As we get into the summer months of the year, people's focus is shifting towards the August grading and the bigger competitions that happen this side of the year. Last year, the Hatfield competition saw more people than ever before, and I expect that people will be wanting to go again and beat their last performance. This August grading is often one of the biggest gradings that happens, and this year is no exception, with at least 3 of them all grading for a big belt and getting closer to black belt the more time that's spent.

Week One

This week was a realisation for many that they could grade and that the grading was getting closer. As many still have main chunks of content to learn, I prioritised helping them understand the new content, and when instructed to, I go through the patterns with them. 

Week Two

In Week Two, we did a lot of sparring. I, for one, am glad that we got to do some sparring, as we don’t tend to do sparring that often and it’s good to be able to help others with their sparring, as arguable this is what the vast majority of people attend a martial arts class for (self- defence). 

Not only did we do 1V1 sparring in rotations, but we also did a bit of tag sparring where I had to stay in the whole time, as one of my teammates had no gear on and the other was incredibly nervous when going up against someone twice their size.

I overall enjoyed the sparring as it was great fun, good exercise, and made me realise just how small I actually am :).

Week Three

Week three was mainly spent on my pattern work. If some of you have been reading this series from the beginning, then you’ll know that I'm not doing Taekwondo for self-defence or for the ability to overwhelm others. I’m here to learn, understand, accept and improve myself.

This is why I enjoy patterns and why I tend to only compete in the patterns category at competitions (like the Hatfield one). Throughout my time here so far, one piece of feedback that I have is that my breathing can sometimes lag behind the impact of the move, making it seem disconnected at some point. When I was doing patterns, I tended to focus solely on that point and try and place emphasis on my breathing to ensure that it remained constant and in time. But as a wise man once said “Do, without doing”, the concept of Wu Wei is one that i’ve read upon a lot recently and i felt that it played a role during one time that I was performing my patterns. I wasn’t thinking about the moves, nor was a looking at anything in particular, I wasn’t trying to do, I was simply doing. 

It’s hard to explain, but in that single moment i realised that everything i was trying to achieve was there, it was present in that one moment. I will continue to improve my pattern performance at my own rate and will continue to do the best I can to support those on their own journeys.

Week Four

Week four was mainly spent doing some tip testing and generally helping others learn the content they needed for their next grading. We also spent some time running through theory by doing patterns. He would ask us questions about the stances, moves, and what they are in Korean to test our knowledge. Overall, it was a good experience to see just how much I had retained from not doing too much manual studying in the evenings.

Tip Testing

Tip testing is still going on with many people having tips now and are slowly building up towards being able to grade. With me going to so many lessons, probably way too many for my own good, I already have my three tips, but I’m constantly looking for things to improve on. I may have shown them that I know it, but have I shown them that I can do it?

Upcoming August Grading

My grading will be in August, so I still have a little while to go before I have to worry about grading, but time sure has flown, it’s now almost been 2 years since I joined!

“We never know just how important a moment is, until it becomes a memory”

That about covers it for this addition to my Taekwondo blog journey. I hope you enjoyed it or learn something from it, I look forward to the next one!!

Stay tuned, stay disciplined, and I'll see you next time!

The May grading is done, and this means that many people are now learning new content and getting ready for the next grading in August. This also means that those of us who couldn't grade this month also get to grade in August.

Week One

Week one, as always, was spent congratulating people for their passing grades and having some fun to celebrate. While we didn't do much Taekwondo, we did give those who have just passed their gradings an introduction towards their new content.

Side note: everyone passed, including our two black belts who were grading (one for their 2nd dan and another for their 3rd dan). So, congratulations to everyone!

Week Two

Week two was spent working on patterns and helping others to understand the patterns, mainly by telling them what the move is actually doing. This week was mainly spent on perfecting small things.

Week Three

In week three, I spent most of the time working on my pattern to make sure that all moves are connected correctly and they "flow" nicely.

For My Next Grading, I Need To Do:

• 6 Patterns
• 1-step-sparring
• 2-step-sparring
• 3-step-sparring
• Free-sparring

Week Four

This week was spent running through everything as if it were a test to make sure that I knew everything, including our theory, in hopes of finding anything that I needed to improve on or learn.

