My 1st Degree Black Belt:

My name is Giselle. I came to be at Team Karate Centers almost by accident. In late 2004, my then-husband and I decided to enroll our 5-year-old son in karate classes. I took him to another school where he took a class but he wasnt very excited about it. At the same time his father, who was a mortgage loan officer, was working on a loan for a couple, both of whom were black belts who taught and trained at a school called Team Karate Centers. He mentioned to them that we were trying to find a school where our son could train and they suggested we check out TKC.
Within a week of my sons first class, some of my girlfriends whose kids were also TKC students suggested that we moms should start taking classes too. When I heard that, I was more than a little bit apprehensive. Id thought about taking karate classes when I was 8 or 9 years old. I was very shy and not very athletic, so I never worked up the nerve to do anything more than contemplate it. So here I was with the opportunity to start training but I was still gun shy. Still, I thought to myself that it was really now or never. Id be starting with close friends and wed all be in it together. Basically, I started taking classes with the idea that it would be good for me to face a fear that Id had since early childhood.
I remember my first class. It was the Monday night white/orange/yellow belt class taught by Miss Soheila. I was so nervous. We worked on count kicksand other things I suppose and I remember thinking, Ok, front kicklean back, ball of the foot. Side kickknee to chest, lean over, knife edge. Roundhouseknee up, hip up, point the toes. It was so foreign and there were so many details to keep straight. And, oh boy, was I sore! Muscles Id forgotten I had were screaming. My next few classes were more of the same. There were still so many things to remember, so many muscles waiting to make their presence known! And, while I enjoyed karate from the first class, I started becoming positively addicted to it a couple weeks later. Instructors and students whod been around for a while warned my friends and me to take it easy, to not overdo it.
But for me there was no such thing as overdoing it. I was just drinking it all in and falling more in love with each class. I didnt think about becoming a black belt until Id been training for several months. Karate was just something I loved doing and that made me feel great. Its funny because that first class in December 2004 seems like it was ages ago. At the same time I look back at my journey up to now and think, Wow! Has it really been five years?
I have loved every minute of training at TKC and I have much to be grateful for. I want to express my gratitude to Mr. Fariborz for creating this amazing place that is TKC; to my instructors from whom Ive learned so many things; to my family and friends for their unwavering support and assistance along the way; and to my teammates for making this journey the wonderful experience that its been.

My Red and Black (Qualification) Belt:

My Red Belt:

My Brown Belt:

My Blue Belt:

My Green Belt:

My Yellow Belt:

My Orange Belt:

My Mission Statement

I will know which principles will be the points of my personal compass and I will live by those principles. To wit,
Courage
I will show courage as I walk the path of my life. I will do the right thing at all costs and at any risk. I will acknowledge that I will make mistakes and I will not fear them.
Faith
When facing challenges, I will not lose hope and give in to fear or despair. I will have faith that I will survive the challenges and be stronger for having surmounted them. My faith will lead me to the right path and the right choices.
Respect
I will respect others and treat them as they would wish to be treated. I will respect myself and treat myself as I want others to treat me. I will accord my children the same respect that I expect from them.
Patience
I will be patient with myself and others. I will remember that my children are young and are continually learning. Likewise, I will remember that I am also continually learning. I will remember that all of us will slip, all of us will make mistakes, and I will not criticize them or myself for the mistakes. Instead, I will learn from my mistakes and will help them to learn from theirs.
Accountability
I will take responsibility for my actions. When I make mistakes, I will own them and I will make amends to those I have wronged. Conversely, when I do something well, I will acknowledge my triumph and will give myself due credit for my efforts and success.
Positive Attitude
I will maintain a positive mental attitude so that people will be lifted up by my presence in their lives and so that I will not attract failure through my own negativity.
Dependability
I will be true to my word and will show others that I can be depended upon.

My Essays

I think I deserve a black belt because, in my 3 years on the mat at TKC, I have proven that I am dedicated to and passionate about my study of the martial arts. I have devoted countless hours to the task of improving myself both physically and mentally through my studies. Between December 2004 and December 2006, I was taking four classes and week and eventually increased that to four classes and two privates a week.
When I began preparing in earnest for candidacy in early 2007, I was taking four classes, two privates, and training on my own for an average of two additional hours a day. Even during the thirteen months that I was away from TKC, my love of martial arts and TKC never diminished; I continued to practice what Id learned during my absence from TKC. Since Ive come back, Ive been able to take only two classes a week, but Ive trained privately whenever possible and have continued to practice at home as well.
I have dreamed about becoming a black belt ever since I started at TKC and I have worked hard towards that goal since December 2004. I am totally committed to seeing this journey through to September 26, 2009 and beyond.

