A Farmington woman turns
her passion for
Tae Kwon Do
into a business.
FARMINGTON – When Cindy Goding was a youngster, women weren’t encouraged to train or compete in martial arts. Then, as a student at the University of Maine at Farmington, Goding was required to take a gym class as part of graduation requirements. At the urging of a friend, she decided to study Tae Kwon Do.
Fast-forward 14 years, past a wedding and the birth of two children, to last August. That’s when Goding, now 34, earned her black belt in Tae Kwon Do and a certificate to teach.
Today, she and her husband, Rob, own and operate Goding’s Tae Kwon Do. After four years in downtown Wilton, it recently moved to Wilton Road in Farmington.
“We’ve put a sign up, so it’s definitely more than a hobby,” Goding said.
Business is booming. They’re teaching more than 50 students ranging in age from 4 to the 50s.
“I have to say I was very proud of myself,” Goding said of garnering her black belt, the holy grail of martial arts. “I hope it shows my daughter she can achieve her goals.”
That wish is coming true. The couple’s daughter, Catherine, 8, recently won first place in sparring and first in forms at a competition for youngsters. She reached the green belt level, half way up the belt ranking to black.
Although Goding considers herself a pretty tough woman, it melted her heart when she overheard her daughter calling her mother a “role model.”
Their son, Ian, 4, is also proving himself in Tae Kwon Do, though his attention span is a bit shorter than his older sister’s.
“He is a four-year-old and there is no way around that,” Goding said. “Probably our most challenging students are our own children.”
At the studio, when training is in session, Goding and her husband refer to each other as “Sir” and “Maam” or “Mr. Goding” and “Mrs. Goding.”
They are there to learn and to teach, their marriage aside, and they have a common respect for each other, and for their students.
It’s those formalities, Goding explained, that make Tae Kwon Do positive for children and adults alike.
Children develop greater academic concentration and more respect for their elders, Goding said.
“We get a lot of positive comments from parents about that end of it. Of course there is also the physical aspect of it,” she said.
With February being Women’s History Month, Goding is planning a special women-only class with Allard’s Tae Kwon Do Center in Augusta. If the interest is there, they’ll also have one in Farmington at their studio.
“It’s about taking responsibility for yourself and proving that women are capable people. You can still be feminine and do this. You don’t have to be a certain type of woman,” she said. “There is no stereotype here.”
She says the activity is also good for families.
“Families have become so disconnected,” said Goding, who works by day for Western Maine Community Action Program. “You lose a lot of communication and respect, and doing activities like Tae Kwon Do is a way to get that back. If your kids are here, you know what they are doing.”
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