Foster

The Martial Arts Family

TMA Vice President
by Ms. Jennifer Foster

    My martial arts career started 28 years ago as a young girl trying to spend more time with her daddy. I began asking my dad, Master Stangle, every time he left for class. "Please can I go with you?!" He always said the same thing. "when you're seven" When I turned 7 he kept his promise, (I'm sure not thinking in a million years I would last this long.) I fell in love with martial arts as soon as I started. I was the youngest and smallest in my class, but I thought I was just about it. I stayed faithful to the martial arts and my relationship with my dad grew stronger until those dreaded teen years.

    At 16 I rebelled against my father and everything he stood for, including martial arts. I stayed away from Taekwondo for five years. By that time I was in college, had matured a little, and most importantly the Traditional Martial Arts Association was being born. I reentered Martial Arts and joined the Instructors Trainee Program. A little over a year latter I became an Instructor in the TMA and have never looked back.

    Martial Arts is my therapy. I don't think I could survive mentally without it.

    Now I feel things have come full circle. My young daughter now begs every time I leave for class, "Please can I go with you." I just say "when you're five".

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Last modified: 11/12/08