in class, everyone was practicing falls and then there's me, sitting on the floor watching and doing stretches. I had a mentee session today. I worked on the high green belt poomsae with them and it seems like they are improving.

I did some requirements this morning and then went to the beach. I also went to the pool after that. It's too bad I have to leave tomorrow, I'm having a lot of fun! I'm doing some exercises in the pool and it seems to really help my thigh a lot.

I went to the beach today for a few hours. I fit in some requirements before I went so that I wouldn't have to do as much later. I ended up doing some before bed anyway. My knee is a little sore from sitting in the car too long because we drove a couple of hours. But it's getting closer to being it's original size now.

Today was really great. I got to go to the first part of class this morning and I learned the last part of palgwe 4. I was really unprepared when Master Evins asked us to do Wang Ho 1. I had to go through it once to actually remember it. Then, I had to leave to go to the beach. I was in the car for 4 hours.

Today, I went to PT again. I got some new stretches that I have to do in addition to the old ones. I am able to bend my knee 8 more degrees. I walked another mile today too. This one was just as long as the last. I am still very excited about my progress even though it may be extremely slow, or at least it feels really slow. I'm looking forward to class tomorrow.

Today, I walked an extremely slow mile. I also did my requirements at home while my brother had his last day of camp. After lunch, we went to the mall. I am looking forward to putting my feet up and relaxing tonight.

Today, I went to physical therapy for the first time. I learned some stretches that I am going to have to do every day. I also volunteered at Holy Angels Candy Bouquet today and I had a lot of fun with the residents. I went to class right after that. Nobody went to the 5:30 class so the other black belts and I got to have a PMAA class. We went over stick form 1 and double stick section A. Then, I helped with the 6:30 class.

Today I had my second mentee session and I worked on Taeguek Sa Jang. I also took black belt class. We worked on Hapkido 1-20. I didn't realize how many that I don't remember very well until I actually had to do them. I have physical therapy tomorrow. I am supposed to go twice a week for two weeks or do the stretches at home.

I did my requirements this morning while my brother was at basketball camp. I also went to the doctor today about my thigh. She said not to strain it and I will be going to an orthopedic doctor tomorrow. I went to the 4:30 class today and I meant to help with the 5:30 and 6:30 classes to try and fit in some leadership credits but I didn't because I had a migraine. I went home and slept for a while then it went away.

Master Shin had a black belt class today. We worked on the changes to Koryo. It's pretty hard to remember all the changes but it must be even harder for higher belts because they've been doing the poomsae for longer than I have. After black belt class I didn't go to sparring, instead I worked on requirements with Ms. Pam and stretched my thigh a lot. After that a lot of people came and helped clean the dojang. We moved all of the furniture, dusted, took all of the mats off the floor, scrubbed them, cleaned the bathrooms, vacuumed the floors, cleaned the mirrors, etc. It took a long time but afterwards we got to go to a pool party in Master Shin's neighborhood. It was nice because we could all relax and unwind together after cleaning and working out. Thanks again Master Shin!!

Today, I got most of my requirements done in the morning. I went to the pool with my cousins in Highland Creek and we stayed there for a few hours. I got some advice for my thigh today from Ms. Pam. I am trying it and it is getting better.

I went to PMAA class tonight. It was cool because we learned a few interesting breakaways. I also found out today that for the cycle I have to learn double sticks section A. My thigh has almost shrunk back to normal but it still hurts. I asked Master Shin about it and he advised me to put heat on it so I'll try that. Still not walking normal.

Today I did all of my requirements at home. I still am not able to walk really well so I go for a walk on the treadmill. I had to finish all of my requirements by a certain time so that I could still make it in time to volunteer at Holy Angels in Belmont. I had a lot of fun today.

Today, I went to a class in Belmont for the first time in a very long time! We worked on palgwe forms, basic forms, and a few color belt forms. We also worked on self defenses. I enjoyed this class because I need to work on my palgwe forms a lot more.

