In my last post I talked about some of the general values of instructors. Essentially, I explained what I believe a good instructor should practice. I realize, however, that I failed to mention an exact ethics code, instead choosing to focus on more broad topics, such as respect and conflict resolution. I also mention how the moral lessons taught by jnfivifual schools come from a number of different sources including community values (the US is very respect heavy), ethics philosophy, and Jung Shin. Wait, what is Jung Shin? Well, that’s what this post is about. Jung Shin is essentially the philosophy behind taekwondo. If you ever read books on taekwondo history, philosophy, or even forms you will find it mentioned. Some schools (such as mine) regularly recite it as part of class or as a part of a testing. The idea behind it is to teach students (particularly younger kids) the importance of respect, self-control, and honesty early and consistently. I've found over the years that it, combined with a healthy community, is very helpful in creating an environment for learning. Here is the list that I was taught and teach my students. Yae E - Courtesy Courtesy is one of the first things you learn in taekwondo training. Most schools introduce this by teaching students to bow to other people. Particularly their instructors and their fellow students. Some schools prefer that people address others as "sir," "ma'am," or their titles like "Master Smith" or "Ms. Jackson." Then there is also showing courtesy and respect by respecting others requests, and generally treating others well. I've often found Courtesy to be one of the more practical parts of Jung Shin that I use every day. Yom Chi - Integrity Who doesn't appreciate an honest person? Living in the modern world, it can sometimes be hard to determine when you are getting the full truth or when someone might fulfill their promise. It's not necessarily the individuals fault, or anyone's fault really, but it can be a bit disappointing when you feel lied to. That's why students are taught integrity. It's part of being a light in their community. Now, Integrity doesn't necessarily mean being brutally honest all the time. I find it applies more frequently to owning up to your faults, admitting your mistakes, and treating others kindly. Integrity isn't just about honesty. It's about self-respect, respect for others, and humility. In Nae - Perseverance Taekwondo training is hard! I've found that at good taekwondo schools the best students aren't perfect. In fact, the best students fail more frequently then most of their colleagues. The difference is that those students will pick themselves up and keep going. They won't do this once either. They will do this infinitely. They will persevere. Some people enter taekwondo to become black belts. That is not Perseverance. That is ambition. Those who persevere are the ones who are often in it to learn. See, with ambition one can give up if they decide that it is not worth the struggle or feel they are done. Those who want to learn, however, will try again and again and again until they are ready for the next step. Those students who express Perseverance are more often then not the ones who become black belts. Those who don't express perseverance might become black belts, sure. But I've found they never quite learn. Geuk Gi - Self Control If you've read my other articles, you know. Self-control is important to me. This is for many reasons, but not the least of which is because a trained martial artist can hurt someone. The truth is though, that fighting is not the right choice. I've also learned, both from personal experience and watching others, that self-control is healthy outside of fighting too. As an example, I like donuts. In American culture we are surrounded by an excess of food, Some of which are unhealthy, such as donuts. I could eat a whole box of glazed donuts (or chocolate, I don't mind!), Yum. However, I also know that it is unhealthy to do so. So what do I do? I eat one donut and then stop myself. I want to eat more donuts, but I know it's not good for me. So, I express the self-control to resist what I want, to instead choose what I need (which is good health). It's not necessarily easy, but that's the point. As the saying goes, if it were easy, it wouldn't be worth doing. Baek Chul Bul Gool - Indomitable Spirit This one is a much less obvious and much more philosophical idea. I could go on forwever talking about what "an Indomitable Spirit" means in taekwondo. In fact I've both written and memorize essays on the idea. However, there is simply not enough time. So instead I will keep it simple. Indomitable Spirit is all of these things brought together with the intent of having a positive impact on the world around you. More frequent readers know that this is an important part of being a black belt. A person with indomitable spirit can take criticism and learn from it. They can take a struggle and grow from it. In essence, a person with Indomitable Spirit can keep going, growing, and does not give up. How about you? Do you think you have what it take to be a black belt? What does Jung Shin mean to you? Have a great day!