Id thought about taking karate classes since I was about seven or eight but had never done more than just think about it because I was afraid. So when I started, I did it because I felt it would be good for me to face one of my long-standing fears. The Black Belt is now something Ive been working towards for about 3 years (not counting the thirteen months when I yearned to be back on the mat).
Leah, whose kids were already at TKC, and a mutual friend of ours proposed that we take classes too. I figured it was now or never since I didnt think Id have the guts to go on my own. The three of us started classes on a Monday night. We went Wednesday of that week and the following Monday and Wednesday as well. By the end of the second week, I was completely hooked. By week three or four, we were taking four classes a week and I was loving every minute of it.
More seasoned people around the studio kept warning me to ease up because I was likely to burn out if I kept up that pace. I continued to go to classes four times a week and, instead of burning out, wished I could go more and started to think about when I might be ready to test for my first degree.
At that time, getting a black belt was just that: getting a black belt for the cool factor. It wasnt about being a Black Belt. Only in the last couple of years did a shift happen, with the goal changing from getting a black belt to being a Black Belt. The black belt and its significance to me have changed. Wearing the black belt is an outward sign of a fundamental internal shift. Who and what I am have changed as my time on the mat has lengthened. Ive discovered that, although I still have many moments of self-doubt, those moments are fewer than they were at the beginning of my journey.
Whereas four years ago, I would have told you that I didnt have an athletic bone in my body, Ive discovered that I am in fact an athlete and am actually pretty good at something that is, in one of its manifestations, very much athletic. On the other hand, Ive also discovered that, at its core, the study of martial arts is not about athletics at all. That is one of the great draws for me. The study and practice of martial arts is at once so physical and so much in the mind.
The Black Belt is about self-discipline and self-mastery.
Its about finding my center and being able to bring myself back to it when I finding that Ive drifted away.
Its about finding strength where I never knew it existed. Its not about physical strength, though thats a nice side bonus. Its about defining and finding strength of character that I never knew existed in me.
Its about recognizing and facing my fears and triumphing over them, not allowing them to dominate me and define my choices.
Its about finding and becoming my own best self.
Its about living a different sort of life than the one I would have lived had I not found my way to TKC.

My Letters of Recommendations

Dear Kyoshi and TKC,
I am writing this letter on behalf of Giselle Peisner. I"ve known Giselle for about a year and a half now and watching her head down this journey to black belt excellence, makes me feel so proud. She is a hard working, single mother of three wonderful children and is also a hard worker on the mat. She has dedicated herself to complete the first part of her journey, not only at TKC but in life. I know that she will continue to grow and become an even stonger individual as time goes on. She is truely deserving of this candidacy and I wish her nothing but the best. She is Black Belt Excellence.
Sincerely,
Marnie Strawn

To Whom It May Concern:
I have known Giselle for almost 15 years and in that time she has proven to be a focused, goal driven, fiercely determined individual who does not rest at good enough but constantly strives for excellence. Through abundant family and professional obligations Giselle has stayed the course to achieve her goals only to raise the bar once again. It is my opinion that Giselle Peisner is an ideal Black Belt candidate.
Pamela Hurley

I have had the pleasure of working alongside Giselle for just over a year. In that time, I have found her to be a person of integrity, thorough in everything she does, and always willing to go the extra mile to see a project through to a satisfactory resolution.
Having worked in the mortgage banking industry for a number of years, Giselle is perhaps more knowledgeable in the field than are some of her colleagues. As such, she is often called upon to answer questions, and a percentage of those questions come from me. I have always found that, no matter how busy she is, she will make time to assist her colleagues. In fact, many of her colleagues look to her for leadership and guidance, which she provides quite naturally. She is a confident person, and perhaps one of her greatest strengths is that she projects an image of one who knows she can always surpass her personal best.
One of Giselles traits that impress me most is her willingness to go to bat for the deserving underdog. On several occasions Giselle has personally taken a request for assistance to the department manager, a Senior Vice President, to make a case for assisting a distressed homeowner.
Each of Giselles three children is a testimony to her buoyant personality, strength of character, and equanimity. My hat is off generally to single mothers everywhere, but especially to Giselle. Her children are good natured, very well mannered, and bright.
Giselle has had more than her share of reasons to quit or give up, but that is not her style. Recently she was involved in a car accident while she was on the way to the karate studio. Having suffered some minor injuries, and with the inconvenience of being without a vehicle for several weeks, one of her main concerns was that she would be able to get back to class to train for her black belt.
Becoming a black belt is very important for Giselle. It is not a cool fashion accessory for her, but rather a badge of who she is. I believe the dedication and commitment she has to the black belt makes her a worthy candidate.
Julian A. Lee