Candidate Journals

Hi everyone! My name is Peyton, I'm currently a 3rd degree black belt testing for my 4th in the fall. As a 3rd dan, we have to do 2 black belt cycles, I did my first one in January and this is my 2nd. Therefore I didn't do the pretest today but I did come around 8a.m. to LKN KT for class! It was so nice to see fellow candidates and see many new faces! I completely forgot to journal yesterday so I've got to get back into that habit! Yesterday was pretty good, woke up early for a nice hot, muggy run and then finished up other requirements. Today was about the same, early run and poomsae class. I will definitely be sore tomorrow, we did a lot of resistance bands and ankle weights! I hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend and has a great start to the week...

I woke up and I tried to get out of my bed AND I FELT SORE but I sucked it up and did my requirements. Congratulations to everybody who did the pre-test. I am so excited, but I know it’s gonna be a lot of work. 💪🏼😎

    I started my day by waking up at 5:00am and having breakfast before getting ready for pre-test. I started on my one mile run before heading back to King Tiger. We did other workouts and set our goals. After pre-test I helped out with family class before leaving to go home. I was doing my digital detox today so n

I'm super excited to be participating in this black belt cycle! These 12 weeks are going to absolutely fly by. After this cycle, I will be testing for my 4th degree black belt which will award the title of "master". I didn't have to do the physical part of the pretest today because I had already completed that in January. However I did wake up relatively early in order to complete the normal, soon to be daily, physical requirements before the poomsae / self defense portion of the pretest. I am anticipating more training for myself on this cycle rather than any other cycle because the master's exam is on August 15th. I can't wait to sharpen my Tae kwon do skills, tackle a great challenge, and improve myself overall as a person through these next 12 weeks!!!

I woke up at 5 AM to get ready for my pretest today and it was a cool experience. I was surrounded by people who were so good at Tae Kwon Do and it felt like I was watching people on a level way too far away. I also had my birthday party a few hours after the pre-test which was nice

I just did my first black belt pretest today! I'm super excited (but really nervous) to go on this journey. My baselines for workouts were alright but I know that if I put in the time and effort, I'll do a lot better on the final physical test. Good luck everyone!

It felt odd watching everyone at pre-test today, I did mine last cycle and didn't have to today. Not so odd that I joined in though😂  It's official, the cycle has begun. And while I really do enjoy the fall cycle these next couple of weeks where we overlap with summer camp will be interesting.  The good thing is there are always kiddos in Group 2 up to the challenge of helping me get some requirements in and usually doing them with me. I hope everyone had a great first day, I did...with the exception of one poomsae but I know what I need to work on. Happy Black Cycle everyone!

Completed the Fall 2026 Black Belt Cycle pre-test. Overall, I’m pleased with where my baseline performance is after a 10-year break from testing. While my core technique and form felt solid, the pre-test clearly highlighted a few specific areas that will require focused conditioning and refinement over the next few months to get them to testing standard.  Today was a massive reminder of the sheer scale of a black belt cycle. Talking with fellow testers put the collective dedication into perspective. It’s not just an individual physical challenge; it’s a shared commitment to excellence, discipline, and pushing past mental limits. Stepping back onto this path after a decade requires a high level of humility and focus.  

Today was pretty smooth I sadly did not make the pretest but I did do all my requirements in Montana. I was tired, but it feels good to check them off in the book! (I had to do my pre-test early)

Today was my pre-test for my first cycle as a bocho. I was very exited and nervous but I did everything I needed to and finished. The rest of the day was pretty fine as I just finished the rest of my daily exercise.

Pre-test and the start of cycle went well today!!  I was very happy with my run and push ups.  Almost all the bochos came in under 10 minutes in their mile run....I was very impressed.  Great job everyone!!

It's been 6 years since I started my last BB cycle. It's been almost a year since I have been able to practice my poomse. Spinal Fusion Surgery in November still limits some of my core strength and endurance. Reconstructive surgery on my achilles in March still limits my movements and kicks. I am not medically cleared to resume running and jumping for another month, so my pre-test is missing a couple of items. Overall, feeling good and ready to resume my training.