Doctors have the Hippocratic Oath. Lawyers have ethics committees. Even architects have oaths they take to do their job. What about taekwondo instructors? The short answer is yes. The long answer is much more complicated. In taekwondo, ethics and morals are very important and very complicated. There are many factors that can impact what the ethics of a martial artist, and therefore the ethics of an instructor, is. The first of these are the training. In my experience, good martial arts schools usually have some way of teaching students ethics. I’ve found that each school follows their own particular method of teaching students ethics. Why do martial arts schools teach students ethics? Because, while martial arts is incredibly fun, it is dangerous. Naturally, students should be taught to be responsible with their knowledge. After all, you want to trust that the architect who designed your building is competent and has no intention of building something they know could fail and hurt you. Similarly, you want to learn from a taekwondo instructor who is not going to be a bad influence or harm their student. That is, in my opinion, one of the things that separates the martial arts from brutal fighting. A fighter knows how to fight. A martial artist knows when not to. So what are the ethics of Taekwondo instructors? Well, the true list is long and complicated (and dependent on the school) but here are the basics that can help you start your journey. Respect This one is important. When you walk into a good martial arts school, you get an immediate sense of respect. Respect for the instructors, respect among the students, and the community’s respect for themselves and each other. The best martial arts schools, in my experience, create communities where respect is not demanded, it is simply expected. For the instructors, this can be very important. Instructors, like teachers, should be respected. In my experience, martial arts instructors are often on the younger side. That doesn’t necessarily mean they’re not experienced, however. One of the best instructors I ever met had only recently turned 21. Yet he had nearly 16 years of training, 10 years of teaching experience, multiple competition awards, and even scholarly contributions. He certainly earned the respect students gave him. Age is just a number anyway, right? To get respect, however, respect must be given. I’ve found that the best instructors are respectful of their students, each other, and their families. This does many things, not the least of which includes teaching and encouraging professionalism. Certainly a useful skill for students to learn, no? Humility Though they might be tough, experienced, and deserving of respect, a good instructor expresses humility. Not only does this cause you to admire them more, this also helps them remember that, while they are leaders in their communities, they are not above others simply because they wear a black belt. As the saying goes, a black belt is just a white belt who never quit. Humility is also important because instructors make mistakes. They make a lot of mistakes. It’s much harder to fix those mistakes when one’s pride gets in the way of their self-reflection. Teaching is hard, and we all have good and bad days. To new instructors: don’t worry, it gets better! Peace Yes, seriously. No, I'm not kidding. Martial arts education, true martial arts education, is about finding peace in yourself. It is taught from the very beginning that you should never use violence except in the worst situation. If you can leave, you should. Why? Because, as a martial artist, you learn that most fights aren't won on the mat. They're won through kindness and compassion. A good martial artist chooses to make friends over enemies. Not only does this help you make more friends in the long run, it also means less injury! Sounds nice, right? Humor Everyone loves a comedian! Taekwondo instructors, the best ones, know when to laugh and make others laugh. They won’t make fun of you, that would be disrespectful, but they might make a good joke on technique or a comment someone made. This keeps it fun, light hearted, and encourages a healthy and happy environment. I think one of my favorite jokes an instructor ever made was when a little tiger (not much older than 4) said “I made a snowman out of round snow balls!” And an instructor looked at the student and said seriously “really? I thought snowman were made out of cubes!” The student didn’t get it, but their parents sure did! Taekwondo can be many things. Fun, exciting, stressful, and challenging. I have found however, that these are all worth it, if you have good instructors to guide you! A good instructor, most admirably, practices what they teach; respect, humility, humor, and peace. What are your dojang instructors like? Message below!

