Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: Let's talk about having a yes, I can attitude.
[00:00:04] Speaker B: Let's get started.
[00:00:06] Speaker C: Sir, I will live with perseverance in the spirit of Taekwondo, courtesy for fellow students, integrity within myself, and to become a black belt leader.
Welcome to the ATA Nation podcast.
[00:00:30] Speaker A: Instructors, students, parents, masters of Songam Taekwondo. Welcome back to the ATA Nation podcast. We are thrilled to have you back with us after our special episode last week that released on a Monday, which is a little odd for us, but we're back to our regular schedule this week, and we've got an awesome interview for you guys today. We decided we were going to kick off the month talking about the life skill that ATA is focusing on this cycle, and that is belief. Having a yes, I can attitude, what an important thing for all of us to focus on all the time, but we want to especially think about it this month and next. And so I decided we would reach out to one of our awesome ATA ambassadors and talk to them about what it means to them to have belief. So let's get right to that interview.
[00:01:26] Speaker C: Special guest interview.
[00:01:32] Speaker D: To have with us today, ATa Ambassador, Ms. Kyrene Cox. How are you today, ma'am?
[00:01:37] Speaker E: Good, sir. Thank you for having me on here. I am actually really excited, and I absolutely love your podcast. Actually, one of my favorite episodes was actually, you interviewed my dad, I believe, a couple of years ago on the Lone Star championship, which is actually coming up in April in Conroe, Texas. And I'm so excited.
[00:01:58] Speaker D: Is it really? Yeah, that was one of our. Man, that was an early episode. That was, like, in the tens, I think. So you got that coming up down there in Texas just another month or so, huh?
[00:02:10] Speaker E: Yes, sir.
[00:02:11] Speaker D: Training hard to get.
[00:02:14] Speaker E: Yes. Awful.
[00:02:17] Speaker D: Awesome. Well, first of all, your dad's a martial artist, his school owner.
I'm assuming the story of how you got involved is probably from birth or whatnot, but give us a little history of how you got involved in martial arts.
[00:02:36] Speaker E: Yes, sir. Well, my parents started their school in around 2012, and ever since then, I was born in 2011. So I started training around three years old in the Tigers program and seeing people, my family and some of my instructors now starting as white belts and progressing. I've always looked at them and kind of just watched them and really had one belief in myself that I know that I can accomplish the things that they're doing. And it pushed me and motivate me to learn how to do all these amazing things that my instructors do and accomplish the things that I do now. And so that's pretty much how I started my journey.
[00:03:24] Speaker D: That's great. It's so neat to see we've got ATA ambassadors from every walk of life, people who have been involved in martial arts from the beginning, people who started as adults. Obviously, you started as a very young child, so you were mentioning belief, and that's the life skill that we're talking about a lot in the ATA over the next two months. Or know we say belief is, yes, I can.
When you put in your application for being a brand ambassador, were you like, I know this will happen, or were you a little unsure what would happen?
[00:04:06] Speaker E: So actually, I set my application around two years ago, I think two to three years ago, to be an ambassador, and I didn't make it. And so I had a lot of disbelief in myself, and I didn't feel like I couldn't really conquer anything. But then around a year or two ago, I applied again, and I got accepted. And so I feel like that I never gave up on myself, and I would always have to believe in myself that I can do that, even though in my darkest times of life, that's great.
[00:04:42] Speaker D: I think so many people, we have that yes, I can attitude, but they think once something doesn't happen right away, it might be, oh, I must need to try something else. Have there been other times in maybe your martial arts career, your martial arts training where you've had to push through, where you've had to have that yes, I can attitude and really work hard to achieve something you were going for?
[00:05:08] Speaker E: Yes, sir. Of course.
It definitely was hard trying to achieve something that was, like, a huge goal for me, especially winning now that I have two world titles, it was definitely hard because the first year, I was like, man, I got this in the bag, but I didn't win that year. But by using it really, again, it really had made me have disbelief in myself.
And I think that's one of the factors that helps me now, is that it pushes me and it motivates me to be a better person, not just in taekwondo, in martial arts, but also as a person to my family, as a daughter, to my mom and dad. And so I think definitely belief plays a big role in all of my accomplishments and all of my seasons of life.
