MichiganTKD

This may seem trite to some people, but here goes: I think people who train in non-white uniforms (black, white/black, colored etc.) have bastardized Tae Kwon Do. The Kukkiwon does not authorize them, neither does the ITF. To me, Instructors who allow non-white uniforms in class do so as a gimick because they have no real foundation and need to keep people interested in class. Not only that, but I've noticed the fancier the uniform the worse the technique and manners. There's nothing I hate more than Instructors wearing black uniforms w/red stripes, black jacket/red pants etc. claiming to teach traditional Tae Kwon Do. Traditional TKD is taught with a white uniform.

Why are kids practicing hitting each other like this? Seems to me it's the Instructor's fault for allowing them to use each other as targets. Kids at that age have very little sense of control, because their muscles and sense of coordination haven't developed yet. If you want kids to practice hitting something, have your BB hold an airshield and have them hit that. If they can knock him off balance, their technique is coming along.

You seem very dedicated. However, you are also very young and have your whole life ahead of you. Something I would be very concerned about is burnout-focusing so heavily on one thing to the exclusion of all others that you suddenly or eventually lose your interest in it. I've seen it happen to students who were obsessed or were pushed into practicing continuously by parents or coaches. Who knows what you'll interested in 10 years from now. I'm not downplaying your interest, by the way, I just think that you be very careful in thinking that, at 16, you want to be a professional Instructor. My advice is this: keep an open mind, realize you are young and will have many options available to you. Being a professional Instructor requires a LOT of students to keep income coming in. In this country, that can be very difficult because we have a different culture. We are a football society. Having said that, it is nice to know what you want. How many kids your age know that?

In class, nothing and light/medium contact. I do recommend the cloth shin protectors and cups. At testings, WTF-authorized headgear, sometimes (hogu-body armor). At tournaments, full gear: headgear, armor, cup, shin/forearm pads, mouthguard.

I charge $30/month for city residents, and $35/month for non-city residents. I think cost per month should be based on several factors: 1. Class location. If you teach in a middle or lower middle class area, you can't charge too much (say $80/month) and expect students to afford it. A Tae Kwon Do Instructor in our area charges upwards of $100/month. But he teaches in the high rent area. Is he worth it? I guess it's a matter of opinion. 2. Overhead. How much do you pay for rent, insurance, supplies for class, gas money etc? 3. The value you place on what you teach. I work full time, and teach because I love doing it. Therefore, I am not beholden to the mighty dollar as far as TKD is concerned. Our Instructor has told us many times you cannot get rich in this country teaching Tae Kwon Do because the market isn't there. Nor, I think, should you.

Please keep in mind, I don't use these rules to be a hardass. My job as an Instructor is to keep everything professional. That's awfully hard to do if I have to worry about who's dating whom, who's breaking with whom, who's mad at whom because of said breakup. As well as the resulting jealousies, gossip, petty politics etc. It makes things much easier if I just say "No inter-student dating." I know perfectly well that (a) women and men are going to be mingling and (b) Tae Kwon Do practice makes you strong physically and mentally, for both sexes. This is going to make you look more desirable to the opposite sex. However, I think it is still better to discourage students from dating and eliminate a lot of problems this can cause. Otherwise, we lose sight of the reason we are here: strong practice.

Officially, the Kukkiwon does not sanction the Palgues. Unofficially they are still alive and well, albeit within the older organizations. When our Instructor hosted GM Hae Man Park years ago, he was a little worried because we still did Palgue forms. GM was one of the developers of the Taegeuk forms, which I've never liked. GM Park assured him it was okay to do the Palgue forms. And no, I doubt that the Kukkiwon favors the Chang Hon forms!

It depends on what their concentration level is. I've had white who were not ready for basic kicking at all. I've also had white belts and yellow belts that I've taught some basic jumping techniques because they had a lot of energy and were very motivated. I don't have as big a problem teaching kids higher level kicks, because to them it is a game anyway. They don't need as much the strict progression. Adults need to wait until their bodies and coordination are strong enough to handle it.

That is not a bad idea at all. If someone suffers a heart attack, slips, is accidentally contacted and knocked out etc. it would be a good idea if the Instructor were certified in those to allow him/her to at least help the student.

This how it is done in a traditional TKD class. Class should not be used as peoples' personal dating pool. It is not a social club either, although students are allowed to have fun sometimes. Anyway, my class my rules. I've seen too many hard feelings arise from in-class dating relationships gone bad. Besides, with all the options available outside class. why do you need class to meet women (or men)?

In our organization our President provides our certification. I have certification through Chung Do Kwan and Kukkiwon, both of which he provided for. As far as teaching, that is done with the permission of your Instructor. In other words, if you want to teach, your Instructor must give you permission. We don't have Certification to Teach, more of an apprenticeship. You practice teaching under the guidance of your instructor. 1st through 3rd Dans may teach and recommend students to test. However, only 4th Dan Masters and above may judge and sign testing forms.

Years ago, two of our school students (now senior instructors) started dating. Our Instructor told them to either break up or get married, so they got married. However, I normally would not recommend that. My advice is this: If both of you are color belts, forget it. These relationships can only be bad for your class relationship. If you break up you will be mad at her and either quit or take it out on her in class. Black belt to black belt is possible. If one of you is a color belt and one is a black belt, wait until both of you are black belts. And it is preferable to ask the Instructor for his permission and advice. If you wanted to date a black belt in another school, you would need to ask that Instructor's permission.