I am so excited. Why, you might ask? The future of taekwondo is incredible. If you’re as passionate about taekwondo as I am, you probably have already watched YouTube tutorials and know about the various educational and competitive apps you can download on your phone. They're certainly very helpful for reviewing poomsae, watching sparring competitions, or satiating your curiosity. But there is so much more than that. So. Much. More. Before I begin, I want to say this is not sponsored, and I do not plan to mention, endorse, or otherwise promote any products of any companies. This is just my ramblings and general excitement about what I’ve seen. Alright. Let’s begin! So, have you seen the movie (or perhaps read the book) Ready Player One? If you have, you know it’s about a dystopian world where society essentially functions in a virtual reality. In this dystopic world, people do everything in the video game. School, work, exercise. Basically everything. Sure, to accomplish these tasks, you move around. But the context is entirely virtual, displayed through a VR headset. That is essentially what is being made now. Interactive, life-changing technology. Except, you know, without the post-apocalyptic dystopia. I suppose that’s a bad analogy, but you get the idea (I hope). Recently, as companies develop VR technology, other people are creating sport-related systems to connect to it. Now, people aren’t sitting on their butts playing video game versions of Olympic events using a fancy headset. That would be very boring, and a true tragedy to the technology. Instead, they put on VR gear and do their sport (in some way or another) remotely. As an example, there is development of a rowing technology where, instead of being in a boat on a river, athletes are on rowing machines. Same motions, same objective, but instead, they are on a machine where the data is transmitted and compared to that of another team. This certainly wouldn’t be the same as being in a real crewing event but, if presented with transport issues or public safety hazards (like a pandemic), it could be a viable sport. In fact, there are enough different events that there could be a an international VR competition someday. This could be extremely helpful. It wasn’t long ago that Covid struck and the 2020 Olympics had to be delayed due to safety concerns. With VR technology, while we would still have to avoid in-person competition, we could still have an VR competition done remotely around the world. Now, I’m hopeful that these remote events won’t take over the normal events, but instead complement them. Personally, I think it would be a tragedy to lose live competitions. At least in my opinion. There’s just something to the live events that makes it special. Adding the VR version, though, could be incredible. I can also see it having great training opportunities. With an AI sparring partner combined with a remotely connected instructor monitoring the scenario, people could practice sparring virtually. Sparring, and the future of it, sounds great. What about poomsae? We can't just leave it in the dust! Thankfully, we're not. There are training apps already on the market to practice poomsae. The programs can help with stance, technique, rhythm, etc. Again, I can see how this could make competitions more accessible and easier to work remotely. At one point, I was talking with a fellow referee, when they told me about how they would do poomsae competitions during Covid using video. With a VR version, judges could see so much more than they might get from a video or livestream. They could, for example, see the competitor's perspective, as well as their own. So yeah. I’m extremely excited for the future of this technology and look forward to its success. Have a nice day!

Hold on there superman! What do you mean you "want to fight bad guys"? If you want help with that you're going to have to elaborate. Let me back up. Recently I got a new student who wanted to learn taekwondo so he could become a superhero. After that class I started thinking about it. What did he mean when he told me he wanted to learn how to fight bad guys? My mind went so many ways. Did he mean he wanted to learn self-defense? Did he want to learn choreography? Or did he actually believe that he wanted to become a superhero? To be completely fair, this new student is a smaller child, and therefore not necessarily set on their career path. Though props to this kid for his ambition! After giving it rather a lot of thought, I decided to write out a post detailing how one might go about learning taekwondo to "fight bad guys." There are two main ways that I believe people can interpret this phrase. In the case of this small child, it might be interpreted as they want to learn how to do the tricks they see in superhero movies. Fair enough. Those are pretty cool, and fun to learn! The next one is self defense. Certainly a good skill to have in my opinion. Thankfully taekwondo, particularly a really well educated instructor, can teach you both skills! Fighting Bad Guys on TV We see a lot of fight scenes. Particularly with the comic book superhero movies and TV shows that are on streaming services now.. I'll be honest, watching these is a guilty pleasure of mine. Yes, they are often horribly unrealistic, but so good. A good Taekwondo education can help one learn how to do fight scenes like these! Yes, really. In fact, a friend of mine ended up working as a choreographer and stunt double for fight scenes when she was in college. Choreography was a skill we learned as part of