Today we’d like to introduce you to Jamil Muhammad.
Hi Jamil, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My martial arts journey started back in 2002 at a Karate school located in Douglasville, Georgia. During that time, I was five years old and I had just been kicked out of my 6th pre-school due to impulsive behavior that resulted in me being aggressive towards other kids. My father, Rasheed Muhammad, enrolled me in Karate classes as a way for me to learn how to control my emotions and actions while also learning self-defense. At the age of 8, I moved to a Tae Kwon Do school located in Smyrna, Georgia. It was there that I earned my black belt at the age of 12 under the mentorship of Grandmaster Tae Ju Jung. In 2014, Grandmaster Tae Ju Jung retired and transferred the school over to my current teacher, Grandmaster Chung. Since then, I have learned multiple styles of martial arts, weapons, and tricking techniques. As of today, I am a 4th degree black belt instructor at TONCHU Martial Arts pursuing mastership in the fall of 2023.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
When it came to finding a talent that I was good at, I struggled. I considered doing other sports even though I was practicing martial arts at the time. I had explored other activities such as football, basketball, drums, guitar, singing, and piano, but I never stayed with those activities for long because of the special connection I had to martial arts. As a kid, my father and I used to watch Jackie Chan, Bruce Lee and the Matrix movies. I was always so fascinated with the fighting scenes and cool moves that were used in the films and it motivated me to keep practicing martial arts so I could learn fight choreography like in the action films. My lack of coordination at a young age caused me to struggle with learning new Tae Kwon Do forms and weapons, but my consistent practice, with the help of my father, allowed me to improve and acquire the skills that I know today.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Today, I am currently a 4th degree black belt instructor in Tae Kwon Do. As an instructor, I am able to teach kids, teens, and adults how to defend themselves along with life skills such as discipline, perseverance, self-control, and integrity. I specialize in Tae Kwon Do, Kung Fu, and Karate while also having weapon proficiency in Nunchuks, Sai, Sword, Escrima stick, Bo Staff, and Knives. If I could pick one thing that I am proud of it would be my progression since starting martial arts from when I started as a white belt all the way to where I am now. What sets me apart from everyone else is my drive to reach a higher level. Whether it’s teaching myself how to do new moves or learning a new weapon, I’m constantly driven to do more with my body as I progress through my martial arts training.
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
For those who are interested in practicing martial arts or are starting in it, my advice would be to consistently practice and to be patient with yourself. It took me some years to figure out that I wanted to do martial arts and it took even longer to practice my craft to where I am today. There will be times where learning a new skill may seem difficult to do and that can either deter you from learning it or motivate you to try harder. If you truly want to learn something new, be patient with yourself and find time to consistently practice so you can develop yourself to become better at that skill whether it be martial arts or something that you are truly passionate about.
Contact Info:
- Email: jrmuhammad@icloud.com
- Website: https://express.adobe.com/page/4cfZJRvaIUKr7/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nin_ja_mil/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jamil.muhammad.1614/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/ThaMunnyMan
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC81EoAUv6yB2nqt2arD2bOw
Image Credits
Alex Wong Melody McLaurin