Today is friday I woke up and ate breakfast about to go to school when I get home I’m gonna do any homework that I may have and then do a tae kwon do workout and go to the Tea ceremony  

Today is Thursday I went to schoolIt was a pretty normal day but once I got homeI worked on some homeworkThen I wantLayton Norman TaekwondoAnd that the rest of my requirements in other than one black belt classWhen I got home I took a showerNow I'm finishing my homeworkAnd I can't wait for the TeaCeremony I'm only tomorrow

Today I went to school During study hall we did SEL witch is social emotional learning. When I got home I did my home work and some requirements then went to TKD to help a class do a mentored session sparring and black belt now I am at home after taking a bath and finishing my home work.

today my friend showed me a existing game and we played it at school. today was a pretty good day. 4 out of 5 stars.

Today is Tuesday I went back to school we did not do much because we just got back from spring break. After school I did my homework and a workout then I went to black belt class in Belmont. Now I am at home about to go to bed.

today was chill. I got a good grade on a test. hoping that tomorrow is more exciting. me and my friends also had a drama class presentation. bye 

Last journal of the cycle today was kind of good me and my friends made a thing where everyone brought a random item to school that was great! one person brough 30 uno reverses another person brought a flamingo thing and other people brought stuff but i brought a spatula :) and i had a test in science but they were pretty easy questions though

Today i got out of school around 12 because i had a dentist appointment. Me and my sister had our dentist oppointment then we went  to this lunch place called dairio. i got a monster buger and fries with a sprite. After we left i came to my moms job to finish eating and wait for my mom to get off work. hopefully tonight ill get to cook dinner for my family. ive been reading recipes from a cookbook by giada de luarentiis, shes and italian chef. the meal i want to make is kind of 2 things, spicy shrimp and a ziti bake. 

vacation was fun. me and my family went tog mexico. the only thing that was bad was that I got sunburned.

Today is a teacher work day I had some free time ate lunch. Then I took a nap after that I did my requirements. Then I went to BB/higher belt class now I am on my way home going to take a shower.

Today was a crazy day, We didn't do your schedule right because we usually do reading first then math then ss but first we did math ss then reading. I had pizza for lunch, and we had music.After school I got on the bus and forgot I had tutoring, and came home and had a little snack ( corn dog and some chips) and now getting ready  to go to track.

Today was pretty chill. I woke up and made some breakfast. After that I played soccer and took a nap. When I woke up I ate lunch and went grocery shopping with my dad. When I got back I had a chess class. When that finished me and my sister made pasta and meatballs for dinner.

Today I woke up and played with my friends, then I went with my uncle we got brunch. Then after that we went to his house and played basketball I won 10-6 yay. Then went to some stores and played pickleball I lose 12-9, then went to go get sweet frog/ frozen yogurt it was really good and that was my day.

Today is Sunday. I woke up. Had some free time after free time, I went out and did my requirements then I hung out by the pool and after that I went out to get lunch at Hawthorne‘s and saw my friend Brody there. After that, I Brought a bed supporter for my grandma’s friend Rob then came home and I am about to take a shower/bath

Toady was pretty chill. I woke up and went to taekwondo. After my classes I helped Brayden with his testing and went to the art walk. When I got home I had some chicken nuggets and played with my friends for a bit. I then started to watch the show Ted lasso which is pretty interesting.

Today was pretty fun. I woke up and had some breakfast. After that me and my friends played soccer and ate lunch. When I got back home I played for a bit and ate dinner.

Today is the days that I had to come home from the beach when we got home my friend had to leave and I went to TKD. Then I am going to come home and finish my requirements.

Today was boring i had 3 tests today one in science, one in math, and one in social studies and there was interesting conversations while my class was outside for a walk.. but when i got back from school i did my homework and talked to my friends

Today was a fun day. When we got in the classroom had a surprise for all of us we got to play on our laptop for 1 hour then we did math Wich I am really good at it. Then we had resses we played basketball my team won then we had pizza for lunch.

Today was pretty fun. After I woke up a made breakfast and just chilled. At 5 my sister took me to the new Mario movie so that was fun. After that I played with my friends and ate dinner.

Today was pretty boring i went to school which was normal i practiced for my band concert coming up and when i got back home i did my homework

Today I woke up. I played a couple games with my friend John at the beach. Get out I went on a walk with my dad and my friend. Then we came home and went to the park after picking my brother and Dog up. About to go to the beach.

