Instructors Blog
As martial artists get older its important to maintain flexibility and continue practicing and developing. Some things get harder however, particularly jumping and other things that put strain on the joints. Injuries take longer to recover from too so its important to peak at the right times, i.e. gradings!
The 4th Dan grading exam involves jumping and breaking with 360 degree kicks, flying high kick breaks above head height, and flying reverse turning kick breaks all on both left and right legs. Practicing too much too soon may cause an injury which will prevent you grading, but not practicing enough means you won’t be able to perform it on the day, its a fine balancing act.
The grading exam for 5th Dan involves pattern Moon Moo in which strength and control of the legs and core muscles is needed for the slow motion kicks and for balance, as well as breaking with a flying kick over the shoulders of standing volunteers, and flying twisting kick breaks with each leg.
The 6th Dan grading exam involves multi target flying technique breaks a minimum of 3 with the feet.
All these on top of patterns, sparring, self-defence and more. But don’t let age put you off. It most certainly can be done, and some of the people I’ve watched at recent gradings are an inspiration, people who have successfully achieved these requirements in their 50’s and even 60’s through indomitable spirit (and careful ‘peaking’!)
However training must be planned with careful timing particularly working towards 3rd Dan gradings and higher, don’t stop training, practicing, moving forward and most of all believing.
So when people say ‘Am I too old to start at 40?’ the answer is ‘What! Are you kidding?’
Posted by admin on Dec 10, 2011
On 29th October 2011 First Grandmaster Rhee Ki Ha made history by announcing his resignation from the ITF after 45 years of membership.
Two things need to be clarified:
1. He did not resign from the UKTA (he is no longer president and hasn't been for 12 months, but he'll always be our founder & mentor)
2. The UKTA are still members of the ITF.
Why did he do it?
He has unfalteringly followed one master (the founder) all of his Taekwon-do life and, like him, has pursued one goal, of a unified Taekwon-do and a unified Korea, but the time had come when he felt that he could do this better by shedding the constraints of affiliation in a climate where the ITF has now been divided for almost 10 years.
At the age of 73 he has decided that he wants to spend the time he has left teaching Taekwon-do to anyone who wants to learn, with no political affiliation, bias or preconceptions. As for us in the UKTA, he calls us his 'Taekwon-do babies' and has told us that he’s not going anywhere; he is still here for us. We are happy to call him our Taekwon-do father and mentor.
He said no bitter words to, or about, the ITF. He has left amicably and now, this most honourable of men, rises head and shoulders above those who put him down for what he has done, those who never met or knew the founder, and who know nothing of the echelons of power within the ITF(s). Their negative comments say so much more about them than they say about him.
Baekjool bool gool
Posted by admin on Nov 18, 2011
Once upon a time there was a martial arts instructor who used to tell people how good his students were.
‘They practice full contact sparring all the time, it makes them tough and fearless’ he used to tell people. And of course he was right, they were tough and they were fearless. One of them was called Mac.
One day, a potential new member turned up at the class by the name of Zip, Zip had trained elsewhere, had moved into the area and was looking for a new class to join.
‘We do full contact sparring here’ the instructor told him.
‘Then I’m afraid I won’t be joining’ said Zip with disappointment.
Later that evening Mac went out for the night out and happened to run into Zip. As they were talking, a gang burst into the bar waving baseball bats and grabbed an innocent passer by. Mac, stepped forward fearlessly, fists raised preparing for ‘full contact’ sparring. Two of the attackers raised their bats and laid into him, Mac didn’t stand a chance, he was about to be killed. Zip could not hold back, it was time to act and save Mac’s life. He leapt into the affray, and, just as one attacker was about to smash his bat into Mac’s head, Zip delivered one full contact blow to the attacker. The attacker fell down dead. Zip had saved Mac’s life.
Several months later Zip found himself in court charged with manslaughter.
The court heard how the attacker had launched at Mac with a bat, and with one blow, Zip, acting in self-defence had killed him to save Mac’s life.
The instructor sitting at the back of the courtroom sloped out quietly, he now realised why Zip wouldn’t join his ‘full contact’ class.
Zip was found not guilty of course, and before closing the case the judge asked Zip how he and Mac had known each other. Zip told him of the visit to the martial arts club.
