Jido Merly's Journey to Black Belt

[Jessica Merly]

My Black Belt Journey

When I first started martial arts I had no idea how much I was going to love it, and what an amazing impact it would have on my life. It is so incredible to be a part of a community in which we learn and grow both physically and mentally. I learn something new every day and I am so excited to continue my learning. I can’t wait to start learning black belt material and to learn more about instruction.

I was pretty athletic in my youth; dance, volleyball, basketball, ultimate frisbee, yoga, but I never had the confidence and strength that I have gained doing martial arts. Several years ago I started to have numbness and a tingly sensation on my left side from my head all the way down to my toes. I was in and out of the Swedish campus meeting with a neurologist for MRI’s, scans, exams… and in the end received no real answers, it was ‘just one of those things’. During this time I had taken a break from martial arts due to my work schedule, but once that cleared I was hesitant to come back in for class. When I returned  I felt so welcomed by the black belts. Now, through doing martial arts and stretching every day I rarely experience the numbness in my left side, which is incredible! I am so grateful to the black belts for creating such a positive, welcoming and supportive energy in the school, I hope as a black belt to be a part of that, and to be a part of furthering the wellness and learning of others. I have gotten and continue to get so much from training here, I want everyone to have the opportunity to learn and grow in such an inspiring space.