Tae Kwon Do offers a variety of benefits for students, supporting their personal development and their efforts in learning. 

Getting back into the school year schedule, parents often look for activities outside of school that promote personal development, keep students physically active and offer opportunities to make new friends. Tae Kwon Do can be a great fit for these goals and more! 

​In Tae Kwon Do, students are doing more than just being physically active during training; they are developing a stronger mind-body connection and improved focus, and as these progress, more confidence which promotes self-esteem. When students begin a Tae Kwon Do class, through each movement and sequence of instructions, they are honing their ability to focus on and carry through their actions with precision, while getting immediate feedback from their instructors. Over time, through repetition and layering on of additional skills, flexibility and strength are improving alongside cognitive functions. Here, both physical and mental endurance develop as well.

​Beyond the mind-body development in Tae Kwon Do, there are many social aspects of training that create a sense of structure, stability and respect. The Tae Kwon Do training space and instructors have a unique set of rules that continually remind both students and instructors about their roles and expectations such as respect, and continued dedication to personal development and goals. As this unique space is returned to again and again, the comfort and confidence in roles and development allows for positive social connections, growing self-awareness, and respect of teaching and learning. Often, the associations and friendships made in Tae Kwon Do will last a lifetime.

​Some benefits even beyond the mind-body and social opportunities include preparedness, planning, follow-through, and thoughtfulness. This is because during the training time, other thoughts are left behind temporarily so that the student and teacher can focus entirely on the instruction. Over time, students learn how to prepare themselves to be present during learning, and self-manage the sequence of planning and follow-through in executing individual actions as well as for the entire process of training. Students come to understand how being present for learning improves their results, and that they are making the choice to be present. That choice is core to self-discipline that can support them in any area of life.

Later, as students progress further through the levels of achievement, confidence and self-esteem will grow, social connections continue expand, and new opportunities such as leadership roles may be presented. Throughout the entire process of learning Tae Kwon Do, instructor encouragement and a welcoming environment help keep students on track and in a positive mindset. Continued training presents newer and greater challenges, and demonstrates that students are mentally and physically capable, and can work through new situations successfully. 

The skills learned in Tae Kwon Do support much more than just body, mind, and community. They also help students grow toward their potential! 

If you have questions about how Tae Kwon Do can benefit you, your child, or your family, we're here to help! Call or email, or set up a time for a free first class. Youth, families and adults are all welcome at Joon Lee's Tae Kwon Do! 

​Black belt training happens every year twice, once in May and once in November. For about three months leading up to the day of the test, students eligible to test for their first black belt or for the next degree will train every Friday night at Orland Park for a rigorous two hours (much longer than their usual class time). This training time can be when students show the most improvement out of their whole Tae Kwon Do career.

At the end of the training period, black belt testing takes place on a Saturday morning at Orland Park and lasts for a few hours. This is a chance for students to demonstrate everything they have learned over the course of their entire Tae Kwon Do journey. Students demonstrate every form they have ever learned, from Yellow or Orange belt, all the way to Deputy Black or Black Belt Forms. Students also perform self defense, sparring, and board breaking demonstrations. The entire testing process is completed with friends and family present, as well as a panel of judges made up entirely of current black belts. 

Successful participants will receive their new belt, a black belt exclusive uniform, a trophy, and a certificate at the end of the test. In this most recent black belt testing, participating instructors included Master Jared, Master Myers, Instructor Tyler and Master David and of course, Grandmaster Lee himself. 

Students who complete the black belt achievement have a lot to say about their experience! In this recent test, each student was asked their thoughts about the process.

“During my 7 years in Taekwondo, I developed the skills of becoming a responsible and dedicated person who understood the meaning of helping others.”
George, 15, 3rd degree black belt

“I learned that with hard work, I can do anything!”
Yacoub, 6, 1st degree black belt

“Taekwondo taught me to be disciplined and never give up on my goals.”
Jad, 8, 1st degree black belt

“I joined with my sisters when I was 6 years old. I was worried if I was going to like taekwondo. Now, I’m 8 years old and I love taekwondo.”
Aya, 8, 1st degree black belt

“Receiving my second degree black belt is a very big step forward and I’m just grateful I can be here.”
Dunya, 14, 2nd degree black belt

“[With taekwondo] you are learning an art and [at the] same time you are keeping your body fit and healthy [and] it will boost your confidence level. I am 52 years old and it shows age is not a bar to achieve something, if you have dedication and a good team to support like Joon Lee you also can be a black belt.”
John, 52, 1st degree black belt

