ELLA DICKINSON

After four years of practicing taekwon-do, I have achieved my second Dan. When I started taekwon-do I wasn’t sure that I’d even make it to first Dan black belt. The second Dan rank not only represents my ability to execute techniques and forms, but also shows my perseverance, patience, and dedication. The road to getting my second Dan black belt wasn’t easy, as Covid got in the way and classes went remote. The fact that I overcame this obstacle along with my peers makes me even more proud of my achievement. Although I have improved so much since the start of this journey, I know that there is so much more to improve on both physically and mentally. I am excited to continue my personal journey while also teaching and assisting younger students.

Vedant Rajeev

My name is Vedant Rajeev and I am a 2nd an Black Belt. Becoming a 2nd Dan Black Belt was a big accomplishment for me, but I feel like the journey of getting there was as good as getting my new rank. I made lots of friends at Taekwondo and learned important life skills like leadership and talking to people. I used to be shy before Taekwondo but helping other students and demonstrating techniques or forms in front of a class or audience has definitely helped me become less shy. I feel proud that I achieved 2nd Dan Black Belt and I look forward to helping more students.  

Dima Filippov

 I am so happy that I got my second degree black belt, after a long pandemic that has never let me stop doing what I love.  I want to say thank you to Ms.Shim, Ilya, my Dad, and even some great friends that I have made that pushed me to this goal. I am grateful for my dad to help change my attitude which is slowly starting to change. Hopefully, I can become a third dan blackbelt. 

Anthony Maturana

Earning a 2nd Dan was a long lost dream and hope for me since the very beginning. When I was 5 years of age, I began Taekwondo with no hope of getting this far, although throughout the  years I started to enjoy it because of the amazing instructors that taught me and encouraged me throughout the journey. After earning the Black Belt, I felt I was more mature and respected because of my rank. In the future I am hoping to get even further up the ranks and will continuously help out in classes in the hopes of someone looking back in the future and remembering me.

Mihir Jain

Hi, my name is Mihir Jain and I received my 2nd Dan on December 11th, 2021. I have been working diligently to achieve this goal for the past 19 months and feel very proud to finally receive my 2nd Dan. During this time I have been increasing the power in my kicks and making my blocks more precise. I would like to thank Mr. Kim, Ms. Shim, Ilya, and Sam for helping me with my forms and teaching me how to make my techniques stronger and faster. My parents have also helped me by dropping me off at classes and taking me to Boston for the practice sessions with Mr. Kim.

ABHIJIT PRAJAPATI

Hello, my name is Abhijit Prajapati. I have just recently passed the 2^nd dan test. As I am writing this paragraph, I am thinking back to when I was writing the paragraph for when I passed the 1^st dan test. I have accomplished so much since then. I have acquired so much more knowledge, improved my sparring, and of course, learned 3 new forms. Before passing the test, I thought having 3 forms compared to 1 for color belts was so much and that I would not be able to go farther for much longer as remembering 3 new forms for each rank was harder, along with the 9 color belt forms. That belief was shattered when I had discovered that I had passed the 2^nd dan test. Tae-kwon-do is a very good part of my life. It is helping me with perseverance, responsibility, and most importantly, discipline.

Avin Hemaratne

I am Avin, a 2nd Dan black belt student in Taekwondo. I am 11 years old and I am in 5th grade. I have been doing Taekwondo since I was 5 years old. Getting the 2nd dan black belt is a huge accomplishment and I am very proud about myself. I feel like I have reached a higher level which made me more powerful. This truly enhanced my self-defensive skills. I am so grateful and humble about it.

Elisha Marfil

Hello, I’m Elisha, and I’m 10 years old. Being a Second Dan Black Belt is such an amazing accomplishment. With lots of practice, coaching, and help from my instructors and co-students, I have been able to reach this milestone. It was a long journey after all, with many steps to learn and grow. But having reached this far, I plan to continue Taekwondo for as long as possible. I know being a Second Dan will be harder and I will need more perseverance and dedication. A layer of responsibilities and leadership skills is what I still need to hone.