The orange belt theme word was Goal Setting. By sheer coincidence, this also coincides with the time when people are supposed to be committing to the Black Belt Club.
I'm all for setting goals and trying to accomplish them. The dojang had an interesting way of setting the goal to become a black belt. Master Lee gave us these "black belts" with an orange stripe down the middle. In reality, we were orange belts. However, throughout the dojang, we were supposed to be treated like we were black belts. This includes people bowing to us. At first, people saw the belts and we did get the bow treatment. It was a little disconcerting. I think this is part of my American cultural bias. However, I believe that word spread through the dojang and people caught on. It died off after a while.
We were also supposed to act like black belts with our attitude and how we treated others....including an "indomitable spirit". I made sure that both me and my kids were doing everything as properly as we could. I would harass my oldest into being more assertive. My youngest into focusing more. Myself into trying to remember all the techniques and steps.
He also addressed us parents and told us that if we were to ever see our kids not acting like black belts, to report them and he would take the special belt away and replace it with a normal orange belt. I used this threat several times on my kids when they would start acting up and it generally got them in line. Did I ever follow through with the threat? No. Should I have? Maybe.
I explained all this to my TKD buddy at work. He gave me the raised eyebrow look. I think he was offended that I would be wearing anything that remotely resembled a black belt. I can understand that completely. A black belt is not to be taken lightly. I convinced myself that the big orange stripe down the middle of it really meant it wasn't real.
Showing posts with label taekwondo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label taekwondo. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Friday, October 5, 2007
the devil is in the details
There is an upcoming dojang only poomsae competition. Subsequently, we've been practicing our "form" for the competition. I thought it was going to be Tae Guk Il Jang because the DVD we got for our belt rank has that form on it. However, the DVD is a bit dated and my dojang has moved the teaching of all the Tae Guk forms to the brown belt and above class level. The reasons for this is twofold: One, they want to us to focus on getting the basics down correctly from the very first. Two, they replaced the time spent on the Tae Guk forms at this belt level with kicking combinations. Subsequently, our "form" for the competition is the blocking set for our belt level.
The steps of the blocking set are:
1) Front Stance, Low Block, Reverse Punch
2) (other side) Low Block, Reverse Punch
3) (other side Middle Block, Reverse Punch
4) (other side) Middle Block, Reverse Punch
5) (other side High Block, Reverse Punch
6) (other side) High Block, Reverse Punch
7) Back Stance, Low Double Knife Hand Block
8) (other side), Low Double Knife Hand Block
9) (other side), Middle Double Knife Hand Block
10) (other side), Middle Double Knife Hand Block
A reverse punch means that the hand that is throwing the punch is the same as the leg that is back in the stance. For each block, starting positions of the hands and arms are important because we need to get maximum effectiveness with our block (a low block starts high, middle and high blocks start low). The ending positions of the block are important because we are trying to protect our body parts (mostly the rib cage area) and don't want to overshoot the block or not be effective in the block. The punch is a punch to the sternum because it sits above the heart and is very effective in real combat.
What I'm trying to convey is that this is a lot of information for my brain to process. I really have to think about every step of what I'm doing. Specifically: hand in a fist or knife hand? fingers together for the knife hand? Thumb not sticking out? Arm straight, 90 degree angle, or a roof over my head? In front stance, is my knee over my foot? Is my back leg straight? Are my feet parallel? In back stance: Are both knees bent? Are my feet perpendicular to each other? 70% of my weight on my back foot? Have I over-rotated my torso? Am I straight up and down with my torso vs. leaning forward or back? When throwing the knife hand blocks, am I starting out with the knife hand no higher than my head? Are my hands up or down? Have I rotated them as I throw the block?
Uggh. I was describing all this to my office mate and he told me it was like I was learning to dance. I see the comparison. I threw back at him that it was like learning to type all over again. Way back in the day, I had to think about every finger movement for every single letter. Now, I don't even think about it anymore. It's as natural as talking. I know that is what I'm going through now. I will eventually not have to think about all these issues. I just need to make sure I get them correct now.
We evaluated each other's form in practice the other day. The guy evaluating me described me as tense and I need to relax. I couldn't agree more. Yet another thing to "think about".
The steps of the blocking set are:
1) Front Stance, Low Block, Reverse Punch
2) (other side) Low Block, Reverse Punch
3) (other side Middle Block, Reverse Punch
4) (other side) Middle Block, Reverse Punch
5) (other side High Block, Reverse Punch
6) (other side) High Block, Reverse Punch
7) Back Stance, Low Double Knife Hand Block
8) (other side), Low Double Knife Hand Block
9) (other side), Middle Double Knife Hand Block
10) (other side), Middle Double Knife Hand Block
A reverse punch means that the hand that is throwing the punch is the same as the leg that is back in the stance. For each block, starting positions of the hands and arms are important because we need to get maximum effectiveness with our block (a low block starts high, middle and high blocks start low). The ending positions of the block are important because we are trying to protect our body parts (mostly the rib cage area) and don't want to overshoot the block or not be effective in the block. The punch is a punch to the sternum because it sits above the heart and is very effective in real combat.
What I'm trying to convey is that this is a lot of information for my brain to process. I really have to think about every step of what I'm doing. Specifically: hand in a fist or knife hand? fingers together for the knife hand? Thumb not sticking out? Arm straight, 90 degree angle, or a roof over my head? In front stance, is my knee over my foot? Is my back leg straight? Are my feet parallel? In back stance: Are both knees bent? Are my feet perpendicular to each other? 70% of my weight on my back foot? Have I over-rotated my torso? Am I straight up and down with my torso vs. leaning forward or back? When throwing the knife hand blocks, am I starting out with the knife hand no higher than my head? Are my hands up or down? Have I rotated them as I throw the block?
