Me, Myself, as Mommy: My child has found his place at taekwondo
-
- Jeontong Taekwon-Do operator Paul Williams, center, and his family.
-
- Meg Sanders
Growing up in Clinton, it was either rec baseball, Jr. Jazz basketball, AYSO soccer or dance classes from the neighbor lady. If you couldn’t throw a ball, you could try kicking it; if you couldn’t kick a ball, you could just do a shuffle, ball change. These were the options. Nowadays, it seems the possibilities are endless when it comes to finding an extracurricular activity for your children. Many complain about living in this state; there’s lots to be unhappy about. But the fact so many adults offer to teach their talents and skills as a side hustle allows for affordable lessons of all kinds.
Turns out my youngest can’t throw a ball, has no interest in running and his dancing is on par with Australia’s Olympic break dancer. We tried climbing lessons at The Front, chess lessons with PowerChess, piano and tumbling. Nothing lit a fire for the kid until he heard about taekwondo. He asked for months to take lessons. My previous experience was watching my dad clad in a karate gi spar with my sister, similar to a couple of sloths tussling. I threw my support behind taekwondo as a means to keep my son off his screens. I didn’t expect to find the thing to spark his self-confidence and spirit.
In North Ogden, there is but one taekwondo: Sa-Bum, Paul Williams aka Sir Williams. He’s basically a household name to kids in our area running the Jeontong Taekwon-Do. I did not know I lived a couple of blocks away from a guy with the patience of a saint but armed with a knockout punch. Sir Williams’ classes were full. He told me it may be a couple of months before a spot opened up. Not a day went by when Bodie didn’t ask me if he could start taekwondo. The wait was worth it as I witnessed my rambunctious, bouncing, loud 10-year-old with ADHD sit and meditate with his class. I saw his face peaceful in the middle of the day for the first time in his life. Jeontong was where he was supposed to be.
Paul Willaims got his first taste of taekwondo in 1989, at the tender age of 8. By 12, he got his black belt, then training off and on throughout high school when time allowed. Like anyone who has a job or kids, life’s big moments took him away from this particular passion for many years. It wasn’t until his son hit a milestone age that Sir Williams was ready to go back to his old pursuit. “Bryan was turning 8. I started when I was 8. I asked him if he would be interested in doing taekwondo with me. He said he’d love to, so I reached out to the senior master from when I was little,” he said.
Sir Williams and his son trained for years. Eventually, he tested for his second-degree black belt. When his instructor retired, Sir Williams saw a need in the community. “I started teaching. There were just a bunch of people in my neighborhood who wanted to learn taekwondo. I started teaching out of my garage and they started inviting their friends,” he said. Now he’s got a home studio dedicated to taekwondo four nights a week, buzzing with neighborhood kids from age 4 to 16.
Taekwondo is a family affair, with Sir Williams’ four kids climbing the belt ranks. Bryan, in 10th grade, has his third-degree black belt; Nate in seventh has his second-degree black belt; Sarah in fourth grade keeps classes in line with her blue belt; and Emily is just 6 with her high white belt. His wife, Jen, keeps the whole thing running, doing paperwork, hustling kids and organizing events where she also cooks. As a mother, the fact this family keeps all of their kids involved, pursuing greatness, is inspiring. While I’m sure there’s tears and hard days after early mornings and countless hours, somehow every Williams kid is out there teaching the family business. Sarah smiles as she explained to me, “I love the sport. It’s so beautiful when you do it slow, when you do it accurate and perfect.” As she’s telling me how she views taekwondo, Sir Williams just smiles and nods, knowing he’s shared the thing he loves with the people he loves. The Williamses are certainly a family you wouldn’t want to mess with.
Sir Williams isn’t done learning either. As a fourth-degree black belt, there’s still ranks to achieve. Sir Williams explains, “There’s just so much to getting the black belt. It’s not just about getting that belt because once you get it, if that’s your goal, that’s what you’ll get and you’ll quit. If knowledge is your goal, you’ll just continue learning.”
Watching my child learn the tenets of taekwondo — courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self-control and indomitable spirit — makes me want to share the opportunity. Another key piece to taekwondo is the ability to protect and defend oneself. Sir Williams even offers classes for adults and women’s self-defense.
No, I’m not getting a month of free classes, and my kid isn’t getting a rank advancement. What I get in return each month is a kid who feels good about his accomplishments. Taekwondo tournaments build his grit and life experience while the annual summer camp creates community. I write this to share a place where your child and you can learn and grow, while releasing some built-up aggression on those sparring days.
If it’s peewee football and mini-bowl fever, soccer tournaments and dance jamborees that are a perfect fit, I’m glad you found it. Today’s kids don’t need free time; sign them up for everything. For those parents still trying to get your square peg in the round hole, maybe broaden your horizons and take notice of other opportunities. “Taekwondo is about perseverance. Even if it’s hard, we persevere,” Williams said. For more info, check out Ut-tkd.com.
Meg Sanders worked in broadcast journalism for over a decade but has since turned her life around to stay closer to home in Ogden. Her three children keep her indentured as a taxi driver, stylist and sanitation worker. In her free time, she likes to read, write, lift weights and go to concerts with her husband of 18 years.
