Unite TKD Black Belt Success

On Sunday 15^th June two of our students were successful in passing their 1^st Dan Black Belt in the Korean martial art of Tae Kwon Do.

Unite Tae Kwon Do has been open since October 2010 and this Black Belt promotion is a great achievement for the club. The two students were amongst the first students that joined us when we first opened and they have trained hard over the last 3.5 years to reach this point, both moving up from the junior class into the adults’ class when they became old enough. They have both also developed in their roles at the club as Assistant Instructors and we are extremely proud of their achievements. They are dedicated students and great role models for the other young people that train with us.

The Black Belt grading was held in Kidderminster and the students were put through a gruelling 4 hour examination of their physical fitness, proficiency in Tae Kwon Do and knowledge of the theory behind the martial art.

Congratulations to both of them!

For anyone wishing to find out more about the club they can take a look at our website www.unitetkd.co.uk or our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/unitetkd. 

Unite TKD celebrates its 3rd birthday!

On Monday 25th November Unite Tae Kwon Do  celebrated its 3rd birthday. 3 years?!! Can you believe it?! We can't- the time is flying by and by this time next year our very first students should already be the proud owners of black belts.

To celebrate our birthday we held a special birthday event, as has become a bit of a tradition at Unite. Last year we held a 1 hour sponsored Kickathon event, which was a great success. We hit our target of 1,111 kicks in the hour and raised lots of money for charity.

This year we are held another Kickathon and our aim was to kick our way to 1,234 kicks and raise money for The MS Society.

Around 100,000 people in the UK have MS. It affects two million more. The MS Society offers hope for the future by investing in research, and help for today through providing information, support and campaigning. A very worthwhile charity and one that our students were only too willing to support.

There was a fun, supportive atmosphere on the night of the Kickathon; with students cheering each other on and helping each other get through the challenge. The hall was a sea of orange- the colour of the MS Society logo.We smashed through the target of 1,234 kicks. It took a lot of sweat and there were some aching legs the next day, but there were lots of smiles too. Of course, we brought birthday cake along and some of the students and parents also brought along extra goodies to reward everyone for their hard work. 

The money is still coming in, but hopefully we should hit our target of £1,500. We will let you know the final total shortly!

We'd like to say a huge thank you to everyone that came along and kicked, held pads and supported the students. Also, to our lovely photographers and "clickers" (those counting the kicks) and Jo, for the amazing bunting and decorations. We were touched to receive some lovely gifts from our Assistant Instructors on behalf of the club, so a big thanks to them too!

Well done everyone! We're two very proud Instructors who are very lucky to have such great students and support. Looking forward to the next year- make sure you're part of it!

Nunchaku Workshops March 23rd 2013

On Saturday 23rd March Unite hosted another Nunchaku Workshop. It had been nearly a year since Mr Ballard came over and taught the last weapons workshop and a return visit was long overdue judging by how much the students enjoyed the sessions.

22 students took part over the 2 workshops despite the snowy weather and freezing conditions outside. Mr Ballard, 5th degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do with TKDSOE, taught a range of techniques over the 3 hours; including spins, back passes, waist passes, neck passes, under leg passes!, wrist rolls and strikes, amongst other things. At the end of the junior workshop teams competed against each other to perform different techniques around a set course in the fastest time. The adults finished their session by devising and performing some team forms.

Well done to everyone that took part and a big "thank you" to Mr Ballard for teaching the workshops. 

The next weapons workshop coming up is on Saturday 20th April. This will be a Kubotan Workshop taught by Mr Neill, 2nd degree black belt in Ju Jitsu and 1st degree black belt in TKD. please speak to an instructor if you are interested in attending.

Events Diary 2013

Unite Tae Kwon Do kicks off 2012 with two successful workshops...

Self Defence Workshops


On February 11th Unite TKD hosted two, well-attended self defence workshops for junior and adult students. The workshops were taught by Mr Terry Neill, a red belt in Tae Kwon Do, but also an accomplished 2nd Dan black belt Instructor in Ju Jitsu.
The workshops covered techniques transferable to the TKDSOE grading syllabus, including: take downs, sweeps, wrist locks, ground defence, throws and knife defence. Each workshop finished with a pressure test drill in which each student had to defend against the other students using techniques they had learnt and practised earlier.


Unite Instructors, Sarah and Kai Wilson, were really pleased with everyone that took part. Sarah said, “Everyone that attended came away with some effective techniques they can use in their training. It was brilliant to see even some of our newest white belt students dealing confidently with attackers in the pressurised end drill. Well done to them! A big thank you also to Mr Neill for sharing his passion for self defence.”


