Our next TNG spotlight brings us to Greece to Myrto Protopsalti. Recently Myrto reached the grand champion finals for her Kenpo kata in Italy. Myrto is not only a talented kenpoist but also a positive and enthusiastic competitor, a true asset to the TNG group. Below is her introduction:
My name is Myrto Protopsalti, and my journey in Kenpo began in 2012, at the age of six. What initially started as a simple way to exercise, eventually became one of my greatest passions. Over these fourteen years, Kenpo has transformed into a way of life for me — a way of thinking and a path of personal development. Alongside my teacher, Panagiotis Tsiberis, I learned self-defense, self-control, discipline, perseverance, physical and mental strength, as well as moral values. It has now become an inseparable part of my everyday life.
This year marks the second year that, as a black belt, I am no longer involved in Kenpo solely as a student and athlete, but have begun to discover the magical world of teaching. I hope that in the years to come, I will continue to get to know myself through Kenpo and that I will be able to pass on the knowledge and values that I will have gained, to those who will choose to trust me as their instructor in the future.
After all, as my teacher says: “Up to the black belt, we are merely spectators of the art. After that, is when we actually become students!”