“Grandmaster Lee, thank you so much for giving us a strong foundation in taekwondo, and for encouraging us at every phase of this journey.”
Sharon, 19, 1st degree black belt

“To my esteemed instructor, Master Jared, I offer my heartfelt appreciation for your unwavering support and mentorship. Your patience, encouragement, dedication, and profound wisdom have guided me along this transformative path. Our growth as martial artists has been truly inspiring.”
Isabella, 11, 1st degree black belt

“Grandmaster Lee, your teachings have been incredibly inspiring, and I am grateful for all the wisdom and guidance you’ve shared with me.”
David, 9, 1st degree black belt

“One thing that taekwondo advocates for is using your voice. If you’re like me, you use your voice to stand against social inequalities, loud and proud. Preaching from the chest and not just the vocal cords, [the way we are taught in taekwondo].”
Shareen, 17, 1st degree black belt

“Taekwondo gave me self confidence and helped me believe in myself. I will use taekwondo to help people achieve their goals and help them grow.”
Timothy, 7, 1st degree black belt

“I want to thank my parents and especially my grandfather. Mom and Dad, thank you for always supporting me and driving me to every class. And grandpa, thank you for believing in me. I couldn’t have done it without your help.”
Thomas, 7, 1st degree black belt

“This year I learned what it means to be a blackbelt. For me it means that I am strong and hardworking. I can set a goal for myself and work hard to reach it.”
Julia, 7, 2nd degree black belt

“You know what’s super cool? Taekwondo! It’s not just about throwing kicks and punches, it’s about becoming the best version of yourself. Thank you Master Lee and all my instructors for helping me become a real-life superhero!”
Adam, 10, 3rd degree black belt

“Taekwondo requires a great deal of discipline in order to master the techniques and movements. This discipline can translate into other areas of my life, helping me stay focused and driven in all aspects of my life.”
Jenna, 12, 1st degree black belt

“Thank you Master Jared and Grandmaster Lee for everything.”
Rayan, 8, 1st degree black belt 

“I would like to thank my sisters for taking this journey with me, and the instructors who helped me out. There are so many more chapters for me to go through taekwondo.”
Laila, 10, 1st degree black belt 

“Why do I love taekwondo? Because it’s like going on the coolest adventure ever! I learn new stuff, get stronger, and have fun too! And the best part? I get to do it all with my awesome taekwondo friends!”
Ameer, 10, 1st degree black belt 

“I want to thank Grandmaster Lee and Master Jared for helping me get here [and receive my black belt] today.”
Mohammad, 12, 1st degree black belt 

“I am very thankful for the stuff I [learned] at taekwondo.”
Qusai, 11, 2nd degree black belt

“I really like taekwondo and it’s helped me grow as not just a fighter, but also a person. I have become more disciplined. I strongly encourage taekwondo as a sport. This has been a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”
Morgan, 12, 2nd degree black belt

“I am truly blessed and grateful for all the memories this dojang has offered and always reminding us of the importance of respect, humility, and patience.”
Ruth, 23, 1st degree black belt 

A  Mother & Son Tae Kwon Do Event was held for Sward Elementary School in Chicago, Illinois. Instructor Tyler was there helping Grandmaster Lee. There were about 50-60 guests, including kids!

Tae Kwon Do Warmup Exercises
We started off stretching first for about 15 minutes to make sure the kids and mothers were comfortable following directions and giving loud answers. After that we did a few running exercises to get the blood flowing throughout the body. Once we finished with that, we moved right into the basics of martial arts, focusing on hand techniques, with guests repeating the name of each hand technique. We then formed a competition between mothers and sons for who could be the loudest, listen the best, and be the strongest. 
 
Tae Kwon Do Self-Defense Instruction
After we were done with hand techniques we moved on to self-defense. Three different movements were shown and tested with the mothers, so they could then teach these self-defense movements to their children. Mothers then taught the movements to their kids. We then asked the children who would be comfortable performing the self-defense movements with Instructor Tyler. If a child didn't do the movement properly, everyone got to do push ups! We did this about three times before moving on to breaking boards.

Breaking Boards
Mother and son participants were first shown how to break a board with Hammer Fist with Instructor Tyler demonstrating. Mothers were then able to break the thick boards, and next mothers held thin boards for their children who were successful in breaking them. Everyone broke boards on their first try which was very exciting and made the kids joyful, not only to know their mothers were strong but they were as well!

This was an engaging and lively instruction of Tae Kwon Do that, while brief, successfully taught the necessary skills and produced self-confidence, comradery and enjoyment. These are all goals we have every day at Joon Lee's Tae Kwon Do.

Contact us to learn more about the demonstration or learning Tae Kwon Do!