The club plans to hold further self defence workshops in the future.


Click HERE for a link to the video of this workshop.

Escrima workshops


On January 27th Unite hosted two weapons workshops taught by Master Russell Perks, Mr Matthew Ballard and Mr Cameron Lowe. In 2011 Master Perks gave Unite students an introduction to the stick and knife fighting art from the Philippines. The event was so successful that another workshop was sure to attract students eager to learn more. 38 students- adults and juniors- attended in total, including lots of new white belt students.
Students covered lots in the sessions; including coordination drills, single stick disarms, double stick and stick and knife drills. The juniors also got chance to hit Mr Ballard, which they all seemed to enjoy very much! Luckily for him he was wearing protective armour.


Unite Instructors Sarah and Kai Wilson are definitely looking to put on further weapons workshops in the coming months, as it adds something different to their students’ knowledge base, but also provides transferable skills that they can use in their Tae Kwon Do training.


A big thank you to Master Perks, Mr. Ballard and Mr. Lowe for a great weapons class.


Click HERE for a link to the video of the workshop.

Tae Kwon Do Club Kicks Its Way To Fundraising Success

Unite Tae Kwon Do, recently held a sponsored Kickathon to raise money for a charity that helps young people through difficult times.

The target was for each student to do 1,000 kicks in an hour; a target which they smashed! Unite Chief Instructors Kai and Sarah Wilson were really pleased by the amount of money their students managed to raise; a total of £1,241.10. This money was then doubled via The Big Give website as part of a Christmas Challenge.

Kai Wilson said, “We never expected to raise that much money, but we’re so pleased with how our students got behind the Kickathon. The event was a great success and everyone completed the kicks with a smile on their face. For a small club we have a big heart.” Sarah added, “It was great to see junior and adult students working together and having fun for a good cause.” 

The charity This Way Up exists to support young people who are struggling with life changing events such as the divorce or separation of their parents or the death of someone close. Their team of trained volunteers go into schools and work with young people through their small group course “Lost & Found” or 1:1 sessions. The money raised will go towards helping the charity acquire a building from which to run more courses, facilitate additional counselling and train volunteers from around the UK.

The Kickathon coincided with the celebration of Unite Tae Kwon Do’s first year anniversary. In the year since they opened the club has gone from strength to strength and now has a good number of students who train with them twice a week. The club is run by 3^rd Dan black belts Kai and Sarah Wilson and has classes for children and adults in Stourton and Kinver. If you would like to find out more about Unite please contact Kai and Sarah via the club website: www.unitetkd.co.uk.

UPDATE- My 100,000 technique challenge- nearly 4 months on

Wow, this challenge is more difficult than I imagined it would be! It’s still slow-going and I am currently on just under 30,000 punches. I’m persevering and trying to make time to punch when I can, but it’s definitely going to take me more than 6 months. And that’s OK... I will get there.

I spoke with a few people on the last Masterclass and they were finding it difficult too, so I guess I’m not the only one. I don’t want to be hard on myself for not being on target, so rather than feel bad I need to just remember how many I have already done- that’s quite an achievement in itself. I just worked it out and I’ve probably spent around 30 hours on the challenge so far. That’s actually a really long time!

November has also been a bit of a strange month; I have been for 2 lots of x-rays on my right wrist. I’m not getting pain from punching at all, but I injured my wrist/hand a few months back and it hasn’t been right since. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on your viewpoint!) I can’t put any weight on my wrist when it’s pushed back, i.e. to do press-ups, burpees, squats etc. I have been training around this, but I’m still waiting to find out exactly what’s wrong. It may be tendonitis, as nothing much showed up on the x-rays. It has made me a bit more cautious about punching, especially on the days where I’ve been getting pain. I have been doing lots of the punches into the air, which isn’t as satisfying as hitting a pad! But, like I said, punching doesn’t seem to cause the pain, so I am carrying on with the challenge.

I wonder what December will bring…

I will let you know how I’m getting on next month.

Sarah Wilson x

UPDATE: I realised I never did update the blog with how I got on with the challenge in the end! My final total was 35,500 between 7th August 2011- 8th January 2012. Not bad for 5 months, but nowhere near 100,000! 

Since that time I have continued training with Geoff Thompson after being invited to do his Black Belt Course. Over the course of my training with Geoff my punching has improved considerably after working with him and other amazing punchers on improving my technique. Still working hard and still loving it...