Uggh. I was describing all this to my office mate and he told me it was like I was learning to dance. I see the comparison. I threw back at him that it was like learning to type all over again. Way back in the day, I had to think about every finger movement for every single letter. Now, I don't even think about it anymore. It's as natural as talking. I know that is what I'm going through now. I will eventually not have to think about all these issues. I just need to make sure I get them correct now.
We evaluated each other's form in practice the other day. The guy evaluating me described me as tense and I need to relax. I couldn't agree more. Yet another thing to "think about".
Thursday, October 4, 2007
Theme words - Enthusiasm
The yellow belt theme word is enthusiasm. The motivational poster on the wall defined it as "Sharing your excitement with others." Examples they gave were about actively participating in class, kihaping (yelling) loudly, and arriving 5 minutes early to class among others. The cynic in me leads me to think that the unspoken example is "tell your friends about how much you love taekwondo so they'll sign up with us." The best and final example they actually gave in class: "Do your best in everything you do." We try to teach this to our kids in almost every situation. We don't care how well they do, we just want them to give it their best effort.
My daughters have opposite personalities. My oldest is pretty reserved and quiet while my youngest shows no restraint in her emotions, both up and down. For the longest time in the classes, I would listen for my oldest daughter's kihap when she was kicking and I could tell that she wasn't even opening her mouth. Usually, she was in line right next to me as we were practicing. A simple "hand behind my ear, I can't hear you" would get her to at least say it. The instructors picked up on it and started calling out individual people to be the only ones kihaping. My daughter is actually pretty loud when she wants to be and everyone could hear her when it was her turn.
The best and final example they actually gave in class: "Do your best in everything you do." We try to teach this to our kids in almost every situation. We don't care how well they do, we just want them to try to do their best. While my daughter was a yellow belt, we ran into a situation where it was obvious she was just doing partial effort. I won't reveal details as they aren't important. As discipline though, I had her look up the definition of enthusiasm. I found one that matched the "doing your best" example and had her write it 25 times. I then had a discussion with her on what I was trying to teach her. Part of that discussion involved a warning to her that if I saw her giving partial efforts, I would talk to Master Lee about it. A very likely consequence is a demotion, even if it is in situations not directly involving taekwondo like school work or chores.
The immediate result was an increase in the level of "enthusiasm". It has carried forward to this day but every once in a while, I do have to remind both of my kids about doing their best. A gentle reminder about having a "black belt attitude" is enough to get the point across.
My daughters have opposite personalities. My oldest is pretty reserved and quiet while my youngest shows no restraint in her emotions, both up and down. For the longest time in the classes, I would listen for my oldest daughter's kihap when she was kicking and I could tell that she wasn't even opening her mouth. Usually, she was in line right next to me as we were practicing. A simple "hand behind my ear, I can't hear you" would get her to at least say it. The instructors picked up on it and started calling out individual people to be the only ones kihaping. My daughter is actually pretty loud when she wants to be and everyone could hear her when it was her turn.
The best and final example they actually gave in class: "Do your best in everything you do." We try to teach this to our kids in almost every situation. We don't care how well they do, we just want them to try to do their best. While my daughter was a yellow belt, we ran into a situation where it was obvious she was just doing partial effort. I won't reveal details as they aren't important. As discipline though, I had her look up the definition of enthusiasm. I found one that matched the "doing your best" example and had her write it 25 times. I then had a discussion with her on what I was trying to teach her. Part of that discussion involved a warning to her that if I saw her giving partial efforts, I would talk to Master Lee about it. A very likely consequence is a demotion, even if it is in situations not directly involving taekwondo like school work or chores.
The immediate result was an increase in the level of "enthusiasm". It has carried forward to this day but every once in a while, I do have to remind both of my kids about doing their best. A gentle reminder about having a "black belt attitude" is enough to get the point across.
Thursday, September 20, 2007
"Is it exercise?"
Another question that frequently comes up when I'm talking taekwondo is "Is it really good exercise?", or "Is there a cardio workout involved?". My answer to this is usually nice and vague...."As with all things you do, you get out of it what you put into it."
I started Taekwondo back in March. At the same time, I also cut out all soda. I used to drink 1 can a day. I also cut out my 3-4 beers a week. I only have a beer a couple times a month now. I still have my other vices: ice cream every night and my coffee (usually a mocha) every morning. I now order non-fat coffee though.
My daughters and I go to taekwondo twice a week. The beginning of the hour is always stretching, various types of pushups, and various core muscle exercises (i.e. Russian twists, crunches). We then get going with exercises generally involving various kicking/punching combinations or single kicks and punches. This part ends about 25-30 minutes after the hour. Sometimes, we then follow that up with an additional 10 minutes or so of instruction exercises that can be quite strenuous or sometimes it is a little bit more relaxed. This is usually repetitions of something we're supposed to be learning for "muscle training."
The intensity of the workout is usually a direct correlation with who is teaching the class. Master Lee works us the hardest. By the end of the workout, I'm usually sweating quite a bit. I attribute most of that to the large amount of weight I have to move around. Sometimes when I come home, my muscles are aching. I've been doing protein an hour before class to help build muscle but I also hear that it's supposed to minimize the muscle aches. The protein bars are actually quite tasty compared to most I've tried. Oddly, i can't link directly to them. In the interest of full disclosure though: my mom sells them. Search for protein in the shop.
Since I started, I've lost 12 lbs. My goal is to lose another 12 more. I've hit a plateau in weight loss over the last month. I read an article recently (I tried to find it for linkage....couldn't) about varying your routine to continue to lose weight. The theory, or it could be fact, is that your body adapts to the routine and therefore conserves more rather than maintaining the new burn rate. If you vary your routine, the body doesn't know what to expect and revs up the calorie consuming engine. Now I just need to figure out how to vary what I'm doing in the context of TKD.
