Hello, my name is Rebecca Haydell, and I have the pleasure of being Jack’s mom. Jack started Choe’s HapKiDo Martial Arts in Lawrenceville Georgia in early 2021. It was all new for us. The only extracurricular activity Jack did was soccer. But after watching many Kung Fu Panda movies, Ninjago, and just being a boy in general, I knew it was time to get him into something else.
Jack was 5 when he started. Being a little on the younger and smaller side has had its challenges. Compared to the other kids, he couldn’t kick as high, lacked coordination, and lacked power. I saw him defeated on many occasions, and he wanted to give up HapKiDo. He would exclaim, “It’s hard!” or “I don’t like it anymore!” But I knew he didn’t mean those things. He was frustrated. So as his parent, I taught him to stay strong and committed. I would say to him, “You WILL kick higher. You need practice!”
We started off going a couple days a week, to going 3 days a week. He started to really enjoy it. Attending for almost 3 years at Choe’s HapKiDo Grayson, Jack is currently a Brown Sr. and a Junior Assistant Instructor. He now attends 3 days a week and takes 2 classes per day.
Jack went from being an uncoordinated 5-year-old, who didn’t know anything about martial arts, and wasn’t really confident in his abilities, to an 8-year-old boy who has all the confidence in the world. He now has super high kicks, and he achieved a 1st place trophy in breaking at the 2023 HapKiDo Championship. He now helps kids who are just getting started. He takes his job very seriously and looks forward to going to classes every week.
Instructor Moore and his team are more than accommodating and are great with the children. He does an amazing job teaching them how to be respectful, responsible, and dependable. Not only that, but teaching the children how to have confidence and to stand up for something they believe in.
For more information about Choe’s HapKiDo Martial Arts Lawrenceville Georgia, follow us on Facebook! https://www.facebook.com/choeshapkidograyson