My 100,000 technique challenge- 2 months on

September was not a great month for my 100,000 technique challenge; after August and the luxury of my 6 week summer holiday, I had got accustomed to being able to use my time how I wanted and September came as quite a shock. While August had been the month of excuses, September became the month of how-on-earth-am-I-going-to-fit-all-this-in??!!

So, I’m back at work and finding it hard, but today I did manage to break the 20,000 punches milestone; I’m a fifth of the way there and I am back on track after a tough month.

This month I have learnt lots….

I learnt that sometimes I need to use my time better. We all have the same 24 hours and what we choose to do with those hours determines how successful we are. Geoff Thompson devotes a chapter to this in his book, “The Elephant and the Twig”. My working week is sometimes a bit manic; I have my day job, I teach Tae Kwon Do two nights a week and I try and get my own training in during the week as well. It’s pretty full-on and can be exhausting. So, I have been looking at the things in my life that I could reduce, get rid of or improve (long journey to work, spending too long on the internet on pointless things, getting the right amount of sleep…) After chatting to Geoff and Sharon, I have been thinking about how to be more creative with my 24 hours to ensure that I finish the challenge in roughly 6 months.

I’ve also learnt that sometimes I do need to slow down and listen to my body. There’s a nasty cold going round and I caught it last month. It knocked me off my feet, which is quite unusual for me. The whole time I was ill I felt guilty for not being able to work, teach or punch and after a couple of weeks of feeling run-down I was really missing exercise and training. I wasn’t a happy bunny. I realised that I am quite guilt-driven and feel bad if I don’t continue to keep ticking things off the big to-do list that I carry around in my head. That’s not to say I want to lead a life of sloth, but maybe I could be a little kinder to myself when I don’t manage to get it all done and when I don’t get it perfect all the time.

I spoke to Geoff and Sharon about having missed a couple of weeks (felt like I was back at school and confessing to not having done my homework- which I only ever had to do once I think!! I was a good girl, me.) They were really reassuring. It’s more the commitment to the challenge and the things you learn from doing it that are important, rather than how long it takes. Saying that, I do want to complete the challenge in as short a time as possible. Like they said, there’ll be more of a sense of achievement that way.

So, I’m not sure what this next month will bring. In the 3^rd Masterclass, which was last weekend, Geoff talked about the power of imagination. A good place to start October would be to imagine big things and then start making them happen, I guess…

I’ll let you know how I’m getting on next month!

Sarah Wilson x

My 100,000 technique challenge- 1 month on

Last weekend was my second Masterclass with Geoff Thompson. That meant it had been a whole month since the first one and a whole month since I started the 100,000 technique challenge. So I thought I’d do a bit of an update on the blog to chart my progress.

So far I have done 15,940 punches (right crosses) in 35 days. That’s an average of 455 punches per day… kind of!

This challenge is incredibly unrelenting; if you miss a day you have to do double the next day (1100 punches approx). If you miss 2 days or 3 or 4… all of a sudden the task seems very daunting indeed.

On the second Masterclass Geoff urged everyone to keep on with the challenge, as the rewards would be greater than we might have imagined; that we would learn a lot about ourselves in the process of punching and along the journey we will take to reach the 100,000. I guess I am starting to see what he means by that.

I have realised that making excuses not to punch comes easier to me than I thought it would. If I punched for around half an hour a day I’d reach 100,000 easily, but some days that 30 minutes is as welcome a thought as chewing on a wasp! It’s not an exciting 30 minutes, it is bloody tiring if you put everything into it and my knuckles have constantly got a purple colour to them, and usually some rather fetching scabs to boot.

To counter the excuses my brain keeps thinking up I need to develop a strong purpose for doing this. I need a rock solid, unshakeable, brick wall of a reason for doing the challenge.

Of course, the punch itself will come in useful in a self defence situation, should I ever find myself in danger; that is, if my body doesn’t send a shed load of adrenalin coursing through my body, rendering me incapable of doing anything useful!

But, my reason has got to be more than this.

Some people have looked at me like I’m mad when I’ve told them what I’m doing, others have told me I’m mad (charming!) In a strange kind of way this makes me even more determined to finish what I have started. Geoff has a sweatshirt with “100,000 technique challenge” on it. If, no… when, I finish this challenge I’m going to get one of those. I want to go there, do that and get the sweatshirt to prove it! Ultimately though, it’s not about proving it to anyone else. I’m starting to see that to finish it will take a lot more than the need to prove something to other people.

My motivation has got to come from me, for me…and it is starting to. I am trying to catch up any days that I have missed and I do feel good when I stop making excuses and just do it. I want to prove to myself that I can do this, despite all the excuses!