I'm going to also see if I can get a third session in per week once I get through a heavily scheduled October.
I started Taekwondo back in March. At the same time, I also cut out all soda. I used to drink 1 can a day. I also cut out my 3-4 beers a week. I only have a beer a couple times a month now. I still have my other vices: ice cream every night and my coffee (usually a mocha) every morning. I now order non-fat coffee though.
My daughters and I go to taekwondo twice a week. The beginning of the hour is always stretching, various types of pushups, and various core muscle exercises (i.e. Russian twists, crunches). We then get going with exercises generally involving various kicking/punching combinations or single kicks and punches. This part ends about 25-30 minutes after the hour. Sometimes, we then follow that up with an additional 10 minutes or so of instruction exercises that can be quite strenuous or sometimes it is a little bit more relaxed. This is usually repetitions of something we're supposed to be learning for "muscle training."
The intensity of the workout is usually a direct correlation with who is teaching the class. Master Lee works us the hardest. By the end of the workout, I'm usually sweating quite a bit. I attribute most of that to the large amount of weight I have to move around. Sometimes when I come home, my muscles are aching. I've been doing protein an hour before class to help build muscle but I also hear that it's supposed to minimize the muscle aches. The protein bars are actually quite tasty compared to most I've tried. Oddly, i can't link directly to them. In the interest of full disclosure though: my mom sells them. Search for protein in the shop.
Since I started, I've lost 12 lbs. My goal is to lose another 12 more. I've hit a plateau in weight loss over the last month. I read an article recently (I tried to find it for linkage....couldn't) about varying your routine to continue to lose weight. The theory, or it could be fact, is that your body adapts to the routine and therefore conserves more rather than maintaining the new burn rate. If you vary your routine, the body doesn't know what to expect and revs up the calorie consuming engine. Now I just need to figure out how to vary what I'm doing in the context of TKD.
I'm going to also see if I can get a third session in per week once I get through a heavily scheduled October.
Monday, September 17, 2007
Green Belt Promotion
We went to our first class after the test tonight. When we take the test, we don't actually get the new belt right then. The next time we come to class, after the stretching and warmups, they do the "belt ceremony". This involves each person removing their current belt, coming up to the front of the class, and then having the instructor tie on our new belt. Lots of clapping and some ceremony (cheriut, kung-yay, clap, clap, clap, high-five). The whole ceremony time probably took about 10 minutes of class time with all the people getting their belts.
When coming to the front of the class, we must take a step backwards and run behind the line we are in and around the side to the front of the class. It is very disrespectful to cut through the lines.
The instructor then started us out on a "back to basics" instruction with our blocking techniques. I believe this is in preparation for our first Taeguk form: Tae Guk Il Jang (which I believe translates first but not 1 when counting out loud). I'm also guessing that the testers saw something in the tests for the classes. He started stressing that we needed to break some bad habits now otherwise we will have a lot of difficulty when we reach black belt testing. He really focused on our stances tonight. I've actually been pretty good at my front stance but I do have issues with my back stance. I don't get my back knee bent very well and I twist my torso a little bit.
We followed up with "promise sparring" and then our next eskrima stick routine. Promise Sparring is "fake sparring" where we "promise" not to hit each other or do shots to the head. We don't wear any protection. It gives us a feel for sparring w/o any real risks.
One cool aspect of my dojang is that they provide a DVD for each belt level. We got it at the end of our test and I've already watched it. The Tae Guk Il Jang form is on it. Additionally, all the other "types" of training (blocking set, kicking technique, combinations, kicking set, board break, one step sparring, eskrima technique) that we had for the previous belts but different for our new belt level. Everything seems just a notch more complicated. On my first viewing, I was a little overwhelmed by watching the DVD. However, I watched it again with my daughter and she started breaking it down into what all the steps were. It seemed easier after seeing it through her viewpoint.
When coming to the front of the class, we must take a step backwards and run behind the line we are in and around the side to the front of the class. It is very disrespectful to cut through the lines.
The instructor then started us out on a "back to basics" instruction with our blocking techniques. I believe this is in preparation for our first Taeguk form: Tae Guk Il Jang (which I believe translates first but not 1 when counting out loud). I'm also guessing that the testers saw something in the tests for the classes. He started stressing that we needed to break some bad habits now otherwise we will have a lot of difficulty when we reach black belt testing. He really focused on our stances tonight. I've actually been pretty good at my front stance but I do have issues with my back stance. I don't get my back knee bent very well and I twist my torso a little bit.
We followed up with "promise sparring" and then our next eskrima stick routine. Promise Sparring is "fake sparring" where we "promise" not to hit each other or do shots to the head. We don't wear any protection. It gives us a feel for sparring w/o any real risks.
One cool aspect of my dojang is that they provide a DVD for each belt level. We got it at the end of our test and I've already watched it. The Tae Guk Il Jang form is on it. Additionally, all the other "types" of training (blocking set, kicking technique, combinations, kicking set, board break, one step sparring, eskrima technique) that we had for the previous belts but different for our new belt level. Everything seems just a notch more complicated. On my first viewing, I was a little overwhelmed by watching the DVD. However, I watched it again with my daughter and she started breaking it down into what all the steps were. It seemed easier after seeing it through her viewpoint.
Orange Belt Test
My kids and I had our Orange Belt Test over the weekend. Note: this means we were Orange Belts and we're testing to make sure we knew the Orange Belt curriculum so we could be Green Belts.
The test started out with the Student Creed. While I know the creed, I had forgotten to review it in my head and I drew a complete blank on how it went. Uggh. Panic time. I wasn't the only one though. Most of the class didn't know it but one of my daughter's did. This introduced a shadow of doubt in my head that persisted through the next couple of test items: the blocking set and kicking set. I started an incorrect block in the blocking set but caught myself and did a mid-stream correction.
