Candidate Journals

today I had to go back to school so I was extremely sleep deprived. So I got nothing rlly done but it’s fine.

Toady was a fun day at home. I woke up and had to go to work with my mom. When I got home I played Fortnite with my friends for the rest of the day.

i started studying for ap exams cuz I need the extra studying. then I went to work and now I'm about to eaat dinner. 

Today I woke up and didn’t have school because I’m on spring break! Then science it’s April Fools day which everyone seems to have forgotten about I pranked my friend and told them we had school today. When my dad got home from work we ate lunch and then we worked on our garden. When I went to TKD I helped with class and once I got home ate dinner and read a book.

today i went to the fair with my family and now i am going to play fortnite with my friends

Today I went to my sisters college at UNC chapel hill and then once I came home did homework. After that I watched a movie with my parents.

Today started with work at the dojang. Helped with family class and little tigers. At home I was outside most of the day cause of how nice it was.

first day of spring break slept in and might go out later today. 

Today I woke up early and helped make breakfast. Then I took a shower and I am now getting ready to go to my friend brye's birthday party

Today was a fun day because my friends were coming over for a sleepover. At school I had a test and I got a 100 on it. After school my friends came over and we played soccer . When it turned about 9 we came inside and made some forts

spring break! Im finally done with school for another week so I get to chill.

Today I went to school and I had to leave early because I got sick. Then I went home and went to sleep and I got up later to eat some Ramen. Now I'm going back to sleep.

Today I woke up and went to school after I got there I had math class and we had a test and it was and easy 100. After school I went TKD and helped with class. When class was over I help a fellow student with knife defense and that was my day.

Im just waiting for spring break to start so im just procrastinating all my homework until then :)

Greetings fellow…fellow…fellow…tea ceremony-waiters? It’s just not the same as saying fellow cyclers. I’m not running into the dojang or the house anymore because I forgot my book, or journaling daily, or in the backyard practicing poomsaes. It just feels weird, like there’s a unfillable void that I have no power over. I miss assisting with class (wait, I still do that), or going through hapkido 4 & 5 thousands of times with my mentor, or hearing the protests of my mentee after telling him his Pal Chang needs work. There are some effects to the ending of the black belt cycle. Am I missing it? Who would have thought? Anyway, I just wanted to say that everyone did great during testing and it’s amazing how much we all persevered; so pat yourself on the back! And I also want to thank all the instructors and especially the masters for leading the...

Toady I woke up went to school and had a great day. After that I came home and did homework until 8. Then I ate dinner and now I’m about to sleep .

I haven't done a journal since I hit 50 so I decided to just do one now. The spring 24 cycle is finally over, im so proud of myself, my friends and everyone else who made it through testing, it was a difficult night and having to do it again in the morning was even tougher, I am so grateful that I got to do the cycle alongside so many amazing people. I'd first like to thank my parents for pushing me to do this and getting through it, I would also like to thank Master Foster and Master Knight for helping me prepare for it. It's been a long 3 months but it finally paid off. It felt weird not having to do any requirements and just getting my first day off in a while. I can't wait till the tea ceremony! That's it for today.

Today I was a alright day. But I was scrolling on tiktok and a saw a video of David Goggins  doing his runs and his intense training and it kind of reminded me of the cycle when I saw it, he was saying, "They dont know me son" and "Whos going to carry the boats, and the logs" which gave me motivation to strive harder

Today I woke up pretty late and had breakfast. After that I helped with gardening in my backyard. This was kinda exhausting because the dirt weighed a ton and I had to lift it. After that I got groceries and came home. Then I finished up with some homework and ate dinner.

Still sore after testing but i got up and dealt with it. I had to edit a video for school which took up most of my day but other than that it was chill

Hello! I know I haven’t done an entry in a few days since i’ve hit my 50 journals but i thought it would be good to do one. Today I got picked up early by a really good friend of mine and we went to church together. We also went to lunch at culver’s which if you haven’t gone to you should give it a try. At lunch I came up with the brilliant idea to give him a haircut. His parents said that would be okay and we went to his house and I indeed cut his hair. It looks great by the way and I’m very surprised with myself for doing so because i’ve never once cut anyone’s hair.  I did get some help from his mom but I did some too. When I got home It was weird not having to do any requirements or any class even...