My thigh is close to being back to the size of normal thighs! I was able to go the entire day without using crutches. I'm trying to take it easy. I did my poomsaes and self defenses but I had some trouble with kicks. So I have to be very careful. It feels like I'm doing an extra few days of empathy training! Also today I found out that I will need braces soon. I'm excited because I might have them done and over with by college!

I went to sparring class yesterday. I sparred with Louis on the last match. It was going okay, but Louis got me in the thigh. I iced it in the car and I went to my aunts house. I thought that it was just going to bruise because this had happened before with someone else and I was fine in a few hours. Well, in this case, after a few hours of ice and rest my thigh had swelled so much that it looked like 1 1/2 thighs put together! This morning, the swelling had gone down a little bit but, I still needed crutches to walk. I hope that it gets better soon though, so I can catch up on my requirements.

Today, I took black belt and sparring class in North Charlotte. We did a lot of poomsaes and changed so many things!!!!! I learned that koryo changes every twelve years. I wonder why they do that... Thank goodness there weren't changes for every single poomsae ever or I would have a really hard time! I couldn't finish all of my requirements today but I got a lot done before class which I am grateful for, because if I hadn't done any this morning, I wouldn't have done any at all! Overall, today was pretty good and I look forward to tomorrow!

Today, I took black belt and sparring class in North Charlotte. We did a lot of poomsaes and changed so many things!!!!! I learned that koryo changes every twelve years. I wonder why they do that... Thank goodness there weren't changes for every single poomsae ever or I would have a really hard time! I couldn't finish all of my requirements today but I got a lot done before class which I am grateful for, because if I hadn't done any this morning, I wouldn't have done any at all! Overall, today was pretty good and I look forward to tomorrow!

Today was very exciting, I even started extra early. I went for a run but my leg started doing something weird, it was shaking a lot and it was really tight. It used to do the same thing after my cross country meets. It went away after a while though. I got to see some very inspiring art today at the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art. I got to see paintings and collages by Henri Matisse. Tomorrow will be a very busy day!

Today, I had my first mentee session! I wanted to work with a high green belt named Jackson. It was a good experience and we went over a lot in just 15 minutes. I also had my first PMAA class! I enjoyed it a lot but having not done it before makes me nervous as to what to Master Evins is going to expect me to know/learn!

Today, I had quite a lot of trouble fitting my requirements in! I got up at about 8 and did my run at about 9. Then, I had to do as much as I could until I had to leave to volunteer. I was there for 4 hours and then, I went straight to faith formation at my church. I stayed there for 3 hours and didn't get home until about 8:30!! I still had to do all of my poomsaes and self defenses. I just finished about 3 minutes ago!

Yesterday, I was going to journal but 5 minutes later, I forgot to do it!! SO here are the last two days...Yesterday, I went to the Y with my mom and my brother. My mom did her class in the gym while I did my requirements on the track above her. Thank goodness there was a punching bag there! When I got home though, I still had to do my poomsaes and self defenses. Today, my brother went to Defy Gravity with his friends so I had the house to myself for three blessedly quiet hours! I was able to get all of my requirements done without being distracted by noises or people! So, I have had a fairly good two days!

Today, I actually got to experience the full extent of all these requirements! I am trying to get as many things done in the summer as I can so that all I have to do is get ready for the physical test during the school year. I realized today that my new numbers are so much more than I had to do last time.

Today was the first day of my third cycle. YAY! I am so excited! I did not get to do very many requirements today. My family and I were on the 7 hour drive back home from our vacation. I did however, get to walk 1.5 miles and do a lot of meditation. I'll have a LOT of fun catching up on my push-ups tomorrow!

First I want to say congratulations to everyone who competed in the tournament today! I wish that I had been there. In black belt class today, we got to work on a lot of poomsaes. I got to ask a lot of questions and work on all of my other forms. I really enjoyed the class. I can't believe that the physical test is already next week!!!!!! I have most of the written test memorized. I just have a hard time with the 6 distances. I am so excited about it! Thank you so much to everyone who has helped me and encouraged me during this testing cycle and the last one.  I appreciate everything that you have done for me, especially Master Shin and Master Cavazos.

