The first day of a new year is always exciting, like the birth of a new life, it brings new hope and a fresh start. 

For 2014, I am looking forward to learning a new martial art, Brazilian ju jitsu at our Martial Arts Academy. 

Being a martial arts junkie, every martial art has an appeal to me, be they the soft, circular arts like Wu Shu and Aikido or tough full contact arts like Karate and Muay Thai.   I like the challenge of mastering body control, developing strength, agility and techniques to become an expert.  

I also love the mental side of learning a martial art, the concentration, and discipline.  Mainly it is the discipline of turning up to training and consistently practising.  And keeping an open mind and ear, so that we can hear our Instructor.  Many of us will know the story of Bruce Lee and the pouring of tea into an overflowing tea cup.  If we do not come with an empty cup we cannot receive more tea, if we think we already know everything then we cannot learn new things. 

The training in martial arts is supposed to remove our ego and show us the way to humbleness and humility.  Through mastering how to fight, we remove the need to fight.  That is the yin and yang of martial arts throughout the world.  I believe in this philosophy.  I advocate this as an Instructor, I live by it as much as I can, I will promote it until I die, but I also believe in sparring competition. Competition for me is a test of our skills.  When we fail at competition it shows us we have more to learn.  I will encourage my students to train for competition, not for ego but for bettering themselves.  I will challenge myself through competition and that is my yin and yang as a martial artist.

CHRISTINE YOUNG, 6th Dan Taekwon-Do, Beginner white belt BJJ