What makes a good
instructor
by Peter D Sorce
So what is the best indicator of a good instructor? A student once told me "YOU JUDGE A TREE BY ITS FRUIT". How good is that apple tree? Well, it depends on how good the apples are. Same thing goes for an instructor. The students are the instructor's fruit. How do you judge the students? First of all, and most importantly, is the students' attitude. Children: if you walk into a school or are at a tournament and the kids are running around, playing....not doing what they are supposed to be doing, it says something about the instructor. How about older students: teenagers and adults, what about them? Are they well disciplined? How do they carry themselves? Are they Respectful? Loud? Arrogant? All of these things have to do with the attitude the instructor instills in his/her own students. Also, what attitudes an instructor will tolerate. What about the actual skills? Techniques? First of all, I will guarantee that if the attitude of the students is good, the actual skills will be good as well. The indication for the skill level of students should not be determined by young or beginning students. Skill level should be determined by those students who are older and higher in rank. If the upper color belts and black belts are poor, then, probably, the instructor either isn't a good instructor or his/her standard for belt ranks are low.
You should be able to spot out an incredible instructor before even seeing a single technique. If you meet a few students of the instructor and see their attitude, that is all you should need.
Forms are Underrated!
by Peter D Sorce
Many, or most traditional martial arts have forms (pattern, kata, hyung, etc.)as part of their training. A form is a formalized pattern of movements (blocks, strikes, and kicks) that are performed against imaginary opponents. There are countless reasons for practicing forms. Just to name a few: art, beauty, and tradition, to learn proper technique, exercise, developing power, strength, and endurance. This article will only talk about the physical reasons.
There are many people in the martial arts, today, who make the claim that forms are useless and that there is no point in practicing them because they are useless in a fight. First of all people who make these comments obviously don't truly understand the different martial arts and the reasoning behind practicing such things as forms. Yes, I have to agree that the forms, the way they are practiced today, are not applicable to a street situation because of their rigid structure. Also, the deep, exact, stances are completely impractical in a street situation. Although the techniques performed in the exact same manner as in the form are not feasible in a street situation, each technique and series of techniques do have a direct application for specific self-defense situations. The only difference is that they are put together as a formalized pattern with the stances being different than what would be done in a street situation. (some series of techniques are more or less practical then others, but that is only my opinion)
Forms are used to introduce new techniques to students as they advanced in rank, but they do much more than that. Forms are a discipline and are where the execution of the techniques are mastered. This is where students develop the proper coordination of their body for each block, strike, or kick. This is also where students develop their power, breath control, and body conditioning.
I spend more time on forms then most schools because of the all of the hard work and discipline it takes to be really good at them. To me, there is nothing more impressive than for a little 7-year-old kid doing a good form with proper stances, good technique, power, and concentration. There is no way he/she got to that point without a lot of hard concentrated effort on it. On the other hand, there's the kid who wins first place in sparring who cannot demonstrate the basic stances, blocks or kicks. The kid won only because he/she was more aggressive, and not because of good techniques or a good sparring strategy.
There are many different Martial art schools out there, and each has there own ways of doing things. Some choose to incorporate forms, and some do not. If you do not believe in practicing forms, hopefully this has shed some light on why others choose to do so. We are all ultimately training for so same goal, so please remember that there are many paths to reach one goal, and one path is not better than another.
The uniform (do bok) is symbolic to Tae Kwon Do heritage and tradition. Students are expected to keep it neat, clean, and treat it with the respect owed to his/her art. The dobok should only be worn when practicing or performing Tae Kwon-Do, it should not be worn anytime else. Now since many children would like to change at home rather than at the Do-jang, they are to change right before they leave the house and take it off as soon as they return home. The belt has even further requirements, as for it is a symbol of the hard work and dedication a student has put into his/her own training. When changing at home, the belt is not to be put on until they are inside the Do-jang and it is to be taken off before they leave. It would be considered disrespectful to wear the dobok to the store, bank, and for children, outside playing, even if it were for only a few minutes before leaving for Tae Kwon Do. Really, the belt should be taken off when getting a drink of water, eating at tournaments, and when just waiting at the Do-jang in the guest area. These rules are not only based on tradition, but also to teach how to show respect and how to be humble.
One additional note: When wearing your uniform, it is important to remember that you are representing your school, classmates, instructors, and most importantly the art of Tae Kwon Do. Nothing can do worse for a school's image than students who are goofing around, playing, and being disrespectful in their uniforms whether it is at McDonalds, the YMCA, tournaments, or out in the street. I have seen all of these instances on several occasions. It is up to the instructors to make clear to their students the extreme importance of how they treat their uniform and how they should act when they are in it.