Tiffany Kye closes her eyes as she goes through the moves of taekwondo, thoroughly choreographed and practiced to the point of fluid, flawless motion. Cultural music plays in the background, setting the beat and the fluidity of the rest of her team as they dance in harmony. Her sweat and sore muscles serve as a reminder of the hours of practice put in before this, and the hours that would to come.

For Kye, joining a Taekwondo team at a local martial arts studio as a fourth grader served as the initial spark for her lifelong love of the martial arts, setting into motion years of competitive Taekwondo that would eventually lead her to gain her second-degree black belt in middle school. As an elementary school student, Kye felt enhanced by the arts’ emphasis on respect, an experience that opened her eyes to learning to become a supportive friend and teammate.

“From your first day at Taekwondo, the first thing they teach you is bowing to your code, bowing to your older teammates, and even bowing to your teammates. And because of that, there’s a very strong team aspect,” Kye said.

In addition to being captivated by Taekwondo itself, Kye values the relationships she is able to make with her teammates and from other Taekwondo athletes who share similar struggles. Here, she feels as if she can grow by watching other athletes perform.

“We all have tight bonds with our parents or coaches or older role models in the sport because of that aspect of respect that is prioritized,” Kye said. “We also see athletes from other states, and it gives me more insight [into] the types of styles that might differ from state to state. We eat together, we stay at the same hotel room and competition venue, and [the same] plane. Taekwondo is more than just exercise. It’s more than just burning calories. The team aspect and community aspect is something that serves a great purpose in my life,” she said.

Kye recalls the 2020 team trials that she competed in to be her most memorable moment in her Taekwondo journey due to her team overcoming their challenges and eventually becoming successful over their opposing team. For her, this meant that the growth that she gained during those hours of practice was more valuable than the fact that they won.

“I really took away that practice is the only thing that can get you up there. No matter how skilled your competitors are or how well known they are. It’s all about who puts in more effort and [more] quality time [practicing]. Competitions are never about winning or losing. It’s just about gaining experiences and learning your lessons. Winning, obviously, is a great feeling, but with losing, you can’t view it as something negative. As long as you make sure that you don’t repeat the same mistake and take away something important from the competition, [you should be fine],” Kye said.

Throughout her long-term career in Taekwondo, Kye has had to master the art of balancing her schoolwork and her sport by preventing herself from procrastinating, seeking out help when she needs it, and by choosing AP classes that she was interested in. For her, achieving good results stems not only from hard work and perseverance but also from an interest in the subject itself.

“With Taekwondo, I can’t miss practice. So I have to work my way around my Taekwondo schedule and just find a way to get schoolwork done somehow. ”

However, she still believes in prioritizing her schoolwork over Taekwondo whenever she can.

“If I have an important final coming up, then definitely, [that’s] a valid excuse to miss practice, especially if it’s not competition season. As for academics, I just make sure to get everything done in time. I also seek out my teacher’s assistance if I need it.”

Similar to Taekwondo, conquering AP Language in her junior year also proved challenging and required her to see practice as a means to achieving good results, an experience that pushed her to reach her academic goals. Kye describes how she struggled with the timed writes and communicated with her teacher to improve her writing.

“That class taught me that practice is the only thing that can get you to improve. My teacher offered writing sessions one-on-one, and I took advantage of those to find out my mistakes and to improve for next time. AP Lang is the main class that taught me to seek out my teachers, especially for one-on-one help.”

This “practice makes perfect” mindset is what pushed kYE to graduate in the top ten of the graduating Class of 2022, ranking in ninth place. She hopes to bring this mindset to the University of California, Berkeley the upcoming fall, where she will be studying business and refining her skills in Taekwondo club.

Back in the Taekwondo studio, Kye breathes a sigh of relief as practice ends, another step towards her goals. She walks out feeling satisfied and ready to take on the next challenge.