YoungMan

I was never a big fan of physical punishments other than pushups or jumping jacks. Young kids and parents can too easily misinterpret punishments as abuse, especially if it holding a stance or endless repetitions of something. It's not the military. Other than the above, I would have students sit out a fun activity or simply tell them to come back tomorrow, when hopefully they are more willing to listen.

As a martial arts instructor, I don't expect to be regarded as a demi-god and groveled to. However, I still believe in the traditional master-student relationship, where the student respects me enough to ask permission to cross train. I realize some schools and instructors don't require permission, and even actively encourage cross training. However, students that have trained under me know and understand that our relationship is much more than that; that what I teach to them is more than simply a marketable commodity that they learn when they are not doing another martial art on off nights. It goes much deeper. Out of respect to our instructors and the role in their lives that we play, our students always ask permission to learn another art.

You could make the most complete list in the world, and some clown will always complain that HIS style wasn't listed, especially because he holds a 10th Dan and is the Supreme Grandmaster of it.

My advice to a student on cross-training: 1. White belt-color belt: Don't bother, you have enough to worry about. 2. 1st-3rd Dan: Ask permission to cross train. My answer will depend on several factors-how much benefit will you derive, your loyalty to me, your physical and/or mental well being etc. Heed my answer. If I say no, then going against my wishes is a serious breach of respect. 3. 4th Dan and above: No permission necessary. I started in Aikido after 4th Dan and didn't need to ask permission. Our GM's son started BJJ after 4th Dan.

What I used to do is this: if I went out of town to a new area, I would practice on my own, especially since I was never gone for more than a week. However, I would see what TKD schools were in the area and just drop in for a look-see. No uniform, just street clothes and stand in the back observing. More often than not, what I saw made me glad I practiced where I did. It also gave me more incentive to practice strong, because I did not want to end up like the schools I observed.

Which just goes to show, a smart martial artist will not get really drunk in an environment where there could be trouble. As a martial artist, going to a bar and getting so drunk you can't defend yourself properly should the need arise is a recipe for disaster. Better to save the heavy drinking for a situation where things are less likely to go wrong. My Instructor throws a party every year at his house. He invites only people he knows and trusts, and makes arrangements for those who have overdone it. We have never had any problems.

Even committing a criminal act does not necessarily mean you will be kicked out. It does mean you will most likely never test above 3rd Dan, because Instructors are expected to live honorable lives. I've known Instructors who were not exactly examples of upright morality who are still around. As I said, getting kicked out is serious and not easy to do. I think a few black belts have gotten the boot for going behind their Instructor's back.

1. In a room with other students. 2. Anyplace where I am not disturbed.

I have gone to dinner with fellow TKD judges after a test and after our yearly tournament. Some don't drink (mainly because they have to drive), but most of us do. We don't get falling down drunk, but we enjoy ourselves. And I've gone out to dinner and celebrated with other Aikido students and black belts. The idea that Aikido students are prohibited from drinking is absolutely false.

Purposely hurting someone in class Using Tae Kwon Do on a non-practitioner when not in self defense Consistant disrepect of peers and seniors Teaching without permission Taking classes at another dojang Having said that, it is not easy to get kicked out. You have to really screw up for our GM to take that step, because cutting someone makes him look bad too. It's not something he does lightly.

Lest you think I am being inflexible, I was told black belt to black belt is okay, but then it is a relationship between equals. An Instructor's job is to set down accepted limits for student behavior. That includes stating in the beginning that dating between students (meaning students who met in class, not dating when they signed up) is discouraged because it is not good for the class stability. Not prohibited, but discouraged. After all, there are worse things that can happen. And students who serially date students, especially black belts, will be dealt with accordingly. If you want a McDojang atmosphere where socializing is the norm, then more power to you. If you want a serious class where practicing martial arts actually means something, I truly feel this is the way it must be.

It depends greatly on the Instructor's preference. Some of our Instructors are very tournament oriented, and their students' technique reflects this. Others believe it is important to know self defense and deliberately make it an important part of their curriculum, especially for the women.

Very true. I've noticed that if it is kept to the groin and knee region, it can be quite effective. Works very well from a sitting position too.

