GLENDA McCULLOCH

Rank: 6th Degree Instructor Level: Brown Started Taekwondo in: 1995 Favorite Book: “Christmas Box” Favorite Movie: Any James Bond Movie Favorite Color: Green Favorite Ice Cream: Cookies & Cream Why TaeKwonDo? That is what most people ask when they find out what we do. It is our life and I would not know where I would be without it. Most people assume Mr. McCulloch and I met in TaeKwonDo but actually it was Spanish class in college. Which is a story for another time! After we met I spent a year watching him take class with Mr. Johnson, going to many testing and tournaments so before long he and several of the adult students convinced me to join. I had been watching and supporting him for so long it was really different being on the other side of the workout floor. Now as I look back I am very glad that I joined. I was not a confident person when it came to performing in front of others and I would have never imagined that I would become a 4th degree instructor. I feel I have come a long way from my first tournament as a yellow belt in Pensacola, Fl where I was so nervous I could barely do my form. Needless to say I went home with my very first Spirit trophy that soon became very special to me. Mr. McCulloch used it as the cake top on his groom’s cake, which was shaped like a trophy and said, “I’ve finally won 1st Prize”. I have had to overcome many obstacles in my TaeKwonDo career like testing for Decided 1st degree. Now I know what perseverance means!! It took me 3 tries before I passed because I could not break my boards. That was a very emotional time for me but when I finally did pass it was all worth it. The next obstacle in my career came with the news of our first son Bryan. I love my kids to death and would not change my life for anything but boy has it been hard to train and keep testing for rank when you have three children under the age of 6. I have even tested pregnant twice, once in 2000 for Instructor Certification (I was 10 weeks pregnant with Bryan) and then again in 2002 for senior 3rd degree (I was 5 months pregnant with Sean and we flew 13 hours to England). Maybe that is why TKD is in our boys’ blood. Many people gave Mr. McCulloch a hard time because I taught Kickboxing until I was 38 weeks with Bryan, and I taught the day before I gave birth to our second son Timmy. I guess you could say I owe it all to Mr. McCulloch because I probably would have been one of those people who joined a gym because it’s the easy thing to do. I would have never even considered looking into Martial Arts for myself. Now it is my life and my extended family. Not a minute goes by when we are not thinking, talking, or doing TaeKwonDo. Being a full-time Mom and a TaeKwonDo Instructor is the best job in the world and I get to do it with my 4 favorite boys. What more could you ask for?