The kicking set is a series of 3 kicking combinations in 1 direction, reverse the direction and repeat, finish off with a jump front kick/punch combo. Going the first direction, I did 2 of the combos and then stopped that direction thinking I was done...suddenly remembered I wasn't done, did the next combo and continued.
The next part of the test were the kicking combinations. There were 7 combinations we had to learn. At the beginning of it, I knew I had been messing up so I took a deep breath and forced myself to calm down. I knew this stuff. One of the combinations is a back leg roundhouse followed by a narabong (see note below). I have issues with my balance on the narabong where I over rotate. I knew this but also knew if I did it slow enough I would be ok. Well, that deep breath must have helped because I did this pretty well.
After that, we had to recite terminology which I knew very well. We did our escrima stick and board breaking as well. I got dinged on the escrima because I was laying the stick on my shoulder at times.
While doing everything up to this point, I couldn't really watch how my daughter's were doing but I think they did pretty well. They aced most of the test on their score sheets.
I was concerned about the board break (a skip side kick) for my oldest daughter. She is breaking the same thickness of board as I am and did have trouble with the "snap" at the end. Other kids were having issues breaking their boards before her as well. She snapped it on her third try vs. on the first two where she was more just pushing against the board. She did pretty well considering her anxiety over the kick. Our next break for the next belt level is an Axe kick which she's done already in a demo so she should be pretty confident about it.
At the end of the test, I still passed but the tester commented on my lack of confidence. I'm resolving to have all this down pat next time. My kids also passed.
Note: For those who don't know, a narabong is a like a round house except you start out spinning backwards. It's also known as a tornado kick. Here's a video of it in action. Note that the video of it is the normal version of it. We're doing a "ground version" of it where we don't get off the ground. We'll be doing the normal version of it in our next belt level.
The test started out with the Student Creed. While I know the creed, I had forgotten to review it in my head and I drew a complete blank on how it went. Uggh. Panic time. I wasn't the only one though. Most of the class didn't know it but one of my daughter's did. This introduced a shadow of doubt in my head that persisted through the next couple of test items: the blocking set and kicking set. I started an incorrect block in the blocking set but caught myself and did a mid-stream correction.
The kicking set is a series of 3 kicking combinations in 1 direction, reverse the direction and repeat, finish off with a jump front kick/punch combo. Going the first direction, I did 2 of the combos and then stopped that direction thinking I was done...suddenly remembered I wasn't done, did the next combo and continued.
The next part of the test were the kicking combinations. There were 7 combinations we had to learn. At the beginning of it, I knew I had been messing up so I took a deep breath and forced myself to calm down. I knew this stuff. One of the combinations is a back leg roundhouse followed by a narabong (see note below). I have issues with my balance on the narabong where I over rotate. I knew this but also knew if I did it slow enough I would be ok. Well, that deep breath must have helped because I did this pretty well.
After that, we had to recite terminology which I knew very well. We did our escrima stick and board breaking as well. I got dinged on the escrima because I was laying the stick on my shoulder at times.
While doing everything up to this point, I couldn't really watch how my daughter's were doing but I think they did pretty well. They aced most of the test on their score sheets.
I was concerned about the board break (a skip side kick) for my oldest daughter. She is breaking the same thickness of board as I am and did have trouble with the "snap" at the end. Other kids were having issues breaking their boards before her as well. She snapped it on her third try vs. on the first two where she was more just pushing against the board. She did pretty well considering her anxiety over the kick. Our next break for the next belt level is an Axe kick which she's done already in a demo so she should be pretty confident about it.
At the end of the test, I still passed but the tester commented on my lack of confidence. I'm resolving to have all this down pat next time. My kids also passed.
Note: For those who don't know, a narabong is a like a round house except you start out spinning backwards. It's also known as a tornado kick. Here's a video of it in action. Note that the video of it is the normal version of it. We're doing a "ground version" of it where we don't get off the ground. We'll be doing the normal version of it in our next belt level.
Friday, September 14, 2007
Big Time
Committing to becoming a Black Belt at my dojang requires signing a contract, a looonnnng contract. The Black Belt Club program is a commitment to 4 years. To be honest, we (my family and I) went through a lot of apprehension over the whole thing. We spent time over a couple of weeks trying to explain to the kids (10 and 7 at the time) how long 4 years really was. However, I think we overdid it a bit much and freaked out my youngest. She said she wanted to be a Black Belt but not do it for 4 years. She had been doing dance for 4 years but from her perspective, it was ALL she could remember doing. She had this idea in her head that she would be signing up for all of her life.
My oldest had a better idea of how long it was going to be and wasn't quite so hesitant but still had to mull it over quite a bit. I also really spent time talking with her about how toward the end, it was going to get more difficult.
Becoming a Black Belt is not an easy thing, nor do I think it should be. I've heard a statistic, that is completely unverified at this moment, that there are more people who get their PhD's every year than there are people who get Black Belts. Whether or not this is across all martial arts disciplines or just for TKD, I'm not sure. I do believe it though. I suspect my dojang is one of the largest around in the US and I think (based on the number of people I see on the Black Belt Candidate lists) they produce on the order of 20-40 Black Belts a year. Not like they present themselves as a "Black Belt factory" or anything. Master Lee takes his program very seriously and he does expect his students to give their best. Not just in the actual art of TKD but in all the aspects of their lives.
The local paper ran an article that wasn't flattering to Master Lee. The article does appear to only view the side of a disgruntled customer. One item it failed to include though is that Master Lee presents the program up front as a developmental program, not just a recreational program. This was very much explained to me and my kids before we signed on the dotted line. So yes, we did sign up for the long commitment and yes, my kids did sign a "commitment form" themselves to become a Black Belt. They have it hanging in their room in visible site as a motivational tool. Additionally, I'm looking into getting a belt rack where they can keep track of their progress.
