John G

Instructors want you to pass, as tests, exams, gradings etc reflect how good/bad your instructor is at passing their knowledge on to you, and not a reflection on you ability to learn. Therefore its my opinion that its in the instructor's interest to only put forward student who are ready to grade and not set someone up to fail. If you are indeed being setup to fail consider going elsewhere. Respectfully,

I agree with jakmak52, the judgers are after technique and timing. The most challenging colour belt pattern I found is Joong-Gun. Everyone hates to do this one as a compulsory pattern as it’s so hard to do technically correct. Respectfully,

ITF TKD the irony is that you are allowed to execute a spinning reverse turning kick (which I consider to be one of the more dangerous kicks to control) yet its illegal to execute a spinning back fist strike as monkeygirl described. Depending on your flexibility, (and I’m about as flexible as a brick) you could block, move forward and execute an axe/pick kick, they wont see that one coming. Excuse my ignorance but what is a “6 inch bubble type point” aes?

I think I know the kick you are talking about, it’s usually head high going right to left in your face. I would probably get busted for “holding” using a rising block as you described, therefore, depending on what stance your in, I would spin and execute a reverse turning kick or if on the wrong foot execute a middle section twisting kick. Alternatively, step to the side or backwards and wait for the leg to drop then attack. The kick you described is usually performed by someone with a lot of confidence who is usually showing off their prowess. It’s my experience that if you manage to counter this kick with confidence, one of two things happens. Either your competitor gains a deeper respect for you sparring abilities or things get a whole lot worse during the match. Usually the latter. BTW: I'm 43, still getting my butt kicked and loving it..

Assuming you are ITF, on average around 520 to 560 hours training from white belt to black. So if you train once a week for 1.5 hours it could take you 6.7 years, if you train 3 times a week at 1.5 hours/session it will take you around 2.2 years. This doesn't mean that if you train 4 hrs a day 6 days a week that you will get your black belt in 6 months, as I think the minimum duration is 1.5 years. These are only approximations as there are many other factors which will determine the duration between white belt to black belt. ..

I think you are referring to WTF (world tae kwon do federation) and ITF (international taekwon do federation). WTF sparing was represented in the Olympics, I tend to agree that it looked a bit funny, but thats because I didn't understand the point scoring system employed. WTF tends towards but is not exclusively sports orientated, ITF tends towards but is not exclusively martial arts orientated. With regard to what I think about TKD in the Olympics, for a start its only the sports side of TKD and has little or no relevants to the martial arts aspect of TKD. The competitors like any athlete have spent many years honing their skills to take part in the Olympics, and should be congratulated for representing their respective country's in these events. As far as a spectators sport its akin to watching a game of chess, if you know the rules it can be exciting else if you don't you would be better off watching paint dry. ...

Ouch... Icetuete, I once thought the same, until my learn-ed colleagues on this forum (and others) set me straight. Firstly, there are many WTF combat orientated dojangs. Secondly, I have seen many sports orientated ITF clubs, and finally, we (ITF) developed the strength of techniques the same way as ShotoKan karateka as ITF was developed from Shotokan. Respectfully,

Ask other black belts in your club and your instructor what is required, and work towards those recommendations. Having said that, it’s almost guaranteed that there’ll be a part in your grading that you’ll be asked to explain or perform something that you haven’t trained/studied for. You’ll not necessarily be judged by the standard of others, but moreover your ability to adapt and willingness to give your 110% on the day/s. After all, your examining instructor/s already know what you can do (else you wouldn’t have been asked to grade), they are more likely after what and how you will react to something you don’t know. Good luck on the day/s, BTW, I knew what you meant by skipping, it’s just other’s haven’t come to grip with the Australian language having the problem . Respectfully,

KWANG-GAE..

I agree Bretty101, Moon-moo showing strength, flexibility, control, and balance, is by far the most aesthetically pleasing of all the 24/25 tuls when executed by correctly. Kodang was dropped from our syllabus many years ago and replaced with Juche', however I would like to know more about Kodang once I get my current 3 patterns down pat. Respectfully,

Chon-Ji: I know its the first one, but im still trying to master it... White_Tiger I noticed that your school has picked up KODANG in your 2nd. Is JUCHE/ KODANG elective or do you have to do all 4 tuls for your 3rd? ...