In the coming months, I hope we get to do more sparring, and I'll continue to practice and get ready for my next grading in August.

This week, we're ramping up the grading work to prepare those who are eligible to grade in May for their grading.

Week One

In week one, I mainly prioritised helping others learn their content for the upcoming grading in May, as I can't grade until August, I've been prioritising helping others learn content. We spent a lot of this week working on line work and patterns, to ensure that everyone knows their current new pattern and their old ones.

Week Two

In week two, we prioritised our step-sparing and some more line work and patterns, with this being the first grade that we needed to have all three tips for in order to be able to grade. We spent our time going through all the patterns, while the people who are trusted to do the tip testing walk around giving advice and tips where necessary.

Week Three

Week three was spent mainly focusing on the tiny things that people tend to miss during step-sparring, while many people who are eligible to grade don't need to do all the step-sparring, I, on the other hand, have to do.

• 3-Step-Sparring: 1-6
• 2-Step-Sparring: 1 -4
• 1-Step-Sparring: 1-6

Tip Testing:

This was around the time of the month when I gained my last tip. At the current time of writing this blog there are only 3 tips that we need to get:

• Technical Linework Tip - This is for the line work stand to ensure
• Sparring Tip - This includes all step-sparring that we are required to know and free sparring
• Pattern Tip - Know all our patterns up to our highest one

Now that I have all of mine that means that I'm ready for my grading so I can focus on optimising my performance and technique.

Week Four

This last week was spent running through sparing and more grading essentials to ensure that everyone knows what they need to and everyone feel ready for the May grading.

In conclusion this month was a month full of building the foundations of our new belts and learning more about ourselves and what is required.

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!

It's that time of the year again. If you read my last blog, you will know that we have an upcoming competition. The SDMA Ally Cats entered this competition with some new faces, and it was great to see everyone give it their all. With new faces entering sparring and some great coaches on the sidelines, what else could we ask for?

About The Event

The LTSI South East Open is a Taekwondo competition that takes place in Hatfield. It's open to all styles of Taekwondo, so you can be sure to see a wide range of students, all with different ethos and skill sets. The event takes place in a large hall with 6 individual rings set up, allowing for a wide range of people to compete at that same time. The categories that you can enter -while they can differ slightly- include patterns, sparring, special technique and team patterns

The Results

In this competition, we had 8 students enter. 2 were black belts (1st Dan - 2nd Dan) and the rest coloured belts ranging from 7th Kup (green stripe) - 4th Kup (Blue Belt). Overall, the results were amazing. Even if individuals didn't win anything, just being there was an achievement in itself.

In the End, SDMA won:

• Bronze In Team Patterns
• 1 Bronze in Sparring
• 1 Silver In Sparring
• Silver in Sparring
• Bronze in Pattern

In the end, regardless of what people got, everyone did an amazing job, and it was a great opportunity for those who hadn't come to another competition.

Great Job, Everyone!

Stay Disciplined, stay focused, and I'll see you next time!

Week One

As this was the month that the grading was going to be, we decided to put a large focus on what we wanted to practice over the course of the month. We first went around the room asking what each person believed that they needed to work on. Many people suggested that we work on step sparring, theory, patterns (also known as forms, or kata) and Sparring. After we discussed what needed to be worked on, we all decided on what days we would do what as some people don't normally come on the Thursday (which is the other class at the same hall), so we decided to start with some step sparring and sparring.

During sparring, I was trying to identify my style of sparring and my guard, as if I passed this grading I would become a Blue belt which was considered a senior belt. So, I wanted to make sure I had the basics down and could be looked up to rather than looked down upon.

Week two

Week two was mainly spent running through linework to practice our theory and then patterns. In this grading, I would have to do 5 patterns:

• Chon-Ji (19 Moves)
• Dan Gun (21 Moves)
• Do San (24 Moves)
• Won Hyo (28 Moves)
• Yul Gok (38 Moves)

Working on these patterns move by move allowed me to focus on how each move could be strung together to create flowing movement inside of my pattern performance.