[00:05:57] Speaker D: Wow. Two world championships. What are your world championships in, and when did you get those?
[00:06:02] Speaker E: Yes, sir. Both are in extreme forms, 2022 and 23.
[00:06:09] Speaker D: Very cool. Awesome. Extreme forms. And what age division are you in? I didn't ask how old you are.
[00:06:16] Speaker E: So last year, I was in the 1112 1st degree ring. This year, I was in the 1112 second and third degree ring.
[00:06:25] Speaker D: Got you. Very cool. Awesome. And what are your goals for world championships this year? Do you have some things you're working on?
[00:06:35] Speaker E: Yes, sir. So actually, a long time ago, I started doing extreme weapons and I never was ranked top ten in extreme weapons or anything. And somehow I've changed a weapon to sword, and now I'm like top three in the world, which is crazy. I had no idea. But one of my goals is to win extreme weapons this year and combat sparring.
[00:07:00] Speaker D: Nice.
So you do an extreme sword, you said, is the weapon that you do?
[00:07:07] Speaker E: Yes, sir.
[00:07:09] Speaker D: And do you throw that thing up and catch it after? Hopefully not on the blade and all that kind of stuff?
[00:07:16] Speaker E: Yes, sir. I tried to.
[00:07:19] Speaker D: I've seen a fair number of competitions where people throw it and don't catch it quite right. That's the kicker there, in the extreme.
[00:07:27] Speaker E: I feel like that's one of the hardest weapons to do an extreme, though, because it can be very intimidating. But one, if you use your belief and you have confidence in yourself, you can make anything possible.
[00:07:39] Speaker D: Yeah, that's excellent. And then you said combat weapons.
Are you ranked in combat as well?
[00:07:48] Speaker E: Yes, sir. I'm pretty sure I'm ranked in eigth. I know it's not that much, but eigth in the world? Yes, sir.
[00:07:56] Speaker D: Hey, that is pretty awesome. There's a lot of people in the world, and being anywhere there in those standings, especially in that age category, it's not a small age category that you're in there.
So what advice would you give?
Let's say there's maybe a new first degree or a high ranked color belt, and they're struggling with coming to class.
They've been doing this martial arts thing for a while and they got maybe their black belt and they're not sure where to go from there. Maybe they're lacking a little of that yes, I can attitude and just setting that next goal.
What advice would you give somebody like that?
[00:08:41] Speaker E: For me, personally, I would just tell them and motivate them by saying, it all happens to us. Sometimes we're going to go down that track where we feel like we're just lost. Right. So I think it's definitely important that you have instructors in your life. You have your friends, your competitors, you have your family, and that they'll always be there for you. And that I know it's definitely hard to believe in yourself, but once you just try your hardest and finally accomplish it, you'll realize how amazing you are. And that just to know that anything is possible.
[00:09:17] Speaker D: That's great. Good advice.
People are going to be coming down to your guys'neck of the woods in just a couple of weeks for spring nationals. I assume you're heading out to spring nationals.
[00:09:31] Speaker E: Of course I am. Yes.
[00:09:33] Speaker D: I figured.
What are you doing out there at spring nationals? Are you doing any trainings? I know you'll probably be greeting people at the door. We got all the ambassadors always getting to give us high fives and stuff when we go in, which I love, and then competition. What all are you doing there?
[00:09:48] Speaker E: Yes, sir. So I'm actually going to do a bunch of trainings like the max seminar. I've never done it before, but I'm excited to do it this time. I know. I'm going to do also a bunch of other trainings, like the balance training with Master Kaminsky. I'm definitely going to do some combat training and help me reach my goals so I can maybe place at worlds in top ten for combat and be better in my extreme sore. And I'm definitely going to represent the ATA by supporting them and representing my hometown, Houston, Texas. And I'm just so excited mentioning that we also have some awesome, cool merch for the ATA coming up for free. Just like cool stickers or some cool designs that we're going to be giving out. So I'm really excited.
[00:10:38] Speaker D: So if we're out at nationals, we need to find one of you ambassadors and you guys are going to be giving out some swag.
[00:10:44] Speaker E: Yes, sir.
[00:10:45] Speaker D: That's awesome. Do you guys see those sweet tins that they're doing at nationals?
What's these three different medals for nationals, worlds and the other nationals. Do you see those?