I really need to go running in the morning tomorrow. It helps to wake me up and get more energy. I know that probably doesn't make sense but it works for me. I have been running during recess and gym. I am really starting to be exhausted by 6 o'clock. I am really excited about the Kicks for Kids! I really want to see who will win the giant pandas!  

Today I am going to time myself on my requirements. I an really hoping to see an improvement from the last time that I did this. Yesterday I ran in the rain. I think that it feels better running in the rain because it cools you down. It keeps getting easier to run my mile and a half. I think that I am going faster than when the cycle started.

Wow! I can't believe that it is the end of day 53! I just had my last mentor session yesterday. I really appreciate all of the help that Master Cavazos has given me and everything that he has taught me. I hope that I can get at least one more meeting in before testing. I also want to thank all of the instructors who have helped me to learn my curriculum! I am so excited about testing but nervous too. 

Today was just your average day on the cycle. Thank you Master Evins for giving us the class credits after the no electronics challenge! You are being very generous sir! Speaking of generous, while I was at a piano lesson, my mom ran into my old school's librarian at the store. My mom pulled out an extra raffle ticket for the panda and was about to write her number down for her. My teacher asked what they were for so my mom told her and she bought two tickets! I thought that was very generous of her. 

Today I got a mentee session done. Now I know what it feels like to be a true instructor. I was getting kind of frustrated with my mentee today because he didn't remember blue belt self defense. He just tested for high blue and did great during his test. I have suggested for him to practice at home a lot. I have worked on self defense with him for a few weeks now!  I kind of feel like it's my fault that he doesn't know it but I know that it's not. I'm not exactly happy right now.  I have soooo much to do! I have a lot of of homework, a project due Friday, and to top it all off, requirements!!!!! Aaaaaarrrrrrgggggg!!!!!!!!  

Well we have made it to day 48. Only 22 days left!!! I am so excited! I did not get all of my requirements done today. I ran in the afternoon while my dad and brother biked. I kind of use Sundays as my catch up day for running. I did 3 miles. It was fun. I can't wait to see people's expressions when the see a big panda bear in the waiting area in Belmont. 

Today I went to black belt class and stayed for sparring class. I really liked working on kicks and falls in the back with Master Kim. I really liked it because he gave me good advice about my back falls. I tried doing a kick up and lets just say that it didn't work too well. I still tried my best. I want to be able to do a kick up by the time that I am 16. I just have to practice a lot.

Today I was so sore, that it hurt to go down the stairs. I did my Wednesday class at Master Shin's school. We did a lot of leg exercises with chairs. I walked my mile and a half in the neighborhood while my brother rode his scooter. I really hope that this goes away soon. I am going to run tomorrow instead of walk. This last week has gone very slowly for me. On the bright side, it's already day 46! YAY!!!!!!! I am really happy that we are all going through the same thing together. TogetherEveryoneAchievesMore-Unknown

I have a lot of things to fit in to my schedule. I already have a project for school due next week! It is getting kind of overwhelming. I will be very glad when I can get back to a semi-normal schedule. It's day 4 of not having electronics. I am not being effected by it very much. The only thing is my friend usually brings her ipod touch on the bus and she sits right next to me playing her games. I really want to play but I get a book out or some homework that I need to check over again. I didn't think that it was so normal to not have any electronics!

It's the second day of not having electronics. I had to go to the doctor's office today. I was doing my homework in the waiting room and a TV was on. It was so hard to not watch it while I was busy. I moved to a different room to avoid being distracted. Not having any electronics has made me read and enjoy my books more but it feels like I am in trouble and I got my phone taken away for a week. Today was the first day when my classes in school were actually productive and not just going over the same rules over and over again. I woke up on time today. I am very happy with myself. I woke up at five and did my running. The more that I run, the easier it gets to run my mile and a half. But I almost fell asleep...

