06/09/2026
Was tagged in this post from a very proud parent and wanted to share it with everyone.
Sooyang Do is so much more than a martial art and it’s so nice and humbling to hear it from a parent.
It really enforces that our values and what we do is something to shout about and be proud of.
Thank you Marius Coste for the post and to all our members and their families for their continual support and in trusting us with your future development.
😀
🥋❤️ FROM WHITE BELT… TO HELPING THE NEXT GENERATION.
“Today, I stood watching Anna help with the grading of the younger white belts in Sooyang Do Martial Art International
… and, for a moment, I couldn’t help but become incredibly emotional.
Because 9 years ago, that was Anna.
A tiny little girl.
A brand-new white belt.
Taking her very first steps on a martial arts journey that none of us could have imagined would take her this far.
And today, I watched her stand on the other side — helping, encouraging and supporting those who are just beginning their own journey. 🥋❤️
It was one of those moments that makes a parent stop, breathe, and realise just how quickly the years have passed.
Anna is now working towards what we hope will be her 2nd Dan black belt before the end of this year. 🖤🥋
But the belts are not what make us proud.
It is the person she is becoming.
The discipline.
The resilience.
The respect.
The patience.
The willingness to help others.
And the understanding that true strength isn’t about being better than someone else — it’s about helping someone else become better.
🙏 To Sooyang Do — thank you.
Thank you for giving Anna a place to learn, grow, challenge herself and discover what she is capable of.
And to every instructor who has played a part in her journey over these incredible nine years — thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
Especially Mr McIver, who sadly is no longer with us.
Your influence, your teaching and the foundations you helped build in Anna have never been forgotten. ❤️
And to Mrs Colleen E McIver, who continues to guide Anna on her martial arts journey — thank you for your dedication, encouragement and belief in her. Your support means more than words can express. 🙏🥋
Nine years ago, Anna was the little white belt learning her very first techniques.
Today, she is helping other little white belts take their first steps.
And somewhere between those two moments, she grew up.
We couldn’t be prouder of you, Anna.
Keep going. Keep learning. Keep helping others.
And whatever colour belt comes next…
always remember the little white belt you once were. “❤️🥋🖤
For Marius Coste, that post wasn’t just about looking back at the little girl who walked into her first lesson nine years ago — it was about recognising just how much more Sooyang Do has given Anna along the way.
“The belts and grades are wonderful achievements, but the real value is in the person she is becoming — her discipline, confidence, resilience, respect and, perhaps most importantly, her willingness to help others.
Seeing her now helping those little white belts who are standing exactly where she once stood was a genuinely emotional moment for me as a dad. ❤️
Sooyang Do has played such an important part in Anna’s life, and we are incredibly grateful to every instructor who has supported, encouraged and challenged her over the years.
And absolutely, the foundations Mr McIver helped build in her will always be remembered. ❤️
Thank you to everyone at Sooyang Do for everything you continue to do for Anna and for so many other young people. It really is so much more than a martial art.
Proud parent moment… absolutely. “🥹❤️🥋