‘Ah I see’ said the judge shaking his head sadly, ‘so although they did what they thought was full contact sparring, unfortunately they couldn’t do martial arts to save their lives’
In Taekwon-do the belt is tied around the waist once to signify defeating the opponent in one blow. Full power is only practiced on re-breakable boards, wood & brick.
Posted by admin on Oct 21, 2011
I was thinking today that I'd quite like to have a World Champion in our midsts so here's the plan:
We'll host a World Championships here in Wirral! Cool. We'll invite everyone from our own school, a few neighbouring schools and some others from eleswhere in the country in our association, plus of course our friends from Tenerife Taekwon-do - otherwise it wouldn't be a World Championships now would it? We'll call it the Independant TKD World Championships
With all the different weight, height & age categories we're guaranteed a few World Champions! Then we'll be the best school around won't we!
What? I'm not convincing you? Oh well, you can't fool all the people all the time.
Posted by admin on Oct 02, 2011
A chess tournament was being held and chess Masters from all over the country had arrived to try their hand at the title.
The tournament began with the rules being explained to the master players before they went to their places with their opponents. The starting bell rang and the first player at each table made his move.
Some masters began by moving a pawn, others moved a knight, but a commotion had broken out on one of the tables and everyone turned to see what was happening.
One of the masters was standing up waving his arms about and shouting ‘I’m the winner!’ as his supporters clapped and cheered. Surely the game couldn’t be over already?
‘What do you mean?’ cried his opponent. ‘The object of the game is to take the opponents King, and I’ve taken yours!’ he replied. ‘But you didn’t play the game, you just picked the king up off the table!’ said the judge.
The judge disqualified the rogue master and the competition continued as normal until the winner was declared and was awarded the title of Chess Grand Master.
The rogue master went home with his supporters complaining that the competition was fixed and saying how he was the real winner as he’d taken the King. He then awarded himself the title of ‘Supreme Chess Grand Master’.
Confused onlookers were never entirely sure if he was a fraud or delusional, should they be angry with him for ruining the tournament or should they feel sorry for him? One thing was certain, no-one with any credibility would play with him again.
TKD tournaments also have rules, not to be confused with self defence in which there aren’t any.
Posted by admin on Aug 14, 2011
A Martial arts student was in trouble at school for using abusive language to other pupils and pushing them around. The parent told the boy’s instructor. The instructor shook his head sadly ‘I instil respect and discipline in my students at all times, they are taught to be courteous and respectful. They bow when they enter and leave, they always call me Sir…..…... and they know what’ll ****ing happen to them if they ****ing don’t! He said, punching his hand into his palm.
Posted by admin on Jun 18, 2011
Taekwon-do was described by the founder as 'a way of life' but you need to be able to understand the tenets in order to follow them. Here I will attempt to explain the difference between perseverance and indomitable spirit.
Perseverance / In Nae
Steady persistence in adhering to a course of action, a belief, or a purpose; steadfastness. To continue to (try to) do something in spite of difficulties, failure or opposition. - This implies that things are taking longer than expected, there are ostacles to overcome, whether physical or mental. For example, you get stuck on a particular grade or technique yet carry on trying, you fail a grading but pick yourself up determine to improve and try again, you are continually beaten in competitions yet never give up entering them, that is perseverance.
And in life... patience in pursuing your goals whatever they are. ”One who is impatient in trivial matters can seldom achieve success in matters of great importance.” (Confucius)
Indomitable Spirit / Baekjul Boolgul
Indomitable - 'Incapable of being overcome, subdued, or vanquished; unconquerable.' (www.thefreedictionary.com). Impossible to defeat or subdue. - This implies that someone or something is trying to defeat you.
"It is an act of cowardice to fail to speak out against injustice." (Confucius) "All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing" (Edmund Burke)
Indomitable spirit means you stand up for what you believe is right no matter what.
Don't wait for it to be someone else's fight.
It seems to me that you can't have indomitable spirit without having perseverance, but you can have perseverance without having indomitable spirit. Indomitable spirit is like the ultimate perseverance. Whilst perseverance is to carry on trying and trying for something despite difficulties or failures, indomitable spirit is to carry on trying and trying in the face of (almost) impossible odds and adversity because you know its the right thing to do.
Posted by admin on May 29, 2011
The youngest of our students to get a black belt was aged 12. He had been training with us for 7 years. The shortest time for any of our students to get to black belt so far is 4 years. They don’t just wear black belts, they are black belts!
