by Chloe Ginsburg

Nicholas Day tested for his Black Sash in Hwa Rang Do on Saturday, April 16, 2005. Many West Coast students know Nick now; at 16 years old and a half-inch shy of 6 feet tall. Only a few people knew Nick when he was just 5 feet high and a kid. Nick started Tae Soo Do at his school, Fairburn Elementary, in 1997. His friends suggested that he try it. Finally, Nick ventured over to the West Coast Hwa Rang Do Academy, where he found an enjoyable place for him to get away from school and work. I remember those friends of Nick. Only Nick remains.

When Nick first started training, he was unsure how far he would go in TSD. He was just enjoying training with his friends and learning all that martial arts had to teach. It wasn't until he reached the advanced belts in TSD that he realized he wanted to go all the way through HRD. He found it fun and his goal was to attain his black sash someday.

Nick was not always the responsible young man he is today. "I was a bad boy, everyone knows that," he confesses.  Martial Arts have helped him to concentrate more. I personally remember the old Nick, eager to bully little kids out of the comfy chairs and punching me multiple times on my arm for my birthday. Now that he is reformed through years of martial arts training, instead of punching you on your birthday, he threatens to throw you.

Jo Kyo Nim Vaatete remembers that Nick hung out at the dojang all the time when he was younger. He still does. Now, though, he has transformed into "a very mature and responsible young man," according to Ms. Vaatete. Nick has a knack with kids and is very supportive of Ms. Vaatete, helping her out and practicing with her all the time, especially when she was preparing for her own black sash test.  

Denise Parga calls Nick the "go-to guy" for techniques, which is fitting, as one of the classes offered at the dojang is "go too gi!" She has tried to catch him unawares, asking him at odd moments to demonstrate various HRD techniques, such as "Ho Shin We Bok Sul" No. 10 or No. 38, but to no avail!  Nick has yet to fail to remember a technique.

Nick's goal is to understand everything in HRD in a clearer light. Now that he has tested for his black sash, he says he needs to review all the HRD techniques and analyze them. There are over 400 techniques. When asked if he thinks he has the ability to defend himself if attacked, he says he now believes that he can. When he first started TSD, he thought he could defend himself but quickly realized that in TSD, you don't have the skills you attain in HRD.

Nick also teaches the TSD Adult Advanced Class with Matthew Kim. Antonio Goodwin says with a chuckle, "he would torture us." Jessica Baio says that the classes are harder with Nick. Nick has always had high standards. Stephen Ginsburg remembers how hard Nick was with the junior HRD students, really whipping them into shape.

Nick's dream is to become a video game designer and his plan is to create a HRD video game called "The Hwa Rang Do Fighters" and he is planning to base the characters on students training at the dojang. Finally, Nick's advice to teenagers, which really applies to everyone, "Stick with it, do what your heart tells you to do, follow your passion. My passion is HRD." Only approximately 1% of the students who start Hwa Rang Do receive a black sash. So, when you see Nick, remember to congratulate him.

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