One interesting side effect is that my oldest daughter has started expressing future events in terms of her Black Belt status. Like when she will be able to drive a car: "Oh....I'll be a Black Belt by then." Or when she enters high school...."I'll be almost a Black Belt".
My oldest had a better idea of how long it was going to be and wasn't quite so hesitant but still had to mull it over quite a bit. I also really spent time talking with her about how toward the end, it was going to get more difficult.
Becoming a Black Belt is not an easy thing, nor do I think it should be. I've heard a statistic, that is completely unverified at this moment, that there are more people who get their PhD's every year than there are people who get Black Belts. Whether or not this is across all martial arts disciplines or just for TKD, I'm not sure. I do believe it though. I suspect my dojang is one of the largest around in the US and I think (based on the number of people I see on the Black Belt Candidate lists) they produce on the order of 20-40 Black Belts a year. Not like they present themselves as a "Black Belt factory" or anything. Master Lee takes his program very seriously and he does expect his students to give their best. Not just in the actual art of TKD but in all the aspects of their lives.
The local paper ran an article that wasn't flattering to Master Lee. The article does appear to only view the side of a disgruntled customer. One item it failed to include though is that Master Lee presents the program up front as a developmental program, not just a recreational program. This was very much explained to me and my kids before we signed on the dotted line. So yes, we did sign up for the long commitment and yes, my kids did sign a "commitment form" themselves to become a Black Belt. They have it hanging in their room in visible site as a motivational tool. Additionally, I'm looking into getting a belt rack where they can keep track of their progress.
One interesting side effect is that my oldest daughter has started expressing future events in terms of her Black Belt status. Like when she will be able to drive a car: "Oh....I'll be a Black Belt by then." Or when she enters high school...."I'll be almost a Black Belt".
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
The One True Brace Form
If you're a nerd, you get the reference. If not, just think of all those "religious arguments" you get into.
The first couple of weeks of TKD, I couldn't figure out how to tie the belt. I found this: the one true belt tieing method. The test from my Master: "Does it look like a fortune cookie?". My coworker told me he did it differently and that I was wrong.
The first couple of weeks of TKD, I couldn't figure out how to tie the belt. I found this: the one true belt tieing method. The test from my Master: "Does it look like a fortune cookie?". My coworker told me he did it differently and that I was wrong.
"I saw you out in your pajamas."
The dojang we attend is in the new part of town. It's a brand new facility that you can see right along the main thoroughfare through the area. I've heard the dojang has grown more than 100% since they opened here. Location is everything they say.
Anyway...on topic, we usually go to our session at 6:00 pm. About 1/3rd of the time, we end up running an errand afterwards: a trip to Target, Walmart, Pet Smart, King Soopers, etc. The thing is, we don't change out of our uniform when we run the errand. I make it home from work in time to change and get my kids ready to go. The parental cattle prod to "get a move on or else we're going to be late" kind of getting ready. When we run out to the store, we're still in our uniforms and we're usually seen by someone we know.....sometimes without even knowing it. I've seen people change at the dojang when they are done with the session. They are usually there by themselves though. I guess since I'm out in a group with my kids, I really think it's no big deal to head out and do the quick errand. We get stares but it doesn't bother me. Sometimes this is when we get the "Are you going to kick some ass?" comments. From complete strangers even.
I don't think there is a policy against going out in public with the uniform either. After all, we have the logo plastered on our backs. Seems like free advertising. I talked it over with my coworker who does Taekwondo and he thought I was weird for the public exhibition. He goes solo though.
Anyway...on topic, we usually go to our session at 6:00 pm. About 1/3rd of the time, we end up running an errand afterwards: a trip to Target, Walmart, Pet Smart, King Soopers, etc. The thing is, we don't change out of our uniform when we run the errand. I make it home from work in time to change and get my kids ready to go. The parental cattle prod to "get a move on or else we're going to be late" kind of getting ready. When we run out to the store, we're still in our uniforms and we're usually seen by someone we know.....sometimes without even knowing it. I've seen people change at the dojang when they are done with the session. They are usually there by themselves though. I guess since I'm out in a group with my kids, I really think it's no big deal to head out and do the quick errand. We get stares but it doesn't bother me. Sometimes this is when we get the "Are you going to kick some ass?" comments. From complete strangers even.
I don't think there is a policy against going out in public with the uniform either. After all, we have the logo plastered on our backs. Seems like free advertising. I talked it over with my coworker who does Taekwondo and he thought I was weird for the public exhibition. He goes solo though.
Cool! I get to play with sticks!
As mentioned in a previous post, we had signed up for the 6 month basic program. This program does NOT include weapons training. Well, near the end of class one day, Master Lee didn't dismiss the basic program and said to go grab Eskrima sticks. There were only 4 of us from the basic program there that day and we just kinda looked at each other. My oldest daughter wasn't present but my youngest daughter looked at me with that wide-eyed "I get to play with sticks!" look that only a child can have. Master Lee picked up on it right away and made a quick decision to let us stay and try it. He said something along the lines of "Give us a taste". I'm sure it was a marketing decision in his mind as he would like us to sign up for the Black Belt Club.
Eskrima is not a part of Taekwondo. If you read the wiki entry, it is "a class of Filipino Martial Arts". There are a number of Eskrima patterns (for lack of a better word) that we are going to learn as we advance through the program. We pair up and then face each other. The "patterns" involves hitting each other's sticks with your sticks along with some feet movement. I've seen some of the upper belt classes incorporate kicks into the pattern as well. One of the ideas behind Eskrima is that the sticks (or other Eskrima weapons) are really just extensions of your body and if you didn't have the weapon, you could still defend yourself.
