My martial arts career began early at the age of 9 or 10 when I attended a taekwondo club in Cincinnati, Ohio. I hated almost every extracurricular activity that I had at the time: soccer, swimming class at the YMCA, and that godforsaken Chinese school every Saturday. Taekwondo, for some reason, was enjoyable and I had no problem attending classes where I would be reluctant towards others.
Martial arts felt different because it was so unique. There wasn’t any other activity I participated in that involved kicking wooden boards and sparring with other kids. After half a year or so of my taekwondo training, the time came for my first tournament.
My first fight ever ended disastrously. For reasons unknown, I was matched with an “undercover” brown belt, where I was a mere yellow belt. The fight was so brutal that I still remember it vividly. Those six consecutive kicks straight to my head, and me dropping to the floor with a loud thud. I even remember my dad comforting me with a blue-raspberry slushy afterward.
I quit taekwondo shortly after this tournament.
Two years later, my confidence was rebuilt to the point where I entered a Shaolin kung fu class with a friend. Initially, I found many similarities between kung fu and taekwondo. We practiced similar move sets and stances, but there was one thing that stood out, and which I eagerly anticipated: Chinese traditional weapons.
Through Shaolin kung fu, I learned how to swing the bo staff and use a sword. I’m still good with the two weapons to this day, and I’m very grateful for my time learning kung fu.
Counterintuitively, after my family moved to China, instead of continuing with Shaolin kung fu, which has its origin in China, I started boxing. My boxing journey was the longest out of the three, lasting for around two years. It came to its tragic end due to the COVID-19 pandemic, where my coach was stuck out of the country, and everybody was under lockdown.
I’m genuinely glad that I practiced three different styles of martial arts, which I found important for my childhood. I found it enlightening to explore multiple styles to see which one fit me the best. I find that this concept applies for many aspects of life and the things you do when you’re still growing. It’s the time to find your passions, and what truly suits you, and you shouldn’t be afraid to try new things and step out of your comfort zone. I’m grateful for my journey in martial arts so far, and will likely continue it in the future.
There is no path that suits every individual, and nothing that fits everyone perfectly. To determine what is the best for yourself, take time to learn different skills to see which one you enjoy. For me, it was three different styles of martial arts, but that also doesn’t mean you should limit yourself to staying in the same general category of hobbies, either. If you have interests in both sports and music, then I encourage you to at least try both of them out. You never know if you have a hidden gem of talent until you try something.
About the Author:
My name is Alvin Wang, a 2024 high school graduate from Daystar Academy. Throughout my childhood, I spent a large portion of time outside of China, living abroad and traveling across many states in the US. I live a life that constantly tests my adaptability to new life situations, new people, new languages, and new environments.As I grew, I naturally became very attentive to the idea of new experiences; that was all I ever knew. Many of the actions I took as a student growing up were mere reflections of the way I was raised, my many attempts at business, and the different forms of martial arts that I took. In the end, while I would criticize myself for not sticking with anything for an extended period of time, I also am glad that I chose to become acquainted with many different paths that I’ve chosen to take.
Entering the stage of adulthood now, I have tested many paths to determine which one is truly meant for me, and I will be ready to fully submerge myself in my own path now. The main lesson to take away, if any, from my childhood, is just to have fun with trying new hobbies, or activities, even if it means temporarily setting aside another. One’s childhood is full of opportunities to develop passions and for you to route your mind towards your true goals. Once you’ve found your true purpose, then, by all means, pursue it.
But until then, take it easy. After all, life is about enjoying time on this special planet.
Images: Alvin Wang, Pexels