Today was pretty simple. I woke up and hade some breakfast. After that I played with my friends for a bit then had lunch. After lunch I played some chess and went back to playing with my friends. Then I went to taekwondo and helped with class and after that I came home. I have a wrap for dinner and now I’m about to sleep.

Today i had no school today which was great and i went to taekwondo

Today is Monday I woke up played some games and did my requirements then I ate second breakfast. After that I played more games went to holes and my brother got a haircut. Then we went home and ate. Now I am going to lake Norman to help with 2 classes. Then I am going to take a blackbelt class at Harrisburg.

Yesterday me my mom and my dad tried the firal trend of eating tinned fish. We tried salmon, tuna, sardieres, and oysters. I liked salmon but one flavor I did not like because it was to oily nether did my mom nor my dad like it.

Today is Easter. I got up my mom hid your Easter backests my sister found hers first because mine was more hidden then hers because she is little then finally found mine looked through it and got some pretty cool things, then went to go see a movie .

Today is Easter I woke up my brother and I looked for our Easter basket I found mine first. I just finished doing my requirements for the day. Later I am going to do a Easter egg hunt with my cousins then we will play some games and eat candy. then later today I am going to work on my teddy blocks bear.

Today got up eat some breakfast then did some chores and now going to play outside or play some games. Just a normal day byeeee.

Today I went to weekend black belt class then I helped it with a class now I am going home and I am going to play some games with my friend then do some chores. After all of that I will go do something productive and physically.

Today was a remote day and I had to do virtual work for all of my classes in school. once I finished all of my classes I worked out while I watched a show. Then I did some self defence and poomsae after all of that I payed games with my friend. Later I went to play basketball my dad beat my brother in basketball and got some cookout came home and played some more video games with my friend.

I haven't journaled in like a week! Well, it was because I was on a school field trip to go to Washington, DC. It was so amazing, and I just returned last night. First of all, when we went there by bus, it was great, I talked to all of my friends, played video games, ate some great food, and had a decent seat. On the first day, we went to Arlington Cemetery, which was a little gloomy, but I enjoyed it. The hotel rooms were a little bit better than motel rooms, in my opinion, so it wasn't the greatest rooms, but I still carried on with it. We went to a lot of food courts in malls, and they were good fast food, and we got a lot of food because we had $15 in our till cards. We visited other monuments, buildings, and memorials over the 4 days,...

Today was pretty good. I had an early release day today at school. After that I came home snd watched tv. Today was a resting day for me because I hurt my shoulder while playing tennis. 

Today is the first day of spring break in science we continued a movie called space camp during PA I scored a hat trick. Then I came home did some requirements, went to lake Norman king tiger helped out with 2 classes and went to sparing class.

yesterday i went back to my first track practice. it was at cordelia park. the cycle helped me to stay in shape because we did so much running during it. we were supposed to see my great grandma this weekend but we have to wait to go to ohio in 2 weeks now. also my scooter broke so my mom is probably going to get me a new one because she says the throttle is broken so i

Today was pretty good. I watched a mocie in school and after thay went to swimming. After that I went biling with my friends, which was really fun because it has been a long time since its been hot outside. I also played ping pong today, and won a basketball scrimmage.

Today is Wednesday I went to school in science we watched a movie called Space Camp then I went home did some homework I practiced self defense and some poomsae then I went to black belt class and helped with a junior tiger class we did both of those outside because Master Evan’s is moving buildingsI am about to take a shower and finish my homework.

today we had a check in test at school and i got to leave early for a doctor appointment a little while after. i missed art today so that wasnt fun but i had to go see the allergy doctor. they didnt really give us any answers to what is going on so that made my mom upset but ive got to take more medicines so yay so much fun. after we left the doctor my mom and me went to get sushi for lunch. it was soooooo good. my stomach was so full. we picked up my sister and my cousin and came home. class was outside tonight so that was cool. 

Today is Tuesday I went to school and finished the day off strong the went to Lake Norman King Tiger and helped with 4 classes I also did a mentor session with Master Chelly and went home. Just went home bout to take a shower do homework and eat dinner.

The guys that were painting my house are finally done. It feels like you can't get anything done when people are working in or on you home. 

I wrote some of these down when I couldn't log in so some of these are a backlog. Today was testing day. I think I did well, others told me I did well, so all things considered I probably did well. Either way I had a good time.