Kung Fu teaches defence techniques by avoiding fighting force with force wherever possible through positioning and deflection. At first Karate/TKD etc seem to be about tense strength, but after a while you learn that technique, speed and agility cater for most circumstances. Someone said to me many years ago that TKD wont make you fit, but you have to be fit to do it. I guess the same goes for Kung Fu and Karate. Respectfully,

Dan Gun / Tan Gun is the next one up from Chon-Ji (at least it is in ITF TKD) Respectfully,

There are many variants to TKD, from hard core martial arts through to martial sports. Shotokan on the other hand (I believe) is a known standard. Both are subject to the quality and experience of the instructors. My advice is to take a few classes in both and talk to the people involved (students/instructors) before making a decision. Respectfully,

Its no big secret that 95% of TKD has its roots in shotokan and it has been a learning experience to find the originating applications for the movements common to TKD and shotokan. Trying to find the origins of Tuls/Kata is at best confusing especially with fourth generation arts like TKD. Assuming that once upon a time a group of people in china developed a fighting system superior to that of their neighbours, which was then copied/modified by some group in Okinawa, then copied/modified by a group in Japan and then copied/modified by a group in Korea, one can see how movements could somehow loose their originating purpose. Then of course you have the deliberate inclusion of subtle mistakes in Tuls/Kata so that others who copy/modify a system also include the mistakes. This phenomenon has not only taken place in the past but is still alive and well today. The danger of this is that in 50 – 100 years from now people will look at what is recorded in print and multimedia and believe it to be true. The block in question (an-palmok) from Chon-Ji to divert a strike coming in at 90 degrees could have be been one of these movements subject to Chinese whispers or deliberate miss-information. Then again, it could just be an ineffectual technique for this type of strike. I could make up a few other application for this technique as performed in Chon-Ji but would be interested in finding out the thoughts of others with regard to its application. Respectfully,

Welcome to the forums

We can teach after receiving our 1st degree (Dan) with the consent of the chief instructor. However it’s only up to half the level of our own ranking i.e. 1st degree can teach up to blue belt, 2nd degree can teach up to 1st degree. We cannot promote or grade students until we have become a 4th degree and have fulfilled the requirements to attain certified instructor status. Respectfully,

We execute that block exactly the way you described it, primarily to divert a punch coming in at 90 degrees, have you read this article? http://www.fightingarts.com/reading/article.php?id=334 Makes you think… Excellent observation delta1 Respectfully,

Welcome to the forums Angelica..

I am a 9.

Life as a club owner + instructor + student is considerably different to that of a student. My advice would be to stay as a MA student for as long as possible and just enjoy the journey. Work towards achieving the education required for jobs that may be in demand in 5 to 10 years time and find a part time job (could be MA) where you can save enough money to travel the world on a working holiday for a few years. After which, you may then decide what you want to do for the next 40 years. Alternatively you could go to collage and study sociology, business, marketing and then become a school teacher. Be mindful to keep your MA studies up for the next 15 to 20 years so you can develop political alliances within your MA group/s, become a mover and shaker and be seen by all of influence. Save up enough money ($20,000 to $30,000 US) to start up your first part time club (use the school teaching network to recruit students), and find a partner who also aspires to your dreams, and who (if necessary) can support you financially/ emotionally/ technically for at least the next 3 to 5 years whilst you develop a name for your club/s. Given this, you may have half a chance in succeeding in your club ownership dreams. Most of the time MA instructors don’t make very good business managers and generally fail within the first two years after opening a club. MA is a service INDUSTRY (always has, always will be); this is what MA is “REALLY” about. May you succeed and be happy in whatever field of endeavour you choose. Respectfully,