our demonstration team training. See, we know people like these, so we would happily do shows in public where we would choreograph fight scenes. Some of our best had dialogue in them. We would often drag these out and put in as many stunts and cool techniques (such as tornado kicks, jumping kicks, quintuple kicks, etc.) that we could realistically get away with. Would these skills work in reality? No. Would these skills work on the stage? Absolutely (we actually had a bit of a fan base at one point)! Fighting Bad Guys in an Alleyway This should be blatantly obvious; you shouldn't fight someone unless you absolutely have to. Even then, you should avoid hurting someone. That said, it is still a good skill to know how to defend yourself. A good taekwondo instructor knows this, and knows at least a few different ways of how to handle certain situations. As a student, my instructor had us learn self defense drills where we learned how to defend ourselves against kicks, punches, and knives (among other tools and techniques). Our instructor was quite proud of himself when he found out that one of his students used one of the drills in real life and it worked for her! Typically for us, these drills were not complicated. They were extremely simple and focused on a series of very specific circumstances. The reason is because, unlike the movies, self defense circumstances are meant to be fast and efficient. Not long and elaborate. Sure, tornado kicks are super cool, but they're not always the fastest are they? The truth is, when it comes to self defense, the longer it takes, the more likely your opponent could hurt you. You don't want to get hurt, do you? In summary, fighting bad guys in reality is short. Fighting bad guys on TV is super long, super elaborate, and (in my opinion) super fun to learn. The main difference is that one uses amazing music and is done by movie stars, and the other is extremely less entertaining and typically not done by movie stars. Which do you think this student meant? Do you have an opinion on it? Disclaimer: This site is for entertainment purposes only. All martial arts techniques and exercises should be supervised by a trained martial arts instructor in order to prevent injuries and to ensure the proper technique is utilized. The information on these pages and videos is meant only to entertain and not to educate. To properly understand these techniques, you need to learn them from a martial arts instructor who can provide you with an in-depth explanation of the technique, help correct your mistakes, answer your questions and detail how the technique should be utilized. In addition, all martial arts techniques and training should be used safely and responsibly.

So you’ve likely heard of taekwondo, but did you know that modern taekwondo is actually based on the styles of 9 older versions of taekwondo? It’s true! Now, there is a lot of complex details that differ between the schools, but here is a quick summary of a handful of the taekwondo schools of thought (or kwans).

Those demonstration team black belts are amazing! How do they do those kicks?!

I have a confession to make: I’ve betrayed taekwondo. I know! What a crime. So what is my betrayal? My betrayal is rather severe. Yes, I have indeed been learning in the local park! I’ve been learning Tai Chi. I know! Scandalous! That sounds like a rather mundane betrayal. That’s because it is not actually a betrayal of taekwondo (though it might seem so to some of my younger students). At least, not really. In fact, it’s actually a part of taekwondo training! That’s right! Learning other martial arts is, historically, a big part of taekwondo training. In fact, it’s part of what makes taekwondo, taekwondo. I’m working on another post about this particular topic (soon to be released, I swear), but taekwondo is actually based on a bunch of grand masters learning other martial arts from China and Japan, and bringing them together, eventually creating what we now call taekwondo. Learning other martial arts is, in fact, what taekwondo is all about. Why though? And how is it useful? The first question (the “why?”) is both simple and incredibly complicated. In summary, every martial art is based, at least in some regards, on other techniques taught to masters who later founded the martial art. Those masters’ students, in turn, added to the pool. This happens for a few generations and then suddenly the new martial art is distinctly separate from its ancestors. Subak and Taekkyeon are earlier forms of Korean martial arts (Subak actually has cave drawings of it) that aren’t practiced very much anymore, but are clearly connected to taekwondo. As an example, the crescent kick is almost identical to a common kick practiced in Taekkyeon, as are some of the evasive techniques used on the sparring mat. Surprised? Hold on, it gets better. The next question is even simpler. It’s useful because it adds something unique to the martial artist and their repertoire. Every taekwondo black belt learns the roundhouse kick. And the axe kick. And certainly the tornado kick. In fact, many dojangs practice the same taekwondo forms as other dojangs as part of their training. Yet each black belt is unique despite this universal training. They have their own strategies, their own strengths and weaknesses, and their own ways of solving various self-defense circumstances. Part of this individualism comes from a black belt's education outside of taekwondo. Many black belts, in my experience, take the time to learn bits and pieces of other martial arts. A common