1500 Words Reflection
This is when I still in 1st year in Universiti Teknologi Malaysia(UTM), I joined a taekwondo club called UTM Slayerz. At first, I just want to try really hard to be a good taekwondo player, I was trained by Senior Farhan, he is a former athlete for Sukan Sea Taekwondo. I really admire him as a Senior and he is our coach when I still in 1st year. While in 2nd year, he already finished his study in UTM. That is when I start to less active in taekwondo. When I still a new member of the club, I really close with the president and all the members inside the club and that is when they asked me to join the taekwondo tournament. At first, I really not sure whether I want to join or not because I will face against an experience taekwondo athlete, but I muster up my courage and still join the tournament. I also asked my friend to come with me to join the tournament, and they refused because they think it is dangerous to just go to tournament when they are inexperienced, and I understand that.
Before the tournament, we trained harder by Senior Farhan. The normal training for the club member is in Monday and Wednesday every week, but as the time for the tournament is closer, we who will join the tournament decided to add some extra time in our training. We usually use the UTM stadium for our training, the time is discussable but only when all member is agreed. We usually do extra training on Friday and Saturday, that means 4 days a week we train our taekwondo including the normal training day. I can see my rapid improvement in taekwondo, I also really happy to be able to surpass my friend who join the taekwondo with me.
The days for the trip to Pahang has arrived, we will be there for 3 days, the 1st day is when we arrive there, the next day is the preparation day and the last day is the tournament day. We rent a bus under UTM since we go as UTM representatives. One of our students inside UTM Slayerz apply as a referee for that tournament, so he will be a referee there. That friend also will manage our place to stay there, he manages to find a house that that we can rent at a cheap price. It is right in front of his house. Since I have exam that day, I go there by a different bus, I need to buy a ticket first than I claimed it back. I with another one of my friends go separately with others. We took a bus from Larkin Sentral to Pahang, when we arrived at Pahang, it is already around 10p.m. and Senior Farhan and other seniors come to fetch us. When I and my friend arrive at the house, they all already prepared to eat dinner outside. So, we groom ourselves up and go out for dinner. We took 3 large Grab Cars since we do not want to disturb the bus driver, because he also needs to report when this tournament ended to UTM. We took a grab car to around the city, find a nice restaurant and eat there. We also go to supermarket to fill up our times there. When we on the way back home that night, one of the seniors wants to eat ice-cream from McDonald, since I am with them inside the car, I got a free ice-cream from them. It is a treat from our senior, only for those who ride the grab car with the seniors, then we head back home. That night, we do some critical training, we really push ourselves to the limits because tomorrow night, we really need to have enough rest and preserve our body so that we can do well in the tournament next day, they force me to do split and it is really hard for a newbie like me.
The next day, early in the morning, we warm up our body before we go to take a peek at the tournament place. We are there for some training and to give some help too. We arrive there and see taekwondo mat, the counting screen and everything is being prepared. Some of our friends invite their parents and there is that one friend where his uncle come from Sabah to watch the match. That friend has a younger brother who plays for Sabah in taekwondo tournament, so in other words, he is also a really good player. We met his uncle and auntie, they said about how good my friend is, but he does not really focus in taekwondo since he more focus in his course as a student in UTM. I am really jealous of him. Then we help to put the taekwondo mat, lift some items, and do some light works there. It was really fun. Then we head back home, at nights, we go out again to have some dinner, we also took a grab car to go out. We had some nice dinner and take a walk around the city before we go back. That night, we just sleep and rest peacefully since the next day we will have to be ready for the tournament.
The day that we are waiting has arrived, the tournament day. We wake up early in the morning and we only eat breads, we do not take heavy breakfast since it can disturb our performance. Before we ride the bus to the tournament place, I go to convenience store to buy some drinks. Then we ride the bus to that tournament place, that tournament place is held in the elementary schools there. It is an open taekwondo tournament that certified by Korea Government, so we expect many expert challenges will be there. While I waiting for my turn, I warm up my body by asking a help from my friends, I do a few kicking and a few jumps, it is really a long time to wait for my turn since there are too many participants that join the tournament. When my turn arrives, I proudly stand up and go inside the ring, Senior Farhan is my coach at that time, everyone inside the ring need a coach by their side to watch the fight and analyse the fight, then the coach will tell what to do inside the fight, he also will find the enemy weakness and tell me to use it, since I am too newbie, I cannot kick very high which is a huge disadvantage for me. Then for the next round, I need to fight an Arabian guy, he is tall and experienced player, and yes It was final match so we are running for gold and silver medal there. At the right side of this reflection, u can see I put 4 pictures of my taekwondo tournament, I was the guy in blue and it was the final round. I lost that final round so I manage to get silver in that tournament. Then after I finish my part, I need to wait for the other club members to finish their tournament. Most of us get a medal there and we really had some fun that day.
In the evening, we took the bus and head home, in the middle of the way to UTM, we stop by to eat some last meal together and to celebrate our winning that day. When we arrive in UTM, It was already at late night, since a few of the members does not have any transport, so the senior will send us to our place. When I arrived at my room, I was already too tired to move, I directly go to sleep with a happy smile since I won the silver medal.
For conclusion, the 3 days we are in Pahang is unforgettable. The graduate success attribute that involve is teamworking since we need to work as a team to train our self, volunteerism because on the day before the tournament, we help the sponsor to arrange the tournament place. We also work very hard to achieve that dream and it is really worth it. For extra, after the next semester I did not active in any of the taekwondo tournament anymore because I had an accident, I injured my leg but now it is fully healed, so now I started to follow the taekwondo club again since taekwondo is one of my passion. When I do not play taekwondo, I focus in e-games so I join the SUSKOM and SEGA tournament in UTM. The experience is really good when I join taekwondo because I can meet some new friends, laugh with them, eat with them and we all being treated like a family. This taekwondo club is very sporting and fun, now many of the seniors has already graduate from UTM so I can see many new faces there. It is such a fun to have you guys with me.