Training

Training guide

Training Guide

Korea TaeKwon-Do Association Website Link: Here, you will be able to read first-hand information about TaeKwon-Do, and Philosophy of the belt (tti) and uniform (dobok) from an actual Korean-Written perspective so you can take it and reflect it upon your training, providing a much wider and more expansive base.

The cycle of Training

The rank system is consists of 'Gup' members, and 'Dan' members. Starting from 9 and going to 0, then going back to 9 again, is how we look at the journey of the ranking system. It represents the cycle of life. It takes an entire lifetime to truly understand the benefits of true martial arts. Most people only look at the physical aspects and get too caught up in the 'who can beat who' in a fight mentality. The most rewarding thing about TaeKwon-Do especially in our dojang is the cycle of training.

In the early 1970's, Grand Master D. W. Kang began teaching in Tulsa and brought up some very promising students. Throughout that time, anyone who had taken the initiative to train in the martial arts and seek out a true master sought out Grand Master Kang. Most any of the local TaeKwon-Do and Karate schools here in Tulsa received much of their dominant knowledge and training through Grand Master Kang.

Today, in the new millennium, we are seeing many of the former students bringing their children in to benefit from the untarnished, and traditional approach that you can only find here. Most any other place you see today in the martial arts industry has a mix of many martial arts that are practiced with the intention mostly for 'winning in the ring', or placing harm on other people. Our nation doesn't need more trendy statements that fill the mind's of our young. It needs a healthy dose of reality and real discipline that can only be demonstrated by those who truly live it. With the pop culture and world of high fashion, coupled with the ever-so-growing need to be associated with a 'clique' or a 'gang' and the increasing popularity of prescription narcotic drugs, we are among the few who represent a responsibility to help guide our 'on-edge' youth. We all want to feel strong, and we all want to feel secure. Sometimes, that is replaced with a false sense of friendship that leads us into gang-life. Sometimes, that leads us into a path of painkillers, needles, and eventual death, however; sometimes, it leads us to a place next to GOD with a destiny to obey his will and a fulfilling a complete life that overflows with abundance of generosity and compassion. Sometimes, we need to make enough mistakes, which are the mistakes that help us see that destiny. Everything we do up to that point in life is just practice for what we were meant to do for real, in life.

Think of beginning your training as the outer edge of the circle. As you train, your progress around the circle and make your journey inward, until you meet your final destiny. When this happens, you place yourself on a track inside the circle and repeat the process until you find the center. Doing this over and over is called the cycle of training. Only an individual of consistent discipline can produce the self-motivation necessary to continue down this true path of self-development.

Black Belt Dan Membership (Degrees of Black Belt)

Recommended Black belt - Is just a temporary period where the student experiences all of the benefits of being a black belt, only, isn't an official black belt yet. The recommended black belt stage is a period of recognition of many things, including the willingness to go on with his training as a member of an 'elite club'.

1st Dan Black Belt through 3rd Dan Black Belt - Assistant Instructor (cho-gyo-nim) or (kyo-sa-nim) The assistant instructor is a work in progress. It is a time in which they are to truly reflect what they know against an entire class of beginners. It is also a time in which they are to make adjustments in their repertoire and hone their teaching skills via their mentor.

Kyo Sa Nim - Certified Instructor A Dan member will test on his teaching skills and knowledge before attaining this title. An instructor who has not been tested on his commanding skills is not a real instructor yet.

4th Dan Black Belt - Jr Master This is a stage in which the student has become very skilled in their teaching skills. Justice, compassion and leadership are and should be second nature to an individual of this caliber.

Sa-bum-nim - Master Instructor A Dan member will test on his mastery of public dignity and personal integrity. This ability is not easily attained and is something that is 'bred' into a Black Belt of High Dan Membership.

5th, 6th and 7th Dan Black Belt - "Master" (Dae Sabum-nim) The master degrees of Black Belt represent the kind of coordination and balance it takes to skillfully approach all disciplines of the Martial Arts with grace and beauty. The more well trained the individual, the more it reflects and shows in his teachings and his students.