I will let you know how I’m getting on next month!

Sarah Wilson x

Geoff Thompson’s Masterclass- August 2011

Yesterday I took my first steps on what I hope will be an enlightening and empowering journey. I finally had my first experience of Geoff Thompson’s Masterclass, not just from an observer’s point of view, but as a student.

I had been putting that day off for a while now, coming up with a hundred excuses why I couldn’t do it; it will be full of men and I’ll be the only woman, I might get injured, I might make myself look bad (after all, I’m a black belt, right?), it’s expensive, I don’t have the time… blah, blah, blah.

Then, just over a month ago, something just clicked and on impulse I signed up. I had one of those days when you just think, what the hell, just do it!

People have different reasons for signing up for the Masterclass. Part of my reason was that Kai had done it twice and I saw the change in him straight away. After each class he would be more positive, more reflective and more pro-active about the direction in which his life was going. I wanted some of that for me. I was becoming fed up with disempowering, negative thoughts taking over my brain and the feeling that nothing I was doing was quite good enough somehow, despite my very best efforts.

I had been to watch the Masterclass twice and had done a seminar with Geoff and Peter Consterdine in 2010. I also did a 6 week self defence course with Geoff’s son, Louis, earlier this year, so I had met Geoff a few times.  He had been nothing but lovely and just a few hours after I had hastily written my email and pressed send (before I change my mind again), he rang to confirm my place on the course. He told me not to worry, that everyone would look after me and he congratulated me on signing up. I felt like I’d already done something to be proud of in that moment.

On the way to Coventry I tried not to think of much at all, to be honest, and I succeeded pretty well. I wasn’t nervous until we actually arrived at the AT7 centre and then the nerves kicked in. Even though the people we met up with in the café had all done the Masterclass before, everyone else seemed to be really nervous too and it became one of the topics of conversation. It helped to know that I wasn’t the only one. Everyone kind of agreed that it was because you put yourself under pressure to be on your “best game”. I had recently had the experience where my “best game” hadn’t been as good as it could have/should have been, so this was my biggest worry. What if I made myself look stupid? Or weak?  Or out my depth?

We didn’t have long to wait until we were shown into the room where the Masterclass is held. Everyone just milled about a bit (looking a bit nervous still) and we saw a few more people we knew. I was pleased to see Joy and Louise, who I knew from previous Masterclasses I’d watched, but there were also 2 other ladies there. That made 5 of us (6 including Sharon); more than I was expecting.

The first hour or so was really inspiring. Geoff talked about the 100,000 technique challenge he wanted everyone to do over the 6 months. The idea behind the challenge is to achieve mastery over one technique and then take what you have learnt from the process and apply that to other areas of your life. He spoke about obstacles we might put in our own way that might prevent us from completing the challenge. I really felt like he was talking to me when he spoke about limiting thoughts that become self-fulfilling prophecies. I think everyone probably takes something slightly different from Geoff’s talks, as you tend to apply what he is saying to your own situation, but that was what really stood out for me.

Geoff introduced a guy who had come over from New Zealand to train on the Masterclass; the furthest anyone has ever travelled to attend and that was pretty amazing. It made me realise how well-respected Geoff’s teachings are, not just in this country, but all over the world. It was pretty scary as well, as here I was, putting myself in a room with a world-respected teacher, self defence expert and martial artist. What was I thinking?

We then broke off with a partner and worked on using the fence to control an aggressive situation. I had done this before, but for some reason I was shockingly bad; so self-conscious and worried about getting it wrong. I did feel more at ease after a bit though and strangely, when we started doing some posturing and I had to act more aggressively, I started to lose my nerves. It’s amazing what a bit of swearing and arm-waving can do!

I was glad when we moved on to the punching though. It was really good to see Sharon demonstrating this as well as Geoff, as I’d only ever seen the men do it. I punch all the time in my martial arts training, but this is a different kind of punching; this is knockout stuff. I was pleased that my punching was pretty strong, although I know I need to work on bringing more energy up from within on the exhale if it’s going to get better still.

In the session we also covered chokes and strangles, which was brilliant. I’ve never been able to get these on very well, but I learnt lots of little things from Dean, who I was partnered with and from the instructors, so that I could do them with some confidence by the end.

So, am I glad that I did sign up for the Masterclass? You bet! I have already made a start on my 100,000 technique challenge this morning. I have taken the skin off my knuckles and my right arm and shoulder are definitely feeling like they’ve had a good workout, but I am going to carry on. I am trying to ignore all the what ifs and buts that my mind keeps bringing up every now and again. I can’t wait til next month!

