In the last three months, Aleena Aniev has earned a green belt in her Tae Kwando class and has learned a means to combat the mean kids on the bus.

The energetic six-year-old loves the sport and the rigor involved in it as well. There are various kicks and punches to be learned in this class. Aniev said, “My favorite kick is the jumping side kick but the kick I use the most is the turn kick.”

She has been working at the sport for quite some time to earn her belt. Her father, Sergey Aniev, said, “To receive a belt, there’s a test she will take where she has to perform a series of movements memorized in a specific order called ‘poomsae.’ Then she has to exhibit the moves that she’s learned in class and finally she has to break a wooden board with a new kick that she’s learned.”

The teacher of the class, most commonly referred to as Master Chan, is well-known for his strict but fun-loving personality. Aniev shares a similar opinion and said, “Sometimes people get scared of Master Chan because they think he’s yelling at them, but he’s just talking loud so everyone can hear him.”

With the teacher’s strict personality comes a level of expectancy for his students. Aniev said the hardest part of the class was “remembering which leg is black and which leg is red. Black means left and red means right.”

Master Chan also instills discipline in his students. Aleena’s mom, Inna Aniev, said, “He sets a good example for the kids that he coaches. He integrates a teaching of respect for others as well as self-confidence amongst his Tae Kwando class.”

The class also has more real-world application than simply improving memorization and concentration: It’s a means of exercise as well. “There aren’t many activities in the wintertime, in Cleveland, for kids,” said Inna. “Furthermore, she needs to know how to defend herself.”

And learn to defend herself she has. Aniev is confident in her ability to use Tae Kwando in real life and said, “I can [use Tae Kwando] on the bus. It teaches me how to punch and kick and scratch people if they start fighting with me.”

Despite this application to real life, Master Chan makes sure that his pupils are appropriate in their use of the art of Tae Kwando. He lets the kids in his classes know that Tae Kwando is an art form to be respected. None-the-less, Tae Kwando is still mainly a means to defend oneself and if necessary the kids in his class are allowed to practice the art in real life.

Many parents in the same small area of Mayfield have the same idea when it comes to their children. Aleena’s dad, Sergey Aniev, said, “There are about 15 to 20 kids in Aleena’s class. There are many factors in their decision to come, whether that is teaching their kid discipline or self-defense.”

“This class gives her the opportunity to show others what she can do,” Inna said. “They’re having fun in that class and this gives her an opportunity to move around, to be active.

All in all Aniev’s happy where she’s at and will continue to work for a higher belt level. “I want to be a black belt. That’s the highest belt you can get,” she said.