C.R. Valdez is a man of courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self-control, and above all, indomitable spirit. Over the course of his long life he has been many things: student, sailor, test track worker, prison guard, father, and grandfather. I have had the honor to know him as someone else- a teacher. I began taking Tae Kwon Do lessons at the local YMCA when I was eight years old. I was a reluctant student, being dragged to a martial arts class in a noisy gym for one hour twice a week. It has been nearly nine years since then, and Tae Kwon Do has helped me to overcome my shyness, my fears, my anxieties, and my stresses, and helped me grow into a stronger, more confident, and overall better person. This has all been thanks to Master Valdez. He taught Tae Kwon Do long before I entered the dojang, and has continued teaching it through the three location changes, the surges and droughts of new students, every single test, and a brief period of hospitalization.
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Battling dizzy spells and shaky hands, Master Valdez still shows up to class every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, if only to ensure that there is a sufficient amount of higher ranking students to teach the lower ranks that class. Despite having trouble even standing many days, he greets every student, chats with the parents, and discusses the lesson with whomever is teaching that day. He remains actively involved in Tae Kwon Do, leading by example and revealing his true dedication to the
Battling dizzy spells and shaky hands, Master Valdez still shows up to class every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, if only to ensure that there is a sufficient amount of higher ranking students to teach the lower ranks that class. Despite having trouble even standing many days, he greets every student, chats with the parents, and discusses the lesson with whomever is teaching that day. He remains actively involved in Tae Kwon Do, leading by example and revealing his true dedication to the