Gabriela Steinhoff 1st Degree Black Belt

My name is Gabriela Steinhoff and I am a 7th grader at Holy Spirit School. I am 13 and I have been doing Kungfu since kindergarten. I chose this speech topic because I really felt a connection. I have fallen a lot over the years, but I have always gotten up, mostly fine. This is thanks to Kungfu.

  I play soccer every Saturday and almost every Saturday I fall down. thanks to Kungfu, I fall with a roll, protecting myself from any damage. I fall like I'm supposed to in green belt form and in the brown belt form. Also, one time I was on my bike, going 20 mph and there was a bump on the road, and I was flung off my bike. I could've gotten a blood scratch across my face and broken a few bones but I only got a tiny scratch on my knee and a medium sized scratch on my hip. That and a sprained arm. That is like nothing thanks to my knowledge of falling correctly.

  These experiences have helped me develop better safer instincts and these falls have made me less scared of what pain the future holds because I know that if I don't push myself harder, I can't succeed in life.

  I want to learn every possible skill I can and practice it as much as I push myself to learn better ways to defend myself and better ways to live my life.

  Thank you, Shifu's and classmates, because you guys have helped me in so many ways. Thank you, parents, for bringing me to Kungfu three times a week and for supporting me in everything.

  Thank you, Shifu, for teaching me ways to protect myself and classmates thank you for helping me practice and giving comments on how to get better because that was a huge part in my achieving my black belt and hopefully black belt degree one. thank you, parents, for always being there when i lost hope and thank you for coming today to watch me achieve my dreams.