Human Weapon on the History Channel has had an entire episode devoted to this Martial Art. It's being broadcast this Friday. I have it setup to be TiVo'ed. If you happen to have an xbox 360, it's one of the TV shows you can download in HD. I'm sorely tempted to do that.
Eskrima is not a part of Taekwondo. If you read the wiki entry, it is "a class of Filipino Martial Arts". There are a number of Eskrima patterns (for lack of a better word) that we are going to learn as we advance through the program. We pair up and then face each other. The "patterns" involves hitting each other's sticks with your sticks along with some feet movement. I've seen some of the upper belt classes incorporate kicks into the pattern as well. One of the ideas behind Eskrima is that the sticks (or other Eskrima weapons) are really just extensions of your body and if you didn't have the weapon, you could still defend yourself.
Human Weapon on the History Channel has had an entire episode devoted to this Martial Art. It's being broadcast this Friday. I have it setup to be TiVo'ed. If you happen to have an xbox 360, it's one of the TV shows you can download in HD. I'm sorely tempted to do that.
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Intro vs. Basic vs. "the club"
I've mentioned some of the progression of how we were indoctrinated into Taekwondo. It's all marketing really. The "Introductory" program was an "afterschool enrichment" program through my kids's school. I'm not sure exactly how the kids learned about it but they wanted to try it. It was a pretty cheap price ($40/person) for 5 weeks. We signed our kids up and then I got roped in. After the initial experience, we then signed up for the 6 month basic program.
The "Intro" and Basic program are structured the same way. We can come in twice a week for 40 minute classes. In those 40 minutes, we do the warmup and stretching exercises and then learn how to do taekwondo kicks, punches, blocks in combinations and sets. The uniform was a basic white uniform with our name written on the lapel in both Korean and English. The name thing is really just so the instructors can get to know us. After 40 minutes of this, the basic and introductory programs are dismissed.
This leads us into the idea of the Black Belt Club. My dojang has in large letters on the wall "We Are A Black Belt School". Their goal is to get you to commit to becoming a Black Belt. Paraphrasing Master Lee, "Do you say 'I want to be a Blue Belt!' No. That's just ridiculous. You say 'I want to be a Black Belt!'
The Black Belt Club gets to practice an extra 20 minutes. In that 20 minutes, the club members do weapons training, one step sparring, board breaking and self defense. The club members also get to come as often as they like during the week, as long as it's to a class for their belt rank. This also includes access to the sparring and forms classes. Note that the sparring and forms classes are classes that are "focused" on those specific aspects of Taekwondo. We do forms in normal class as well.
Once a person has tested through to green belt, my dojang does not allow the person to continue coming unless they commit to the Black Belt Club. That whole commitment process will need to be for another post though.
The "Intro" and Basic program are structured the same way. We can come in twice a week for 40 minute classes. In those 40 minutes, we do the warmup and stretching exercises and then learn how to do taekwondo kicks, punches, blocks in combinations and sets. The uniform was a basic white uniform with our name written on the lapel in both Korean and English. The name thing is really just so the instructors can get to know us. After 40 minutes of this, the basic and introductory programs are dismissed.
This leads us into the idea of the Black Belt Club. My dojang has in large letters on the wall "We Are A Black Belt School". Their goal is to get you to commit to becoming a Black Belt. Paraphrasing Master Lee, "Do you say 'I want to be a Blue Belt!' No. That's just ridiculous. You say 'I want to be a Black Belt!'
The Black Belt Club gets to practice an extra 20 minutes. In that 20 minutes, the club members do weapons training, one step sparring, board breaking and self defense. The club members also get to come as often as they like during the week, as long as it's to a class for their belt rank. This also includes access to the sparring and forms classes. Note that the sparring and forms classes are classes that are "focused" on those specific aspects of Taekwondo. We do forms in normal class as well.
Once a person has tested through to green belt, my dojang does not allow the person to continue coming unless they commit to the Black Belt Club. That whole commitment process will need to be for another post though.
Friday, September 7, 2007
Theme words - Focus
At my dojang, each of the belts has a theme word or phrase attached to it. The main hallway has a string of posters (yeah...kinda like those motivational posters in some corporate environments), one for each theme word. The three themes my daughters and I have done so far: White - Focus, Yellow - Enthusiasm, Orange - Goal Setting.
The dojang defines Focus as "concentrating with your mind, eyes and body". This means not only thinking about what you are doing but looking at it and not doing anything else like fidgeting. When I was a child, I was high energy and always fidgeting, messing with myself, or looking around at who knows what. Friends, family, and strangers would all comment on it. I've noticed this has carried over to my youngest. After 5 months of taekwondo, I've noticed a change in her that she actually pays attention more in class. She sits up straight with her hands on her knees and is really paying attention when the instructor is teaching. She also doesn't mess around so much when she is doing whatever activity (kicks, punches, escrima, etc) we are assigned to do.
Now if only this would carry over to the dinner table. She has a tendency to fall out of her chair because she can't sit still.
The dojang defines Focus as "concentrating with your mind, eyes and body". This means not only thinking about what you are doing but looking at it and not doing anything else like fidgeting. When I was a child, I was high energy and always fidgeting, messing with myself, or looking around at who knows what. Friends, family, and strangers would all comment on it. I've noticed this has carried over to my youngest. After 5 months of taekwondo, I've noticed a change in her that she actually pays attention more in class. She sits up straight with her hands on her knees and is really paying attention when the instructor is teaching. She also doesn't mess around so much when she is doing whatever activity (kicks, punches, escrima, etc) we are assigned to do.
Now if only this would carry over to the dinner table. She has a tendency to fall out of her chair because she can't sit still.