I don't see a problem for Christians who want to practice Tae Kwon Do. I do see a problem with Christians who try to use Tae Kwon Do or any martial art to promote Christianity. Tae Kwon Do should be separate from religion. Of course, I tend to dislike missionaries in general.

I was always partial to Palgue Yook Jang myself. Pal Jang is pretty good too.

Last time I checked, Bruce Lee was dead. You can't tell me his students are anywhere near his level.

Kyunchyfrogg, While I cannot claim to speak for everyone, I believe the following might help you differentiate between authentic Dojangs and "McDojangs": 1. Certification of the Instructor. The teacher should be certified through a well established organization (WTF, ITF, Kukkiwon etc.). This makes it easier to verify that he is who he says he is. Furthermore, he should be willing to answer ANY questions you might have. If he seems evasive or unwilling to answer questions, look out. 2. Color belt classes should be open to the public. Black belt classes probably will not be, however. If you want to watch color belt classes to see how they operate, he should have no problem. 3. Traditional schools will place a lot of emphasis on manners and etiquette, bowing, proper addressing of black belts and Instructors, and general conduct. There should be no loud talk, horseplay, or disorganized behavior. 4. Classes should be conducted with utmost concern for safety. Students are there to learn and practice, not beat up on each other. If students are contacting each other hard, or being very aggressive, they probably are being taught that it's okay to hit people. 5. Tae Kwon Do is not about making money. If the Instructor is pushing you to sign up or buy things, go elsewhere. He doesn't care about you, he just sees dollar signs. I'm sure other people will have other things to say on the subject.

I would agree with this thread. To me, BB and Instructors who feel the need to wear umpteen stripes on their belts are egotistical showoffs. Not only that, but from I've seen the more stripes you have the less talented you are. In our Organization, we just have a number on our belt next to our name in Korean. It actually looks like part of the name until you look at it closely. I really feel that if your technique, mind, and credibility are legitimate you have no need to wear ostentatious stripes to proclaim your rank for the whole world to see. I know other organizations are different. Just my opinion.

We do the Palgue forms and WTF BB forms. I think they have a lot more to offer than people give them credit for. They are also quite difficult in many places.

There were only a few times I put armor on to free fight: 1. When I was training for a tournament, which was not all that often. 2. When I was being used to train someone else, especially our founder's son (that was always a pain in the rear, because he trained for tournaments and I didn't. I pretty much learned as I went along). When I was free fighting other BB in class or out, we never used armor. While it does offer some protection, it also can give a false sense of security.

Sun Hang Do? Sigh... Another example of martial arts buffet that offers a little of each style without going to much in depth. They probably place ads in the backs of MA magazines telling how you too can be a superior fighter in just 3 months. Better yet, probably some no name who studied a little of various arts and decided he could make more money by throwing it all together and giving it a Korean name noone's ever heard of. Jack of all trades, master of none.

Good point Tae Zee. It is not the Instructor's job to contact us if our hands are down or if we are too close. His job is to instruct us in technique and guide us. It is our fellow students' job to keep us honest if we drop our hands. Likewise, no legitimate instructor would allow students, whether higher-lower or same rank, to beat on each other. Students are there to learn, not get injured or break bones. Black belt to black belt however, especially those who are practicing with each other aside from class, have more leeway. They are responsible for themselves, within reason.

Our Organization is Kukkiwon-WTF affiliated, but we teach in the traditional way. Our forms set is Palgue forms for gup ranks, and then WTF black belt forms for Dan ranks. We do have some member schools that teach tournament oriented sparring to black belts who are interested, but traditional technique is still emphasized for everyone else. The tournament fighters are younger (18-23) and have their own practice sessions. I read a good point made by someone else: Your best bet for finding a WTF school that still teaches traditional technique is to find one that still is affiliated with a particular Kwan (CDK, MDK, CMK, JDK etc.). They will still have ties to the original school and teach traditional technique. The ones who gave up kwan affiliation are much more likely to be sport oriented. We practice Chung Do Kwan. My Dan certificates were issued by the Chung Do Kwan and Kukkiwon. Our basic kicking, form, one step etc. is pretty traditional, meaning we focus on accuracy, power, speed, stopping power. We do not focus on points. So we are still there. You just have to look.

Our organization doesn't teach weapons, just defenses against them. However, our President practiced Kendo while in Korea and has taught sword technique to his senior students. Pretty much though, after black belt if you want weapons training you do it on your own. I know black belts who have.

One of my students who is formerly ITF asked me why we don't do the sinewave. I told him because moving from point A to point B in a straight line is the most efficient way. To me, moving your body up and down is a waste of energy and puts your balance at risk. We always did basics and forms moving straight horizontally, relaxing during the step and focusing your whole body during the actual technique.

4th Dan in Chung Do Kwan Tae Kwon Do. I have not been to Korea, but others in our Organization have. I have a photo of members of our school in front of the Kukkiwon with our school founder, GM Hae Man Park, and GM Woon Kyu Uhm (Chung Do Kwan president)