Today was chill. I played geometry dash with my friends and also made a custom level for them. Bye.

Today is Monday I woke up went to school, finished the school day strong, did some requirements, helped out with class and talked to Master Evins and Ms Evins about making sure I get my book signed, participating in Black Belt Class, Mentor sessions and making sure I finish all of the requirements. 

This is a test journal for me because I want to see if the website will accept it. The website didn’t like my journal from the 28th

Today was a good day so far when I woke up I got dresesed for school then did some of my self defences then went over my poomsas then heading to school now byee...

Today was pretty boring i slept in kind of late and i went out with my family to an arcade place after that it was just not doing anything really

Today is Sunday I woke up did a workout, whent to my brothers soccer game then came home and did another workout and went to the hornets basketball game. then came home to do another workout.

Alright, HELLO EVERYONE. I’m writing this a bit late, but here’s my POV of yesterday. First of all… I did not sleep properly, and I didn’t eat anything until after open testing. I literally survived on ✨Kashayam with honey aka DA POTION ✨. So yeah. During open testing, it was fun, but I was super nervous the whole time. Still, it went really well. We did most of what we practiced yesterday, but today we added sparring too. AND EVERYONE DID AMAZING FOR NOT ONLY TESTING BUT THE ENTIRE CYCLE (idk why the caps but it felt right :>) Since it’s the last day of the cycle, I want to share my gratitude with everyone who helped me grow and made this cycle so enjoyable. First of all: Thank you to all the instructors and masters who supported me and gave me advice; especially Instructor Antoine, Instructor Mark, Instructor Gabriel, and...

today I cooked for the family. i made pancakes. then me and my mom started talking about boy scouts and getting my requirements done for that. thank you. :) :) :)

Today was great. I fell like did good on both the overnight and noon testing. I did make some mistakes here and there like making a ramp with my left hand, but I feel like I did good on everything else. I also didnt break my brick, which is a real bummer for me. BurI broke all my boards, so thats good. I hope I passed. I also played soccer and went to a restaurant today after testing. I couldnt make it to the black belt party though. That wraps up the whole day

Today was a good day.  I finished the private test at 2:20AM.  Today I did the friends and family testing and I went to my friends birthday party after.  I’m now super tired and don’t have any energy to say more. Congratulations to everyone!

The closed testing lasted until around 2:30 on Friday and had to get up early today to drive all the way to Belmont for the open testing after the tests though i really just was glad the whole cycle is kind of over now

Today is Saturday I finished closed testing at 2:20 It was very Tiring ThenI went to my school 5K and open testing after that I got lunch and took a shower.

Today is day 2 of testing had I lthink I'll do good today because I know my breaking things and I know sparing and I have been practesting these last couple hours since I got up.

What an experience!! Master Knight was grading me and I was the first to hear my critiques and there were none. I was shocked but having a great mentor, masters at my school, and putting in the hard work really paid off. We still have to spar and break board but I am going in with a strong sense of, “ I can do hard things!”

today was chill. I presented my social studies project. we had overnight testing that lasted till two in the morning. bye

Hello! Okay, so anyway 😃 — TESTING TONIGHT. I’m excited… we’ve all been preparing for this, but I’m definitely nervous too. As for my day: school was chill and went by pretty fast. My body did betray me a little though: my throat is sore, I burned my upper lip, and my hip hurts. After school I took a nap, then woke up, helped my mom, and reviewed everything. and got ready for TKD. I made sure to pack everything. And yeah last journal :> Im heading to the dojang now. GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!!!  Hope everyone’s doing well, and good luck WITH TONIGHTS TEST ⟭⟬ Lalitha Sree Damarla⁷

It is about 6:40 PM, and I am about to start testing in a little less than 2 hours. I am going to keep this journal shorter than my previous ones because I want to take some rest. I had normal school today and then had baseball practice, which was only an hour and a half, and I didn't get too tired. I have been reviewing my forms and self-defenses and am packing for the testing. Good Luck!!! 

Today was a great day. I had a trip to Carowinds from school, and went on n a lot of rides like the fury 325. It was really fun and I also got to practice my taekwondo in the long lines because today is testing! Hopefully everything goes well. Im honestly pretty nervous. I have everything done, but Im missing a few journals. I hope I can still pass.