Teaching kids (3 to 6 yr olds) is the same as teaching adults, the only difference is the delivery method. A gi is only a piece of cloth; it won’t save you’re life if you’re attracted on the street and it wont save your life if your trapped in a burning building so in respect to kids who have little or no concept of tradition, why so much reverence for a uniform that they only take out to train in? MA as you know is like an wheel, to reach a certain level one must first have the desire to attain the level, then one must have the physical fitness/ agility to perform the tasks required, then comes the learning and understanding of technique, then finally the tactical ability to apply technique taught without thought. Once this level is attained the cycle starts again. Note that none of this can be successfully achieved without the tutelage and social interaction between student / instructor and student / student. Typically our little dragons (3 to 6 yr olds) class starts first, I encourage play before the class starts by supplying toys (skipping ropes, balls, jolly hoppers, bop bags etc) and observe the social interaction between the students. This not only gives me a handle on who’s shy or aggressive but also expels a lot of energy (nervous or otherwise) from the student prior to the class. To the uninitiated seeing a class full of 3 to 6 yr olds running around playing and yelling seems quite daunting, until I explain the theory behind it. Once the class is brought to attention and the toys put away there is quiet, and the unruly mob becomes attentive students. I find by mixing important lessons interspersed with physical or mental games holds their attention for well over an hour before fatigue sets in (mine primarily). Little dragons is about having fun and developing skills that may some day save their life and or the lives of others. Along side basic punches, stances and blocks some of the other class lessons deal with tolerance and respect for each other, stranger danger (BTW eye gouging etc are taught), what to do if lost, bitten by a snake or spider, attacked by a dog, bullied by other kids, caught in an earth quake or in a bush fire (relevant to our area), house fire, vehicle accident, how to use a phone (home/mobile) to contact emergency service and what to say, what to if awoken by burglars, taken away in a car by strangers, awareness of dangers around the home (poisons, knives, fire, electricity, pools etc) and at the play ground (needles, lightning, strangers etc).etc… It’s a pleasure to see little dragons advance to juniors (7-13 yrs old) with a basic skill set where the more traditional form of MA is taught, it makes the transition to the more disciplined side of MA easier for both student and instructor. If the big gi god were to strike me down for allowing kids to play in the hallowed cloth, then let it be. I will never tire of watching children play and I hope in some small way I will have helped them to develop into decent human beings. Respectfully,

I was hoping to make it as simple as possible. But when you start talking webhosting things can get quite complicated. BTW if you look at the top of this page iFroggy hosting has reasonable rates for domain names and webhosting. The starter plan would be ideal for someone starting out. Besides I’m sure Patrick could give you a few pointers if you get stuck. ….

telsun, for someone who was going to go off line for a while you have certainly picked a subject that is more addictive than forums. What are domain names? A domain name is a unique address on the internet. The Domain Name System (DNS) translates your domain name into the numerical IP (Internet Protocol) addresses used by the Internet. A domain name can be used as a web address for webpages and will be part of your email address. There are many different types of domain extensions such as .COM, .NET, and .CA to name a few. An example of a domain name would be http://www.karateforums.com. The unique web address would be https://www.starlite.com. E-mail addresses would include the domain name and could include: info@starlite.com, sales@starlite.com, or brent@starlite.com You purchase a domain name from a domain name registrar costs around $9.00 / year US There are many out there, I sometimes use https://www.directnic.com to purchase my domain names. What is web hosting? For a website to be seen on the internet, it needs a web server to reside on. When people visit a website they are actually accessing files on this web server. Web hosting can be thought of as renting space on a web server. Web Hosting Talk http://www.webhostingtalk.com/ is a popular forum for the hosting industry. Both web hosting consumers and providers hang out there. Ask lots of questions before purchasing web space as there are a lot of people out there who will try to rip you off. How do I get a site online? If you are asking how do you transfer files from your computer to your web space, this can be done several ways. Most web making type programmes have built in file transferring facilities, else you can use a FTP (File Transfer Protocol) type programme to transfer your files. Can a site generate money or will it only cost me money? Both, take a look at http://www.webhostingtalk.com/ sometime you can get limited web space for free without the advertising. Hope this helps. ….

Choi claims that Karate and Taek Kyon were only used as references to his new martial art. HISTORY OF TAEKWON-DO (http://www.itf-information.com/information15.htm) On the other hand if we look at the claims WTF (World Taekwondo Federation) makes. Taekwondo has been used since B.C. 37 and are decended from Subak and Taekkyon. The origin of Taekwondo (http://www.wtf.org/main.htm) Both these histories are flawed at best, and as you have rightfully pointed out "A Modern History of Tae Kwon Do" by Kang Won Sik and Lee Kyong Myong. (http://www.bstkd.com/ROUGHHISTORY.HTM) is closer to the truth. What is missing from this artical are the historical events of ITF since 1965, interesting reading if someone put pen to paper. Respectfully,