A year ago I survived my black belt testing for taekwondo. In addition to 2 hours of class testing it also included:
- 150 pushups, 50 situps
- 50 roundhouse kicks (50 each side)
- 5 instances of self defense
- One-Step demonstration
- Poomsaes
- Questions
- Board Breaking
Saturday while nursing a pulled hamstring and fighting off a nasty cold I went to yoga hoping to ease the pressure in my chest, as well as the pain in my leg. I came home and sat on the couch counting down the hours until my third pre-test, I have at most 6 pretests before I can test for my 2nd degree. With no relief from the 500lbs of weight on my chest and insistent coughing, I called my dad and told him I didn’t think I was going to make it. He sounded so disappointed I knew in my heart I couldn’t not go. So I sucked it up, got up off my ass and went to testing. My intention was to show support for the other students testing but I was talked into testing myself with the promise I could forgo the first half of class testing by helping out holding hand targets.

waiting for testing to start
When Grand Master came in I had to line up. I still ended up exerting a lot of energy for someone coughing up a lung, including…
- 120 pushups
- 2 poomsaes
- Self Defense
- Board Breaking
I will say that before every testing I will be going to yoga, it helps immensely. I felt limber and the push ups felt a lot easier to do after all those downward dogs.
It was good that I went, my dad had finally received my official paperwork from Korea and wanted to present it to me at the end of belt promotions in front of all the parents. One mom told me afterward that he had gotten it the day before and was so excited to give it to me.


demonstration of how i pulled my hamstring in my right leg

elbow strike 2 1in boards

demonstration sidekick

tips from the Grand Master
*all photos courtesy of A.F.*