Katie Stephens

RANK: 1st Degree Level 2

INSTRUCTOR STATUS: Level 1

DOB: 10/21/71

Birthplace: Long Island, NY

Favorite Book: I Know This Much is True

Favorite Movie: Any Muppet Movies

Favorite Color: Periwinkle

Favorite Ice Cream: Mexican Vanilla

Goal: To raise happy, kind, responsible children, and to always be learning something new

Taekwondo essay:

I started Taekwondo for the exercise. After years of running, I decided it was time for a change of pace. I’d always had some interest in martial arts, but didn’t know a whole lot about what was involved in training. I did a little searching around on the web and found Westlake Taekwondo Plus. The schedule worked pretty well for me, and it was close to home, so on a whim I gave the school a call and set up a trial class.

I was pretty well hooked after the first class. It was a really different workout than I’d experienced before, working muscles I didn’t know I had (and some I’m still not sure I really have). It was immediately clear to me that I could learn a lot, and get stronger and fitter than I’d ever been before, all while spending time with a pretty great group of people.

The thing that appealed to me the most, however, was the yelling. Yelling is not only allowed, but encouraged! As a mom, I spend a lot of time trying (and often failing) to remain calm and even-tempered in the midst of chaos. But in Taekwondo I can yell and break things without the authorities getting involved. What more could you ask for?

My enthusiasm rubbed off on the other people in my family. Both my daughter and my husband joined shortly after me, and my son entered the Cubs program as soon as he was old enough. Delia has now earned a black belt and joined the instructor-training program, and my husband is just a few cycles away from a black belt. We have participated in tournaments together, including traveling to a national tournament. It is fun and rewarding for us all to have the chance to practice together and to watch each other work hard and improve.

The adults I train with are a really special group of people. We’ve seen each other through sprained ankles, broken noses, and the trials and tribulations of training while holding jobs, going to school, and raising families. One of my proudest moments and fondest Taekwondo memories is receiving my probationary black belt with two of those adults standing next to me. We all approach our training with a lot of dedication and ample humor, making the struggles of learning a new sport much more enjoyable than it otherwise might be.

Joining the instructor-training program was a big decision for me. The time commitment definitely affects my family, and I am grateful to all of them, and my husband in particular, for allowing me the flexibility to do it. I have seen the positive effects that Taekwondo and the tenets have on my own kids, and I am proud to be part of a team that works incredibly hard to share those with other children.

Hopefully, I can continue this journey well into the future, increasing my martial arts expertise along the way, sharing some positive experiences with my kids and all the other students in the school, and growing as both an athlete and a person.