CHO DAN ESSAY Written By Dr. Justine Shiau in the USA 🇺🇸

[HAEDONG]

Finding My Footing Through Martial Arts
A Journey of Self-Discovery and Inner Strength

무예를 통해 나의 중심을 찾다
자기 발견과 내면의 힘을 향한 여정

CHO DAN ESSAY

Justine Shiau
Jinyoung Ssangkum Ryu Haedong Kumdo
Shim Sa Date: September 18, 2026

Starting martial arts was not about checking a box or finding a casual hobby. It was about taking a quiet first step into a new chapter of my life.

When I finished graduate school, I was grateful to cross the finish line, but I was also carrying a great deal of emotional weight. For most of my life, I had been in environments where I rarely felt comfortable speaking up, standing my ground, or being myself.

When I started martial arts, I did not know exactly what I was looking for on the mat. Looking back, however, I realize that, deep down, I was searching for a fresh start—a way to change my life and break free from the patterns in which I had been stuck for so long. Stepping onto the mat was my way of deciding that I wanted to learn how to stand a little taller and find my footing again.

Starting martial arts as an adult also unexpectedly gave me a second chance to be an athlete. As a child, I was a competitive figure skater, but injuries and changes in my life forced me to step away from that world earlier than I had hoped. For a long time, it felt like a closed door and an unfinished chapter in my life.

Martial arts quietly reopened that path, giving me the opportunity to pursue an athletic dream once again. It has been humbling to reconnect with like-minded people, relearn how to push my physical limits, and develop a deeper appreciation for what my body can do.

Looking back on the past three years of my martial arts journey, I am deeply grateful for how much I have learned, even though I know that I am still at the very beginning of this path. More than anything else I have ever done, this journey has taught me about who I am and has required me to truly work on myself.

Before I started, I thought I was mentally strong—and, in a way, I was. However, that strength was mostly a form of passive endurance: holding my breath and simply getting through difficult situations.

Martial arts training is slowly teaching me a healthier form of strength. Through consistency, love, and support, I am building self-worth and learning that true strength includes having the courage to quietly walk away from toxic environments rather than simply enduring them.

Beyond the training itself, this journey has surrounded me with incredibly supportive, like-minded people. Being part of this community has restored my faith in others and given me a network of support and a family that I did not have before.

We share the challenges of training, learn from one another, and keep each other grounded. I feel extremely fortunate to be on this path, and I am genuinely excited to continue learning and growing alongside them—physically and mentally—every day.

Martial arts has also helped shape my understanding of the purpose of human life. I have come to believe that our purpose is not found in titles or achievements, but in continuous self-discovery, inner development, and learning how to live with intention.

Martial arts is not a destination. It is a lifelong practice that guides us toward that purpose. It teaches us to truly know ourselves, face our weaknesses, and continuously work on our inner state so that, over time, we can become steady and positive influences in the lives of the people around us and in the wider world.

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■ Commentary on Justine Shiau’s Cho Dan Essay

Justine’s essay sincerely and thoughtfully demonstrates how martial arts training can bring meaningful change to a person’s life.

After completing graduate school and searching for a new beginning, martial arts became much more than a casual hobby or physical activity for Justine. It became her first step toward finding her own voice, developing self-respect, and rebuilding a stable foundation in her life.

As a child, she was a competitive figure skater, but injuries and changes in her life forced her to leave that world earlier than she had hoped.

Martial arts reopened a door that she had believed was permanently closed. Rediscovering her physical potential as an adult, humbly confronting her limitations, and learning to move beyond them are, in themselves, valuable forms of training.

I especially appreciate her honest reflection that what she once considered strength was often a form of passive endurance—holding her breath and simply surviving difficult circumstances.

Enduring pain while holding one’s breath is not true strength. A more mature form of strength comes from breathing naturally, observing one’s inner state, and developing the wisdom to recognize what should be accepted and what must be left behind.

Sometimes, it requires greater courage to quietly walk away from a harmful environment than to remain and continue enduring it.

This realization shows that martial arts training is not merely a process of strengthening the body.

It is also a process of transforming one’s awareness so that one may understand oneself correctly and consciously choose the direction of one’s life.

Her experience of overcoming difficulties alongside supportive training partners and restoring her trust in people and community is equally meaningful.

A proper martial arts community should not be a place where people regard one another merely as competitors. It should be a place where they learn, grow, and help one another remain on the right path.

Justine’s understanding that the purpose of human life is found not in titles or outward achievements, but in continuous self-discovery, inner cultivation, and intentional living, is deeply connected to the philosophy of Jinyoung Ssangkum Ryu.

Martial arts is not merely a means of reaching a destination. It is a lifelong path through which we establish ourselves properly and become steady channels of positive energy in the world.

Cho Dan does not represent the completion of training. It marks the beginning of deeper learning and greater responsibility.

Building upon the courage and self-respect she has discovered, I hope Justine will continue developing harmony between body and mind and grow into a martial artist who brings a positive influence to those around her.

I hope Justine will fully demonstrate the dedication and inner growth she has developed through her training, and I encourage her to approach her upcoming Cho Dan examination with calmness and confidence.

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Grandmaster Kim Jeong Seong
Founder, Jinyoung Ssangkum Ryu
President, United World Haedong Kumdo Federation