I think I may have started going through a mid-life crisis around the age of 30. This is the age at which I first tried rock-climbing and and started doing Tae Kwon Do.
I phoned up one of the instructors of Vision TKD (part of the TKD Impact group and affiliated to the ITF) in Crowborough on a whim one Sunday. Conveniently, there was a class on that afternoon, so boyfriend and I duly attended for a taster. That first session was sheer torture - it took me almost a week until I could walk properly again, but despite this we both enjoyed it and returned. Even an unfortunate sparring incident in which I received a burst nose wasn't enough to deter me.
Before long, we were both ready for grading. Although the first grading was the worst for nerves, it never really got much easier. Upon reaching yellow belt, the subject of taking part in competitions arose and despite having claimed I would never compete, I found myself competing for the first time in Southampton.
Rather surprisingly (to me at any rate), I managed to win Gold for my pattern and Silver for sparring....
....whilst his nibs, along with the rest of the team, got Gold in the team sparring event.
Having tasted success, I decided to enter a few more competitions, including the Scottish UKTA. Although there were only 4 of us taking part, we still managed to scoop an impressive array of trophies, consisting of Gold Patterns and Sparring for Tim Dunn (far right), Gold Patterns and Sparring for Mr Philip Lear, our instructor (2nd right), Bronze Sparring for John Bridger in one of his first competitions as a black belt (2nd left) and Bronze Patterns and Sparring for me (left).
Unfortunately, we had to leave our TKD class, when we moved from Kent back to Scotland in 1998. Work commitments have sadly forced us both to give up TKD temporarily, but we both hope to go back to it before too long.
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