By Ava Van’t Hof
Staff Writer
Costa Freshman Josie Light fights her way to achieving her black belt as she continues her practice of TaeKwonDo.
Light started doing TaeKwonDo when her dad encouraged her to at the age of six years old, but did not take it seriously until the age of eight where she trained at The Spectrum in Manhattan Beach. Light has continued to push herself after recently receiving her black belt, and would test to receive a higher belt every two to three years.
“Receiving my black belt was the best experience ever,” Light said. “From memorizing movements and definitions, I have put so much work and time into earning my black belt. “I have learned and improved so much since I started, and TaeKwondo has taught me to never quit. I hope to keep improving and someday reach the 2nd Dan.”
Light trains once a week at The Dojang in Westchester. Outside of going to The Dojang, Light trains at Velocity twice a week during the school year and every day during the summer to stay fit. Light’s workouts are usually around an hour with continuous rounds of fighting for 30 seconds.
“Josie’s future could not be brighter,” Douglas Granzow, instructor at The Dojang said. “She is smart, funny, a very hard worker, and humble, which is a character trait I try to instill in all my students.”
So far, Light has only competed in one competition called The International TaeKwonDo Festival, which consisted of Olympic style fighting. Olympic style fighting has rules where one can only kick to the body and the head, and one can only punch the body.
“I have only competed in one competition because I wanted to see the difference between the fighting I do and the ones in tournaments,” Light said. “I started to get a little frustrated when I was fighting because I couldn’t hit anywhere to the body.”
Light says her biggest inspiration is her dad, Bill Light, because he pushes her everyday to keep doing well and working hard, as he has encouraged her ever since she was little to continue with the sport.
“Josie is not one to sit and wait for something to happen,” father Bill Light said. “She will go after her goals, and that alone will make her successful, regardless of the result.”
As for the future, Josie Light hopes to further her passion for the art of TaeKwonDo. Although she does not want to be a professional fighter, she hopes to continue the hobby throughout her life.
“Although I don’t want to be a professional fighter, TaeKwonDo will always be apart of my life and I never plan on quitting,” Josie Light said.
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