Every day, for three hours in the late afternoon, Master Quarry teaches five-year-old Ron and Jon the fundamentals of Taekwondo with a perfect balance of discipline, fun, and patience. Ron giggles when doing the tiger crawl, while Jon races ahead in every activity, already wanting to show off his strength.
Later, Master Quarry places soft floor mats down and gently adjusts their posture. They practice front kicks, side kicks, and punches in the air, counting loudly in Korean:
“Hana! Dul! Set!”
The boys sit cross-legged, listening as he tells a short story—maybe about a brave Taekwondo warrior, or how respect begins with how you bow. They bow to each other after every partner drill.
At the end of each class, Quarry lines them up, kneels down, and gives a sticker on their uniforms if they stayed focused.
“Same time tomorrow, warriors,” he says, holding out his fists.
Both boys bump his with wide smiles, full of energy and pride.
🥋 Age 5–6: White to Yellow Belt
After 3 months, they show perfect front kicks, punches, and basic blocks in their first test.
Yellow Belt earned! They break their first board—a thin wooden piece—using a palm strike.
🥋 Age 6–6.5: Yellow to Green Belt
Green Belts awarded.
🥋 Age 6.5–7: Green to Blue Belt
Quarry teaches them self-defense moves using pads and roleplay—Ron loves the acting part, while Jon likes the throws.
After five months, they pass their test by demonstrating their poomsae blindfolded.
Blue Belt achieved.
🥋 Age 7–7.5: Blue to Red Belt
They train almost every day. Quarry notices how they’ve grown—not just in strength, but in discipline.
They run through intense sparring drills and break two boards using a spinning kick.
Red Belts earned with pride.
🥋 Age 7.5–8: Red to Black Belt
They train for 3 hours every day, memorizing advanced poomsae, breaking multiple boards, and sparring against older students.
(Age 8)
Ron and Jon perform their final exam—powerful kicks, sharp forms, and sparring that shows control and teamwork.
They each break 3 wooden boards with a jumping back kick.
After a long pause, Master Quarry steps forward, ties the Black Belt around each of their waists
Black Belts achieved.
