Kristina has embarked on a new adventure: learning the Korean art of Tae Kwon Do – and she’s doing it with her kids. Read on to find out why and how it’s been going at Master Kim’s World Class Tae Kwon Do right here in Greenville, SC. Thank you to Master Kim’s Tae Kwon Do for allowing me to take lessons so I can share my journey with you.
If you’ve followed Kidding Around Greenville for any length of time, you know most of us writers are fairly adventurous. We’ll try almost anything because we love a fun challenge and we are always on the search for those special things to do to make lasting memories with our kids and to help you make those same great memories together. So it shouldn’t be a surprise to read here that I’ve embarked on another great adventure, one that I’m doing with my own kids that encourages bonding, discipline, focus, and even a bit of an outlet to get out stress.
I’m talking about Tae Kwon Do, a Korean martial art, one that combines kicks, punches, repetitive movements, and a great sense of accomplishment when you manage to combine all those things together.
I just started lessons a month ago with Master Kim’s World Class Tae Kwon Do on Woodruff Road, right off 385, and will be updating this story as my journey continues. So if you’ve ever considered this martial art for yourself or your kids or you want to find something that you can do together as a family, read on. Even if you’re just curious about what in the world this mom is doing trying to complete roundhouse kicks while not pulling a muscle and getting in some anger management, this is the story for you.
About Tae Kwon Do and Master Kim’s
Tae Kwon Do is a Korean martial art that translates to “the art of kicking and punching.” It incorporates punches, kicks, and blocking techniques alongside mental and physical discipline. It’s a wonderful sport for camaraderie, focus, and building self-esteem and confidence.
Did you have a list of things you wanted to do when you became a parent? I promised myself that if I had daughters, they would be enrolled in some kind of martial art for self-defense as kids. Well, I’m a little behind but it’s better late than never. My daughters are 14 and almost 11 and they started Tae Kwon Do in May. I want them to be strong, confident young women and be able to defend themselves should they ever need to. It’s been amazing to watch them quickly catch on to the moves and enjoy the art.
We chose Master Kim’s World Class Tae Kwon Do because we were invited by a friend of ours who is one of the instructors – she’s almost 17 and has been doing Tae Kwon Do since she was around 12. She’s one of the sweetest people I know but I was amazed when she got on the mat and started throwing punches and kicks like Chuck Norris. It was like she had this inner ninja – and honestly, I wanted that immediately for my daughters. We signed up after that first class for our trial period.
Master Jun Kyu Kim and his wife, Master Michelle Bartlett Kim, opened the Tae Kwon Do school in May 2001. It has since grown immensely. Both Master Kim and Mrs. Kim are World Class instructors in the art of Tae Kwon Do with decades of teaching experience. They are the kindest and most encouraging people we have met and know their students by name. Master Kim leads instructors in teaching classes on the mat while Master Michelle Kim oversees the operation of the Tae Kwon Do school, as well as stepping in to help students hone their skills.
During the first class my daughters and I watched, I was totally intimidated by the sport. It’s loud in there and the moves are taught to be precise and quick. But as I watched Master Kim move around the floor helping his students, I was so impressed by his encouragement of all the kids. He really wants them to learn the art and learn it well. After I started, I was working on basic – like really basic – foot movements and he took the time to help me get it right. He’s like this with every student. And all of the instructors follow his lead.
Learning Tae Kwon Do
Once you sign up, you’ll have an an introductory trial period of classes and get a uniform. The uniform is long pants and a long shirt, as well as a white belt. One thing I loved right off the bat about Master Kim’s Tae Kwon Do is that there are several options for classes to choose from during the week. I don’t like being pigeon-holed into one time slot every week for activities. I like the flexibility on the class schedules. You can choose the white belt (or whatever level belt you are) classes or the all belt classes to attend either once or twice a week. I recommend twice a week as you’ll need all the practice. And it’s just a lot of fun. I’d go three or four times a week if I could!
Our introductory trial period included a 30-minute private lesson, which was very helpful in learning the basic kicks, punches, and stances, as well as etiquette when it comes to bowing on and off the mat and to your fellow classmates. Tae Kwon Do incorporates cultural aspects of its Korean origins.
I never know what we will work on during class but have yet to be disappointed. Classes always start with a quick warmup and then we progress into the main aspects of the art, which often include learning kicks and working with different partners. We usually attend the all belt classes where students who are much more experienced help us newbies to learn the moves. I love this because all of these black belt students are incredibly encouraging.
