Overcoming the Odds

Blind Tae Kwon Do student breaks the mold and earns a first-level black belt

For nearly 20 months, Hahnville resident Jamona Anderson challenged herself daily to learn and master the first five belt levels in the martial arts sport known as Tae Kwon Do. Anderson, who was born with congenital glaucoma and has underwent 47 eye surgeries, has been visually impaired since birth and says that it’s always been her dream to study the ancient Korean sport.

“My interest in Tae Kwon Do began early in life, but I never pursued it,” she said. “One morning I was listening to my favorite radio show and the host was talking about going back and revisiting whatever it was you wanted to do in life, so I decided to finally give it a shot.”

With a new-found motivation, Anderson called the St. Charles Tae Kwon Do Academy in Boutte to get information on taking classes.

“When I first got the call from Jamona, I didn’t know that she she couldn’t see,” said Ray Harmeyer, the fifth-degree certified instructor at the school. “So, I was a little surprised when she told me that she was blind.”

Harmeyer says that he had never taught a blind student before, but was willing to work with Anderson if she was serious about learning Tae Kwon Do.

“I’ve had students in the past with disorders like ADD (attention deficit disorder) or ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), and I currently have a student with cerebral palsy, but I never taught someone who was blind.” he said. “And it was new to me. I had to adapt my teaching techniques to accommodate Jamona’s condition.”

In order to teach Anderson the proper forms, kicks and sparring techniques, Harmeyer had to “dance” with her.

“In class, I would either stand closely behind or in front of Jamona and guide her hands with mine through the movements,” said Harmeyer. “And it’s been a pleasant surprise teaching her. I only have to show her a form one or two times before she catches on.”

Harmeyer adds that Anderson is a dedicated student and has never missed a class.

“I told her that you can be either as good as you want to be or as bad as you want to be,” he said. “And good is what she wants to be. She comes to class three times a week and studies daily at home.”

While sparring and kicks fulfill Anderson’s appetite for physical challenges, it’s the Tae Kwon Do philosophy that feeds her inner self.

“There’s always a new challenge, always a new kick to learn or a form to build on,” said Anderson. “But it’s also the mental challenges of learning the Tae Kwon Do tenets and applying them in my every day life that gives me satisfaction.”

Tae Kwon Do artists are to live their lives according to the following seven tenets or principles: honor, courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self-control, courage and community.

“Tae Kwon Do is a huge part of my life now,” said Anderson. “I take what I learn in class and use it in my everyday life. In my opinion, living by the tenets makes me a better person. And to be successful in Tae Kwon Do, you must take the art form seriously.”

Harmeyer adds that while it’s been easy for Anderson to follow the Tae Kwon Do philosophy, it’s the board breaking technique that has given her the biggest challenge.

“In Tae Kwon Do, we use what are called re-breakable boards for breaking exercises,” he said. “And the margin or error for actually splitting the board in two is half the size of that of a regular wooden board which makes it harder to break, especially for someone who can’t see.”

A re-breakable board is usually made out of a high-strength plastic that can be rebroke time after time. It is sized like and weighs like wood, made out of two separate boards that snap together in the middle. The goal is to break the board at the snapping point.

“Because the margin of error is smaller, Jamona had problems at first with breaking the board,” said Harmeyer. “She couldn’t see where the breaking point was, but after four months at the red belt level and determination, she mastered the technique.”

Harmeyer says that another aspect of the sport that Jamona was fearful of was sparring.

“I think that Jamona was afraid of sparring because she thought that someone would hurt her,” he said. “So I initially paired her off with black belt students to help build her confidence. They were at a higher level than she was, so if she could spar with them, then she could spar with anyone.”

Anderson gives credit to her lifelong faith in God as the guidance that has not only helped her find success in Tae Kwon Do, but that has gotten her through all of the challenges she has faced as a blind woman.

“You can’t do anything without having faith in God,” she said. “Every day is a challenge and Tae Kwon Do was just another hurdle for me to overcome.”

Harmeyer adds that Anderson had tested with other Tae Kwon Do students in the region and, in his opinion, she performs better than probably 60 percent of people who can see.

“Jamona has traveled to all over southeast Louisiana to test with others,” he said. “And I can’t even count how many standing ovations she has received.”

On Oct. 3, Anderson was presented with a probationary black belt and a certificate of rank. This means that if she continues her studies she can advance and to move up to reach level-two black belt status.