Sarah Wilson x

Get up eight?

My friend Al Peasland (completeselfprotection.com) recently pointed out that a Japanese saying, which I had cherished for ages as a source of wise assurance, was essentially flawed.

“Knocked down seven times – get up eight” sustained me through some sparring sessions that I thought were pretty heavy at the time. It kept me going back to training, when I really wanted to get the hell out, in much the same way (with the benefit of hindsight) as the western clichés about not being a quitter had previously kept me in relationships that weren't working and jobs I hated.

Many times I felt grateful to the saying about getting up again – surely it was important to keep pursuing my training goals to the very end, no matter what the hardships on the way might be.

But - without being a quitter I'd still be chain smoking a constant stream of hand rolled cigarettes, and drinking whiskey on my own when everyone else has gone to bed. And worse...

If you get knocked down seven times you only need to get up again seven times, right? (Thanks,Al) Or is the eighth time simply you falling down by your own efforts? Again.

That's how it was for me.

For me the eighth time was always about doing the wrong thing at the wrong time – usually for the right sort of reason, but still, the wrong thing, for me. At that time.

Have a think about that one.

The jobs weren't necessarily bad ones, my partners in the poor relationships weren't intrinsically bad people, and neither did I have to view myself as a bad person when things didn't work out. I just thought all those things because I didn't know how not to.

Similarly, the style I was flogging a dead horse in is an excellent one, and the dojo is filled with lovely instructors who are dedicated to their art.. It just wasn't for me. And I felt awful that it wasn't, but didn't know what to do about it. And got very very frustrated and upset.

It was just another thing added to the swirling mess of racing thoughts which kept me awake at night. The ones that arrived moments after putting my head on the pillow, making sleep impossible, no matter how tired I was.

One silly little thought would lead to another slightly bigger one, and so on, and before I knew it I would find myself overwhelmed by a storm of things that needed doing – a storm so large it had no beginning and no end, and certainly had no discernible way of taking action on it.

The answer? In the end it was very simple. Make a list.

I made a list of all the things that were troubling me. All the outstanding jobs, bills that needed paying, letters that needed writing, vehicles that needed work, articles or stories that were clamouring to be put together rather than sit in my head poisoning me. There were vet appointments to be made, clients to ring, lifestyle changes to be introduced. Ideas for projects to be got off the ground, favours to be returned, new customers to be marketed to, jobs to be applied for, weight to be lost, new habits to be formed. Or old ones to be broken.

Sound familiar? I hope not. But I bet it does.

When I made the first list, later transferring it to a succession of tiny notebooks that are easy to carry safely everywhere I go, I began making a contract with myself, which removed those things that needed doing from my over-busy mind and put them somewhere I can refer to, and, more importantly, do something about; freeing up my mind for more enjoyable thinking. Or no thinking at all. It's up to me now.

Make a list. Do the easy stuff first. Carry the list everywhere and add to it the instant you think of something, even if you are in bed in the dark trying to sleep. Especially if you are in bed in the dark trying to sleep. That way it's not lingering in your mind as a nagging worry. Do the easy stuff for a while, without thought of the big-ticket items, and something magical begins to happen. You grow bigger muscles for dealing with the things you've been hiding from, and you begin to relish the challenges.

Do it incrementally, like learning to drive. You don't go out on the motorway on your first driving lesson. For most of us getting off the driveway is too much at first, but lesson by lesson we get to the point where driving becomes automatic and we can't imagine it ever having been hard.

Practice is all it takes. Put some practical stuff in place, by reading Geoff Thompson, or Jim Lawless, for instance, or about meditation techniques, or by studying your religion a little more closely; and then just practice being whatever it is you want to be.

Don't flog dead horses, and don't expect the same old routines to take you somewhere different. These days I train in environments that are not so different really, to the one I moved on from, I just fit in better is all. No one's fault, it's just the way it is, and it was only a fluke that led to me moving on. I'm not still in my first job, or living with my first girlfriend either, and that's okay too. For everyone.

Learn to trust your own instincts again - and don't worry about getting up more times than you are knocked down  because (and this I promise you) a life that is well lived and free from crippling, but pointless and avoidable worry makes you much harder to knock down in the first place.

Especially when the knocking down is being done by yourself.


*

Copyright © 2011 www.stuart-williams.com - all rights reserved. Happy to share, though, just ask 

Nothing special?

It's been said before. It's worth saying again:

You think it's down to luck you made it this far? That it's nothing special to be you, right here and right now?