When I have no idea what I’m doing, which is most of the time so far since I’m just starting out, they always help me out with specific instructions or tips. And it’s motivation to see them do more intense moves because I can see things that I can look forward to learning and perfecting.
Before I started taking classes there was one specific class where Master Kim instructed the students to do a spinning kick, one my daughters had not yet learned. I saw my oldest look at him with a look of “you expect me to do this?”. He smiled at her, knowing she didn’t have the skill but also knowing she would learn fast with the help of the instructors right then. And she did. By the end of the class, she had learned the basic footwork to the kick and was obviously proud of herself.
I’ve had similar experiences now that I’ve started classes and was asked to do kicks that I was sure I would look like an idiot even attempting. But no one laughed when I could barely spin around or kicked with the wrong leg. The one thing that my daughters said right from the beginning of taking classes was this: everyone is so encouraging and helpful. And they are. They freely offer advice, give high-fives, and clap for you when you’re doing the moves. I think that’s a huge reason my daughters have thrived here. It’s a big reason why I wanted to take the classes with them.
Family Time at Tae Kwon Do
While I love watching my daughters learn a new skill and enjoy whatever extracurricular activities they are involved in, I always thought it would be fun to do the activity with them, especially if it’s something that we are all beginners at and could learn together.
Being the adventurous person I am, when I started watching them learn Tae Kwon Do and I saw how much fun they were having, it crossed my mind that I wanted to have the same experience with them. I’m not the only parent who had that thought. There are several adults who take the classes along with their kids.
Since my daughters started a few weeks ahead of me, they have been able to help me learn the moves and we are planning to test for our first belt level all together. We practice at home and they have loved coaching me along. I know they secretly love bossing me around, as they probably should. It’s rewarding for me to see their confidence soar.
Progressing Through Belt Levels
There are several belt ranks in Tae Kwon Do that indicate length of training and knowledge. At Master Kim’s World Class Tae Kwon Do, students begin as either a white belt or Little Tiger (ages 5 and 6), and then progress through the color belts (yellow to double black stripe), until reaching 1st Dan Black Belt.
Tips are also earned by mastering certain skills. I loved trying to earn these right off the bat as I learned proper stances and basic kicks and steps. I was trying to catch up to my daughters right from the get go!
As I progress through the tips and belts, I’ll update this story on my progress. As of this writing, I’m still a white belt but plan to test for my yellow belt at the end of July (keep reading to see what happened!). Master Kim offers testing at the end of every month.
Board Breaking Class
I took my first board breaking class the weekend before testing for my yellow belt. It’s required to do so and I was happy to oblige because breaking things sounds fun. And it was!
For the white belts, we learned how to use a hammer fist to break a board and then using a front snap kick to break another board. We practiced first on foam boards and then got to do it for real.
To do this, you have to yell several times and it has been more awkward to do this for my daughters than for myself. I don’t know what that says about me but let me tell you, the combination of yelling plus smashing wooden boards was the ultimate stress reliever. I could take this class every week for that reason alone. It was my favorite class so far and felt like a huge accomplishment hearing that wood crack. Here’s an 11-second video of it.
My daughters enjoyed the class as well and I was so proud of them for learning this cool, new skill. This class completed our requirements to test for our first belt level!
Belt Testing: Yellow
I tested for my very first belt level, a yellow belt, at the very end of July, a month after I started at Master Kim’s. Not gonna lie – I was nervous. We were going to have to stand into front of several of the black belt instructors and Master Kim and Master Michelle and do all the things we’ve learned. I invited my husband and dad and nephews and sister-in-law because I really wanted them all to see what my daughters and I have been doing for the last couple months. And I knew my nephews would totally love it.
So the belt testing started the same way as normal class does with a warm up and kicks. It was a good way to do it since we’ve done that many times and it helped to relax everyone. There were only about a dozen white belts testing and half of them went first while the second group waited on the edge of the mat.
The first group went through all their kicks, their kick combinations, board breaking (my favorite), and Korean terms. Master Michelle Kim reviewed each student and gave them encouragement. And then I was up next and went through all the same things. I was so happy when I finished!