Today is the day. I am equal parts, excited and nervous but I’ve gotten so much good advice from past testers and my mentor. Going to try and take a nap before the late night because I am an early bed goer and an early riser so this is going to be tough, but I can do hard things. 

Today was a good day ran two miles this is technically my 51st journal because I wrote two number 9s but thats ok today was my last class before testing we had are last cycle huddle with the others and tomorrow will be my final journal before testing anyways peace

Wow, tomorrow is the overnight testing. I am so excited and happy for this, but a little nervous. I know I will do fine, though. Today at school, we did the same things and learned a few more. I had to leave school early today because I had an away baseball game and we won it, so that was cool. Once I came back, it was almost 8 PM, so I couldn't go to TKD to get some more practice in for tomorrow's test, but I practiced at home. I finished all my requirements almost a week ago, but I am still doing some more requirements every day because I know it is good for me. As I said, the test is tomorrow, and I hope everyone will be there and do their best as I will!

today wasn’t really all that special. Tomorrow is the final overnight test so good luck to my other candidates. Today at school was pretty normal and after I got home I went to taekwondo. I helped with class and had a mentor session as well as going over most of my self defenses. After I god home I had some rice and I’m about to sleep.

Today was a nice day. School went by pretty quickly, and I finished up my missing work before doing my requirements. After that, I spent some time fixing up my requirements sheet, then got ready for TKD. At TKD, I helped out with the 6:15 Senior Tigers class. We mostly worked on self‑defenses, and I worked with the high white belts through high yellow belts along with Porter and Luca. After that, the class played Red/Black, which was fun to watch. Then I had a mentor session with Master Weeks. We worked on poomsaes first, and then I partnered up with Jackson to go through some self‑defenses. I got some helpful tips from Instructor Antoine and Master Weeks. We also practiced our sinawalis, Single Stick Form 1, Staff Form 1, and a few other things. After class, my parents and Master Weeks talked for a while before we headed home. Once...

today was chill. I had a presentation In drama class with my 2 friends which I think I passed. see ya in the morning

Today was a okay day. Im still somewhat sick which is not good at all the day before testing. I mostly slept the whole day. I then went to Taewondo and practiced with my mentor for nearly a hour.

OMG... I can't believe how the time has flown. Testing is tomorrow and I'm feeling a wide range of emotions. I'm really excited and confident but also a bit nervous just because I want to do my best. I have been doing a lot of practice this week and finally finished up my requirements today :D Thank you so much for the advice and encouragement and I wish everyone good luck tomorrow! 

Good luck to all who are testing tomorrow. I do not really have any additional advice to give because a lot was covered from Instructor Jen and Instructor Peyton's previous journals. One thing I will say is that during testing, worry about yourself before you help others. As long as you are doing what you need to do, everything should work out. Of course help out your piers during breaks. Having resilience is another big thing. Being able to bounce back from mistakes is key. Also, prepare to perform your best Tae Kwon Do; everything you do must be performed at 100 percent effort. Lastly, don't overthink, you have been training for 3 months for this, that will reflect your performance. Always keep this in mind, "A black belt is a white belt who never gave up."  I hope everyone does well tomorrow.

I can’t believe it’s the Thursday before testing how the time has flown. I definitely feel like I’m a better version of myself for going through this process and learn learned that I am stronger than I think I am.

Congratulations everyone! I am not done quite yet...I still have to run .06 miles...I was planning on going for a run in the morning....this just concretes those plans. Lol. Peyton already gave you all some very good advice but I will just add this on: The masters can tell if you are making a mistake --something everyone does-- or if you are not prepared.  I hope that you have used this time to prepare.  Take a deep breath, listen and perform in a way that you will look back and be proud of.  Use your break times wisely, not to play but to practice or help one of your fellow testers practice.  Kihap LOUD!!  Quiet testers are not what that front table wants, be loud, be confident!  Kick high, kihap loud and break those boards and bricks!

Yesterday i went to see a play at school. We went to the charlotte childrens theater. the play was about the book we read, esparanza rising. We werent there very long but it was a good time. my dad took me to buy stuff for lunch after class on tuesday so i got a chicken caesar salad.  So i know we should all have been studying to be able to pass the written test, but i was really happy to have passed it. remembering everything and it being a mix of english and korean was a little challenging. I was really proud of myself when my mom got the email that i made it through. we were studyign so much and my mom was making me draw the flag like 15 times a day and randomly asking me test questions. she believed i could do it so it made me believe...