Week Three

Week three was mainly spent on peer assessment, where two of us would perform a pattern of the judges' choice, and then we would give pointers on how they could improve. This method is a great way to get a different view on how we look when performing our patterns.

Week Four

This week was spent with every lesson being a pretend grading where we would go through everything that was to be expected of us:

• Identification
• Sparring
• Step-Sparring
• Line Work
• Patterns
• Pad Work

It was now time for the grading!

The Grading

Feeling ready and fully confident that I knew my content, I felt like I was ready to get an A, however, this grading presented a different take with us having two examiners that had never examined us before. We started off with our identification, followed quickly by pad work as an act of warming up. We then did our step-sparring and patterns along with some line work. The last two things we did were free sparring (contact) and theory. I believe that the sparring went rather well, and I answered all the theory questions with ease and precision.

The Results: In the end, I passed my grading with an A! So I'm now officially an ITF 4th kup (Blue Belt).

Upcoming LTSI Competition!

I'm also excited to announce that Chris and I will be attending and competing in the LTSI competition on the 9th of March, so if you're going, see you there. Remember to stay tuned for an update on how the competition goes!

This is my first follow up on how my return to Tae Kwon-Do has gone after a 19 year break.

I really didn't feel like my inflexible dad-bod deserved my old 2nd degree belt, so I agreed a path with my instructor where I would re-start as a 1st Kup, would regrade as a 1st Degree in May 24 and then as a second in Nov 24. This gave me 9 months to learn 9 patterns and all the step sparring of the ITF syllabus. The patterns have the same name in the style of Tae Kwon-Do I studied previously, but had minor differences in some and were completely different in others. I also had to delete old "hip twist" muscle memory and learn "sine wave" instead.

I successfully graded for 1st Dan in the May, but wasn't invited to grade for my 2nd in the November as planned. I don't know if that was due to my ability, internal politics, or just that I was forgotten. Whatever reason, I respect that and will wait to be invited. Grading so soon is not done normally, so it is unusual, but obviously I am an odd case having been a 2nd Degree for 20+ years.

I've become very interested in the various styles of Tae Kwon-Do so I was tempted to also begin training with a local TAGB club. Not only would I be able to see where the differences are and try to benefit from broader training, but I would also be able to start with them as a 2nd Degree, grading for 3rd when I'm ready. I've put that idea on hold for a bit while I support our instructor with some changes he's implementing.

Fitness

Since being back, my weight has gone up from 64kg to 82kg, but as we all know, muscle weights more than fat! My body fat percentage has dropped from 29% down to 19.5%. Actually getting pretty close to 6-pack territory now. I've been training 3-5 times per week and sticking to a pretty strict meal plan.

My overall cardio fitness is so much better than last year. I'm still not where I want to be, but will keep working hard on it. There's been noticeable improvements in my general health, mental health and wellbeing too.

My flexibility is still far from what it used to be however and a real focus moving forward. I was making steady progress, until I developed a strange hip pain. It's normally only when I do a turning kick and doesn't affect me every day - I have good days and bad days. I've been to the physio recently and I'm working on it.

Competitions

I am far from the international level competitor I was in my youth! However, I've made an effort to compete in lower-level competitions across the country. I've won some medals, but nothing to shout about yet. I feel like once I fix my flexibility I'll be able to properly enjoy competitions again. It's really hard sparring when you can't turning kick their head and you don't know if your turning kick is going to cause you pain.

Instructing

One thing that I didn't see coming is that I've started to cover sessions and I've just started the club's instructor's course. I did an instructors course a very long time ago, but some clubs have their own one that you must do before being allowed to start a school. I always enjoyed instructing first time round, but it was a bit weird back then. I was very young (16-18) and despite being champion, we had a lot of high level students that didn't always want to take orders from a youngster!

I feel that my experience in Fitness instructing, my marketing background, my love of Tae Kwon-Do and my STEM education training all put me in a great place to run a school in the future and it's certainly something I always saw myself doing - just maybe not yet! I'll keep exploring it and see where it leads. It's just nice to be there to support our Instructor when he needs it.

