MichiganTKD

If sidestepping is impossible, then I might recommend a knee to the face followed by an elbow to the base of the neck. My original answer wasn't meant to be taken tooo seriously The sidestep and wall crash would be followed by (cue sound effect) an audio of Curley the Stooge getting smacked by a shovel

With regards to the questions asked: 1. Young kids should definitely be separated from adults. Their attention span is a lot shorter, they tend not to handle strong teaching as well as adults. Also, young kids' bodies are not as strong physically. it wouldn't take much during sparring for an adult to contact a child excessively and hurt him/her. Finally, if the Instructor keeps stopping the class whenever a child misbehaves, it cuts down on everyone else's practice time. 2. Every class should include stretching. Kids can do with 5-10 minutes. Adults need 15-20 minutes. This does not include pre-stretch warmups and cooldown at the end. 3. I can't comment on ranks and belts. Every organization is different. 4. If your Instructor says don't go to tournaments, don't go. One of the 5 Tenets of Tae Kwon Do is loyalty. Your Instructor says, you do-no questions. His/her job is to guide your Tae Kwon Do life. Obviously safety concerns would be a factor. But no legitimate Instructor would force their student to do something unsafe.

I love Tae Kwon Do and consider it a beautiful and highly effective martial art. Is it the best Korean style? I don't know. There are Korean styles I personally don't care for. However, the best style is the one that makes you look forward to putting on your uniform and going to class. Without that motivation, nothing else will matter.

I've generally found that if someone is charging at me, simply sidestep them and let them go flying past. No sense wasting needless energy. Also, try to make sure a sturdy wall is behind you as you do this.

Nice thing about Tae Kwon Do: It sure makes you irrisistable to the broads! Too bad I didn't discover the Power until after I was married!

Self correction: White is used in Korean culture to signify purity, deriving out of Buddhist thought. For many years, Korea was referred to as the Land of White Clothes (or something to that effect). Photos of Tae Kyon students always showed them wearing white. I think in Chinese thought, black represents purity and good luck, which is why many Chinese kung fu uniforms are black.

As far as practicality and hiding dirt, I will concede that black is good for this purpose. However, as I have stated before, traditionally white is the color of purity in Oriental thought-the idea of training for noble reasons rather than just crass commercialism. Laugh or sneer if you want to. Even if you don't train for noble reasons, white serves as a reminder to have higher aspirations in Tae Kwon Do than just thuggery, physical activity, or using Tae Kwon Do for commercial gain.

That's right, when you're on top of the mountain, everyone wants to push you off!

Why you looking suspiciously at me? I've never advocated using someone as a punching bag. Additionally, I would recommend using a female assistant (if available) to help position the students. Barring that, I try also to guide students through techniques without physically touching as much as possible.

Anyway, to me, the most impressive kicks are the ones that are obviously difficult but would definitely work. No backflip kicks, no acrobatics, no made up stuff. They look impressive, but that's it. I'm more impressed with a great sidekick that rocks you or a back roundhouse that could take your head off.

Granted, a learning disability can be a factor in a student's poor grades, but it should not be seen as an excuse. Keep in mind, martial arts are a vehicle for physical, mental, and spiritual improvement. An Instructor cannot just stand idly by while a student is getting poor grades, regardless of reason. I don't think it is fair or realistic to say " get your grades up or you don't test (compete, be in the demo etc.)", but if the Instructor knows that a student really likes practicing, he or she needs to find ways to encourage students to do better in school. Some examples we have used are academic excellence patches, certificates, high grade achievers on class web sites etc. I also think if Instructors allow learning disabilities to be used as a crutch, it can build resentment among students who do maintain good grades.

The role of Instructor in traditional martial arts is not unlike the role of parent. You are responsible for the overall welfare of your students in and out of the dojang. This, I believe, is a major difference between traditional and sport styles. The Instructor in a sport style is more of a coach, guiding the student to better technique. The Instructor's job in traditional martial arts, TKD included, is to guide the student through LIFE. Not an easy job. As an Instructor, you have a profound influence on a child, equal in many respects to the teacher and the parent. Our Grandmaster has been like a father to us. Not just teaching technique, but philosophy, morality, and guidance through life. And especially if you have students with less than ideal home lives, as some of our Instructors do, you can actually be seen as MORE important than the biological parents.

After the World Tae Kwon Do Federation (WTF) formed, it was decided that each member Kwan would be abolished and forfeit its individual identity to the WTF. There would be no more Kwans. However, some of the Kwans in reality did not go away, Chung Do Kwan included. We are still around. What I mean is, many schools that teach WTF-style (meaning heavy on the Olympic sparring) do not have Kwan affiliation. They are just a WTF school. On the other hand, some organizations are WTF but still maintain their Kwan affiliation. Their Instructor traces his lineage to the Head Kwan Jang, even if several generations before. For example, our Grandmaster's Instructor is Woon Kyu Uhm, President of World Chung Do Kwan in Korea. We have met him. The schools still affiliated with a Kwan are more likely to teach old style Tae Kwon Do before it changed to Olympic-style-power kicking, self defense, joint locking etc. The non-Kwan affiliated schools are more likely to teach sport style and pretty much do whatever the WTF tells them, primarily the newer and younger instructors.

