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If it is the Songahm forms, then it is ATA related, or the instructor is violating copyright. Aodhan I have always had a problem with this concept. How can you copyright a form that has been around for 150 years? Since Jhoon Rhee was one of the founders of ATA, before he split off, then how can you copyright one of the forms he helped perfect? Does that mean that Jhoon Rhee can't teach that form to his students?

I always write my new forms down in my training manual. My instrutor has also put all of his forms onto video tape, which helps a lot. The best thing of all is practice, practice, practice. We have a saying in our dojang that it takes doing something 25,000 to make it instinctive.

Why would I let you secure my arm? Maybe if we are doing self-defense and I am letting you take me down, but other than that, I don't think so! Same for the reaping sweep. Actually pain compliance works very well. I suggest you check out Tom Patire's CDT, which is now taught to police officers in many states.

We test in front of a testing board. Tests are held monthly. You are tested on all of your material from white to your current rank. You are tested on terms. You are tested on ilbo terrian and self-defense. You are tested on single and multiple no- holds barred sparring. For deputy black you must perform all of your katas, flawlessly, in addition to ilbo terrian, you have to take a written test and you have to spar the head instructor for as long as he wants to spar. For 2nd degree you have to know 2 weapons katas and all of your open hand traditional katas along with a tournament kata.

We are required to teach as part of our black belt training. That being said, I have to agree with what was posted here earlier... you never learn so much as when you teach!

Our classes are an hour long. We spend 15 to 20 minutes warming up and stretching. The cirriculum for the class is usually defined by what is going on with the students in that class. Once our warm up is finished, we split the class up. We usually have between 3 and 5 blackbelts teaching, including the head instructor so we will each take a group of students and work on what they need either to test, to clean up or to learn.

Didn't Choi repudiate the sine wave before he died?

Here in Missouri we have recently earned the dubious honor of having the two youngest TKD black belts awarded in the United States. Thank you for lowering the standards for everyone World Martial Arts.

We are an unaffiliated school and have been since Jhoon Rhee (the father of American TKD) broke away from the ITF. We have students that received their black belt in other ITF ATA and WTF affiliated schools come train in our school because we teach old-school blood and guts TKD. That being said, if I see a student from another school or style or affiliation that has something that I want to learn, like more powerful kicks, or an application for self defense that I have not seen before, I ask him/her to teach me. Everyone brings something valuable to the table. The question is whether you chose to learn or to close your mind.

We use a low horse stance in kata and to build leg strength. For actual fighting we use a natural stance. We are also taught to drop our body weight when some one attempts to throw us, but I am not waiting for you to twist my arm thanks very much. If I am attacked, in a bear hug from the front or behind, and we use multiple attackers, so I am not going to the ground if I can help it, I am going to grab a nice handful of skin either on your groin or inside of your thigh then shoot some elbows.

I really like the Top Ten gear. It is a little harder to find, but instead of lasting months it lasts for years. It is also very widely used in the NASKA circuit, so I know it is approved for point sparring by NASKA rules.

If you miss, chamber and rekick. Roundhouse to the head bring it back as a hook kick to the head. If you are fast and accurate, he is not going to get inside your kicks. If he is a typical grappler, he is going to rush in and try to shoot, a defensive side kick will give him a healthy respect for your feet.

Stuffing a side kick or back kick into someone's flying kick.

Since we normally have at least two instructors for every class, it is not a problem. Plus, this is the kind of attention most kids don't want to have repeated.

Actually, if done correctly, you have the front hand to the head target or if you angle your landing, you have the rear hand to the body. If you are stepping in to jam their kicks, then you have the body targets as you angle in.

We do old school TKD - absolutely no relation to the "olympic sport." My instructor was taught by Fred Wren, who was a student of Alan Steen, who was a student of Jhoon Rhee. For those who are interested: http://www.akbba.com/hof/steenhof.html Unless we are getting ready for a tournament, we fight with pads, but it is free-for-all with multiple attackers and ground fighting/submission fighting - definately not for sissies.

I prefer the V-necked uniform simply because I hate futzing around with the other. It also drives me crazy during class when students are constantly fixing their top. Either wear a t-shirt underneath it or just leave the dang thing alone until the class is over for crying out loud!

Remember not to tap the board when you are doing your prep. I find a lot of students tap the board, think oooh that's gonna hurt and then pull their technique at the last second. Also, don't aim for the surface of the board, aim for the floor beneath the board. An axe kick can be problematic since you are relying only on the speed and weight of your leg and cannot get any real body weight behind it. I would either do an outside cresent into a front axe or try your axe kick like it is done in Tye Gye.

I fight in whatever stance makes my opponent most uncomfortable. For example, if they prefer closed, I will keep chaning to open stance. To block kicks, I prefer to move in and jam the kick, rather than move away since moving away can put you in kicking distance. Another effective block is to bring your leg up as high as theirs or bring your leg up to your elbow so together they create a shield blocking from your head down to your knee.

If you forgot your training, I would say you need to spend more time training. There is a lot to be said for muscle memory and the only way you get it is by training, training, training

I agree with Cloud - know your basics. The best thing about teaching is that you learn as you teach. Being able to explain the techniques and demonstrate them help you become a better martial artist. My instructor tells his teachers that there are instructors who can explain the techniques, and instructors who can do the techniques - the good ones can do both.

As a female instructor, I have run into disrespect from my studuent, however, we do not tolerate disrespect in any form to any student or instructor. I will immediately stop class and demand an apology from the student and make them do pushups or leave the class if it is particularly egregious. I normally do a technique then show how the technique is utilized in real life for the "wow" factor - such as turning a rising block fold into a block, reversing the attackers punch and putting them into an arm bar. In sparring, I leave openings for lower belts but if they try to take my head off, I tell them, I will go as hard as you go. If they don't cool it at that point, it usually only takes one clash to get them to calm down. If they are still a problem, then our head instructor will go a couple of rounds with them. Another thing I will do is tell the student what I am going to do - everytime you drop your hands I am going to hit you in the head - and then do just that. Then I tell them how to counter that strike without leaving themselves open. We actually had a brown belt tell our head instructor you can't kick me in the head. I don't think he will ever say those words again. After about 5 minutes sparring to set him up and fakes to make him feel over confident, the instructor did a spinning hook kick that dropped the guy like a rock. The student admitted later that he had been feeling pretty cocky, but would never make that mistake again. There is always somebody bigger, badder, faster and stronger - or just plain meaner.

Use hand wraps as a support for your wrist.

For teching black belts, nothing. For non-teaching black belts, $46 per month, unlimited classes. Prior to receiving my black belt it was $80 per month, unlimited classes.

Anybody going to Bluegrass this weekend in Louisville? Mr. Eubanks always has a great tournament.