FIRST TAEKWONDO TESTIMONIAL

I have been involved with First Tae Kwon Do on and off over the last 30+ years and can attest to its valuable and continuing contribution to my life, and now my children’s lives.

My story started in the 1980’s. As the eldest of three girls in an ethnic family, growing up in a small SA country town certainly presented its challenges. My father thankfully was quite the feminist and fully encouraged me to start martial arts to help deal with bullying in primary school. He always believed (and still does) that his daughters could achieve anything.

Having a Judo background himself in Singapore, Dad knew the positive results that participating in martial arts training could provide. So, I began training in Tae Kwon Do. And found that I loved it. It gave me mental strength as well as physical strength, enough so that I could defend myself from being physically bullied any further. Dad and I trained together, with Dad reaching first grade level, and I achieved fourth grade before moving to boarding school in Adelaide.

Although I couldn’t train whilst boarding at high school I didn’t encounter the same difficulties that I had faced in primary school. Until the 1990’s as a university student. I found myself in another difficult situation and Dad again encouraged me to go back to training. I searched and fortunately found Chief Instructor John O’Brien at Adelaide University, who helped me gain all the physical and mental strength I needed to get through that situation and then receive my First Dan Black Belt in 2001.

After another break to start a family, my children started training 5 years ago – the third generation in my family to train with First Tae Kwon Do. I couldn’t watch from the sidelines for very long and began training again, receiving my Second Dan Black Belt in 2016. My son still trains with me today.

It isn’t about the physicality of the training – that is an added bonus. It is also about developing the mental strength to be able to face any situation. Training helped me to no end.

The longevity and long term benefits? I’m living proof. All thanks to my Dad.

Dr Pam Sihota
Kensington Gym.