I’m Going to College! How Do I Train At College?

First off, congratulations! Getting accepted to college is an admirable accomplishment. Now the question is: how do you continue training?

Going to college is a big step forward and certainly an important one to make. Whether or not you continue what you are already doing, such as practicing taekwondo, is up to you. So how do you train while in higher education? This is an important question for this situation, and different black belts have different answers for this. No matter what you hear from others, there are solutions! Here are some of the most common solutions to that problem.

Join a Campus Club!

This one is kind of obvious. Most universities have some form of martial arts club, one of which is often taekwondo. In fact, some schools have two or more taekwondo clubs! Usually this is because they want a general club and a sport-specific club. Or perhaps they’re two different types of taekwondo (ex. WT and ITF). In either case, find the club that best fits your interests! Whichever one it might be, you might discover something you did not anticipate learning.

Join a Local Dojang

Okay, but what if your college doesn’t have a taekwondo club? Well, then you should try and find a nearby school. Fair warning though, the new school may be quite different from what you might be used to. The dojangs nearby your college campus might practice more sparring, more sport taekwondo, more self-defense, or even focus on older styles of taekwondo. Of course, there is nothing wrong with this. Frankly, I find that I learn a lot from other schools. Instead of seeing it as some sort of override to what I already know, I used it as an opportunity to add to my knowledge of taekwondo. As an example, I learned to do forms from an instructor who trained in the 90s, an insturctor who trained in the 70s, and an instructor who focused on sport poomsae. All of these people taught similar, but distinctly different, versions of the same form. In each I learned something new. In essentia, if you choose this route, keep an open mind! You might learn something you didn't expect.

Create Your Own Club

This one is probably the most challenging option. But, if you really love taekwondo, you might find it worthwhile. It can get quite messy though; especially if you want to have testings, do competitions, etc. Those things often require trained instructors and coaches, which can sometimes be hard to come by on a college campus. There is also considering dealing with student government, campus bureaucracy, and a whole lot of other chaos attached. That said, it is certainly more accessible, funded by the college, and an amazing leadership opportunity! Also, an interesting thing to add to your resume, don't you think?

Train By Yourself (or With Your Instructor)

This one was a method I tried for awhile. My instructor and I would do a video call once a week where he would help guide me in training for 30 minutes and then assign some homework to me. Every night I had a set time where I would go to the campus gym and train for about an hour or so. This kept me fit, active, and well prepared for when I got back to my home dojang on breaks! Of course, this doesn't work for everyone, as every instructor and dojang is different, and therefore has different policies. If an instructor allow it, however, it can be very helpful for continuing training.

So there you go! There are some ideas for how you can continue your taekwondo education in higher education. Good luck to you in college!