Saturday, August 25, 2007
The Creed
Invariably, whenever someone finds out that we are doing Taekwondo, one of the first words out of their mouth is along the lines of "Are you going to kick my ass?" or "You going to kick some ass?" I just smile and nod if I don't know the person that well.
Taekwondo isn't about learning how to beat someone up. It is about taking care of yourself. It is about being able to defend yourself when other people are trying to take advantage of you. It's about doing your best. Lastly, it's about respect. Be respectful of others. Be respectful of yourself.
For example, in almost every single practice, we recite a student creed. It has 3 parts. The first is about taking care of yourself physically and mentally. The second is about developing self-discipline to help yourself and others. The third is about using what we learn defensively, both for ourselves and others, and not to be "abusive or offensive".
Taekwondo isn't about learning how to beat someone up. It is about taking care of yourself. It is about being able to defend yourself when other people are trying to take advantage of you. It's about doing your best. Lastly, it's about respect. Be respectful of others. Be respectful of yourself.
For example, in almost every single practice, we recite a student creed. It has 3 parts. The first is about taking care of yourself physically and mentally. The second is about developing self-discipline to help yourself and others. The third is about using what we learn defensively, both for ourselves and others, and not to be "abusive or offensive".
Thursday, August 23, 2007
paper is stronger
I was working with my youngest daughter on her board break technique last night. We don't have any real boards or the practice ones at the house. We used paper as a substitute. It's just too flexible. We couldn't kick our way out of a paper bag.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
The Orange Rush
Not to be confused with the Orange Crush, or this one, or this one.
Once we had our yellow belts, we didn't have them very long. It took us 7 weeks to get our yellow belts. Another 6 weeks and we were testing again. We were learning a lot more this time. It was a bit of a whirlwind tour. The reason for the rush was to get us on a schedule with the rest of the dojang and it's quarterly testing schedules. However, when testing time came, we didn't feel quite so comfortable with everything we had learned. I know I messed up once or twice in the actual test. We certainly didn't have the terminology down pat either. Or, it may have been just nerves in that this time, my mom was actually in the back of the room watching me. Never mind the fact that I'm near 40. (ok...I jest)
At the time of the test, I specifically kept wondering if we were being slighted by testing so quick. In hindsight, I don't believe that is the case. We did know everything. We just weren't perfect at it..,,,well with the exception of the blocking set which we rehearsed ad-nauseum for the competition.
Our next belt test is in a couple weeks. As evidenced by the stripes, I'm already ready for it. It will have been a full 3 months by the time this test rolls around.
Yet another oddness: When I heard the term "Yellow Belt Test", I thought that I would be testing in order to get the Yellow Belt. It's actually the opposite of that. I was testing that I have passed the Yellow Belt curriculum and after the test I will get my orange belt.
Once we had our yellow belts, we didn't have them very long. It took us 7 weeks to get our yellow belts. Another 6 weeks and we were testing again. We were learning a lot more this time. It was a bit of a whirlwind tour. The reason for the rush was to get us on a schedule with the rest of the dojang and it's quarterly testing schedules. However, when testing time came, we didn't feel quite so comfortable with everything we had learned. I know I messed up once or twice in the actual test. We certainly didn't have the terminology down pat either. Or, it may have been just nerves in that this time, my mom was actually in the back of the room watching me. Never mind the fact that I'm near 40. (ok...I jest)
At the time of the test, I specifically kept wondering if we were being slighted by testing so quick. In hindsight, I don't believe that is the case. We did know everything. We just weren't perfect at it..,,,well with the exception of the blocking set which we rehearsed ad-nauseum for the competition.
Our next belt test is in a couple weeks. As evidenced by the stripes, I'm already ready for it. It will have been a full 3 months by the time this test rolls around.
Yet another oddness: When I heard the term "Yellow Belt Test", I thought that I would be testing in order to get the Yellow Belt. It's actually the opposite of that. I was testing that I have passed the Yellow Belt curriculum and after the test I will get my orange belt.
Poomsae Competition
If you haven't figured it out by now, I'm playing catch-up on everything that has happened so far in the TKD journey. I'm trying to be chronological about it but I may skip around a little bit from time to time.
The next major event was our first Poomsae (sometimes spelled Poomse) competition. Poomsae means "Form" in Korean. This is essentially a non-sparring competition where everyone competes individually by doing their best at the "form" for their belt level. It's "mandatory participation". However, that didn't quite fit in with us. My youngest had a prior engagement already lined up from before we started and two days before the competition I pulled a muscle in my lower back and really couldn't do much of anything. Therefore, only my oldest daughter actually competed. She was a trooper about being the only one competing from our family and placed 1st in her initial group of competitors. The next stage of the competition then had all the 1st place winners compete where she placed about middle of the pack.
The form for our "yellow belt" level was what the dojang calls "blocking set #1". There are a prescribed set of forms (the Tae Guk Poomsae) that are taught at all dojangs that I've seen around here. My dojang actually holds off on teaching those forms until you are a green belt. Blocking set #1 is a combination of low block, middle block, and high block with an alternating front stance as you do the left side and right side.
The next major event was our first Poomsae (sometimes spelled Poomse) competition. Poomsae means "Form" in Korean. This is essentially a non-sparring competition where everyone competes individually by doing their best at the "form" for their belt level. It's "mandatory participation". However, that didn't quite fit in with us. My youngest had a prior engagement already lined up from before we started and two days before the competition I pulled a muscle in my lower back and really couldn't do much of anything. Therefore, only my oldest daughter actually competed. She was a trooper about being the only one competing from our family and placed 1st in her initial group of competitors. The next stage of the competition then had all the 1st place winners compete where she placed about middle of the pack.
