Photo by Patrick Emerson, used under Creative Commons licence.

Taekwondo is a powerful force for good in the world. I am convinced of this, because I have seen its transformative power many times. It’s why I am proud to have made it my life’s purpose.

What does Taekwondo say to me about its power to make our world better?

“I am the vessel that stimulates dreams, stirs emotions, awakens creativity and encourages perseverance”.

I’ve seen this many times among my students, and I have felt it in myself. I’ve seen it make a difference in people’s lives, inspire change, make things possible which didn’t seem possible before. I’ve seen it build new careers – and later on in this blog I want to introduce you to some of the people who’ve done this, and tell you about the remarkable things they have achieved.

I’ve seen in instil confidence to people who lacked it, and make leaders out of shy, hesitant individuals who didn’t know what they ought to be doing themselves, let alone have the ability to direct and inspire others.

I’ve seen people who were on the wrong path, following a course in life that wasn’t going to help them or the community they came from, get themselves in order and focus on becoming better, more positive members of society who encouraged the people around them to do the same.

I’ve seen children who were training for a tournament decide – all by themselves – to eat more healthy food without their parents having to nag them to do it. (Quite a few parents didn’t believe this at first – but it’s true!). Now – that’s real self-respect in action.

I’ve seen the difference, the dream, the emotion, the creativity, the perseverance. I know these gifts of Taekwondo well, and I want to make them real in your life too.