RANDOM THINGS I LOVE: TAEKWONDO

Taekwondo (태권도; 跆拳道; Korean pronunciation: [tʰɛkwʌndo]) is a Korean martial art and the national sport of South Korea. In Korean, tae (태, 跆) means "to strike or break with foot"; kwon (권, 拳) means "to strike or break with fist"; and do (도, 道) means "way", "method", or "path". Thus, taekwondo may be loosely translated as "the way of the hand and the foot." The name taekwondo is also written as taekwon-do, tae kwon-do, or tae kwon do by various organizations, based on historical, philosophical, or political[citation needed] reasons.

It combines combat techniques, self-defense, sport, exercise, and in some cases meditation and philosophy. In 1989, Taekwondo was the world's most popular martial art in terms of number of practitioners. Gyeorugi (pronounced [ɡjʌɾuɡi]), a type of sparring, has been an Olympic event since 2000. -Wikipedia

THE PHOTOS BELOW ARE SOME OF MY TAEKWONDO FIGHTS. THE OTHERS ARE PRINTED OUT, SO I GOT TOO LAZY TO SCAN THEM. LOL

(Me in the RED armor) In the photo above, I'm in a match at our very own school, Ateneo. The match was very scary because I was sparring against a player who is way more advanced than me.. It's as if I was a complete neophyte at that moment. I got so scared, because they announced the match on the spot! All I thought I was going to be sparring with someone new.. But that doesn't mean I'm also new at this. I was just so shocked because I haven't fought in about months already. Yikes!

In this one, I have been announced as the winner. Yay! I was so happy, but brought home a couple of bruises here and there.. Also, I had a hard time moving around because my body ached so bad. Lol But it's okay. It's a learning experience.

(PHOTO OF THE BRUISES I HAD THAT DAY)

YOU CAN'T BE GOOD AT SOMETHING IF YOU HAVEN'T FAILED ALONG THE WAY. :)

In the photo right here, as you can see, I have 2 medals being awarded. I'll let you guys find out what these are for, because I'm too shy to say it. Lol if you can't read, it's okay. Let's just say that these were awarded because I.. Deserve it? Lol Yeah, be proud.. I'm sure anyone in any place would be proud of receiving something after being kicked on the face, pushed, and again kicked right to the ground, and still accomplish to get back up and fight again. THAT is how we do it. ;)

Now, this is my favorite! It was my FIRST TIME to travel for a fight. We went to CDO to have a REGIONAL COMPETITION, and I won SILVER! Yay! I was really happy that day.. Too bad, I wasn't really fond of taking photos back then. :(

Oh, and here's a summary of what happened that day. As usual, the fights/opponents were being given or matched to you on the spot, and I was TOO shocked to find out that my opponent was HUGE! I was really like, "I wanna back out!", but later, I said to myself, "I wouldn't be here if I wasn't ready to fight." :) So, I did.

FEAR IS NORMAL, JUST MAKE SURE YOU DON'T BACK DOWN. FACE IT.

My favorite kick, right here. ;) Oh, and I really need to get back to my books and study now. So.. Thank you so much for reading, and have a wonderful night! I'll leave you with a video of how awesome Taekwondo is. Enjoy!! xx