Incorrect. There are schools that exist on a superficial level where students consider it a social event and students meet to hang out because practice and concentration are secondary. They are called McDojangs. Real Tae Kwon Do and martial arts requires a much higher level of concentration and professionalism for two reasons: 1. We don't want accidents to occur. Accidents are much more likely if students consider class a social occasion because their concentration is not where it should be. Remember, you are turning your body into a weapon and that demands high focus. 2. We don't want schools to devolve into the type I mentioned previously Dating and relationships in class brings with it a whole set of politics that can disrupt the class and bring everyone down, particularly when things go bad. I'd rather lose one student who didn't like the policy than three or half a class because of the ripple effect of dating in-class. I've seen too many examples of this to believe otherwise.

Tell the girl's parents, but not the girl, about the error. Let them know that, even though she didn't actually test high enough to make yellow belt, you are making her yellow belt along with the boy in the interest of fairness and to keep them equal as much as posible. Tell them also that both will wait longer to test next time so that each may grow into the rank. The parents will know the truth, the kids will just think they did really well and should be motivated to practice hard to earn their new rank. And this early in the game, getting a little higher rank than you deserved should not really matter. Now, if they were testing for green belt or above, it is imperative you get the testing scores correct.

Anyway, as I stated before on another thread, many of the kicks we associate with Tae Kyon live on in Tae Kwon Do. Primarily the twist kicks, circular kicks, jumping kicks, and jump spinning kicks. You think Japanese karate practices those? I've also seen footage of Tae Kyon practitioners. Trust me, modern TKD includes many of those techniques in its arsenal. That's why its kicking is second to none.

You possibly mean push kicks, which WTF fighters do, and the twist kick, which TKD currently practices (I'm not a big fan of it, since it is biomechanically uncomfortable). As far as jumping over someone and kicking them in the head, it looks exciting, but the real world application might be lacking.

38 years old. Feel like I'm about 20. I think that's good.

Thank you marie curie. Hopefully, after 24 years in Tae Kwon Do I've a few things!

I doubt if Tae Kyon is even practiced in America. You would most likely have to go to Korea for that. Even then, Tae Kyon is considered more of an anachronism than a real martial art. As my GM stated once, Tae Kyon is what Koreans did 500 years ago. We don't use black powder muskets or wear knickers here anymore, unless it's to show what life was like 150 years ago.

I don't recommend color belts do this. Color belts need to just follow along with what their Instructor says and get used to the movements. But black belt is a time to experiment, within the class paradigm, to see what works. I remember myself and friends of mine used to work on techniques that, though never officially taught to us, utilized vital spots, forms techniques, and our creativity to see if they might work. If they seemed viable, we stuck with them. That's how arts and styles develop.

This summer will mark my 24th year in Tae Kwon Do. Boy does time fly! I remember my first class. But somehow, I always knew I would stick with it. Tested 5th Dan December of last year.

Very true. Everwhere you look, some clown is setting up his own organization and governing body and issuing black belts through it. I've known at least one person who did this (I'm not affiliated with them BTW). The Kukkiwon in Korea is a world recognized governing body, by virtue of the fact it is connected with the IOC and recognized by the government of South Korea. The ITF, maybe less so. Other organizations, you may just have deal with the fact that a black belt through them may not be recognized as much outside their sphere. And I've seen plenty of people who claim very high rank, but never really say HOW they got that rank. I suspect they either gave it to themselves because many Americans take rank at face value, or got some 3rd tier organization looking for a quick buck to bestow it on them. A quick glance at the back pages of many MA magazines will confirm this.

This is where the Instructor's job of monitoring how students interact with each other in class comes into play. If he sees two students who obviously don't get along, it's time for a sit down before someone gets hurt. Likewise, if he sees two students who are apparently a little too comfortable with each other, it's time to sit them down and find out if there is a relationship going on. I don't think you can break people up or force one to quit (although my GM did try that years ago). However, let them know where you stand on the issue, possible social and class consequences, and let them make their own decision. If it really becomes an issue, approprate steps should be taken. Students who do use the class as a dating pool should be dealt with.

What I like to do is extract techniques from forms and utilize them in one-step. To show students these techniques actually do work against people. Otherwise, forms just because a series of movements they have to learn to test.