I got a lot done today. It was the first day that I got real homework. I got it all done on the bus so that I didn't have to do it in the back room of the dojang. I was able to finish my requirements during the extra time before my class started. I got a mentee session in after my class. I taught Zachary his first 3 self defenses and I worked on his old poomsae. I also helped in the 5:30 class and got a leadership credit. 

Today I did my requirements in the morning. I slept in and I really can't get used to that. I walked 3 miles with my mom and my brother. I am really not looking forward to the no electronics challenge. I played on my phone a lot today. I don't usually have a lot of time for my games or TV during the week because of my schedule.Today was just a regular day. I hope that I don't sleep through my alarm again tomorrow! 

Well well well. Day 38 we meet again. I am very happy that I went to sparring class today. I got 10 sparring rounds in! That was very tiring. I am done with back belt classes but will continue to go. I worked on finding the answers to the written test after sparring class. It's amazing how long it took to find something written about King Sejong.  I hope that everyone is feeling okay and ready to go for tomorrow.

I want to tell everyone on this cycle that you are doing awesome! I think that because of everyone encouraging one another, it has helped us to get through this together. I also want to thank Master Cavazos for being my mentor. I really appreciate that he comes to Belmont during the week so I can get a mentor meeting. I am also thankful that he wrote my recommendation letter and I didn't even ask him to. I have learned so much from him and I really enjoy our sessions. I found another quote today. "The strongest factor for success is self-esteem: Believing you can do it, believing you deserve it, believing you will get it" - Anonymous  

Today I slept through my alarm.  I couldn't get as much running done.  I did a mile instead of 1.5.  I did some poomsaes at the bus stop though.  I'm not doing as many requirements because school has started back.  It doesn't feel as overwhelming to do 150 situps in the morning instead of 250.  I like this!  I'm very tired.  I still have to get used to the new schedule.

Today I started school. I got up at 5 and I got my running out of the way. I also got a few situps and pushups done before I had to get ready for school. I went to class after school. I got to work on knife self defense, poomsaes, and hapkido. I am so tired!!!! I could fall asleep while typing this up! Well tomorrow is a new day and I am so excited! It was day 35 for me and that means... The Half-way Point!!!!!!! Yay! 5 am is when I'm getting up. The first things that I see are socks, running shoes, and the treadmill.

I added this yesterday but it never showed up so here we go again: Today I did not get as much done as I would have liked. I should have made better use of my time after I got home from my friend's house. It was my last day of summer today. I will see the moon at 5 am tomorrow! 

Today was just a regular day of requirements. I am going to my friend's house and spending the night so I had to finish my requirements in the morning. I feel better today. I am not as sore as yesterday. I feel really good about what I have accomplished so far this cycle. I am almost done with a couple of things and I can't believe it!! I am so excited! 

I did not get as much done as I would have liked requirement wise today. I went out of town with my family. We went apple picking and we walked around a lot. I feel very tired. I remember this feeling from last year towards the middle of the cycle when my muscles were out of energy. I really hope that this achiness doesn't hang around for the next few days.

Today I went to Black Belt class.  I learned that I really need to work on my hurricane back kicks.  We also worked on staff form 2 a lot.  I don't think that I am going to forget that form easily.  After class, I went to my school to do some community service.  We are getting a new school so I got to help with painting benches and picnic tables.  I feel good about what I did to help. 

I did not finish all of my requirements today. I spent the day with my friends. I feel like i am getting a little bit stronger. Yay!  I've made it to day 30! Only 40 days left!!!  Last cycle I was feeling very overwhelmed at this point.  Now I feel very confident that I'm going to finish this cycle.  I still can't believe we're almost halfway done.  I know I keep saying that I can't wait for school to start but now I'm realizing that school starting can be a good and bad thing.  I will not have as much free time to get everything done.  So, I'll struggle a lot more, but I did this last year, so I can do it again.  

