My name is Esrael Yohannes.  I am 15 years old.  I've been doing martial arts since I was
only 8.  but it obviously did not start here at Mu Do Martial Arts.  I started with Karate 7 years ago
and have been constantly continuing my efforts for reaching my goal:  A Black Belt Karate was my
joy in life, and as I was growing stronger each day, my confidence grew as well.  The time was
getting closer and closer for the test,  but while time was flying by, my friends who were supposed
to test with me left one by one.  there were only three of us remaining.  We all had a great bond
through karate,  whether it was sparring, forms, or self-defense.  However, when we learned that
testing would not come for a while, my friends and I made our decesion to find another school.

        I stopped karae in September of 2009, which gave me enough time to do football and choir.
But I would usually be found working on my martial arts somewhere in the house.  My family
was contacted by a friend about Mu Do Martial Arts that same October.  It was then that I met
Master Lagowski, and I told him about all that I have trained for.  He wanted to see me perform
all that I remember.  I was not able to see him because of football, but I was able to come for
Master Lagowski's final black belt test with his students.  When I came back, I asked for Master
Lagowski, but instead, Grand Master James Pak had started teaching the studio.  In August 2010,
I began taking classes at Mu Do Martial Arts.

        I was finally getting back to some unfinished business by taking Martial Arts again.
However, this was not karate.  this was Tae Kwon Do.  This trasition was hard to go through.
And at the same time,  I was starting high school.  Basketball and choir took so much of my time,
but as that school year was coming close to an end, my black belt was the first thing on my mind.
I learned the forms, the one-step sparring techniques, the self-defense, and the basic hand
techniques in just eight months.  I caught up with my friends here at the Red III level.  Now I
can finally live my dream of this day that I've worked so hard for.  With this black belt, I felt like
Dirk Nowitzki.  His career and my traing have both been long, hard, and filled with memories,
but none of that matter until we get the thing we desire.  For him, it's a championship.  For me,
it's my 1st Dan.

        I thank all of my fellow black belts for helping me achieve my goal.  I thank my parents
for enrolling me in Martial Arts as a kid, and I thank them and my younger sister for joining
Tae Kwon Do with me.  I thank Master Daniel Lee for teaching me everthing to get to this point in
my life.  And finally, I thank Grand Master James Park for the extra strength, confidence, wisdom,
and perfection.  Now, my real training has just begun.