I think I’ll write about my time in the Kendo Club at OSU and how it has changed me for my personal development post.

As I’ve stated before, I’ve been a martial artist all my life and upon arriving at OSU I decided to try out a new martial art: Kendo (think of it as Japanese Fencing). Since joining the club, I decided to become an Officer to: 1. get more involved with the club and 2. push myself outside of my comfort zone by taking a more leadership-esque role. Being one of the Safety Officers, I’m in charge of bringing bandages and athletic tape to practice and making sure there is food and water available in case anyone passes out and needs attention (which happens only very, very rarely). This position has allowed me to get to know the other more senior members of the club and also has taught me a little bit of responsibility. Also, doing Kendo in general has taught me a valuable lesson about the importance of one’s own mindset. During Kendo practice we are taught to separate our self into two people: the one that practices Kendo and the one that deals with all the issues and goings-on in day-to-day life. This allows us to destress while were in our practice environment by forgetting all the stresses of college and has the added benefit of helping us focus on Kendo and Kendo alone. This concept taught me the importance of taking a moment to stop, relax, and unwind my stress because college is a very busy and hectic place. At the beginning of the semester I had a really hard time processing all the information that was being thrown at me and struggled to operate in a mindset that was stressed-out 24/7. Since then I’ve learned to calm down and consider reality: if I do bad on a test or in a class (etc.) it’s not the end of the world, so it’s not worth beating myself up over it. That being said, I’m also learning how to manage my time better to avoid that situation entirely. I know/hope that in the semesters to come, I’ll be able to apply these lessons more and more effectively.

Ever since I was 4 years old, I’ve been doing martial arts. To say martial arts are a big part of my life is probably a bit of an understatement. I practiced a Korean martial art known as Kuk Sul Do (somewhat similar to Taekwondo)  for 14 years and achieved the rank of 2nd degree black belt (out of 10 degrees, with 10 being the highest).

During those 14 years, I learned a lot from my instructors who practically watched me grow up. They instilled in me the belief that martial arts aren’t just forms of exercise and being a black belt isn’t just an achievement, they are ways of life. As black belts, we are taught the values of perseverance, dedication, and hard work just as much as we learn them by experience. My instructor did not just teach us how to hit things, but how to live a healthy lifestyle. He would talk to us at the end of every class about how to eat healthy, how to take care of ourselves mentally, and how to treat others. As such, it is no surprise that martial arts have played a huge part in my life as I continue to uphold these virtues.

Here is an old picture from the Kuk Sul Do Academy. My instructor Jason Zakrajsek as well as assistant instructor Lori Jo Folger are picture 3rd and 4th from the right, respectively. I am at the far right end.

For my first artifact, I think I’ll reflect on Senior Graduation.

Senior Graduation was probably the first time I truly felt like I’d finished with something after so many years, and that it was time to move on. The lesson I learned there was that the times don’t last, so it’s best to make the most of them as they happen. Moving forward, I’d like to remember time spent making memories with friends. I’ll remember the Cross Country Camp out, staying up till the early hours of the morning sitting at a bonfire under a starry sky. I’ll remember the stupid arguments about whether water is wet or not (it isn’t) at the lunch table, and how that ended with a small food fight. I’ll use those memories as motivation to make more memories in the years to come.

As much as every high school student complains about the days in the moment, I can say confidently it was a great time. So if I can see anything in hind-sight, it’s that dropping the attitude for optimism would be a simple change that goes a long way, and that’s the mindset I’d like to be in during college. I’ll make the most of each situation I find myself in.