Sunday I drove down 45 minutes away to Fastkix Taekwondo, the school of my mentor, Master Kevin Balon. Master Balon is a 7th Degree Black Belt who I found online when I first looked into AAU Taekwondo three years ago. Three years ago I was working on opening up my own school and looking for a way to belt test for my 3rd Degree. Mater Balon is the district director of New Jersey and is an extremely involved individual in the organization. I drove down a couple of times for private lessons and took my test at Fastkix on June 29, 2009, where I also met my self-defense mentor, Master Samuel DeJesus.
This June, just five months away now, I will be fulfilling my dream of becoming a 4th Degree Master and will be belt testing once more under Master Balon at his school Samantha and Robert accompanied me for the drive (also because they love seeing the tables turn and I'm the student!). As I walked into Master Balon's school, memories flashed before my very eyes. I got the very same feeling of when I first walked in there three years ago. It was a very good time in my life and all those feelings just rushed through me.
Training solo for the last three years as a 3rd Degree Black Belt has a lot of benefits too it, but also has a few disadvantages too. A lot of my material I had taught myself and don't always have that "go to" person to correct me. Master Balon worked with me on all my 2nd Degree Black Belt forms and all my 3rd Degree Black Belt forms. It was the first time ANYONE had ever seen me do these level forms and correct and improve them.
I loved working with Master Balon. First off, he is a plethora of information when it comes to Taekwondo. I am so impressed at how much he knows and understand of the forms, the styles, the techniques, the consistency of the forms, the history, of other Taekwondo organizations-- bottom line: the man is brilliant. I can only hope to retain as much information as he (God knows, I will do my best!).
Master Balon is a true mentor at it's best. He questions me, he makes me think, he holds me accountable, he welcomes debate, he keeps me on my toes, and he knows exactly how to push the envelope just enough to get me to where I need to be. I was in heaven. The amount of detail he covered in the seven forms we did in those couple of hours was unbelievable. I couldn't be happier! He gave me so much to think about and so much to look forward to, and a good direction of where to take my curriculum training for my test before my masters.
We reviewed the set up of the test, discussed the possibility of what I could do for self-defense and breaking, I shared with him other things I am working on with other mentors, and also the possibility of him coming to my pretest in May to facilitate BEFORE the real test in front of my students which would be marvelous! Imagine if I had ALL the mentors there? And I was asked to join other students who will be testing to do a 3 mile jog before the test, symbolically representing all of the candidates on the "path to Black Belt" and journeying together to the test. I LOVE IT.
I was also glad Sam and Rob got to meet Master Balon. He is like Taekwondo royalty in my eyes, and I am forever grateful to have a martial artists such as himself to help me along with my goals. five months left before the big test! And I am doing EVERYTHING I said I would do to prepare for this test. The sense of accomplishment for following through is a feeling I hope everyone can feel.
Yours in service,
ANDREW TRENTO
No comments:
Post a Comment