Tans Curumbin

Taekwondo is a way of life. Taekwondo has been my life, since I was 5 years old. The beginning 5 - 8 years old Back in 1989 I would spend a lot of time on the sidelines of my father and older 2 brothers Taekwondo classes. Stretching, kicking and punching, I would be trying to impersonate their techniques while they trained at the Tugun Progress Hall. Finally my parents decided that I could join the class and try Taekwondo. Within months I was going for my first yellow belt grading. The first grading was held at the Tan's Camp within a very large gymnasium and I was the last to be graded. By this time (several hours later) I was comfortably asleep at the back of the hall. Woken by "Wake Up Joanne!" I attempted my first grading and passed with flying colours. This was the start of my Taekwondo journey.  I continued to attend classes up to 3 times a week and received several awards like 'Student of the month' 'Head Instructors award', medals at tournaments etc. Back in the 1990's I would often have to fight boys in competition as female competitors were few and far between. Attending class 3 times a week was just part of the weekly routine as the whole family would be joining in each night at class. My brothers achieved blackbelt with my father also; it made me more and more keen to stick with Taekwondo to reach that goal. I often would use my Taekwondo skills for 'Show and Tell' at school. I can specifically remember wearing my yellow belt to prep and showing everyone 'basic pattern' for my turn up the front. I would [...]

  Taekwondo to me is a way that I can connect to myself spiritually and mentally through life.   At the beginning I didn't know why I needed Taekwondo in my life but through out the years the reason have become stronger and stronger.   It was the first day my Dad took me to the Tugun Progress Hall for my first class when I realised that this was my chance to become something, but at that age I didn't know what it was I was looking for.  I was the first to start and then my Dad, Ben Joanne shortly after.  Dad had done Taekwondo before in Melbourne and had always wanted to get back into it, so with interested kids, it seemed the perfect time for him also.  Through out the early stages of my schooling it was hard for me as I struggled with my school grades and always getting into trouble.  At times I felt like just giving up altogether, feeling that if this was how life was going to be, I was not going to make it through easy.  It was when I was at that early stage that I felt I was a failure as a student at school and also just as a kid in general, it would be TKD that gave me the belief that I was still someone that could be a winner or just someone that could be good at something.  This is what started my love for Taekwondo.  It would be the answer for many things though out my life and the tools for my future in many ways.  I would often remember times at school where I would think of my teacher as my [...]