My name is Ella Dickinson. I have been doing taekwon-do for four years. I started when I was eight. I joined taekwon-do after my brother, and I wasn’t sure how long I’d stick with it. I soon found how enjoyable it was. I love the idea that you are only striving for your best self and not trying to beat or race anyone. I have been a youth leader for almost two years, and I really enjoy it. It is a great way to work on responsibility, organization, and communication skills. When I am not at taekwon-do, I enjoy playing softball and volleyball. I also love doing art, especially embroidery and painting. I am looking forward to improving my techniques and developing my self defense skills.
Hello There! My name is Anthony, I am 13 years old and have been doing Taekwondo for nearly 8 years; receiving the 2 Dan Black Belt. Throughout this journey here at the Jae Hun Kim Taekwondo Institute I have learnt many valuable key elements like Self Defense, Respect, And Self Control. Outside of the Taekwondo experience, I enjoy playing soccer, playing the saxophone, and often playing video games. I hope to continue with this Taekwondo journey and possibly to become an instructor myself.
My name is Avin Hemaratne . I am in 5th grade. I have been doing TaeKwonDo for the past six years. After receiving my black belt, I decided to continue TaeKwonDo. I received my 2nd dan in TaeKwonDo recently. TaeKwonDo also taught me perseverance and leadership qualities. I have the opportunity to teach other students and help them learn. I love teaching students. It also helps me to remember the forms I know and to improve my skills as well.
My name is Marshall Noah. I am 11 years old. I enjoy many things and taekwondo is one of them. Some of the other things that I enjoy are soccer (football), swimming, skiing and playing outside. I may like all of these things but taekwondo is my favorite. My favorite kick in taekwondo is a 360 roundhouse kick. My favorite hand technique is spinning backfist.
My name is Hannah Wallenstein, I’m eleven, and I’ve been doing Taekwondo for almost five years. I enjoy coming to Taekwondo to meet new people, learn to work well with others, and be able to improve my confidence, skills, and focus. Being a black belt has taught me that when you focus and try your hardest that you can accomplish the goals that you set for yourself. When I’m not doing Taekwondo, I am doing competitive cheerleading. I am really looking forward to testing for my second dan, and continue to work to the best of my ability.
Hello, I’m Elisha Marfil. I am 10 years old, and I am a Second Dan Black Belt! I like to do taekwondo because of the responsibility and respect that I get. I can teach color belts what I know, and you are entrusted with tasks that most people don’t give to kids, like demonstrating a technique or doing a warm up. There’s a lot of stuff to learn! Taekwondo really makes me feel grown-up and mature. In my spare time, I like to draw and read. My favorite book series is “Warriors” by Erin Hunter. That’s some stuff about me. I hope you enjoyed it! Thank you.
My name is Prisha Nambiar. I’ve been doing taekwondo for about 5 years now, and I’ve earned my black belt (dan 1) recently. Taekwondo is a very fun activity and encourages you to have discipline! In taekwondo class you can make many new friends and get to know more members of the community. As a youth leader I enjoy being able to help younger kids to get to know the values that taekwondo highlights. Apart from taekwondo I like to explore my creativity and do art projects.
Hi my name is Mihir Jain and I’m in 7th grade, I have been doing Taekwondo for 7 years. I enjoy reading books and playing video games. My favorite subject is science. During my free time, I like to ride my bike around the neighborhood and play board games with my brother. My favorite part of Taekwondo is sparring because it helps me learn how to defend myself. I also look forward to assisting other students and helping them practice their techniques.
My name is Moksh Anduri. I am 11 years old and I have been doing Taekwondo for six years. I got my black belt in August of 2020. What I enjoy most about Taekwondo is learning new forms and getting good at them. I like to draw pictures during my free time. My favorite drawing that I have drawn so far is a tiger. My next goal in Taekwondo is to get the second dan black belt. I am working hard to qualify for the test in March.
Hi, my name is Vishwa. I’m 11 years old. I am a 1st degree Black Belt, and I have been doing Taekwondo for almost 7 years. During my years at Taekwondo, I have enjoyed learning new techniques and meeting new people. Taekwondo has taught me discipline and responsibility. Outside of Taekwondo, I play football (American), guitar and fencing. I also enjoy Computer Science. I am excited to learn more techniques and Forms and see how far I can push myself.
My name is Anika Nambiar and I have been doing Tae-Kwon-Do for 6 years. I started when I was 5 and I did not think I would make it to black belt. Tae-Kwon-Do has taught me new techniques and to be precise. My first year as a Black Belt has been an enriching experience. When I am not at Tae-Kwon-do I like to read and make art. I am very excited to get my second dan and to learn even more. I look forward to my second year as a black belt.
Hello, my name is Abhijit Prajapati and I am currently 11 years old. I have benefited the most from Taekwondo because it has taught me discipline and that hard work pays off. I think that my life has changed because of Taekwondo. I recommend Taekwondo to everyone that is up for a challenge. In my free time I do anything that gives me a challenge, that includes Taekwondo.
My name is Smaran and I’ve been in Taekwondo for 5 years. I like Taekwondo because it helps me with self defense and attacks. Whenever I have free time I like to play with friends or just play by myself. Whenever I’m at Taekwondo I always try to put in my best effort. I also like math because I like the subject and find it fun to do.