I didn't have time to write a journal yesterday but I have officially finished all of my requirements! I'm so happy that I'm going to get some of my free time back now! I honestly don't know what I'll be doing when I get home now, I don't remeber what I was doing before cycle to fill my time lol! I hope everyone is having a wonderful week and excited about testing tomorrow! Make sure you are checking your emails for details about dates, times, and locations!! Definitely get to testing early on Friday, I tried to be there about 30 minutes early. Bring snacks, water/hydration drinks, weapons, sparring gear, an all white uniform (black collar is fine), black belt cycle book, and an extra shirt/jacket to throw over your uniform when eating. It is going to be a long night no matter what but if you respond repectfully and loudly,...

Today I had my math benchmark which was boring but that meant I had shortened class periods so that was good and after school i went to taekwondo and did my last mentee session

Only thing I had going on today was classes in the evening. Sid and I both got a mentor session in with Master Knight. I was working on my stick form 4 which the turns were still confusing me. Two more days away from their overnight testing which approached faster than I expected. 

One more day to practice. I feel ready, though I am iffy on two of the hapkido forms.

Today was a decent day. I went to on a field trip and ot was about the American revolution. I also practiced hopkido forms a lot today because I really need to get them by friday

 Did science benchmark and my dog died today and we did another map.

Today kinda sucked. In school I accidentally cut my palm open so that sucked. After school I got home and did homework before going to taekwondo. I helped with some of class and had a mentor session. After I got home I had some dinner and finished my homework.

Today was a good day.  I went to school and did good at school.  I went to King Tiger and did sparring and black black class and and mentor session. I’m so tired my head hurts.  Good night.

Today was a good day went to black belt class watched sparing did a mentee session with Jett we worked on sticks staff form 1 green belt one step bocho one step and chil chang we also have started taking up one mat getting ready for our move to the other building anyways peace 

Today was a nice day. School went by pretty quickly since it was an async day, but honestly… I’m just tired. As soon as school ended, I fell asleep without even thinking about it. When I woke up, I got ready for Taekwondo; although somebody (it’s okay, Mom lol) took a little longer to get ready, so I ended up being about five minutes late. I helped out in the Senior Tigers class, and we went over self‑defenses. After that, I helped a student with her form for a bit, then practiced on my own before sparring. Sparring went by fast, and then in Black Belt class we worked on poomsaes and self‑defenses again. After that, I had a mentor session where we continued working on poomsae and self‑defenses… but my hip and knee both said “absolutely not today,” so that was fun. When I got home, I didn’t even eat...

School was easy, and I had a benchmark that I did well on, but I thought I would do better. It was 3 hours long, and I finished with an hour left to spare, while going really slow, so that was so boring. I then went on with my day and had shortened class periods, which is nice because we just had a 3-hour-long test. After school, we had baseball practice, and we got our pictures taken, did some fundraising thing, and did some hitting. Tomorrow, we have a game against Winkler, so I am looking forward to having a great game! I didn't want to go to TKD because I was exhausted, but I practiced at home since we have our overnight test in 2 Days. I also had some delicious pasta that I made, and it was great.

today was chill. I played video games and had boy scouts. after I talked with my friend. then we played a tournament of rock paper scissors. I lost :( see ya. :) :) :) 

Guess what I finshed all my things that I need to do im glad that now I have  free time a wonder what I'll do with that free time.

Today was pretty good. I woke up and went to school. Just an average day. When I came home, I got right into my requirements. I managed to complete everything. I have no more requirements left to do. That feels amazing, almost as if a giant weight has been lifted from my shoulders. It is going to feel so weird tomorrow coming home from school and not having to do anything. I don't know yet what I'm going to do with the extra free time. I hope everyone else is ready for testing and also coming close to finishing the requirements. When you look back on these twelve weeks, everything has flown by so fast. That just goes to show how far we have come. I hope everyone does well and continues to push through this week.

It’s official I’m done with all of my physical requirements. It feels so good to know that I have accomplished so much in these past 12 weeks.