You are the current manifestation of a truly massively successful bloodline, which stretches all the way back to, and far beyond, the first creatures who thought how nice it might be to get out of the water and sunbathe while gazing at the clouds as they drift across the sky.

Can you even begin to imagine the odds against you being here? Having evolved all the way from one of the original clusters of nucleic acids, perhaps a billion years ago, when species without number, never mind individuals, have fallen by the wayside.

Through countless generations your bloodline has survived famine, flood, war, drought, plague,

(and relegation from the premier league ;-))

And history is paved with the carcasses of those who failed to realise just how fraught with danger every single moment can be for something as fragile as our human body is when compared with the hard, sharp objects stacked up around it.

Call it luck, call it god, call it fate or coincidence; an accumulator placed on your genetic behalf, right back at the beginning, would require a pretty big wheelbarrow to collect on now - in fact you'd probably put the broke into Ladbrokes.

You are already successful on a cosmic scale - far beyond measure.

So what are you waiting for?

Give yourself a pat on the back. And make it a big one.

Stu Williams

12 Week Unite Lifestyle and Fitness Programme

As part of what is on offer from Unite Tae Kwon Do & Fitness we have put together a 12 week programme designed to ensure that clients lose fat, improve their fitness and overhaul their lifestyle. The programme includes: 

• 3 Personal Training sessions per week with Kai, our REPS registered, Advanced Personal Trainer.
• Nutrition advice
• A personalised exercise programme for clients to complete independently
• 3 sessions with a Life Coach

Our first client to start the programme is Vikki. You can follow her progress on her own blog:

www.unitepersonaltraining.blogspot.com

She will be keeping a food and exercise diary for each day of the programme and recording how she feels about her progress. We're sure she'd appreciate any words of support and encouragement. Good luck Vikki! We know you can do it!

5 Reasons your child would benefit from starting Tae Kwon Do.

1. Fitness

In today’s world, where technology is playing an increasing role in day-to-day life, parents are recognising the need for their children to also spend time doing activities that get them active and away from a screen. Current UK guidelines recommend that children get at least 60 minutes of physical activity a day, although the more active children are the better. Exercise for children should be of moderate intensity, which means that following exercise they should be slightly out of breath and a little sweaty, but not so out of breath that they cannot talk. Tae Kwon Do will not only improve your child’s fitness, but also their speed, strength, flexibility, co-ordination and stamina.

2. Life Skills

Through Tae Kwon Do your child can learn valuable, transferable life skills; such as patience, commitment and focus. These are developed as they begin to master new techniques and learn their grading patterns. Perseverance is rewarded through the belt grading system, which allows students to feel a sense of achievement. Belts are a tangible symbol of their progress. Children also learn how to get along with other children, to take their turn, to be a good-natured winner and a gracious loser and to respect others.

3. The individual/team element

A martial arts class can provide an exciting alternative to the more traditional sports that are taught in schools. Children that do not enjoy the competitive nature of team games may find that a martial art allows them to progress at their own pace, without feeling like they are letting the side down if they struggle with a particular aspect. At the same time, they are still part of a team in that the whole class may be working together on a particular drill or technique. The ethos of our classes is based on respect for the self and each other.

4. Confidence

The difference that martial arts can make to a child’s (or adult’s!) self-confidence is immense. We have seen numerous timid, apprehensive children develop confidence and a more resilient attitude over the course of their Tae Kwon Do training. Children who were reluctant to let go of their parent’s hand on their first lesson, or who would get tearful very easily, over time developed the confidence that enabled them to perform a pattern in front of the rest of the class or give commands in Korean to their fellow students. This confidence may then be applied to other areas of their life.

5. Safety awareness

A range of self defence techniques are taught as part of the grading syllabus in Tae Kwon Do. However, whilst children learn techniques that they could employ should they find themselves in a dangerous situation, self defence is much more than this alone. Children are encouraged to be more aware of their surroundings, to avoid taking unnecessary risks and to use violence only as a last resort.

If you think that Tae Kwon Do might be for your child, please check out our main website for details of our classes:

http://www.unitetkd.co.uk/

Courtesy (Ye Ui)

The final tenet of Tae Kwon Do that we are going to look at is Courtesy (Ye Ui)

This is often the first tenet that the beginning student learns. Hopefully this tenet is practised and understood prior to starting training and can be demonstrated through basic manners in every day life.

Inside the dojang

When we train it is important to have good manners. Courtesy can be demonstrated through the way we conduct ourselves while training; how we speak (no swearing!), how we behave towards others and how we respond to instructions.