Posted by admin on Apr 28, 2011
An extraordinary maths tutor came to my attention recently. She coaches children in maths and some of her pupils have achieved a degree in mathematics as young as 7 years old! Parents are flocking to her with their children. What a fantastic start in life to gain a university degree so young! The parent of a child who had recently begun tuition under her expertise told me about her. The parent had visited Mrs Jones and was full of admiration having just seen the walls of her living room covered with pictures of children wearing cap and gown, and clutching their little degree scrolls.
‘It must be scary for such a young child to go into a University to sit an exam’ I remarked. ‘Oh they don’t have to do it at the University, they take it with Mrs Jones at her house’ the parent told me. ‘Has she got special dispensation from the university?’ I asked ‘and which university is the degree validated by?’ ‘I don’t know’ replied the parent, ‘I’ll find out’. The next time I saw her, the conversation went like this:
‘The degree hasn’t been validated by a university, its validated by Mrs Jones’
‘So who writes the exam papers?’
‘Mrs Jones’
‘Who marks the exams?’
‘Mrs Jones.’
‘Who awards the degree?’
‘Mrs Jones.’
'So the ‘degree’ counts for nothing outside Mrs Jones’s living room and the hardest question on it may be 2 + 2 = ?'
‘Yes but a degree is a degree isn't it!’
'So why not just print one off yourself on your computer?'
'Damn fine idea! Why didn't I think of that? It'll save me a fortune!"
What rubbish I hear you say. As if anyone would fall for such nonsense, Mrs Jones would be laughed out of town. But substitute 'maths' for the name of your chosen martial art and suddenly it’s a different story.
Just as a mathematics degree syllabus and exam paper have been devised by experts who have studied for many years under respected teachers, have qualifications which are acknowledged and respected worldwide, so too have genuine martial arts instructors. But the new student or parent doesn’t know a genuine qualification from a Mickey Mouse one without doing some research. Dig deep into the archives my friends, not your pockets, (and beware of lots of small children clutching scrolls!)
Posted by admin on Apr 17, 2011
General Choi Hong Hi left Taekwon-Do as his legacy and in order to preserve it for history, he set it all down in a
16 volume encyclopedia. The encyclopedia, however, can sometimes be open to interpretation or have meaning lost in translation. For that reason, we are so lucky in that we have
First Grandmaster Rhee Ki Ha at the head of our association, who was a key figure in its inception, and a fellow Korean, once described by General Choi as his 'best ever student', to help us.
General Choi's first text on Taekwon-Do in Korean was published in
1959, the precursor for the
1965 encyclopedia, then, in
1967, he began the long task of preparing for a new edition of the book with the help of US 4th Degree, Robert Walson. In
1969, he undertook a worldwide tour of twenty-nine countries to visit instructors and collect photographs for it.
Rhee Ki Ha, along with Kong Young II, Park Jong Soo, Pak Sun Jae and Choi Chang Keun, all 7th degree black belts, formed General Choi's hand picked demonstration team in
1973 which toured 13 countries across Europe, the Middle East, Africa and the Far East.
5 years later in
1978,
Rhee Ki Ha accompanied General Choi on a tour of Malaysia, Pakistan, Kenya and South Africa. The same year,
Rhee Ki Ha, Choi Chang Keun, Park Jung Tae and Liong Wai Meng formed the ITF Demonstration Team travelling to Sweden, Poland, Hungary and Yugoslavia.
In
1979, the All Europe Taekwon-Do Federation was formed with
Rhee Ki Ha as President.
Rhee Ki Ha also found time that year to accompany General Choi on a tour of Sweden, Denmark, West Germany, France and Greenland along with Khang Su Jong. Later that year,
Rhee Ki Ha formed part of a demonstration team to Argentina along with Kim Jong Chan, Choi Chang Keun, Park Jung Tae, Lee Jong Moon, Chung Kwang Duk, Kim Suk Jun and Michael Cormack.
After a tour of the USA, Europe and the DPRK to take the final photographs, partly accompanied by Park Jung Tae and Choi Joong Hwa, General Choi invited key instructors Lee Suk Hi,
Rhee Ki Ha, Park Jung Tae and Choi Joong Hwa to Pyongyang to
finalize the publication of the Encyclopedia in 1983.
In
1997,
Rhee Ki Ha was promoted to Grand Master by General Choi. The first person ever to be awarded this title by the founder.
