From the moment Colin Rose walked into a Taekwondo studio at the age of six, he set a goal.
“I was like, someday I am going to wear a black belt,” the New Brunswick teenager said.
But it would be a battle.
Rose, who is now 17, was born with autism and being inside a Taekwondo studio, echoing with the sounds of punching and yelling, was overwhelming.
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At times, the New Brunswick teen says he felt like fleeing the floor mat.
“It is a pain right here,” he said, as he pointed to his temple.
It was a pain he would have to endure if he wanted to achieve his black belt. Luckily he wasn’t going to have to fight it alone.
His teacher, Master Sang Jin Go, approached the situation with patience and reinforced different forms of communication outside of yelling.
“In order to get your black belt, you have to let the other person know what is going to happen and when you are going to kick and in turn they will yell back at you and let you know that they are holding the pad and are ready for you,” said Rose’s mother, Donna Rose.
Together, Master Go and Colin trained about four times a week in Riverview, N.B.
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And sure enough, the teen was able to crush the barriers he faces … along with a few wooden boards.
Today, a black belt is proudly cinched at his waist.
With reporting from Rebecca Lau
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