one in America is to learn MMA or Kickboxing. These black belts often are stronger and hit harder than their peers. Training outside of class does involve reading! Another common one is Aikido or Judo. It never hurts to improve one’s ability to do groundwork! After all, taekwondo really isn't equipped to handle throws, wrestling, and holds. That's a pretty big gaping hole! Though, to be fair, most dojangs and their masters also teach Hapkido, and this often covers that area. Personally, I’m a big fan of martial arts like Kung Fu and Tai Chi. This might be because of my fascination with history, but I like older martial arts. There is something to learn from the past, after all. Personally, I find older martial arts to be quite soothing and fluid than their more modern contemporaries. After teaching taekwondo, I certainly like an opportunity to relax. I might even try yoga some day! It certainly would improve my poomsae if I were more flexible! So, what have I learned in Tai Chi so far? Well, to be honest, I’ve only just started. Though, I have learned a lot! As an example, I learned that, unlike taekwondo, Tai Chi is all about redirecting power, rather than stopping it entirely. I’ve found this entire change in mind set to be quite challenging, but quite rewarding! Taekwondo's sparring training centers around the general premise of "hit and don't be hit." Tai chi, on the other hand is all about what should happen when you do get hit. What do you do? How do you handle it? My Tai Chi instructor was excellent at teaching me this tactic. I could see very easily how I could apply this tactic in my own training. The most significant difference in my training so far has been speed. Taekwondo is an incredibly fast martial art. Tai Chi, on the other hand, is very slow and methodical. Contrary to popular belief, just because it's slow doesn't mean it's useless. In a sparring match with my Tai Chi instructor, I discovered that a) he’s quite fast when he wants to be and b) I never know that I’ve lost until it’s way too late. In our sparring sessions in which we slow down, I’ve learned quite a bit. In those sparring sessions I have plenty of time to think about what to do next, while also having to react promptly. The more I practice, the more it becomes second nature; which of course is the goal of martial arts training! By the end of my first class, I could really feel my core muscles. It felt like I had done a hundred sit ups! Unlike Aikido and Judo, Tai Chi definitely doesn't do groundwork but, surprisingly, is quite useful in close-up sparring. I could probably write forever, gushing about how much I’ve learned so far, but I think I’ll pause here, and summarize it as such: it never hurts to learn from other sources! You can find wisdom from many other sources, you just have to look for it. Good luck in your taekwondo journey!

The Importance of Ongoing Training

What's a gamjeom? My fellow classmates keep talking about it, but I have no idea what they mean! Much like any Olympic event, Tae Kwon Do sparring matches have specific rules. If you've started sparring in class, your instructor has likely given you a basic introduction to these guidelines. While I can't cover every detail here, I will discuss the essential premises. For the complete rules, I recommend checking the guidelines provided by World Taekwondo, the organization that oversees Olympic sparring criteria. What Does a Traditional Sparring Match Look Like? A traditional sparring match involves two Tae Kwon Do students, typically of similar rank and size. Both participants must agree to spar. If they haven't, it's not a legal match. The students wear sparring gear protecting their arms, legs, chest, and head. The chest guard, known as a "hogu," is crucial for scoring points. Scoring depends on the number of hits and the type of strikes. Participants can also score additional points by hitting the head, but this is at the referee's discretion. After bowing to the referee and each other, the match begins. From that moment, the participants focus on scoring points by hitting each other within the parameters until the timer runs out. The individual with the most points at the end wins. How Do You Score Points in Sparring? Participants score points by hitting legal target areas. Referees and judges determine whether a hit warrants a point. Here are some ways to score: 1 point for punching the chest guard 2 points for kicking the chest guard 3 points for a kick to the head 4 points for a valid spinning kick to the chest guard 5 points for a valid spinning kick to the head A loss of 1 point for each penalty, known as a gamjeom Customs in a Sparring Match Tae Kwon Do has several customs that vary from school to school. Here are some that you might notice: Holding the Helmet In some schools and competitions, students hold the helmet under their left arm before matches. This tradition is especially important for those who aim to compete. Not knowing this custom can be embarrassing, particularly if you're a black belt. Respect and Bowing Respect plays a fundamental role in Tae Kwon Do. At the start of each sparring match, athletes must bow to the referee first and then to each other. This act fosters an environment of trust and respect, ensuring no one cheats or acts rudely. Sportsmanship While this might seem obvious, good sportsmanship is often lacking, especially in competitions. Some participants take the event too seriously, resorting to insults towards others involved. Remember, sparring is meant to be a game. Everyone deserves respect, and