Right from the moment they step through the door of the training hall students are expected to demonstrate a courteous and humble attitude towards everyone in the class. On entry to the training hall all pupils are required to bow to their Instructor and to the dojang. This is a mark of humility and respect. We bow when we start and finish each class, work with a new partner or respond to an instruction from our Instructor.

All students are expected to show courtesy not only to their Instructor and more senior grade students, but also to lower grade students as well. This means that when a more senior student works with a lower grade student, they demonstrate patience, helpfulness and encouragement. There is no place for ego in the dojang. All students were once white belts and this should not be forgotten.

“No one is too big to be courteous, but some are too little”

- Author unknown

To the Instructor, students are expected to respond with “Sir” or “Ma’am”. This is not an ego-boost for the Instructor, rather it demonstrates to the Instructor that the students have listened, understood and are ready to act. In addition it shows that the students are respectful of their Instructor’s knowledge and proficiency in Tae Kwon Do.

As well as showing courtesy towards other Tae Kwon Do practitioners it is also important to be respectful towards other martial arts and martial artists.

When asked if there is a superior combative art, Master Willie Lim, an 8^th Dan black belt in Tae Kwon Do (as well as holding black belts and having many years’ experience in other martial arts) says,  “Baked beans are baked beans, the question is what brand do you prefer? The exponent makes the style effective. No, I do not believe that any one system has a monopoly on effectiveness. The whole individual that understands his system well would be the best advert for his system.”

It is important to recognise the value and effectiveness in all martial arts, not just the one you train in. Therefore, Instructors and students should not show disrespect towards each other, as we have much to learn from each other.

Outside the dojang

In day-to-day life it is equally important to be courteous towards others. Demonstrate courtesy towards others in small ways, such as; holding doors open for others (not just women!), saying please and thank you, being helpful and showing your gratitude when others are helpful towards you, the list is endless…

This Persian proverb describes perfectly how we should treat others:

"Treat your superior as a father, your equal as a brother, and your inferior as a son."

Whilst this quotation highlights the benefits of being courteous:

“When music and courtesy are better understood and appreciated, there will be no war”- Confucius

Indomitable Spirit (Baekjool Boolgool)

The fourth tenet of Tae Kwon Do that we will look at is Indomitable Spirit (Baekjool Boolgool).

An indomitable spirit is one that cannot be subdued or dominated, even when faced with seemingly impossible situations. Indomitable spirit is bravery and courageousness. Some people have this quality in abundance; others have to work a little bit harder to achieve it. Some people don’t realise they have it until the time comes when they need to step up and act; others might believe they have it, but be overcome with fear and unable to act when faced with certain challenges.

Inside the dojang

The best example that I can give to illustrate the idea of indomitable spirit is a true story. It happened this year, in fact, at an Open Championship in Bristol. There were only a few TKDSOE students competing at this event and none of us had competed there before. There was just one junior black belt TKDSOE student that competed that day and he entered the sparring category all on his own. The sparring didn’t start until late afternoon, so he was waiting around a long time for his event to come up. In that time he had been checking out his potential opponents and had come to realise that, as well as being a couple of years younger than the others competitors (he was 13 and they were 16), he was also considerably smaller than they were. In fact, one of his opponents turned out to be over 6’ tall! As you can imagine, he was very nervous about competing and I’m sure it crossed his mind that he could have pulled out of the competition. However, he didn’t pull out. His Instructor and his Dad gave him encouragement to compete and he did indeed end up fighting some tall, leggy opponents. He fought incredibly well and beat one of the tallest opponents with his quick hands and effective kicking. He came second in his category and received a big trophy prize. He really demonstrated his own Indomitable Spirit that day by not giving in to fear; he refused to be beaten before he stepped onto the mats to compete.

“It is not so much the size of the dog in the fight, as the size of the fight in the dog." Mark Twain

Outside the dojang

Outside of the training hall the same courage may be required. You could be walking along the street one day and see one or more attackers picking on someone vulnerable. You have a choice to make when you see this and may only have a split second in which to make this decision. I don’t think we ever really know how we will behave when confronted by a dangerous situation, as adrenalin can cause extreme reactions in our bodies, but I think we’d all like to believe that we wouldn’t just walk on by and pretend it has nothing to do with us.

It might not always be a “someone” that you might have to take on; it could be a challenge of a different kind, such as public speaking, sky diving, overcoming a fear of heights, learning to drive etc. Whatever your own personal challenges, with an Indomitable Spirit you can alter how you approach a challenge and maybe even overcome your fears!

