Charyut, my tae kwon do coach said in Korean, Kyungnet.
We stood at attention and bowed facing each other as commanded.
I looked at my opponents, two men with red belts (one level below black).
Malia (in blue) in a Taekwondo match.
I took a deep breath.
Im ready for this, I said to myself.
Joon Bi, said my coach, commanding us to get ready, Sijak.
The author (right) beside one of her Taekwondo instructors, Leslie Cheung (to her left), as well as other club members.
And the match began.
One of the guys attacked first.
Keep him in your peripheral vision,I thought to myself.
Malia posing with her daughter Noelle and Noelle’s Taekwondo instructor, Scott Baker, on the day Noelle tested for a Tiger Cub black belt.
I slid back and got my right arm down just in time to block my other opponents kick.
Tae kwon do is aKorean martial artthat translates to the way of foot and fist.
Our club at USC mostly followed the teachings of the WT branch.
Martial arts admittedly can be Americanized when taught at U.S. gyms and campuses.
Sometimes Id leave class with a bandaged, bloody foot or a grapefruit-sized bruise on my hip.
But I got better as I continued to train.
I will never forget the day I landed an axe kick on an opponents nose.
And so did I.
It wasnt until after the match that I found out Id broken my foot with that kick.
At that point, I didnt know I was autistic.
My autistic lens affects how I experience the world.
I was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder in my late 30s.
I have difficulty socializing, obsessive interests, repetitive routines, sensory issues, and anxiety.
The repetition of kicking targets and running long distances calms my mind and gives me much needed stress relief.
(Torres is also the owner and head coach ofTaekwondo Wellness, which merges martial arts and psychotherapy.)
But with tae kwon do training, I noticed that my attention to my surroundings seemed to improve dramatically.
The exact mechanisms behind why martial arts may have these types of positive effects isnt totally clear.
Jen Malia is an associate professor of English at Norfolk State University.
Her debut childrens picture book,Too Sticky!
Sensory Issues with Autism,* will be published by Albert Whitman in 2020.
Visit herwebsiteand follow her onTwitterandInstagram*.
