This poem was written to honor Karen Brown’s lifetime of discipline, teaching, and courage in taekwondo, and the deep personal meaning of her eighth dan test in Korea. It reflects not only athletic mastery, but family, heritage, and the long arc of commitment that stretches across decades and across the ocean. This is a story about showing up again and again, even when the body protests, and about traditions that bind generations together.
In Central Mass, a master named Karen Brown,
With fifty years' fire, wears taekwondo's crown.
From Michigan roots where bullies once loomed,
She kicked into greatness, her confidence bloomed.
Through drills and tough spars, with sticks for the guide,
She claimed countless trophies, her spirit untied.
To Worcester she ventured, teaching with grace,
Her kids black-belt strong, joining the chase.
Two schools she commands, in Shrewsbury and town,
Where students find strength, never backing down.
But the call came from Korea, the art's sacred birth,
To test for eighth dan, proving her worth.
At World Headquarters, forms danced in the air,
Her body screamed weary, but victory was there.
"Scary and grueling," she said with a grin,
Yet lifted by loved ones, she let the win in.
For Korea's our tie, where my wife's kin reside,
Her family's heartbeat, our cultural pride.
This honor from Seoul echoes deep in our soul,
A bridge 'cross the ocean, making us whole.
In taekwondo's homeland, where traditions ignite,
Karen's drive inspires, a beacon so bright.
Nine years till the ninth, she'll prepare with new might,
Our family's Korea connection, pure delight.
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