Integrity (Ye Ui)

The next tenet of Tae Kwon Do we will look at is Integrity (Ye Ui).

Integrity is often defined as honesty. This is the sense of the word in its most simple form. Integrity can be demonstrated through telling the truth, being sincere and doing the right thing.

In Korean, the term also has the additional connotations of a sense of shame when your actions have not been entirely honest. Through behaving with integrity it is hoped that one might achieve a sense of self-respect.

Inside the dojang

Integrity can be shown in many ways when training. For example, if your Instructor requires you to perform, let’s say, 10 press ups and you only do half that number when their back is turned, you are not showing integrity if you then claim to have done the full amount. If you feel no sense of shame about your dishonesty this further adds to the lack of integrity. If students are dishonest when training it is ultimately they who lose out, as their skills and fitness will not develop and their fellow students and Instructors will come to realise that they are untrustworthy.

Make us to choose the harder right instead of the easier wrong, and never be content with a half truth when the whole can be won."

~Col. C. E. Wheat

Outside the dojang

Again, this tenet (like those previously discussed) can be a tricky one to achieve in your normal day-to-day life. Integrity in business can be difficult; do you compromise your beliefs on what is ethical and right to make a greater profit, or do you do the “right thing” according to your innermost values? If there is someone you know who really irritates, do you feign politeness in their immediate company and then criticise them behind their back? If you are given the wrong change in a shop, do you own up straight away, or keep quiet and pocket the extra pennies (or pounds!)? There are many ways in which your integrity can be compromised.

Here is a story that illustrates the concept of integrity perfectly…

The Emperor's Seed,
  by: Author Unknown, Source Unknown

Once there was an emperor in the Far East who was growing old and knew it was coming time to choose his successor. Instead of choosing one of his assistants or one of his own children, he decided to do something different.

He called all the young people in the kingdom together one day. He said, "It has come time for me to step down and to choose the next emperor. I have decided to choose one of you." The kids were shocked! But the emperor continued. "I am going to give each one of you a seed today. One seed. It is a very special seed. I want you to go home, plant the seed, water it and come back here one year from today with what you have grown from this one seed. I will then judge the plants that you bring to me, and the one I choose will be the next emperor of the kingdom!"

There was one boy named Ling who was there that day and he, like the others, received a seed. He went home and excitedly told his mother the whole story. She helped him get a pot and some planting soil, and he planted the seed and watered it carefully. Every day he would water it and watch to see if it had grown.

After about three weeks, some of the other youths began to talk about their seeds and the plants that were beginning to grow. Ling kept going home and checking his seed, but nothing ever grew. Three weeks, four weeks, five weeks went by. Still nothing.

By now others were talking about their plants but Ling didn't have a plant, and he felt like a failure. Six months went by, still nothing in Ling's pot. He just knew he had killed his seed. Everyone else had trees and tall plants, but he had nothing. Ling didn't say anything to his friends, however. He just kept waiting for his seed to grow.

A year finally went by and all the youths of the kingdom brought their plants to the emperor for inspection. Ling told his mother that he wasn't going to take an empty pot. But she encouraged him to go, and to take his pot, and to be honest about what happened. Ling felt sick to his stomach, but he knew his mother was right. He took his empty pot to the palace.

When Ling arrived, he was amazed at the variety of plants grown by all the other youths. They were beautiful, in all shapes and sizes. Ling put his empty pot on the floor and many of the other kinds laughed at him. A few felt sorry for him and just said, "Hey nice try."

When the emperor arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted the young people. Ling just tried to hide in the back. "My, what great plants, trees and flowers you have grown," said the emperor. "Today, one of you will be appointed the next emperor!"

All of a sudden, the emperor spotted Ling at the back of the room with his empty pot. He ordered his guards to bring him to the front. Ling was terrified. "The emperor knows I'm a failure! Maybe he will have me killed!"

When Ling got to the front, the Emperor asked his name. "My name is Ling," he replied. All the kids were laughing and making fun of him. The emperor asked everyone to quiet down. He looked at Ling, and then announced to the crowd, "Behold your new emperor! His name is Ling!" Ling couldn't believe it. Ling couldn't even grow his seed. How could he be the new emperor?

Then the emperor said, "One year ago today, I gave everyone here a seed. I told you to take the seed, plant it, water it, and bring it back to me today. But I gave you all boiled seeds which would not grow. All of you, except Ling, have brought me trees and plants and flowers. When you found that the seed would not grow, you substituted another seed for the one I gave you. Ling was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a pot with my seed in it. Therefore, he is the one who will be the new emperor!"