even Olympic events are fundamentally just competitions. Unsportsmanlike behavior can lead to penalties or disqualification. Basic Sparring Match Rules Sparring is distinctly different from self-defense situations; it is a game governed by rules. For instance, punches to the face are strictly prohibited. Hitting an opponent's face will typically result in a penalty known as a gamjeom . Like many sports, Tae Kwon Do sparring (called Kyorugi in Korean) takes place in a designated area. Participants must adhere strictly to this space. Stepping beyond the designated area incurs a penalty with a gamjeom. While traditionally the mat was square, octagonal shapes are now more common. Some strategies involve pushing opponents out of bounds. Each match comprises three rounds of two minutes each, with a one-minute break in between. During breaks, physical contact is prohibited. Dress Code in Sparring As with many sports, there is a dress code in Tae Kwon Do. Participants must wear the appropriate dobok (uniform), often adorned with team symbols in Olympic competitions. They must also don required protective gear, including chest, head, forearm, groin, and shin protectors. Referee Instructions and Penalties Tae Kwon Do athletes, known as taekwondo-in, must follow the referee's instructions. The referee signals the start of the match, and any movement before that can lead to penalties. Additionally, striking opponents with knees or head and keeping a leg elevated for more than three seconds incurs penalties. Aiming for below the waist also results in disqualification. Conclusion So there you have it! These are the basic rules and customs of sparring in Tae Kwon Do. Understanding these elements will enhance your practice and ensure that you adhere to the sport's traditions. Remember, I am not responsible for any accidents or injuries related to sparring. This post aims to explain the general premise of a sparring match while providing entertainment to readers. For more information on the nuances of sparring, seeking guidance from your instructor is highly recommended.

So recently I ran across a couple taekwondo instructors who, as part of their work, read philosophy textbooks. Even better, it was more than just The Art of War and The Five Rings. They were well versed in Plato, Aristotle, Hobbes, Marcus Aurelius, and many more classic philosophers. That got me wondering, can philosophy help with training? The more I think about it, the more I think… yes! I think it really could be a helpful training tool and here’s why. The Art of War by Sun Tzu is a classic text for many people. It’s read by generals and professors, yes. But it’s also read by teachers, lawyers, and entrepreneurs. I’ve even run across leaders of charities who have found it helpful in their work! Certainly a helpful text to any who are interested! Even reading can be helpful to the martial artist! For the martial artist, The Art of War is a great text for conflict resolution and leadership. If you’ve read some of my other work, you know that martial artists are known for taking (or in some cases being handed) leadership roles. Leadership can require conflict resolution. That’s where the Art of War comes in handy. It masterfully teaches students how to handle conflict through both analogy and examples. Even the more literal explanations of ancient battle strategy can be surprisingly helpful! Conflict resolution, in my experience, is key to being a good black belt. Especially if one wants to be an instructor. Inevitably, taekwondo instruction will involve conflict. The same holds true for being a referee at a competition. People will sometimes get very passionate in their objectives, whether it is getting a gold medal or passing a test. It is a part of the instructor's job, in my experience, to stay calm and resolve the situation. Another situation where The Art of War is helpful is sparring competitions. Sun Tzu isn't talking purely about battles and wars. He’s talking about strategy. Contrary to popular belief, sparring is not just hitting your opponent as much as possible. In fact doing so is a gamjeom in some competitions! No, instead it is a game of strategy. Using such a classic text may help a coach or athlete help make those snap decisions that can win or lose a match! Some of the best black belts I know are avid readers! Another surprisingly helpful book is Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations (though the copy I have is titled the Emperor's Handbook). Marcus Aurelius was a Roman emperor, so you know he knew what he was doing! All jokes aside, Marcus Aurelius was actually a relatively good leader and certainly not nearly as bad as some of his predecessors! Regardless, his meditations are a classic book for all philosophers to read, and a great one for anyone seeking leadership roles (yes, including black belts!) For the martial artists, I find this book to be very illuminating because it can teach one how to be a thoughtful leader. The truth of the matter is that leadership is both a matter of logic and a matter of compassion. Those two things go hand in hand and, in my experience, the best leaders use both. The ramblings of an emperor can be surprisingly helpful in learning this. There are many other philosophers than these two who can be helpful to the martial artist. The truth of the matter is that martial arts is more than just fighting. Martial arts is about leadership. As any well taught black belt will likely tell you, being a black belt comes with responsibility. The same holds true for