Today was a great day and the testing was fun. I am happy I broke my boards and also my brick. After I got home I slept for about five hours and after that I watched a show with my dad.

we're finally done with our testing! thank you to all the masters, instructors, and other cyclists for making this journey one to remember. 

I would like to say thank you to all the people that helped me during the cycle. I would like to say thank you to master Natasha as my mentor and getting my curriculum straight for the cycle, And Master Chelly and Master Marcus for all the constructive criticism they gave me that helped me get my work up. I also want to thank Grand Master Evins for the privilege to be on the cycle. Lastly I would like to thank Master Foster and Master Knight for letting the cyclists do the testing at their school. Then I would like to thank my dad and my little brother Johnathan for cheering for me in the background, and I'm sorry that my mom couldn't be there to watch me break my brick for the second time. 

Today was testing! I broke all my stuff but now I'm sore and bleeding a bit. Other than that it was a fun day. I gotta catch up on homework now.

I just came back from the black belt test, I'm tired, and sleepy, but I know this is all for a good cause.

So. So this is it. The end of my - and all of yours - spring 2024 black belt cycle. But at every ending journey, another adventure starts. Look forward to these next months or years of your nth degree black belt. This black belt cycle was a blast! I learned so much and learned with so many people, it’s amazing how 11 weeks of determination had such an impact. I’m more open minded which is a great character trait to have. Next black belt cycle, I’m not looking at the ground and seeing how many requirements I have to do or how much I have to know, I’m looking up at the sky and awaiting the experiences, the people, and the journey. This has been the best 11 weeks of my life and I was honored to share the experience with all of you. I cannot wait to see ya’ll...

Todays testing which im kinda nervous about but I think ill do fine. Good luck to everyone!

TODAY IS TESTING! AGHHHHHHHH Good luck guys! The test is hours away but I’m still really nervous.

This is it! The Final Countdown!  Let's get it!  Congratulations in advance!

today is the final day i am so exited I am hoping everyone has the best of luck bye

it has amazing 11 week cycle. i have made so many friends and met so many new people. I wish everyone all the best tonight and in all your future endeavors.

This Friday I didn’t wake up on time I sleeper in! Then I finished up my black belt requirements for the cycle and now ima go to school and probably going to get a 100% on my test then come back home and just relax then go to testing and I hope I will not have to stay like 10 hours.

One more day before THE BIG DAY!  I feel like I can't do anything but eat, drink and breathe Tae Kwon Do!  I am so excited!  I am using so many explanation marks!  This is unbelievable!  I'm going to remember EVERYTHING!  I should go to sleep.  Signing off.

TOMMOROW IS THE DAY. i dont know if im excited or nervous or both but im not sure if i can sleep. today i went to school and i have so much homework and i really need to go to bed but i cant so sad. looking forward to seeing everyone tomorrow.

Today I went to school and got a 100 on a test. Then I went to sparring class and sparred 2 people. Now I am going to bed so I can have sleep for my project tomorrow.

Toady I woke up and went to school. We aren’t doing anything new at all so we just do order of operations all day. When I got home I went straight to robotics and then went to TKD after that I came home and did homework.

Tomorrow night is the night. Good luck everyone! We've got this!

Woke up and headed to 9 round. Not a bad day, had a decent amount of people. Went home for a little them left for the dojang. Practiced alot of my stuff for the test. Left at 8 and had chicken for dinner.

Hello fellow cyclers. Welcome to journal #number-I-have-no-idea. I have one question I want to ask you guys though. Do you know the difference between type 1 fun and type 2 fun? If you said no, let me explain. Type 1 fun is fun that you have instantly, in the moment. Maybe you're laughing with your friends because someone told a really funny joke or watching a movie or at a birthday party - that kind of stuff. Type 2 fun is fun that doesn't come instantly but gets there eventually. Type 2 fun is fun you have to work for. For example, you know that huge event that is coming up in less than 24 hours? Yea, it's only our black belt testing. That's an example of type 2 fun. During testing we'll feel tired and nervous but when testing is over you'll feel extremely happy and be enjoying that quality...