Today I took a walk with my brother and my mom in downtown Charlotte. It was very fun. I didn't do very much today besides requirements. I am going to have a mentor session before black belt class and go to class afterwards. My knees are not hurting anymore! Yeah! Now they're used to pounding the ground everyday. I can't wait for school to start but the waking up part is going to be a problem! 

I am so sore! It's not as bad as it was during the first few days. My knees are hurting a little from all of the running that I'm doing but it will go away eventually. I am used to doing my requirements now. Since I have to improve on my physicals, I  am going to time myself on everything each week and see how much I improve by the end of the cycle.  

Today I overslept (again).I went straight on the treadmill and got my running done. I think that I have improved on my pull ups. My requirements have worked their way into my schedule and life. I am so glad that I have another week to go before school starts. I helped in a class today. I did all of the exercises and kicks with the students. I also got to do Cha Gi Sool many times. I really enjoyed my day

I went to class in Belmont again today. I got a lot of credits today. Before class I got a mentor meeting done. I worked on rolls, basic forms 1, 2, and 3, and the correct stances for the wang ho forms. During my class, I got to work on more rolls and falls and a lot of kicks. I stayed and helped with the class after mine. They did a lot of kicks, exercises, and poomsaes. I did the sit ups, push ups, and burpees with the class. I got a mentee meeting in after that class. I worked with Zachary on his poomsaes and self defenses.  I found this quote on Instagram today: "It's gonna get harder before it gets easier. But it will get better, you just gotta make it through the hard stuff first" -Unknown

I was very sore and tired today.  I didn't get many requirements done.  We went to Carowinds and I just didn't feel like doing all of my requirements today.  I chose to take the day off after getting just a few things done.  I'm very glad that I have been doubling up my physicals because of days like this.  I had a really fun day.

Yay, the pre-test is done!!  I was really nervous but once we got started it went away.  I am pretty happy with my results.  I still have lots of room to improve.  Today was the first time that I could do 2 pull-ups!  I'm really happy and proud of my running time.  The questions on the written test were easier than I thought.  Everyone was very encouraging to each other, especially during the running.  I liked that and it kept everyone going.

Today I got to help Master Shin and Ms. Pam by sitting at a table at Mountain Island Day's orientation and signing up students to take Tae Kwon Do after school.  It was a lot of fun and we got a lot of names.  I was impressed with the number of kids that were excited to sign up.  It made me think back when I first started doing tae kwon do and I remember calling my instructor ma'am instead of sir!  It was just another regular day of requirements today.  Nervous about the pretest but I feel like I'm ready.  I still really need to work on my study guide.

Today I helped with testing at Master Shin's.  My brother tested for his high red belt.  I am really proud of him.  I read my essays and improved some of them today.  Getting ready for the pretest.

Today I went to sparring  class at Mint Hill. We did a lot of kicking, push-ups, and 10 sparring rounds. I was really tired and sweaty but I was proud of myself because I got two days worth of sparring done. It was my first time taking sparring class in Mint Hill. Master Justin Is full of energy and very nice. We worked a lot on speed by doing a lot of drills. I also went to Belmont to get some leadership credits in.  I took a walk with my mom after dinner. I had a very good day.

Today I had a mentor meeting, a mentee meeting, a class, and I helped at the 5:30 class in Belmont. I worked on my poomsae, staff forms 1 and 2, specials 2, 1st dan self defense, and hapkido. I worked on Tae Keuk Oh Chang, blue belt self defenses, and kicks with my mentee today. He is testing on Wednesday and I am excited to watch him. I am getting better at my running and I did 1 1/2 miles today. 

Today I squeezed in my requirements in the morning and a little bit at night. I was writing a lot for school today. I took a walk with my dad in the morning before it got hot. I think that running/walking with my mom and dad is building a better relationship between us. We are also having fun together. 

Finished my requirements very quickly today, most of them before black belt class.  I don't get confused on the bolo form anymore.  I get mixed-up in the middle of Wang Ho 2.  I'm going to practice that more.  Ran with Miranda after class today in the rain.  The rain cooled me off.  I really enjoyed it.  