leadership. Leadership is more than power, it’s responsibility as well. Indeed martial arts is about scholarship as well. Taekwondo in particular always has books and talks and lectures from experts on all aspects of the martial art. Whether they are on competititon form, taekwondo theory, instruction, or philosophy, they can be surprisingly helpful! Guess what? You can read a book anywhere! Yes. Anywhere! Okay, so philosophy is important. “How can I apply this to my training?”, you ask. Well that depends on where you are and where you’re going. If you aspire to enter competitions (yes, even poomsae) then finding a good book on strategy might be wise to read. If you are looking at turning to teaching, then perhaps a book on leadership could be helpful. As a person who has done both jobs and read both books, I have found use for both . Leadership is an inherent part of being a martial artist, particularly if you’re an instructor. I’ve found both of these philosophers to be helpful in figuring out how best to lead in any particular circumstance. In order to be a good leader, in my mind, one should learn from other leaders. When it comes to the Roman Empire, much of the curiosity around it surrounds the behavior of the emperors. After reading only a few books on the topic, it becomes clear that bad leaders are rather easy to create. One of the few exceptions, generally speaking, is Marcus Aurelius. His philosophical views and diligent thought made him a much better leader than some of his predecessors or heirs. So arguably, being a thoughtful leader, helps one be a good leader. Of course, being a good leader vs. a bad leader is a whole other post (or posts) in and of themselves. But this blog post is mostly a book recommendation, so I think I’ll leave my ramblings of what (in my opinion) a good leader is for another post. In summary, knowledge is power. But one should not forget, power also corrupts. Good luck in your leadership aspirations and black belt journey!

Wanna know a secret? I was not always the best at school and doing schoolwork. Honestly, I was terrible at taking tests. Yet, I’ve passed (sometimes surprisingly) a whole bunch of Tae Kwon Do testings. When I think back on it, I’ve completed at least 30 Tae kwon do testings over the years (could be more, I’m bad at math!). Sometimes it’s felt like I’ve taken hundreds though. Regardless, I’ve noticed a few things. Not the least of which is that succeeding in Tae Kwon Do has helped me with succeeding in school. Have you ever wondered why Tae Kwon Do testing or examination is called a “testing?” I mean, they aren’t just about answering questions that your teacher asks to recite the knowledge you’ve gained. I’ve found in my many years of Tae Kwon Do training that testing and Tae Kwon Do helped with school. Now, it didn’t help through anything obvious (I never broke a classroom desk with my fist, for example) but it did help with learning how to learn! Just like any other student, martial artists studying hard! So what do I mean by that statement? I mean exactly that. What goes on in the Tae Kwon Do classroom is not much different with what happens in the traditional classroom. You have a teacher who is trying to help you understand a certain topic in hopes of preparing you for a task later down the road (like a testing). Ok, so the classes in the dojang and in high school are kinda similar. Big whoop. Testing is totally different though. My math teacher doesn’t require that I break a board or anything cool like that! True, I never had a math teacher tell me that I could break a board. But my math teacher was asking me to show them what I had learned in their class. Wait… that sounds familiar… Studying is helpful when you have a great teacher! That’s because it is! When you go to testing, your instructors are interested in seeing you perform and show them what you’ve learned. They know what you’ve been learning because they were (usually) the ones teaching you. The question is can you demonstrate what you’ve learned? The same principle holds true in math class too. Your teacher knows what you’ve been learning because they’re (usually) the ones teaching you. They want to see if you can apply that knowledge. That’s what a test (and a testing) is. It’s a demonstration of what you learned. Taking a Tae kwon do class and practicing what you learn is all in preparation for passing the next testing and progressing as a student. In math class, paying attention in the lecture (are you paying attention?) and doing the homework is a form of training too. You are training and exercising your brain in preparation for the final exam or project. It’s a common thought to think that belt testing is about getting the belt. That’s only part of it. What it’s really about is seeing your progress in the program and what you need to work on. Just like a math test, in which the teacher wants to see how much you have learned from them in their class. Your instructor also wants to see how much you’ve learned. Has your kick improved? Are your forms strong? Can you demonstrate the application of the quadratic equation on the Cartesian coordinate plane? (Kidding, your Tae Kwon Do instructor probably won’t ask you about the quadratic equation.) See? Belt testing and classroom testing have more in common then you think. So take what you learn about practicing in class to prepare for your next testing, and turn that into practicing for your next math testing. So prepare and study for your belt test… and your math test! Work those muscles and those brain cells! You got this!

