This week in Taekwondo, many of the students have new belts from their previous gradings and are trying to learn the main bulk of their new content, some prioritising their pattern, while others are focusing on their theory. While May may feel a while away, it's only one week starting (as of writing this) on Tuesday till May hits, and many of the students are starting to feel the pressure. In this blog, we'll talk about the many different things that have been happening around our club recently, as new things are being brought in to help increase standards, as well as students attending an instructor's course.
Week One
This week started out with an announcement that one of the students would be covering the classes for a short time. This meant a wider range of instruction and different lesson plans.
The lessons this week started with us bowing to the senior student and then doing a warm-up to get our bodies moving, followed by some dynamic stretching. We then spent this lesson working on pad combinations (luckily, we were warmed up) and pattern work. The pattern work mainly focused on learning and teaching others new patterns. We first divided the class into two groups: those who knew their new pattern and the ones who didn't. We then got grouped up into different groups to help each other learn the new patterns. Our new pattern is Joong-gun
Week two
This week was filled to the brim with Cardio! Monday's lesson was an intensive calf workout mixed with lots of pad work to get us moving around, and then we focused on stances and step-sparring. In the other classes, I helped teach the juniors their patterns (or training exercises) and taught them how to get into proper stances. I enjoy working with the little ones as they tend to listen when you have their attention.
Week Three
Week three was spent on patterns and step-sparring, at this point in time, we're trying to get every student to off at least done their new content once. We started off by getting the blue belts to teach the others, and then the blue belts would be taught their new content by the next higher grades. This not only helps the younger grades understand their content and be taught by someone else, but it also helps the older grades reinforce the knowledge that they know.
Week Four
This week was spent with a large amount of time with other black belts watching us doing tip testing and giving us advice. We also went through a pattern (won hyo) one move at a time and had three black belts break down each move, from the stance, to the name of the technique in both English and Korean, and to the application of the technique itself. This is helpful as I'm pretty sure I can say that everyone in that lesson now knows the Korean for walking stance, and knowing what the technique is doing can help students to imagine that while they do the pattern.
Tip Testing
After the last grading, the black belts got together and decided to bring back Tip testing. When we first joined, this was something we did. I still have the tips on my White Belt; tip testing is now a grading requirement, and no one will be invited to grade without having all of the tips. This isn't just a step in a direction to reduce the amount of students that grade, tip testing helps students and instructors know what each student needs to improve on and can structure lessons around those.
The Tips:
- Technical Linework - Technical linework involves things like being able to do proper stances, kicks, and properly executing the correct technique.
- Sparring - This tip includes all sparring: 3-step-sparring, 2-step-sparring, 1-step-sparring, and free sparring (this is related to the grade that they are so will be limited for younger grades.)
- Patterns - This tip doesn't just include your new pattern but your old ones as well, as inside of gradings we usually do around 3-4 different patterns so being able to perform your old ones will be incredibly helpful, especially when you get to your black belt grading where your expected to every pattern.
Upcoming May Grading
While it's not May yet, the students are getting ready for their grading. While I can't grade, I intend to go to the grading to help support the other students. However, before anyone can grade, they have to get their tips, so I'll try and help them when I can!
Instructors Course
This week hasn't just been filled with normal classes, though. We have the opportunity to be taught by some of the students at the classes for their instructor's course. It was a breath of fresh air to be taught by someone else, and I think they all did a wonderful job. I look forward to their next classes!
That about finishes it for this blog, I'd like to take this time to remind you all to keep pushing on and to remember to take breaks, we are humans not robots.
Stay tuned, stay disciplined, and I'll see you next time!