Today I went to the gym and did my requirements on a track.  I had some extra time so I took the last part of my mom's boot camp class.  It was very difficult and we did a lot of bicep work.  Today was a reminder to myself that I can get my physicals done in under an hour if I focus and not let anything distract me.  I need to try to do that everyday so I have more free time, or time to touch up my essays and do my summer schoolwork. I got my iPod taken away the other day and it has helped me not become distracted as easily. 

Worked with my mentor tonight.  I keep getting Hapkido 17 and 18 mixed up so I'll need to work on that more.  I also need to start working on my pace when I'm running.  I feel ready for the poomsae and self-defense part of the pre-test.

Today I spent most of the day out of the house. I got up at 7:15 and ran my mile and a half in 17 minutes. I am making some progress! 

I went to sparring class in Huntersville today. We did a lot of kicking and drills. I got credit for a lot of sparring rounds. It started raining during class and when I left, I saw a rainbow right over the King Tiger sign! It was really cool. I learned that I can do two roundhouse kicks without touching the ground. I still land on my butt though. ;) I ran two miles today. I didn't walk once and I finished in just over 20 minutes. I felt so proud of myself! I had a good day overall.

I went to class in Belmont today. I had 1 mentor meeting with Master Cavazos before my class. We worked on sticks, specials 1 and 2, self defenses and hapkido. I now know numbers 1-19. I need to practice #'s 17, 18, and 19 in hapkido very badly. I also need to work on special 2. I learned a lot from that session.I also worked with my mentee today. After his class, I helped him with Oh Chang and blue belt self defenses.     I have made some progress on doing pull ups from a dead hang. I can get up a little bit higher. My burpees are getting a little bit easier too. There's still a lot to do but now it's not as intimidating. I'm also not feeling as sore as I was on Day 1. I'm still feeling it though. Especially in my shoulders. I'm feeling really good...

After a day of fun at the lake, I knocked out most of my requirements and went for a run on a track by a school.   I ran most of my 1.5 miles.  I stopped to walk and get water a few times.  I need to work on that.  I walked another 1.5 miles after that.

I don't know what I did but my journal entry didn't get saved.  I'm trying again!  I went to black belt camp today.  We did staff attack/defend many times.  I learned that I have not been switching my hands correctly and that I need to work on it very badly.  I really enjoyed doing basic form 1 with a staff and I thought it was very creative.  The cycle has officially started and there's no turning back now!  Thank you Master Evins for letting us count what we do in class towards our requirements!!!

Did my community service today by selling lemonade and cookies for Levine Children's Hospital.  I sat at a corner of a street with my cousins and my brother.  We raised over $100!!!

I had my second mentor meeting today and got some requirements done before black belt class. I learned Wang Ho 2 and Hapkido 16-18.  

Today I finished my requirements in the morning and went to the pool for a few hours with my cousins. I went to class in Belmont and had my second mentee meeting.  I haven't felt this tired since last year! 

 Today I went to sparring class in Lake Norman. It was a lot of fun. We did a lot of footwork, kicks, and jumproping.  I sparred twice and got to referee once. 

Today I finished most of my requirements in the morning.  I went to the gym with my cousins. I had my first mentoring session with Master Cavazos. We worked on Hapkido and Wang Ho 2. Bring it on Tomorrow!

Today I doubled most of my requirements. I took a 3 mile walk with my mom. We kept trying to find pine cones and kick them as far as we can. I got most of my requirements done in the morning. Now I have missed my alarm I don't know how many times. It's not even funny anymore. That is going to be a problem when school starts. Overall, today was a pretty good day! 

I went to black belt class in North Charlotte today. We sped through a lot of things today. I really enjoyed it. I really need to do a better job of waking up to my alarm. I set it for 7:00 and didn't wake up until 8:00. I also had a hard time squeezing my requirements into my morning before class. 

Today I got a kind of late start. I had a camp so I got most of my requirements done early. I'm still getting used to all of the training. I'm happy that the cycle has started before school so I don't have homework and school to do with my exercises for a while.