We all received our yellow belts and packets of information about what to expect next. Everything is so well-run and professional but also a lot of fun. It was a great night and my daughters and I all agree that we can’t wait to see what comes next.
Sparring
Sparring is required for yellow belts and up but you only need to do it once every three months or so. It’s the red tip you get on your belt before you test for the next color belt.
But what is sparring? It’s basically fighting with each other using all that knowledge of kicks, punches, and footwork you’ve been learning since you started Tae Kwon Do and you can actually hit or kick the other person because they have gear on to protect them, as do you.
At Master Kim’s school, we are required to wear arm, shin, and foot guards as well as a soft helmet, mouth guard, and chest protector. It’s super awkward the first time you have to put all the gear on but as long as it fits fine, it’s not terribly uncomfortable. The instructors are all there to help you to make sure the gear is on properly.
I didn’t do my first sparring class until I was four months into training and had only ever done no-contact sparring during classes. I was nervous to say the least. I didn’t know what I was getting myself into and I don’t like not knowing. The first part of class was conditioning, which meant lots of sprinting, jogging, and kicks back and forth on the mat. I was so tired after and was wondering how in the world I was going to have the energy to fight someone. While I was exhausted, I love a good physical challenge so I was all in and wanted to try my best.
Master Kim paired up the students with those of similar height and belt level. My new mom friend and I got paired up together and my daughters somehow managed to be paired with students who were much more advanced than they were (but these students were fantastic and helped my daughters so much). We started out with the kicks that we already knew – roundhouse and skipping roundhouse kicks. We were able to see what it felt like to get kicked on our chest protectors, which I was grateful for. I don’t like surprises. It didn’t hurt at all.
Then once we had sufficient practice, we sparred with each other by trying to land a solid kick on our opponent’s chest. This was hard because there was a lot of moving around and we were already tired. We sparred in increments of 30 seconds to one minute. It was actually really fun! My partner and I were sweating like crazy but had fun trying our best to learn and hone our newfound sparring skills.
At the end of the class, each pair sparred individually and Master Kim was the referee. I won my match and thankfully only had to fight for about 20 seconds before landing a kick to my opponent’s chest. She was a great competitor and I think we were both happy to sit down after to watch the other students.
Sparring classes are on Saturday afternoons and the sparring team practices on Wednesdays. I am certainly looking forward to do learning how to be a better fighter!
Honest Mom Review
My initial thoughts about taking Tae Kwon Do so far have been very positive. I love that it challenges me both mentally and physically and that it forces me to focus on one thing instead of constantly multi-tasking. I like thinking about new things and attempting to master concepts and moves I have not done before. My world is full of constant to-do lists as an adult and Tae Kwon Do gives me something fun and exciting to do that breaks that mold and gets me out of my everyday life.
Most especially, I have loved doing the sport with my daughters. Having an experience like this together has promoted bonding between us as we learn the art and have fun.
And I have to say that getting out the stress of daily life and releasing a bit of anger and tension while throwing punches and kicks is quite enjoyable. Some of the classes have incorporated hitting targets and those are easily some of my favorites. Having an outlet like this to get out pent up frustration has been awesome. One of the aspect of Tae Kwon Do is the Kihap, which is a yell. It forces you to exhale and tightens the core for a more powerful punch. Although this was awkward at first, it’s been really fun to do because yelling is such a stress reliever!
I’ll be updating this story as my journey continues.
Signing Up for Classes at Master’s Kim’s World Class Tae Kwon Do
You can visit the website for more information, email at greenvillewctkd@gmail.com or call 864.289.0201. The staff is happy to answer your questions and get your family started right away.
Once you sign up, you’ll get the schedule of classes and go when you want. Most classes are 40 minutes long and kids as young as 5 years old can join.
The Introductory Trial Package is $29.95 and includes a Tae Kwon Do uniform and belt, a 30-minute private lesson with a black belt instructor, and two group classes. Following the trial, the cost is $179/ month for two classes per week, $139/month for a sibling or parent. Additional family members are discount as well. Testing is also an additional fee of $80/student.
Master Kim’s World Class Tae Kwon Do also offers summer camps for students and amazing birthday parties for ages 5 and up. Contact Master Michelle Kim directly for the schedule or to arrange a party.
Master Kim’s World Class Tae Kwon Do
1258 Woodruff Road, Greenville
Master Kim’s World Class Tae Kwon Do Website | Facebook page