3/21/24...Finally the end is near.   Getting extra practice in at Harrisburg every day this week . A little nervous for the test tomorrow.  Resting up after dinner.  Hoping for good luck for us all! 

Today I went to school and when I came home I did some homework and my exercises. At the center I was able to finish all my requirements which is good for testing tmrw. I came home and studied for a chem test tmrw that I feel like I'm gonna fail but who knows.

Today I got a sparring class, a class assistance, and a mentee session. Testing is tomorrow.

Today I went to School without the crutches and it wasn't very fun because my foot did hurt all day. When we got home I layed down for a little bit but then got up and started to go over all my pumaes and self defenses and started getting in my own head and mixing them up because im nervous for tomorrow. I I disided to go out on the four wheeler to clear my head and came back to do more. 

 so yesterday I was in the ER and I didn't have to Walk because  they said go inside your Bugatti  and I did a ultrasound  and I stayed there over night it was terrifiying

Today I woke up and did homework then I am going to school and  today will be easy because there’s no test and I will probably just finish my cycle today and then I will go to sparring then come home.

today i went to school and had a math test and got the first 100 i got in math since 6th grade. good omen for friday night maybe? after coming home i went to my last black belt class of the cycle. its funny how im not going back to the dojang until testing night. now im doing homework.

Fifty journals! That's really cool. I really like the idea of reflecting on my day and writing about it, I think it's made me a lot more relaxed after putting my thoughts down somewhere. I wish I had been more consisten with these journals, but I also think I'm going to continue journaling somewhere! Testing is just about ~2 days away, which is really exciting! I'm so glad I get to be on this cycle, and I hope to make my first Master, the one who believed in me when I didn't believe in myself, Master Gina, proud! Goodluck to everyone!!

Today was pretty good. Didn't work at 9 round on the morning so got up a little later. At 2:30 I headed to the dojang and worked till 8. My new favorite drink is the Irish Creme Monster coffee.

Today is my last journal. Today was a pretty normal day. I woke up had a normal morning, went to school, and came home. I then got a haircut and food. Afterwards, I came home and did some school work. After that I did some requirements and now I am here. 

today went by really fast! I started of my day at bible class, then I went to Spanish which was super easy. after that I had English and chemistry. then I left, got lunch, and came home. then I took a quick nap, got ready, and left for a guitar lesson. then after, we left straight for TKD. then after class, me and my mom went to subway. then I came home and did some homework. now I plan to just relax and get ready for tomorrow.

Hi King Tiger Family. Well... I finished all my requirements today. Although Nate and I are only auditing, I feel like this cycle has been a great way to get back into the swing of things. Now, I need to maintain until the next cycle where we test. I wish everyone luck on Friday and Saturday. Breathe, Relax, Enjoy the moment, and just show what you worked so hard to do. It is an incredible experience. Take care. 

Hello fellow cyclers and welcome to - WE INTERRUPT THIS BROADCAST WITH AN IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT: ONLY 2 DAYS REMAIN BEFORE BLACK BELT TESTING - Oh my goodness! I could have sworn I shut down all interruptions in my device settings earlier… but that’s a problem for another time. Anyway, as I was saying... welcome to another late-night journal! But what that guy was saying is right.  It’s only two days before testing and I can’t sleep although I’m really confident in my stuff and I’m going through everything over and over again while counting down the days. Today was my last class (not counting sparring) before testing. I won’t be able to make it for Thursday 6:00 class. :(  It doesn’t really seem like I can ever get taekwondo-ed out. Not that I want to. Today I assisted with some classes in afterschool and then returned for Master Chelly’s class, which like...

Good luck to everyone who is testing this weekend. I wish I could attend, but I am working all weekend. I have one more cycle. I made alot of progress in the beginning, and slowed down when I started working. I will continue to train in-between in the cycles. There's a few more things I need to work on/learn. I'm excited for rest of the year.

I know I haven't done these in a while but we only have 3 more days till testing so I though I might as well just do one. First off I don't know if everyone gets this enough but even if I don't know you, I'm proud of you. I didn't make it this far last cycle and I'm proud but I'm also just out of words.. I can't believe myself and a bunch of others have mad it and I just want everyone to get a good night rest for the next couple days before you get too tired. I'm out of words right now but I'm really proud.

