What are the Basic Movements?

[taekwondomom]

Does every school follow the same order of basic movements near the beginning of class?

For example, we begin with low blocks, then on to middle kick-middle punch, etc.

Our teacher asks the students "What comes next?" and I always hope he won't ask me as I haven't quite memorized the order yet . . . and I'm not sure I have it written down anywhere. I need to get that info from our teacher, but seems like I always forget.

If there is a universal order to basic movements, please fill me in!

[ninjanurse]

I have never experienced that although some instructors do have a particular order they tend to do things in. The only thing that is set at our school is the actual warmup which has some curriculum in it and rotates daily but I've never seen anyone get in trouble for going out of order. As far as basics go I teach them in whatever order comes to mind for the day and it depends on the make up of the class too. I usually start with hand techniques and finish with kicks.

[ranger1100ky]

Does every school follow the same order of basic movements near the beginning of class?

For example, we begin with low blocks, then on to middle kick-middle punch, etc.

Our teacher asks the students "What comes next?" and I always hope he won't ask me as I haven't quite memorized the order yet . . . and I'm not sure I have it written down anywhere. I need to get that info from our teacher, but seems like I always forget.

If there is a universal order to basic movements, please fill me in!

I couldn't begin to guess, just from the info you provide, what the basis for the order of basics is, that your instructor uses.

I know my instructor, when I was a kid, would start us on techniques based upon whatever form it was we were learning later down the pike...

So if we were going to be studying Chon-Ji... he'd get us into front stances first, and show us how to move from left leg forward, to right leg forward, and so on... then he'd show us the down block (low block, for those of you in the ATA), and then the front punch... (And all this going up and down the floor as a class in drill format)

Then, we'd go over the first 8 movements of Chon-Ji... (Which, were just down blocks and front punches.)

What's tough for a beginning student... least it was for ME... was catching on to the 'pattern of training'... I was more worried about what I was being told to do 'right now' as opposed to what was coming next.

Now during the teaching of the form, as I recall... my instructor would quiz us, from movement to movement, "Okay... what's next?" (And I'm sure that was partly to make sure we kids were still 'tuned in'.)

I won't presume to speak for your instructor, but I will say I wouldn't be totally shocked, if it were found that your instructor also, wasn't just checking to be sure everyone's 'tuned in' to the training.

As time goes on, and with your own effort... I think you'll start to get 'the gist' of things. Just remember... for every moment of "God, don't let him call on ME!" in your training...

You've got a LONG LINE of us... who've thought the VERY SAME THING to ourselves, in much the same situations as you're facing in training.

They didn't call me 'Mr. Pushups' for nothing ya know.

Just kidding.

Hang in there...

Each instructor has their own little 'quirks' about how they do things... and just as I became accustomed to my instructor... you too, will become more accustomed to your instructor's ways as time goes along.

[karatekid1975]

...The only thing that is set at our school is the actual warmup which has some curriculum in it and rotates daily but I've never seen anyone get in trouble for going out of order.....

I agree. When I warm up the class, we have a "plan" (written on a card) to follow, but we are allowed to "mix it up" a little. We don't have to follow whats on the card to a "T." We have room to add stuff, mix things up, or just do something we haven't done in ages (I made them do jack-knife crunches the other night. I got dirty looks LOL).

As far as basics, our instructor as been skipping the basics in the beginning of class lately. But usually he would have us do blocks, strikes, kicks, ect. But what he has us do is not always the same techniques on any given night. That's what I like. It keeps it fresh.

[Slydermv]

We have a loose routine in our gym.

First we run for a few minutes to get warm, stretch, then...

well every class is different after that. Depending on who's in the class, and how sadistic my Master feels, we train.

Sometimes, he warms us up and then just talks to us for 45 minutes...

There is no set way in which we do things...

[taekwondomom]

Hey Slydermv--I like the idea of running FIRST to get warmed up before stretching. We always stretch cold at our school, and as a dancer, it bugs me. In ballet, you ALWAYS, ALWAYS warm up with barre exercises before stretching. "You need to break a sweat first," says my ballet teacher.

Is there any way I can gently get my TKD teachers to do this? I am a mere orange belt . . . with strong opinions. . .

[Slydermv]

Well, I don't know, but I can suggest a few things...

In my school if you show up to class a bit early there's a bit of room in the back of the dojang where you can warm up on your own, with a bag to kick and punch. I try to hit the bag, or jog around a bit, or whatever to get the blood flowing. You might wanna try warming up on your own a bit ten minutes before class if there's space.

I hate stretching cold. I'm not naturally flexable so I need be warmed up a bit or else my range of motion is real bad. I have a long way to go.

If you can't do it on your own, I would talk to him. From what I know, it's easy to get injured if you're not streched properly. Since you're in ballet, I'm assuming your range of motion is better then mine so it might not be as bad. But I know if I'm not warm and stretched it hurts to kick over my waist level...

...and you must be kicking people in the head already if you have ballet under your belt...

[hammer]

Hey Slydermv--I like the idea of running FIRST to get warmed up before stretching. We always stretch cold at our school, and as a dancer, it bugs me. In ballet, you ALWAYS, ALWAYS warm up with barre exercises before stretching. "You need to break a sweat first," says my ballet teacher.

Is there any way I can gently get my TKD teachers to do this? I am a mere orange belt . . . with strong opinions. . .

You're correct about stretching cold...everything I've read about stretching says that doing so without a warm up does more harm than good.

In the club that I'm in, we do things differently depending on the class that you're going to.

In the first hour of our regular classes, we warm up with a set of hand techniques (sometimes with a few lower forms thrown in), then we stretch, and then we do our kicking drills.

In our advanced workouts, however, the room is open before class, and you're expected to warm up on your own before the start of class -- so we do stretching right at the beginning.

As others have said, the best thing for you to do is show up early for class and do some warm ups on your own -- maybe that's what's expected. If you cannot show up early, then you'll need to talk with the instructor.

Just be respectful and positive and if the instructor is reasonable he/she will be able to give you some advice that works for you. Good luck.

[UpTheIrons]

Different instructors might vary the routine slightly (I don't), but this is essentially how we always did basics:

Horseback stance middle punch

Front kickups

Low block

Stepping middle punch

Stepping high punch

Stepping high spear hand

High block

Side block (back stance)

Marching middle side kick (chung dan yop chagi)

Marching high side kick (sang dan yop chagi)

Double knife hand block

Inside knife hand strike (back stance)

Knife hand strike-reverse punch combination (yup chin) in back stance

[ninjanurse]

Sometimes, he warms us up and then just talks to us for 45 minutes...

Hey, that happens in my dojang too! Right Laurie !!!!

Not that I'm complaining or anything.....afterall it's not always about the physical training is it.