The form for our "yellow belt" level was what the dojang calls "blocking set #1". There are a prescribed set of forms (the Tae Guk Poomsae) that are taught at all dojangs that I've seen around here. My dojang actually holds off on teaching those forms until you are a green belt. Blocking set #1 is a combination of low block, middle block, and high block with an alternating front stance as you do the left side and right side.
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Stripes
Going to the dojang is like being immersed in a new sub-culture of the good old USA.
To explain: When I get involved in something brand new, it's a little scary. I generally don't know what is accepted behavior vs. what is not accepted behavior. I also see things and I really have no idea what they mean. Case in point: the stripes on a belt. First time at the dojang and we see all these different people with all different belt colors. However, they also have these stickers wrapped around the end of their belts. The stickers have words on them but you really can't make them out as people are walking by. They are also different colors. What's up with that? It's another little minor detail that makes you feel a little bit like a fish out of water.
Well, it turns out "the stripes" are given to you once you've learned that particular skill for your belt. Seems like something obvious once you've learned what they are but I really was clueless when I first saw them. It's an easy way for you to keep track of what you have learned. It's also easy for the instructors to do a quick "belt check" and see what they should be covering with the students they have in class.
The various stripes at my dojang: form, blocking set, kicking set, weapons, board breaking, one step sparring, and recommended. You get a recommended stripe (it's black) once you've gotten all the others. It basically means that you're ready to test for the next belt level.
There is an additional stripe at my dojang: attitude. This one is for the kids and coincides with their homework. But that's for another post.
To explain: When I get involved in something brand new, it's a little scary. I generally don't know what is accepted behavior vs. what is not accepted behavior. I also see things and I really have no idea what they mean. Case in point: the stripes on a belt. First time at the dojang and we see all these different people with all different belt colors. However, they also have these stickers wrapped around the end of their belts. The stickers have words on them but you really can't make them out as people are walking by. They are also different colors. What's up with that? It's another little minor detail that makes you feel a little bit like a fish out of water.
Well, it turns out "the stripes" are given to you once you've learned that particular skill for your belt. Seems like something obvious once you've learned what they are but I really was clueless when I first saw them. It's an easy way for you to keep track of what you have learned. It's also easy for the instructors to do a quick "belt check" and see what they should be covering with the students they have in class.
The various stripes at my dojang: form, blocking set, kicking set, weapons, board breaking, one step sparring, and recommended. You get a recommended stripe (it's black) once you've gotten all the others. It basically means that you're ready to test for the next belt level.
There is an additional stripe at my dojang: attitude. This one is for the kids and coincides with their homework. But that's for another post.
First board break
The end of the enrichment program (5 weeks....still a white belt) brought about a little "graduation ceremony". We got to demonstrate the stuff we had learned to the rest of our family. Because I was the one who had gone to the orientation and thus got suckered into the program, this was really a chance for my wife to see the kids and what they had learned.
The "climax" of the demo was a board break. I hate to ruin the mystique of breaking a board but it really wasn't all that hard. It's all cool to see splinters flying and hear boards cracking though. The technique we used was "hammer fist" which is basically just hitting the board with a closed fist like it was a hammer. On the way in to the dojang, my oldest daughter had slipped on the pavement (it was sleeting outside) and landed on her elbow. It was causing her a bit of pain. She was very tentative in breaking the board even though she had done fine in the lessons with the practice boards. Needless to say, she wasn't very successful. To help her save face, the instructor quickly taught her to do a stomp kick and she broke the board into 3 pieces. Turns out that my daughter chipped a bone in her elbow and had to wear a brace for 2 weeks.
The real "climax" of the night though was a little sell job on the "6 month introductory program". We walked out of the place with a lighter wallet.
Side note: the practice boards are these plastic boards with "teeth" in them to keep them together. Save the rain forest! They are actually harder to break than the real boards we use in the tests.
The "climax" of the demo was a board break. I hate to ruin the mystique of breaking a board but it really wasn't all that hard. It's all cool to see splinters flying and hear boards cracking though. The technique we used was "hammer fist" which is basically just hitting the board with a closed fist like it was a hammer. On the way in to the dojang, my oldest daughter had slipped on the pavement (it was sleeting outside) and landed on her elbow. It was causing her a bit of pain. She was very tentative in breaking the board even though she had done fine in the lessons with the practice boards. Needless to say, she wasn't very successful. To help her save face, the instructor quickly taught her to do a stomp kick and she broke the board into 3 pieces. Turns out that my daughter chipped a bone in her elbow and had to wear a brace for 2 weeks.
The real "climax" of the night though was a little sell job on the "6 month introductory program". We walked out of the place with a lighter wallet.
Side note: the practice boards are these plastic boards with "teeth" in them to keep them together. Save the rain forest! They are actually harder to break than the real boards we use in the tests.
Sunday, August 19, 2007
By coincidence
The company I work for is going through a lot of turnover in personnel. Because of this, I have to spend more time at the main office hanging out with the developers up there. I knew that one of the guys up there was into karate. I started to share my taekwondo stories with him and the guy in the next cube (a new hire), actually does taekwondo. He's a 3rd degree black belt who had taken some time off from the sport. It seems like he's been doing it his whole life so I don't blame him (not that there is blame to be had). My visits to that office ended up becoming updates on what I was learning and also picking his brain for pointers and information. He's been very, very helpful. I was so enthusiastic about everything that I rekindled that taekwondo fire in him. He's now studying up and plans to test for his 4th degree in December.
He goes to a different dojang than I do but there is a connection. His master was on the Olympic team with the master at my dojang.
As a side note, the karate guy resigned and went on to greener pastures. Maybe I drove him out with all my taekwondo talk.
He goes to a different dojang than I do but there is a connection. His master was on the Olympic team with the master at my dojang.
As a side note, the karate guy resigned and went on to greener pastures. Maybe I drove him out with all my taekwondo talk.
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