From June 27-30, 2022, I tested for my Black Belt in mixed martial arts (MMA) in Redmond, Oregon. This was after five years of training and considerable effort and strengthening. The most challenging of the three day test was the second. I was nervous and knew it would be difficult, but I never expected miles of jogging, so many burpees, and carrying my friend on my back.

At 8:00 a.m. my dad and I set off. We got in our car and drove a mile away to a recreation center at the drop off zone. Upon arriving all forty students were divided into groups and got in lines in ready position. This was it; the challenge was coming in just a few minutes. We sounded off when our instructor, Zach, questioned us, “Are you ready!”

Everyone responded, “Yes sir!” We started with our normal warm-up, getting prepared for a long hike. From there we jogged to the base of a hill and practiced our boxing and Palgae 7 forms in 90 degree weather. One of the kids had to leave because he had severe asthma, but the rest of us kept going. We found a trail, and once everyone gathered there, we were instructed to jog up and stop every three switch-backs to take a one minute break. There were three stops. At the summit of the hill, we were rewarded with a five minute break with snacks and drinks. After the break, we got up and started the trip down the huge hill. Eventually, we arrived back at the bottom where we found a pavement road that stretched out for a mile. We had to run this stretch.

Once there, we found a chicken wire fence with a dug out hole under it leading to a trailhead through the desert sand. One by one, we crawled under the barricade with our bags, full of equipment, dragging from behind. Once all assembled and ready to depart, we started the never-ending five mile journey through the desert. I was in group three, so there were still thorns on the trail and plenty of dust accumulating in the air around me. In just thirty minutes my face was strewn with sand and dust. The only thing I tasted was dirt and dust. About halfway through the trip our instructor gave the command, “Everyone stop!” he shouted. Everyone listened to him and laid down as if to rest. “Did I tell you that you could rest! No! Get down and give me fifteen burpees!” There were some complaints, but that only urged him to give us more burpees. “Get down and give me another ten!” He proceeded to say. When I reached down to do my burpees, I found that there were burs in the sand that started digging into my hands. I stopped in pain, but my instructor spurred me on to keep going. My friend, Miles, and I were in the hardest location with the most burs and thorns, but we persisted.

After more difficult hiking we finally came to a spot to stop for lunch. I had a bag of jerky and an apple. The whole group got a 15 minute break. This refreshed us all. I sat under a tree with plenty of shade. But, our long awaited break quickly came to an end. We all had to get on the trail once more. We ended up on a hill with a long pavement road leading through the middle of it to a parking lot in the distance. We hoped this would be the end of our long journey, but Zach still wanted to squeeze a little more energy out of us. He had us practice with our sticks (eskrima) for another long, grueling 30 minutes. Finally, after performing many martial arts forms we thought we were free, but no. He gathered us into groups of threes. We got to choose which person in the group we would carry to the bottom of the hill. I was in a group with Austen and Liam; we chose to carry Austen because he was the smallest of us, and then we started the trek down the hill. I felt as if my legs were going to give out, but we finally made it to the end, actually being one of the first to the bottom.

This entire test helped challenge my mindset and attitude toward hardship and difficulty. It also helped me learn to work as a team and celebrate as one. In the end, I achieved my goal of black belt and learned how to have an indomitable spirit. This was a very positive experience that inspired me to work hard to complete my goals in life and never give up on them.