Torsten Maxwell蘇子龍 2nd Degree Black Belt

My name is Torsten Maxwell. I am 15 years old and I have been training Kung Fu for about 9 years. My journey of practicing Kung Fu has taught me to be more confident, and to take risks. Kung Fu has been very important to me in changing the way I face challenges with diligence and perseverance.

Hi. My name is Torsten.  Today, I would like to speak about why Kung Fu has become such an essential part of my life. Throughout my journey of training Kung Fu, I have learned many valuable principles such as discipline, perseverance, resilience, and self-control, though the most important thing I have learned from Kung Fu is the idea that overcoming discomfort is necessary for learning and achievement. This mindset shift of getting comfortable being uncomfortable is important for trying something new and getting out of your comfort zone. You may say, “I’m not ready.” or “I’m scared.” or “I could fail at this.” That’s the point. You have to first try. You never know how it will turn out Until You Try. The key fundamental is that you must first fail to get good at something. You have to embrace challenges, because that’s when you see results. Your first time trying to ride a bike was probably not perfect, nor was the second time. Maybe not even the third time. But eventually by the tenth time, you’ll have a lot better balance, better technique. That’s the thing. Those failures taught you the correct way to do it. Improving at anything is like learning to ride a bike – you may fall a few times at first but push past that fear and get started. One example of this ideology is when I was invited to be on the judge panel of the black belt testing last November. I was very hesitant and worried about doing this because it was a new experience for me. It pushed me out of my comfort zone. This was something that I had never done before, but I was willing to give it a try as I thought it’d be a good experience. At first, I didn’t know what to expect – it was my first time after all – but as the test went on, I got better at my role as a judge. At times though, I would be unsure of how to score someone, or what exactly to do, but in these times I remembered that I had to at least make an attempt. I couldn’t just give up, even though I was trying something new. The point is that I believed in myself, and I believed that I could do it. Although I was nervous, I still did it, and tried something that was new to me. The testing ended well, and I was proud of myself for being a judge for a black belt test. Kung Fu to me is not only a hobby or a sport, but it is a way of life. It has taught me so many valuable lessons that I will carry with me forever. I owe this all to Shifu Andy, Shifu Vincent, and all of the other testers here today. They have all challenged me and helped me improve. I would also like to thank my family for always encouraging me every day. And thank you to the audience and the judges for being here, cheering us all on.