Today I came to Tae Kwon Do to get a Class Assistance, a mentor session, and a mentee session. My class assistance was fairly straightforward; I helped a few kids during line drills and was not very needed in breakout classes. My mentor session was very productive. My mentee and I worked on Koryo, Hurricane Hooks, and Yellow/High Yellow Self Defense.

Today I woke up and just did some homework than I went to school and today was easy and I got a 93 on my math test then am heading home and I will do my black belt requirements.

Today I didn’t really do much. I went to taekwondo and did a mento session. Then I got home and did homework

So i woke up and i  threw up at 6:00 then i woke up @ 8:30 not exactly and i practiced tae kwon do then i threw up theni played gorilla tag

Started at 9 round. Had about 4 people today. Then went to the dojang and worked until 7:30. Overall nice day.

today i went to school and then came home and practiced for testing and did homework

Today I had a mentor session; we worked on Staff form 2. I also did a leadership and a class assistance.

Went running with my dog, he did so well. I reward him with frozen treat. I put a collar around my cat, and the collar had a feather attached to it further away. So my cat kept trying to get the feathers. My cat and dog were entertaining so I worked on stretches and kicks. Rollerskating tonight and practice some jumps, Because we outdoor skates, we have level skating routes from beginner to advance. I went on the advance route tonight, which was very long routes with hills, going up in big hills going down. It’s tough and it’s hard to keep up sometimes because those people are so fast, I was told that actually come to the advanced skate more and I should psych myself out. 

Today was a ok day at school. When I went to TKD I helped with class and got mentored . I came home and had dinner after that I did some homework.

School was really normal today, nothing super interesting, but taekwondo was fun! I needed two more mentee sessions, so I got to work with a yellow belt and high yellow belt! It was confusing because I believe those two poomsaes are really similar to eachother. After having them do 'minion poomsae' (doing their poomsae on their knees) and 'animal poomsae' (doing their poomsae based on an animal, they chose a cat), my brain was getting tripped over the two. So, I had them work on hopstep kicks. They raced down the mats, which I thought was a good idea until I saw them doing more running down the mat and less kicking down the mat. I challenged them to instead do really good kicks down the mat, and anytime they (purposefully) did a bad kick, whether that be from speed or not trying, they had to do 3 jumping jacks. They...

Every Dad (yes, Dad should be a proper noun) has at least one of the following character traits: happy, funny, crazy, strong, helpful; amazing, right? (or maybe, like mine, your Dad has them all) It’s all the more helpful to have a Dad. Whether they helped you win the school stand-up comedy competition, which no one participated in, or they correct your blocks in Sa Chang, either way your Dad will always want to be proud of you, which is why he will take any chance to boast about you to anyone around. And maybe you’ll think - ugh, dad’s so annoying! but your Dad does this because he loves you. He wants everyone to know that you aced the test, said something funny or got your 2nd degree black belt. No matter what, he’s proud of you and he wants everyone to know. To all my future Dads, please do this....

Today I woke up late and had a more rushed morning. I then went to school. I had a rough start to my morning, but overall my school day was pretty good. I talked with my friends during AP Gov. as I normally do. I then came home and did homework for a while before run club. I then left for run club and talked to my dad in the car about everything going on. I had a lot of fun at run club and got a short, but good workout. Afterwards I talked to Coach Fam and got one of the best pieces of advice I really needed to hear. I then came home, ate, got my uniform ready for tomorrow. Now I am here. 

today went pretty well. I had math and then band. then I went to economy and made the highest grade on the test in my class. then I left school and went to taekwondo for a little bit. then me and my mom went to eat and now I'm going to relax for the rest of the day

Today I woke up and I am doing my black belt requirements then I’ll go to school and I hope my teacher don’t give us 100000 test then I’ll come home and run then go to class.

today i woke up and went to jail and had a normal day. then i went to help out with senior tigers class. its was my first time leading sit down warmups so that was fun. then i did a mentee session with isa and then did a mentor session with master weeks. now im doing homework send help

Today started at 9 round, but I wouldn't call it work sense nobody showed up during my shift. Afterwards I went to the dojang and worked until 8. When I got to my mom's I ate dinner and watched a movie.

