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Rock Hill Man Earns Honor in Tae Kwon Do
Rock Hill, SC
The Herald
Like many children growing
up in his homeland of South Korea, Sang K. Pak practiced the martial art of tae kwon do.
But at age 52, the Rock Hill
businessman received an honor only a
select few in the craft ever reach; the same goal he'd striven for
since he began
studying the discipline of high kicks and swift moves
at age 5 -- his ninth-degree black belt.
Only a select few
hold that honor -- about 250 in the world, Pak said.
He didn't even know how small that number was until he heard it from
a high-ranking grand master who traveled from Korea to present him with a certificate for his achievement.
"I impressed
myself," Pak said. "I achieved what I wanted."
Success, even of this caliber, is not new to the man who came to
Chester
from South Korea nearly 30 years ago with nothing but a goal of making a better life.
Today, he runs Pak's Martial
Arts Fitness Center on Cranford Street.
He also has two other branches in the area. And he's a respected
member of the
community. Pak is quick to say that he achieved "the
American dream."
But Pak had another dream that began when
he started learning tae kwon do some 47 years ago: He wanted to become a ninth-degree black belt.
In the discipline's
belt system, beginners wear white belts. The
change in color represents progress in the art. To earn each belt, a
person
must learn different techniques.
There is an honorary 10th-degree black belt, but it is usually awarded
posthumously.
"That's
why I don't want a 10th-degree," Pak says with a laugh.
When he was about 7 or 8, Pak earned his first black belt.
That was in South Korea, the same country he returned to in June to take the test for the ninth-degree.
In preparation,
Pak not only practiced the physical moves, but worked on his writing skills. He said he spent six months to a year forming
essays in preparation for the writing portion of what could be called the final exam of tae kwon do.
Even after nearly
half a century of practicing the art, Pak was
somewhat jittery, as most students are, about a final exam.
"I've
been doing it 47 years," he said. "Still a little nervous."
Butterflies aside, Pak passed the final, earning the distinction
he'd
spent so many years preparing for.
Pak's 22-year-old son, Daniel, said he occasionally heard his father
talk
about the ninth-degree black belt. And as his father got older,
Daniel said his skills continued to improve. Daniel Pak
said the
achievement of the ninth-degree is a testimony of his father's
perseverance and it's important to their family.
"It
inspires me to keep trying," he said.
When Richburg's Marie Griffin learned her instructor had passed tae
kwon do's
most difficult test, the 45-year-old mother couldn't help
but be impressed.
"I feel privileged," she said. "He's
one of 250 and he's my instructor."
Griffin began studying tae kwon do in January with her son, Brice, who is 4.
As
someone who is turned off by screaming, overbearing coaches and teachers, Griffin said she is glad her son has role model
such as Pak, the man she describes as quiet and funny, yet someone who commands respect.
"This is the type of person
I want my son to look up to," she said.
When asked what it felt like to achieve his dream, Pak had trouble
finding
the words.
Always a teacher, his response sounded more like a lesson he'd give his students than an acceptance speech.
"Never
give up," he said. "You're going to achieve what you want."
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