ocdavis

KSN Doug: I'm in the Danbury area. I train in Brookfield. Where was your dojang? What did you like about it? ocdavis

Ottman: Well put. KSN Doug: I wish I lived closer to Houston.

When I earned my 1st dan I had a big let down. Everyone told me that this was only the beginning. I went to class for 3 months before I stared asking myself, "The beginning of what?" In my school, black belts do the same workout as white belts, plus the extra patterns. I wasn't sure what I was supposed to be focusing on, or how to improve. So I asked one of the older black belts for advice and he took me under his wing. I got the impression that part of being in the black belt club is adopting a mentor. He gave me detailed and personalized tips on my technique, and made sure I had all the instructional materials he could find. Also, I asked another bb to teach me weapons and a little tang soo do. And another helped me improve my sparring. Suddenly, I had too much to study! I finally figured out that passing my bb test was like graduating from high school. Suddenly, it was my responsibility to find whatever I wanted to learn. Most of my training was outside of class time. But I had more to think about during my workout. It was fresh again. I really wish someone had explained this to me. Maybe my experience was unique. Now I share my wisdom with other students and try to help them find what they're looking for in their martial arts training. Hopefully, this will keep more of my friends coming to class longer. ocdavis

Wow! What a great breakdown for WTF patterns! Videos, maps, definitions, step-by-step instructions. Great site. ocdavis

I practice the 24 patterns from Chon-Ji to Tong-Il, plus 4-direction punch and 4-direction block. The reference I use is the Legacy edition of the Taekwon-do Multimedia Encyclopedia. The 4 disc cd-rom set includes all 15 volumes and the patterns are performed by black belt instructors under the direct supervision of General Choi. The copyright says 1997, so I don't know if it's original or after revisions. Possibly a final revision after all the years of perfecting tkd. Does anyone have ideas on that? ocdavis

I study ITF from a master who studied directly from General Choi Hong Hi. We do all the patterns exactly as they are in the Encyclopedia of Taekwon Do. Sparring, however has more of a WTF flavor. I assume that's so our students can do well in tournaments. From what I understand, WTF is very good at competition. For my 1st dan I got to spar with a Brazilian national champion who practices WTF. He kicked my butt, but I learned a lot!

I started when I was 9 and after I turned 14 I was the biggest in the kids' class and the smallest in the adult class. It was hard to fit in, which is one of the reasons I quit. But it was always on my mind. It was something I always felt I'd left undone. Now, after a 20-year break, I just earned my first degree bb. It's amazing to reconnect with my love of the martial arts. I wish I'd never left. At this point, I'm the only 34 year old in the class and the only mother. But that doesn't keep me from going. I figure I bring something to the school that no one else can. I'm willing to bet that you do, too. Stay with it. Find your niche. Enjoy the process. ocdavis