Grandmaster Rhee Ki Ha is one of the most honorable men I have ever met. Whilst others bicker about who knows best and put eachother down, he rises above it and never puts down other groups or individuals. He was loyal to General Choi until the end while others left, he was even at his side on his death bed. As far as I am concerned, his word on Taekwon-Do is as good as the Founder's.
References:
"Taekwon-Do" (The Korean Art of Self Defense) also known as The Condensed Encyclopedia. Fifth Edition 1999,
Gen. Choi Hong Hi, The Father of Taekwon-Do
"Taekwon-Do and I", part 2, pages 330-331
United Kingdom Taekwon-Do Association; http://ukta.com/history.php
Posted by admin on Apr 01, 2011
L stance, that is…
The encyclopaedia says….
“Move one foot to either front or rear to a distane of approximately one and a half times the shoulder width from the foot-sword of the rear foot to the toes of the front foot….The ratio of the body weight is about 70% on the rear leg, and 30% on the front leg.”
I measured mine and its one and a half times my shoulder width plus an inch and a half. 3 other Black Belts around at the time measured their’s & found similar.
Yet when we looked at pics of Gen Choi doing L-stance, ours were clearly in proportion to his.
We figured out that by following the ‘one and a half shoulder widths’ rule to the letter, a short broad person (wide shoulders & short legs) would have a much longer L-stance than a tall slender person (narrow shoulders & long legs), which would then make the weight distribution different for both people. In other words most people would never get a weight sitribution of 70 / 30 with a width of 1 and a half shoulders. One would have to be compromised for the other.
Looking again at the encyclopaedia it says ‘
approximately 1 and a half’ and '
about' 70/30. Gen Choi has been quoted as saying ‘its something like this’ whilst demonstrating.
I was fortunate enough to attend a 3 day seminar given by the Founder, in 1996 and felt fairly confident of my L stance then. Training regularly under First Grandmaster Ree Ki Ha reaffirms it.
Everyone is of different proportions so the ‘approximately’ and 'about' takes this into account – At a fairly recent seminar, GM Rhee recounted a story of some Germans who got scales out to try and check their weight distribution was 70% / 30%, how we laughed :-\ (!!)
Posted by admin on Mar 29, 2011
The English Open Championships were fantastic, with over 400 competitors and a great atmosphere. Unfortunately I missed it due to a last minute family emergency. Those that went did us proud though. Five Wirral UKTA members went to Guildford for the event,they were; Ben (yellow belt adult), Tom (13 - 17 black belt), John (under 13 blue belt), Dan (under 13 blue tag) and Laura Jane (under 13 green belt). It was Ben's first National comp and he managed to get through the first round of sparring only to be beaten by the man who took the gold, hopefully the first of many comps for Ben. The others have competed in the Nationals before but for Tom it was his first time as a black belt and first time in the 13 - 17 age group, so a big step up, despite this he managed to get through the first round in the patterns event. John won GOLD in special techniques! Laura-Jane won SILVER in sparring. Fanatastic result! Well done.
Posted by admin on Mar 24, 2011
Last year saw a lot of hard work as we applied for Sport England funding. Its a long drawn out process applying for grants. So much documentation and evidence to produce. But we were awarded our requested sum of £3040. Most of the equipment was purchased before the end of 2010 (before the VAT increase!) but the event has still to come on the 27th. Although we're looking forward to it, its been a lot of work to organise and will probably continue to be hard work till its all done and dusted.
Some of the funding went towards putting on a Master Class and it was held this week with Senior Master Miller, 8th Dan. The preparations were a lot of hard work and perhaps last minute organisation suffered as a result, but all in all it went well. There was a lot of positive feedback. Esther McVey MP attended and was also very positive, she liked the patterns in particular. Next time we organise something, we'll make sure it doesn't clash with the clocks going forward though! Can't wait to see the photos and read the magazine article Liz is doing.
This is what Esther McVey MP had to say:
"I was delighted to be invited to such a prestigious martial arts event here on the Woodchurch. Kids, teanagers and adults mixed and competed in a wide range of Taekwon-do disciplines from set martial art moves to smashing through bricks and high kicks. Everyone I spoke to, participants, friends and family said what a terrific addition such a sport had made to their lives, increasing discipline, confidence and general health and well being. It's a tribute to Helen and her hard working team that such a successful group is based here on Wirral and are leading the way in Martial arts nationally & regionally."
Posted by admin on Mar 13, 2011