[00:11:00] Speaker E: Yes, sir. I'm pretty sure we're going to be giving those out, too.
[00:11:04] Speaker D: That's going to be awesome. It's going to be a great time. Well, I really appreciate you giving us some advice and whatnot on that. Believe that yes, I can attitude. We've seen through what you've been talking about here. Some examples of how we can do that.
Any last messages? Anything that you want to tell Ata Nation out there maybe about belief or just about setting their goals?
[00:11:32] Speaker E: Yes, of course.
Something that I'm going to take from me and give it to you guys that just know that you can do anything. You have to have the yes, I can't attitude because when you use that, you can absolutely do anything in life, whether it's finishing that test, getting a good test score, doing that new skill that you learned, or just a simple, I'm going to make my bed this morning. If you use that simple yes, I can attitude and you have belief in yourself. I know sometimes it could definitely be hard, but if you use that really, you can accomplish really anything.
[00:12:13] Speaker D: That is fantastic advice. I think we should leave atnation with that because what an important lesson for all of us to learn and be reminded, you know, we start with that yes, I can attitude and something gets and we forget about it. So, Ms. Cox, thank you so much for your time today. And thank you so much for serving as one of our ambassadors.
[00:12:36] Speaker E: Yes, sir. Thank you so much for having me. It was so awesome.
[00:12:39] Speaker D: We'll see you in Texas for nationals. And then you said, there's your guys'tournament coming up, too. When was that?
[00:12:48] Speaker E: April 6.
[00:12:50] Speaker D: April 6. We'll see you guys all then.
[00:12:53] Speaker E: Thank you for having me.
[00:12:55] Speaker C: Here's what's going on in Ata Nation.
[00:13:01] Speaker A: Well, Ata Nation, we want to thank Ms. Cox again for her time and being a great ATA ambassador. If you haven't followed her on the social medias, you need to make sure you definitely do that.
Now, we mentioned in the interview, and I wanted to reiterate it here, if you haven't seen this yet, spring Nationals is showing off these brand new pins that are a series that's going to be taking place at nationals Worlds and then fall nationals as well. These things are super cool and each one represents a different one of our grandmasters. And then if you get all three of those pins, if you go to world championships, if you go to this spring nationals, that's coming up right now, and then if you go to fall nationals in Pittsburgh, you will be able to get this awesome special pin that will be for the eternal grandmaster pin. They're super cool. You'll see. Go check it out on ATa social media. Make sure you get registered for nationals. It makes me really kind of sad that I'm not going to make it out to spring Nationals now that these pins are there, I totally, totally want one. So make sure you check that out. And don't forget, I don't know about you guys, but I don't carry cash around anyways. I've got my card and I got my Apple Pay and all that kind of stuff, but spring Nationals is going to be cashless. This just makes things faster, makes it a little cleaner for everybody, all that kind of stuff. So make sure that you check that out as well. Anyways, ladies and gentlemen, all kinds of super cool things going on in Ata Nation. Make sure that you check out the website, stay tuned to social media, and most importantly, hit the subscribe button because we have so many awesome interviews coming.
[00:15:13] Speaker B: Up on this podcast.
[00:15:15] Speaker A: So I've got two or three recorded already. I've got two or three already booked. Some really neat people that we're going to be talking to over the next couple of episodes, actually, like next two months. So please hit the subscribe button and share this with all your friends out.
[00:15:31] Speaker B: There in AtA Nation.
[00:15:33] Speaker A: So until next time, ladies and gentlemen.
[00:15:36] Speaker B: Get out there and take action.
[00:15:40] Speaker C: Thanks for listening to another episode of the ATA Nation podcast. Be sure to subscribe and share with your ATA family.
[00:15:55] Speaker B: Secret part, okay?
[00:15:57] Speaker A: All kinds of cool stuff coming up, ladies and gentlemen. For the podcast, make sure that you are subscribing, helping other people subscribe. Reach out. I would love to do more listener feedback. If you have downloaded our workout and done it, let us know how it's going. If you've got somebody you want to hear on the podcast, let us know. You can reach out on Instagram or we have a private or not a private, a Facebook group as well. For the ATN Nation podcast, we would.
[00:16:22] Speaker B: Love to hear from you. Okay, ladies and gentlemen, take care.