Hello fellow cyclists. Welcome to another journal. I want to talk about how excited I am about the upcoming test this weekend. I kid you not, this will be the longest week of my life. Tonight in class we did some preparation for the test. Praneeth and I were the only two testers taking Master Chelly's class. We did some self-defense and poomsaes. All of these classes in the last week have a special feeling to them and it seems like they're talking to me and saying, "these are your last days young bird, use them wisely".  To relax, I started a new book that Instructor Jen recommended to me called "Bridge to Terebithia", which is about a kid and his best friend who make a magical kingdom called Terebithia. That's all I'll say for now. I don't want to ruin it for anyone else who may want to read it...

I went to a trip today at school to I fly. It was super fun but scary at the same time  

Toady was a regular day. I scored a hat trick at school soccer today which means I scored 3 times in a row. After that I went to chess club and played 5 matches. I won 4 of them! At TKD I helped with class and when I got home I ate Mac and cheese.

Today I went to Tae Kwon Do and did a Mentor Session, Mentee Session, a Leadership, and two class assistances.

Last journal ! I’ve been putting this off for so long but here I am. Today i don’t do much because we didn’t have school. My cousin came over because his parents and my mom went to raleigh. Question how do you guys say raleigh? I say it Ra-Lay but i know some people who say Rah-lee. anyway back to my day. I relaxed practiced my poomsaes and self defenses did my requirements and stuff. then I went to my tkd and practiced some more . then I helped out with the high belt class. After that I practiced the stuff again with my friend. When i got home I ate dinner and my mom came home. I just showered and now i have to go to sleep because I do have school tomorrow. I’m really nervous for the testing. also everyone in my dojang got an A on our written...

Today I woke up and did my normal routine. I then went to school and had a pretty good day. I had a quiz, which I feel I did pretty good on. I then went to practice, which was fun. Got to talk and hang out with my friends at practice. I then came home and almost immediately left for Tae Kwon Do. I finished all my mentor, mentee, and leadership 2 credits for the cycle. Those were my last class credits I needed. I did some requirements in between. I then came home, ate, showered, and now I am here. 

Today We didn’t have school I got to sleep in. I did some requirements and I took a shower and washed my hair. We went to the grocery store and I finally got the chocolate cake i’ve been craving. We went to class and It was fun. 

Today was a regular school day. I was struggling so much in chem but I went home and figured it out so I'm chilling.

Today I woke up and we didn’t have school because it was a teacher workday and I got to chill out. I did some requirements and I kicked out some stuff that I needed to finish. This weekend I finished all essays and did my physical requirement test. I did a 7 min and 57 second plank and 6 pulls ups. I was very proud of myself. I had class tonight and I went early to do some stuff and I helped out. 

If I wasn’t done with burpees I would be done with them today. I had to do 75 burpees at CrossFit. 30 secs on, 30 secs off until I got to 75. It didn’t take long 5-6mins, but man was it great warm up. I started working with my dog on leash training, he’s 6yr but I never trained him consistently because of school. So we’re working on it now. A lot of it will be me and my consistenty with it. We only been in two walks, but I can already notice the difference. its amazing what 30 mins of work, or a bit of daily effort can make in progress. With his training, or when I work on tkd, or with crafting and roller skating. 

I was asleep for a lot of yesterday. When I woke up around 12 I went downstairs to eat, stretch my arms (that still hurt today?!), and helped my dad clean around the house. We also saw a lamborghini while driving around, and I made the joke of crashing into it. My dad was fully against it, jokefully disagreeing because that would be way too expensive. He then laughed and said he should race it in our 2007 Honda Odyssey. 

Hello King Tiger! Right now, it is 5:30, and this is my last journal so I'll just get this over with. I am about to finish my requirements and be done with and get ready for school. Testing is in 4 days. Let's go!!!

Today started pretty late. I had a late lunch and was outside .most of the day just keeping myself busy. Had some family time. Then played some games for a little. Time to sleep.

