Teams and Memories of a Martial Arts Master
Teams You Can Share With
When my family joined the Taekwondo school in Panama City, FL, in 1978 we were all in. Whatever special event was going on we were there and that included every tournament we could attend. At the time there were many tournaments to choose from around the entire country. So, every two months (for the next 20 years) we were competing somewhere, mostly in the Southeastern United States. Sometimes we traveled alone as a family but very often we traveled in caravans with other students and families. We would stop at rest stops along the way to stretch our legs and play football and hang out. We took breaks at restaurants and there was always an adult table and a kids table. We would talk and laugh and develop friendships. We would practice our form in the parking lots of gas stations and of course we always found some place to practice at our hotel. We met lots of interesting people along the way and the road to competition was filled with excitement and anticipation.
On the way home we told countless stories of our experiences and lessons learned. There were some disappointments and some victories but there was always fun. We learned how to lose and win with grace. We learned how to congratulate the victors and how to console those who didn’t do as well as they had hoped. We learned that win or lose; you were going to come back and train harder and work on your technique to get ready for the next event.
Quitting was never an option. We learned that we were a team and we were surrounded by people who liked us for who we were, not whether or not we were awesome. Don’t get me wrong, we all, myself included, wanted to win and be champions. There were many times that we were. As I look back though, it’s the people and the good times had that I really remember. The lessons I learned; how to gracefully take a win, how to humbly take a loss and knowing that either way my job was to go home and work to improve. The confidence that comes with these types of lessons has carried me so far through life. I am not going to not try something for fear of losing. Sometimes I fail, be it athletics or business, but I always look for the lessons I can learn through the experience and get right back out there and try again. I hope you will do the same.
Master Character Lessons
Grand Master Amanda Illescas
Life Lessons to Compliment the Jr. Leadership Program Guide
A culmination of lessons learned as a Martial Artist and Instructor.
True stories of a life well lived, so far.
Grand Master Amanda Illescas
Amanda Olson-Illescas is an award-winning author and co-owner of Olson’s Martial Arts Academy in Johnson City, TN. She has over 40 years training and teaching in Martial Arts and has raised a team of instructors and leaders to continue her vision. She teaches weekly in her studio and is passionate about equipping students of all ages to reach their full potential. olsonsma@olsonsma.com
From the Olson Family
We would first like to say, “Welcome!” It is our goal to provide the best martial arts training in a safe and encouraging environment. As a family we have devoted our lives to not only training the physical aspects of martial arts to thousands of people but the mental and emotional aspects, as well. Our goal is to help each student achieve Black Belt and Beyond. The reason for this is that we know from over 40 years of experience teaching martial arts that when a student experiences the awarding of a Black Belt, they soar with confidence.
What it Takes to become a Black Belt
It takes commitment, perseverance, goal setting and a strong work ethic to earn that belt. Even at a young age people know that a black belt in martial arts means something important. It shows you don’t quit, you don’t give up. That you have what it takes! Once you’ve done that, you know you can do anything you set your mind to; like getting into a great college, starting a career, making the team, anything you want. We love to hear the success stories of our students after they have gone off to college and started lives and families of their own. However, we are not surprised by their success. We already know they have what it takes to live their dream.
Character Development
Another goal we have as a family is to support families and help reinforce the qualities of character you desire for your child to have. Our proven character development and leadership program includes lessons from making eye contact to handling conflict. Also, speaking up and showing confidence ,as well as, standing strong for what you believe is right. Our desire is to train black belts who are not only highly skilled in the art of self-defense but who are kind, compassionate, confident citizens of our communities. People who have a strong work ethic and will show “Courtesy, Integrity, Perseverance, Self-Control and Respect”, everywhere they go.
Let us Partner with You!
Because of this, we want to partner with you, the parents and families, in helping give your child a strong foundation in values, to be able to stand up for themselves and others, to make good choices, and to live a healthy lifestyle. Please don’t hesitate to speak with us if there is ever a point where we can help with question or concerns from motivation to troubles with bullying. We are committed to helping each of our students live a happier, safer and more confident life.
Sincerely,
Grand Master Amanda Olson-Illescas, Master Keith Olson, Ms. Katie McKinney
olsonsma.com
olsonsma@olsonsma.com
Copyright 2024 by Grand Master Amanda Illescas
All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced,
stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by
any means- electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording,
or other- except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without
the permission of the publisher.