In this occasional series, we highlight our coworkers’ unique passions, talents, traditions and interests. Share your ideas.
Stephen Licher was working on his sobriety in the months before he was granted full custody of his daughter, Lillee, four years ago.
The Customer Technician in Lake Havasu City was attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings but knew he needed more.
When his six-year-old moved in with him full-time, he asked her to choose an extra-curricular activity. She chose karate. After searching for karate studios in the area, he found Lake Havasu Black Belt Academy.
Lillee took her first class and was hooked. But she had one condition if she was going to continue: Stephen had to participate with her. He reluctantly agreed.
It was a decision that changed his life.
“I learned more about myself in those four years than I have in my entire life,” Stephen said.
The father-daughter duo decided they would see it to the end. Their goal was to each get their black belt in taekwondo.
They trained at least four days a week for the last four years. It was tough. There were days when Lillee wanted to skip trainings. But they made a pact that they weren’t going to give up.
“I started doing something I didn’t think I could do,” he said. “But as you do more and more, you realize you can do anything.”
Each class began the same way. Students would bow and say, “Yes, I can.”
It was that respect, discipline and shift in mindset that helped Stephen not only reach his martial arts goals but his goals for sobriety. When Stephen decided to become sober, he quit drinking and smoking-a combination that many people told him would be too hard to give up together.
“Martial arts allowed me to get rid of everything and start fresh,” he said.
As Stephen’s and Lillee’s kicks got stronger, so did their bond.
“My daughter is my everything. We are thick as thieves,” Stephen said. “When we would do moves, we would be so in sync.”
The two earned their first degree black belts Feb. 12.
And they aren’t done. They both plan to become taekwondo instructors and earn more stripes on their black belts.
Stephen reports his health has never been better. He said his lung capacity is strong and his doctor credits him with the blood pressure of an 18-year-old.
Stephen is grateful for martial arts and everything it has taught him, It has allowed him to build a closer bond with his daughter and maintain his sobriety.
“I am worth changing-and right now is a good time to change,” he said.
What Does Taekwondo Mean to Me?
Grant Klein
To my new White Belt Friends:
When I began the journey of Taekwondo, it was because my daughter Erin was too shy to try class by herself. So, as any dad would do, I said I’d take a few classes with her until she felt comfortable enough to be on her own. Well, that turned into something quite a bit more….
Taekwondo is so much fun, it takes physical ability, dedication, determination,and the perseverance to continually learn how to improve yourself every day. I love going to class, I get to meet new people, make new friends, and try new thingS I never would have thought I could do. One of my favorite things to learn are the weapons. I always watched movies as a kid and would be amazed by the way fighters would use sticks and staffs, and swords. Now I actually get to learn how they do all the moves. The forms are great too. They are the hardest thing for me to learn though. You have to have a real good memory to remember all the different moves and stances, how to hold your hands…sometimes it gets overwhelming. That’s where perseverance comes in handy. Even though it gets hard, we keep pushing forward. We also get to break boards, that’s super fun. As I gain more skills, speed, and strength, I get to break harder and harder boards. At some of our testing, we get to kick or strike real wood boards. I have kept all of mine, they are on the wall in my garage. I even put the date and what belt I achieved.
It’s sometimes hard to get up the motivation to go to class, that’s where the determination comes in handy. You have to really want it. Other days I’m super excited to go. I know if I stick with it, I will achieve my Black Belt. After that I can keep practicing and get my next degree, and my next. I’ve learned that you have to be dedicated to yourself. If you dedicate yourself to Taekwondo, it is very rewarding. I like to exercise, and as I get older it becomes hard to find the time to get a good workout in. We warm up every class with some calisthenics and punching and kicking drills. I like to do push-ups, and jumping jacks, and other regular exercise, but it’s no fun to do alone. Going to class gives me an excuse to go work out and joke with my friends as well as learn martial arts.
Training for Taekwondo has helped in my normal life as well. I’m a machinist/mechanic by trade. I have used all my training from going to class in my workplace and at home too. Not so much the moves and self-defense…ha, no hostile work environments, but, the training of my mind to see things a little differently.I find myself more focused and willing to do some of the tasks that others don’t want to do. I have been able to learn new processes and procedures I never thought I would be able to. I definitely think my training has been a big help. At home, I seem to be more motivated to do chores around the house, even when i don’t want to,or I’m too tired, I just push through. It gives me a great sense of accomplishment once the tasks are finished. With five of us in the house, it really takes a lot of chores to keep up. P.S. laundry is my least favorite. 101
I’ve been going to the academy for 3yrs. Everyone is awesome, they have seen me go through hard times in my personal life, struggles with memorizing forms, and injuries. The best part is that we all stick together, we help each other through whatever is happening that has us in a tizzy. It’s like having another really fun family away from home. I would definitely recommend Taekwondo to anyone, kids,or adults. It is a wonderful journey.
Oooh…I almost forgot one of my favorite things about Taekwondo. Every year we get to go to a summer camp, like, a good old fashioned summer camp. It’s three days dedicated to Taekwondo. We have all kinds of classes, Warrior X, gun and knife defense, extreme kicks and flips, and so many others that we don’t get to normally participate in.We also get to do camp stuff too. Archery, giant rope swings,obstacle courses, all kinds of cool stuff. We all sleep in cabins and get to tell ghost stories at night. They always have great food to keep our energy up.
Taekwondo Mom and why she likes it.mp4
Lake Havasu City, Arizona
Since our daughter enrolled with “ATA” we have noticed incredible improvements daily. Her attitude and self-esteem have steadily improved as well as her maturity; conversation and discussion with her have become so precious. Her honesty is not only from the innocence of her age (9) but truly from the heart…We believe the camaraderie, respect for others and herself, benefits of teamwork and the rewards of hard work, all things she learns through your classes have helped so much with the many improvements we see. Thank you for your sincere efforts in working with our daughter.
Ms.G.
An Active Dad
A grandmother is proud of her grandsonTiny Tiger Boy
Tiny Tiger Boy
Teen Boy on his next to last step for Black Belt Decided
Teen Boy Black Belt
An active grandfather, Age 75
One of Our Instructors