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Excellence in Martial Arts
August, 2005
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Is Taekwondo Just for Kids?
Kids are definitely a big part of Taekwondo today. Is Taekwondo, then, just for
them? Or can it be for adults too?
Why Kids
Many Martial Arts Schools and Clubs focus on teaching youth for many reasons.
First, kids love it! Many kids today see people on TV doing Martial Arts moves,
and decide “I want to do that!” Power Rangers has been one of the shows that
have really increased the popularity of Martial Arts in kid’s lives. With Mike
Chat joining the ATA and creating the XMA (Extreme Martial Arts) program there’s
no sign that trend will stop.
However, many of us adults too were inspired by movies such as “Enter the
Dragon” with Bruce Lee and “Rush Hour” with Jackie Chan. So can adults do this
too? You bet! In fact many adults over the age of 40 begin taking Taekwondo and
love it.
History
Taekwondo in the United States didn’t always have the face it does today. Back
in the 60’s and early 70’s Taekwondo was like many martial arts emphasizing
practical self-defense and hard contact. At that time, the typical people who
were attracted to this type of training were young men in their twenties.
Today we have turned a corner, and we appeal most to the younger generation, and
our training methods have changed to accommodate this. However, this doesn’t
mean that we have lost the ability to teach our art to adults! In fact the
training we have today is suitable for many ages, and as people try it, they
find the truth in this.
Obstacles for Adults
Many Adults decide not to join for several reasons. One given me most often is
that they feel uncomfortable in a class with Kids. Normally this is overcome in
the first few classes here as the adults learn that they can be pushed mentally
and physically in the environment created with a class having both adults and
kids.
Some adults simply look at those people in the movies and rather than get
excited about learning something like that, they get apprehensive and say, “I
could never do that. Why would I embarrass myself?” First, we do what our bodies
allow us to do. It may be that we as adults will never do a handspring or other
things done in the movies. We can however learn to punch and kick, and have fun
doing it.
All of us have different abilities and strengths, and we need to concentrate on
building these. Here at Marshalltown's Christian ATA, we emphasize the concept
of personal victory, this means that we strive to help you do better each day.
Whether that be in displaying integrity or in the way you perform a front kick,
we want to help and provide an atmosphere where you can achieve.
Whatever your obstacle, the best way to overcome it is to come to class, try it
out, and have fun! You may find that Taekwondo is right for you, and how will
you know if you never try?
Our Themes of the Month
Preparing for life outside the Taekwondo Dojang.
Respect, Esteem and Focus will be reviewed during the month of August to give
the student a better appreciation of these qualities and how they can be used
both in and out of class.
In September, persistence will be our class theme. This emphasizes sticking with
something when it may not be easy to do. This can benefit the student in school,
at home and in Taekwondo. Our phrase we will be learning in Taekwondo class is:
“Don’t Give Up!” If you catch your child not giving up on a hard task, reward
them by writing a note and giving them a star at Taekwondo class.
October brings us to discipline. Self-discipline is doing what you know has to
be done without someone else telling you to do it. Our phrase for the Karate
Kids is: “Just do it.” We hope that the kids learn that it is important to do
what they say they will do, and not to put things off when they can be done.
Korean Words Used in Class
In Taekwondo class there are several Korean words used on a regular basis.
Some of them students learn their meaning quickly, some not so quickly. So
here’s a list of some words, and their definition.
Charyut means “attention”, much like the military command. In attention stance
both feet have the toes touching and hands are held at the sides with the back
straight.
Kyung Nae means “bow”. “In Korean culture is a sign of respect and courtesy. It
is the eastern way of ‘shaking hands’ or ‘tipping the hat.’”1
Jhoon Bee is translated “ready stance”. The ready stance will change as you go
up in rank. At white belt – yellow belt, the ready stance is called natural
ready stance and is done with the arms down to the sides as if you are carrying
two buckets of water. At camouflage-red belts the stance is a regular ready
stance which carries the fists pointed toward each other but not touching
directly in front of the knot of the belt.
Baroh means return to ready stance.
Sijak is a word meaning “Go!” or “Begin”
Shee Uh is a word that many people do not know the meaning of. They just know
what to do when it is said. It means “At ease” and in class we thank our
instructor and clap for the workout we just received.
1 “The Way of Traditional Taekwondo, Philosophy and Tradition”, © 1997 and 1993
by the American Taekwondo Association®, p. 107
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