“My first dojo taught integrity, courtesy, perseverance, self-control, and indomitable spirit,” said Avi S., describing some of the qualities that got him his 2nd-degree Taekwondo black belt in October of 2021.  

Taekwondo is a Korean form of martial arts. According to one of the masters at TigerDen, there are nine degrees in Taekwondo, where Avi practices. Getting your second degree in Taekwondo means practicing discipline and respect, which is considered an important accomplishment.

Avi started Taekwondo when he was in kindergarten. Even then, he had an interest in martial arts and self-defense. He had seen people performing martial arts and thought it was cool. When he found out that he had a talent, Avi kept rolling from there.

He achieved his first-degree black belt in December of 2019. He described the routine to get to a second-degree black belt as “pretty much the same,” except that he would have a test every two months. The main difference was that he had had four months to prepare for the second-degree black belt test. Altogether, it took 20 months. 

“In getting a second degree black, it’s much more about who has the natural talent for the art and about who has enough perseverance to keep going with this goal, even when it gets tough,” said Avi. Around 7-8 students a class receive their second-degree black belt, according to a master at TigerDen.

Taekwondo is famous for its elaborate kicks, which are part of the fun for Avi. His favorite is the Tornado Kick, so named for its characteristic spinning action. The taekwondoin (that’s the person doing the Taekwondo) does an entire spin before executing the kick. Another kick Avi enjoys is the 540.

“I do the same motion as the Tornado Kick, but instead of kicking after one full spin, I go one and a half (hence the name, 540, which stands for a jump of 540 degrees).” 

Outside of Taekwondo, Avi dreams of being an engineer. He plans to take a break from Taekwondo after earning his third-degree black belt to focus on school and his studies. It’ll be a little while yet, though, maybe around high school or college because it takes around four years after earning the 2nd degree.   

If Avi pursues engineering with the same perseverance and determination he has shown in Taekwondo, he is bound to achieve his dreams.