I published a post on types of instructors that I’d worked with , but I realized something… I forgot a few! The truth is there are so many different types of instructors, it’s hard to recount them all. Of course, as any of my more consistent readers have discovered, just because something is hard doesn’t mean a black belt isn’t willing to do it. So, here are 5 more amazing instructors! The Comedian This instructor is so funny. They’re especially good with the younger kids, even though the kids don’t always get the joke. Their sense of humor helps get the students attention, and their respect. The Comedian doesn’t always handle a difficult class well, but 9 times out of 10, their classes are very effective! The kids think they're hilarious and parents love them. Sure, sometimes they goof off, but the best ones find a nice balance between humor and professionalism. The Game Designer To these instructors, the best way to learn is to play! They know how to make everything into a game. Literally everything. Even stretching at the beginning of class is an interactive game to them. The kids, naturally, love this. The Game Designer is an excellent instructor, especially with white belts. Even some of the older adults like them, because they manage to make even the most mundane of exercises so much fun! Instructors (and teachers) spend a lot of time designing lessons! The Examiner This instructor is super judgmental. They have no qualms telling you what they think about you. They have standards and they make it clear that they expect you to hold up to them. In a normal class, they might not be the best instructor, but on testing day? That’s when they shine. Their judgement might stress you out in class, but for some reason their harsh but fair examination is strangely relaxing during a test. They might be sharp with their criticism, but you know they’re going to be a good judge of your technique. The Author This person writes about taekwondo. A lot. They might even run a blog to which they regularly post articles on a whole range of topics. They are skilled at using both the pen and the sword. The Author can be pretty hard to catch at the dojang though. When they’re not in the classroom, They always seem to be cloistered away somewhere, reading. Or writing. Or both. The few conversations you have had with them, however, have been very educational. Find your best instructors and learn what you can from them! The Lifer This person lives, breathes, and dreams of taekwondo. Every time you walk into the dojang they are there teaching, training, or just hanging out. They can be super cool, helpful, and so passionate. When they talk about taekwondo or their life in taekwondo they make it sound like taekwondo is their everything. Most likely, it is. The lifers will often be found in the park, training. Whether doing pull ups on the tree branches, meditating under the tree, or practicing poomse under the tree, they're out there, training. What if it's winter? That hardly stops them. Lifers can be found reading alongside their friends, the Author and the Scholar. Taekwondo is their everything, and they enjoy sharing their love of it with you! Instructors come in a wide variety of forms, each with their own distinct characteristics. This uniqueness is what makes them so exceptional. The most effective instructors know how to teach and make learning enjoyable. Moreover, excellent instructors serve as outstanding role models. So, seek out the best instructors and absorb as much as you can from them! And there you go! Five more types of instructors you might come across at a dojang! Have you met any of them? Drop us a message and let us know! This site is for informational and entertainment purposes only. Any similarity to any person living or dead is entirely coincidental. All martial arts techniques and exercises should be supervised by a trained martial arts instructor in order to prevent injuries and to ensure the proper technique is utilized. The information on these pages and videos is meant only to entertain. To properly understand these techniques, you need to learn them from a martial arts instructor who can provide you with an in-depth explanation of the technique, help correct your mistakes, answer your questions and detail how the technique should be utilized. In addition, all martial arts techniques and training should be used safely and responsibly.