Today I got to sleep in late and when I got up my mom had taken hudson to his base ball games and I got my requirements done. I rested and then went out with some friends to an event. We got lunch after and when we got home I fell asleep. 

today i went to an event for my moms nonprofit. then i we came home and i practiced all of my forms i needed help with then i played fortnite with my friends

Hi King Tiger Family, Today was a typically Sunday with church. Nate and I worked hard on some catch-up of requirements to make sure we are good this week. Only have 1 mentee and 1 mentor session left that we will complete this week and almost done all the physical items. Although we are auditing, we are feeling really good on our stuff. Only need help on double stick form 2. Getting ready for the test. Take care.

Ask yourself, have you ever imagined or even dreamed that you were stuck in a giant labyrinth with only one exit at the very bottom? And the labyrinth is filled to the brim with items designed to destroy your credit cards? Welcome to IKEA! A giant concrete box of Swedish architecture. We went there to get a missing piece to a new dresser for my brother Liam. We walked around in the giant maze that they call the showroom. We explored all the model living rooms and kitchens that are cool to walk through but are absurdly expensive. At one point I stopped to look out into the parking lot through an emergency exit door. It was then that my brother became possessed by who knows what and decided it was a good idea to push me into the door which set off the alarm.  The alarm was blasting through the...

today went okay, I went to a funeral then afterwards we all went and ate. then I came home, did my final paper, and practiced poomsae. now I'm going to relax for the rest of the day.

 so today i got tylonal  then i did my own mesurements and adault mesurements then i went to bed then i threw up then i was tired of forms and self defense the i went to bed

Today I woke up and did some requirements. I then went to church, which as always I volunteered in the kids room. They were little crazy today, but I had assistance from my friends in handling them. I then went to Walmart and bought a new LEGO set. I am excited to build it. I then ate and did a lot of requirements since I was behind. I then ate some more and had a hard conversation over the phone. I then sat in the Normatecs and ate since the conversation lasted a while. I then played Fortnite with my friend Erick. We didn't play well, but we had a lot of fun. Afterwards I read, stretched, and now I am here. 

Today I went to IKEA with my family. After coming back, I played video-games for bit did my Tae-kwon-do exercises, and unrelated exercises. I am doing my homework right now.

Today I woke up and went to class for today and did kicks and poomsae then went to Lowe’s and bought cinder blocks to practice my brick break and then went home and played video games for a bit then waited for my boards to arrive from Amazon then I went and practiced them it was difficult at first but I manage to break a black board stacked on a red board stacked on a blue board (I don’t not know if they are the same at the taekwondo gym) then I practiced my flying side and my hurricane kicks then took a shower and ate dinner.

Today I was a bit sore from yesterday so I caught up on my homework and practiced my poomsaes a bit. I still need to work on Bolo so I have to practice that over the week.

Hello King Tiger! Hope everyone woke up with great feeling today because today is the second day if the last week of cycle. Only 5 more days to go! Today started off great with me waking and doing my requirements. I finished all my essays last night. I was just about to finish my requirements when I remembered I have to go to this school today at 2. I got to go now. Hope everyone has great Sunday

today was the demo team practice in Leland. Very fun,  very exciting. I’m glad to have this opportunity to work on demonstrations and various stunts and tricks.

This is a late one, but a summary of my day was: track meet. It wasn't bad, was very hot. I did pretty good. Dealing with a lot right now so being able to just chill and do something I love was amazing. I then came home and got some school work done and now I am here. 

today i did my pretest run and my time went down 4 minutes from the last time. then i went to black belt class and i realized it was my last saturday black belt class until testing. we went over most of our forms and then i came home and did nothing for the rest of the day

Today we had to wake up really early and i didn’t get very good sleep last night because of my foot and having to elevate it. When we got to the track to run the mile the stairs were hard and it was very difficult to watch everyone else run and I couldn’t. when we got back to the school we did our physical requirements that were more difficult but I pushed through and still beat all my scores from last time. I felt good about the written test and got a really good score. 

Today was the final for our run and I did it in 10:17, which is almost 2 minutes off my pretest time!!! Today starts the LAST WEEK OF THE CYCLE, YAAAY!!!  Only thing left now is the overnight test, and I'm kinda nervous!!    Got all my essays and letters of recommendation uploaded to Dropbox... Now I'm watching the ACC championship game with my mom... GO HEELS!!!!