Hello! My name is Navya. I am 12 years old and have been doing Taekwondo for around 6½ years. Throughout those years, I have developed self-defense abilities, learned to react, punch and kick faster, and have formed new friendships. I play 2 different kinds of sports: Soccer and Taekwondo. I also used to do swimming before the pandemic struck. From Taekwondo, I learned to become a stronger and quicker person, physically. I really enjoy Taekwondo and I’m happy that it came into my life when it did, or else I wouldn’t be the person I am today.
My name is Ruhaan Shetye. I am 9 years old and I have been doing Tae Kwon Do for about 4 years now. I enjoy learning new forms and doing them. I got my Black Belt in summer of 2021. Recently I also became a Youth Leader, so that I can help other students get to the Black Belt too. Apart from Tae Kwon Do, I also take some other classes like swimming, tennis and piano. I enjoy reading books in my free time. My favorite book is Harry Potter and the Goblet of fire. I also like to play the piano by myself at home. My next goal in Tae Kwon Do is to get a Second Dan Black belt, and I am working hard to get it.
My name is Aarav Shah and I am almost 9 years old. I am a first degree Black Belt. Taekwondo has helped me to stay focused and be disciplined. It has also taught me self control and that if I put my mind towards something I can really achieve it. My favorite part about Taekwondo is learning new forms and techniques. Besides Taekwondo, I play baseball, football and basketball. I love doing puzzles with my family and playing video games and sports with my friends.
Hello everyone! My name is Pushkar Potli. I am 12 years old and have been in Taekwondo for 6 years. Since I joined Taekwondo I learned how to defend and protect myself. I even got more confidence. During my free time I play video games, ride my bike, and build legos. I wish to learn more Forms and techniques in Taekwondo.
My name is Arjun Prakash. I am 10 years old and Taekwondo has helped me to stay more focused and it made me better at self defense. What I like to do in my free time is to play cricket and baseball.
My name is Shivank Tewari. I am almost 13 years old. I’ve been working hard on Taekwondo for 5-6 wonderful years. Each year gives me a new surprise. In the first year I always wanted to get a Black Belt, thinking it was easy, Later on I learned that earning a black belt requires a ton of discipline, work and dedication. Taekwondo helps me find discipline in my life which may help me later on. I would like to thank Ms Shim, The Instructors and my parents for helping me through this journey. In my free time I love to play tennis, games, sports and bike. Thank you for this wonderful opportunity.
My name is Saanvika Gandhari and I’m 13 years old. I started Taekwondo 4 years ago, unsure of how long I’d actually stick with it. When I first started, I doubted whether or not I’d even get to green-stripe, let alone receive my black belt. But after doing it for a while, I found myself enjoying taekwondo and looking forward to each class. I have benefited from Taekwondo in many ways. Taekwondo has not only boosted my confidence but has also taught me perseverance. My favorite part of Taekwondo is learning and executing the forms. In my free time, I like to sketch, paint, read, and listen to music. I am looking forward to helping colored belts while improving myself as well.
My name is Matthew Pierce and I am a 6th grader. I have been doing Tae-Kwon-Do for about 4 years. In my free time, I like reading, spending time with my friends and family, and playing video games. I also am a Boy Scout and enjoy hiking and skiing. My favorite subject in school is Science. As a Youth Leader, I am looking forward to helping other students reach higher ranks and helping out in any way I can at the Dojang.
My name is Lia Bellemare. I am 11 years old and I have been doing taekwondo for about 4 1/2 years. I love to practice my forms and learn new ones! In my free time I love to play volleyball, horse ride, draw, and hang out with friends! I recently got my black belt and cannot wait to become a youth leader to help peers to succeed and so I can learn new things along the way! Taekwondo has taught me so many things, like how to be precise and show each movement with power, and how to keep on trying to reach your goal without ever giving up! My next goal is to learn the rest of the black belt forms and get to be a second dan.
My name is Henry Otipoby. I am almost 11 years old and have been practicing Taekwondo for 4 years and just earned my Black Belt. Taekwondo has helped me to learn self-defense skills if I need to ever use it. It has helped me focus and gotten me stronger. My favorite part of Tae Kwon Do is learning all the different forms and techniques with them. I love it because each new form teaches me new moves and I enjoy practicing them a lot to keep perfecting my techniques. In addition to Tae Kwon Do, I also love soccer, scouting, video games and my friends. Thank you to Ms. Shim, Sam and Ilya for bringing me this far along in my journey with Tae Kwon Do.
My name is Jocelyn Barbato and I am 10 years old. I have been practicing Taekwondo for four years. I feel confident and excited now that I have achieved my black belt. The reason why is because I will be able to help color belts get to a black belt like me. Another reason is that now I know all the forms from Chon-Ji to Hwa-Rang and Choong-Moo and I get to learn more. My favorite thing in TaeKwonDo are the form classes because they are fun and very helpful. I also feel thankful for Miss Shim, Ilya, and Sam for helping me learn all the forms. That is how I feel now that I have achieved my black belt.
Jae H. Kim Taekwon-do Institute 