I would never have my own children as actual students in my organization. The son of our Founder practiced Tae Kwon Do under one of his black belts and became a 4th Dan under him. It would have been very easy to just teach him himself, but rather than cause a lot of jealousy and friction with other black belts, the son was taught by a separate Instructor in the organization. Our Grandmaster has worked with him on various drills and techniques, but as far as being his actual student, no. I will also say this: Being asked or allowed to teach another man's child is a high honor and should not be taken lightly. One more thing. A big reason why I would never teach my own kids as students is that our relationship would be far too emotional to risk in a teacher-student relationship. For example, if I yell at him too strong, or hit him in the context of teaching class, he would be very upset with me and it might conceivably damage our relationship. As a result, my best bet is to make him someone else's student.

I never understood the need to have "Christian" Martial Arts schools or organizations. Martial arts are not religion, and religion should not be mixed with martial arts. Granted, Oriental martial arts developed out of a Buddhist-Taoist-Confucian culture, but the moral principles espoused in MA training can be applicable to many religions. If you want to be religion, go to church.

Chances are, if you study TKD at a dojang affiliated with an actual Kwan (Chung Do Kwan, Moo Duk Kwan etc), you will more likely learn techniques very similar to Hapkido. This includes kicking, takedowns, joint manipulation etc. If you learn TKD from a non-Kwan affiliated school, you will be much more likely to learn Olympic-style Tae Kwon Do that has no real self defense capabilities.

The best testings are the ones you don't remember. Unfortunately, the times I did the worst, I remember exactly where I screwed up forms-wise, how bad sparring was, why my break failed etc. *shudder*

Something else: Are the students able to execute techniques appropriate to their belt level? For example, a white belt or yellow belt with serious balance problems and poor technique is one thing. A red belt or black belt with serious balance problems, no technique control, and problems with accuracy is quite another. Also, low ranking belts (white, yellow, orange) being taught jumping kicks, advanced self defense, and other high level techniques when it is obvious from observing them they are not ready is a definite red flag. The Instructor is probably teaching them this to keep them happy and coming to class.

1. Practice until you can do the required techniques in your sleep. 2. Practice some more. 3. The week leading up to the testing, make sure your diet is healthy. You're going to be nervous enough without gastrointestinal distress adding to the mix. 4. Do not overdo it physically the week of testing, to avoid injuries and accidents. Soft practice a few days before you actually test, combined with moderate physical exercise and stretching. You want to be peaking at testing time without being fatigued. 5. Get enough rest so your body is rejuvinated. 4. Here's where I get a bit mystical. I use Zen teaching to become one with my technique, relax my mind, and understand and realize that it is only a test.

YMCA's tend to have many martial arts programs, so it could be difficult. Some options include schools (asking the principal directly), and churches. Churches are always good. However, you might have more luck with denominations like Methodist, Unitarian, Catholic, or Presbyterian. These tend to be more liberal and open to MA classes. Stay away from Baptist or Pentacostal churches.

I agree with Sasori-Te. I don't teach to make money. If I want help on drills and whatnot there are plenty of (better) resources I can use.

No, apparently they do not Yes, I suppose I should cut the barbarians some slack. Much like young students, they know not what they do.

Nice to hear a slightly different viewpoint. I will always respect a white uniform, whether it is WTF V-neck or ITF white w/black piping on the sides. White is white regardless of organization. Whether WTF or ITF, white still represents the purity of thought and action and traditional dress. I can usually count of John G. for a civilized opinion

Don't shoot the Messenger. Big deal! You think I don't realize how many people in Korea practice Tae kwon Do? How many people in the United States play baseball or soccer or basketball? Now how many consider it more than just recreation? The fact that most everybody in Korea does Tae Kwon Do doesn't mean they're any good at it, or any higher than the amateur sandlot level. Just like basketball or soccer over here. And don't kid yourself. Just like America, Korea has tons of McDojangs taught by native Instructors with questionable credibility, no respect for tradition, and selling their integrity for money. We just have a hard time believing it because we think it couldn't happen in the birthplace of Tae Kwon Do. Well guess what-it does. And you know who told us this? My Korean-born Instructor. He told us that 95% of Tae Kwon Do in Korea is junk. Because I also used to think that Korean-based Tae Kwon Do HAD to be good because it was in Korea. Not only that, but a good friend of mine who taught/teaches English in Korea used to give me horror stories of lame Tae Kwon Do schools he visited over there.

Plain clothes are fine if you just want self practice. I'll tell you something. I'll be the first to admit-95% of Tae Kwon Do, whether in Korea or America, is amateur sandlot junk. Just recreation for people to do. So, yeah, I guess to them traditional uniforms would not be important. Plainclothes are good enough. No problem. However, I prefer the 5% that is professional, because that's how I was raised-Community College level vs. Harvard University. And for those people, my Instructor included, traditional white uniforms are the order of the day. I guess if your involvement in Tae Kwon Do, whether Korea or America, is at the amateur sandlot level, then you're right-who cares about traditional uniforms, just practice in your streetclothes. I get the impression that the ones who feel that uniform color doesn't matter and you can wear what you want are limited by their involvement in the sandlot version of Tae Kwon Do.