My Kids

My kids (19 year old boy and 11 year old girl) both started training when I returned and it's been great for them. Both have shown a huge boost in confidence, made new friends and have got fitter. They're just about to grade this weekend for their Blue Belts. Both have competed and won various medals.

2nd Family

One thing that martial arts are great for, is building a community. This club in particular is very social and family orientated. I've made some great friends, some of whom feel more like family. I've lost count of how many outings, events, competitions, etc we've gone to as a team. We all look out for each other both inside and out of the Dojang.

What's Next

Hopefully I'll grade in May. I should also finish the Instructor's course around the same time. Obviously I'm there whenever our Instructor needs me to cover, but as for my own school, I think I'll probably wait a while. I'd quite like to develop a new interactive lesson planner for DojoDex first - coming soon....

This month was the month of my grading so it was spent working on my knowledge and perfecting my form. Everyone was serious and full of nerves and worried about forgetting important information. While the questions we could have asked were about the basics, it was all new to me. The hardest part about preparing for it all was learning Korean, while it's a great language I've never personally had any experience with it (unlike Japanese).

Month Three

The Questions they could have asked us:

• What Does ITF Stand For?
• When Was Tae Kwon Do Founded? (ITF Tae Kwon Do)
• What Does White Belt Signify?
• Who Was the Founder Of Tae Kwon Do?
• Name 4 Stances (Bonus points if you name them in Korean as well)

All of these questions were rehearsed so many different times that I can't count them on my hands.

The Grading:

I was nervous at first but that's a good sign as it shows I care, and I used it to my advantage I knew the amount of effort and time I put into my studies so I knew that I could pass.

The Line Work:

We started with some line work, doing sitting stance punches walking ready stances into leg raises. These were things that we had rehearsed before so it was all familiar to me, everything was good - apart from my legs uncontrollably shaking.

The Patterns:

We did all three patterns and all went well, it was a bit different from what I was expecting as the master who was grading us was telling us every move to do, I'm not sure why but it was not what I was expecting.

The Theory:

After the patterns the only thing that was left to do for us was the theory questions, they asked me three questions these were:

1. Who founded Tae Kwon Do?
2. What Does White Belt Signify?
3. What's the meaning of Tae Kwon Do?

I got all of these correct thanks to practising every day for the past 3 weeks leading up to it.

The Results:

I got everything correct, not just correct but nailed A* (A star) was my final grade the highest you can get. So with the grading out of the way I have become a Yellow Stripe while it's not much, it's the start of a great and hard journey. Now I can learn my first pattern Chon-Ji.

The EMAP Competition:

This competition was going to be hard for me to win based on how many people would be attending it but I was confident in my ability to handle the inexperience that I had. There were three events that I could take part in, these were High Kick, Long Kick, and Patterns. I choose not to take part in Sparing for lack of experience and not having any gear. To me I was more worried about winning the patterns than I was in any other event as to me those were just relaxing fun events.

The High Kick:

In this event I was put with two other people as that's all that was in our size/age category, however, the two people who I was put with were both black belts and seeing as how I had just started, beating them was not an option. I was the first to go out and as they only rewarded gold for the high kick I left that event with nothing (I knew this was going to happen anyway as my flexibility for my age is terrible)

The Long Kick:

This was more of a fun one for me as you had to run and jump sidekick a blue mat before you hit the mat below you, I enjoyed this one the most as I didn't care if I won or was out first. I came second in this event and was once again against two black belts.

The Patterns:

This one was a bit different but that's only because I was the only one in my grade in my age bracket, so I was guaranteed a gold medal, but went against a black belt who was the European champion in Sparing. It was a great experience not only being able to build stronger bonds with other students in my club and getting to see the wide majority of people and clubs alike.

Overall the past 4 months have been jam-packed with learning, failures and competitions. This has been a great end to the Year and I look forward to what challenges I may face in future years to come. If you looking for something to start your New Year's resolutions, then I urge that you come and join the SDMA family and start your Tae Kwon Do Journey Next year.