8th and 9th Dan Black Belt - "Grandmaster" - (Do-sa-nim) or 'Boss" (kwan-jang-nim) After a lifetime of participation and growth in the Martial Arts, the individual has considered to have made a thorough journey in not only teaching skills in the martial arts, but life as well. The Grandmaster is one who has 'lived' the true life, and walked the true path. The Grandmaster is one who has had his share of successes as well as failures. Only by trial and error in combination with 'indomitable spirit' guided by wisdom can one truly achieve this title.

Getting started

All students must memorize their counting in Korean in order to receive their flags. The 'Tenets of Tae Kwon-Do' should be memorized in order to receive their school patch. If they can recite their Student Creed, they can receive their white belt.

To begin with, it is important to have a clear path set in order to achieve the goals you have made for yourself. When you attain your goals, you must have more goals to replace the ones you accomplished in order to live a happy and successful life.

Student's notebook

The student's notebook is just as important as their belt or uniform. In it goes their tasks, and curriculums. As time goes on, they are to accumulate proof of tournament and discipline clinic participation in the form of certification, curriculums, information and notes, compiling a 'Tae Kwon-Do' scrapbook of their training and learning experiences. Every testing, their notebooks are checked, graded, and commented on for their efforts on their compilation. It is most beneficial to the student after they have received their black belt to go back and reflect upon the experiences they had early on in their training. I wish I had kept a journal of some sort when I was coming up through the ranks!

Character / Attitude Stripes

Students can receive up to 3 Character/Attitude Stripes in a week. These stripes are placed on the belt of any student willing to put forth the effort and receive the 'good graces' of their parents.

This includes:

obeying their parents cheerfully

cleaning my room

picking up personal belongings

for adults too - organize office, organize garage, go out of your way to help a fellow neighbor

Turn in letter of recommendation before class and be recognized in class! A minimum of three attitude stripes are required for all students.

Tasks must be set, achieved and written down on paper to redeem each stripe

Kang's Family Code

1. Be loyal to your country; sacrifice yourself for your duty to your country and your people. This is based on the spirit of the Hwa Rang Do

2. Be obedient to your parents; children should be dutiful to your parents and parents should be charitable to their children

3. Be loving between husband and wife; love and affection between the sexes develops mankind's happiness and harmony in life

4. Be cooperative between brothers; hold together with cooperation and concord

5. Be respectful to your elders; protect the rights of the elderly and weak with courtesy and modesty

6. Be faithful between teacher and student; learn the truth through practice of duty and affection

7. Be faithful between friends; be peaceful and happy with harmony and faith towards each other, regardless of race, and towards all mankind

8. Face combat only in justice and with honor; be able to distinguish between good and bad with fairness and rightfulness

9. Never retreat in battle; Sacrifice for justice with capability and bravery

10. Always finish what you start; Move to action with sureness and hope

Korean pronunciation is made with "ah" and "o" the

same as in "father" or "bowling" other vowels are

made with a long sound as well.

1 - Hana 2 - Dul 3 - Set 4 - Net 5 - Dasot 6 - Yasot 7 - Ilgop 8 - Yodul 9 - Ahop 10 - Yul

11 - 10 is Yul + the number "Yul hana, yul dul" 20 - 29 is Sumul + the number "Sumul hana, sumul dul"

30 - Sorun 40 - Mahun 50 - Shihun 60 - Yesun 70 - Ilhun 80 - Yodun 90 - Ahun 100 - Bek

Have fun!

Classroom commands:

Front kick - Ahp chagi Side kick - Yup chagi Roundhouse kick - Dollyo chagi Punch - Jong kwon Block - Mak ki High - Sang dan Middle - Jung dan Low - Ha dan	Cha reut! - Attention! Kyung yeh - Bow Jun bi - Ready Shio - Relax (at ease) Dwi rho do ra - Turn back Kuman - Cease/return
Jumping - Ttwi mia Sliding - Mik ku rho Gyoorogi - Fighting Poomse - Forms Sugi - Stance Bum sugi - Tiger stance Riding horse stance - Ki ma Ja sae	Senior - Sunbae Junior - Hubae Master Instructor - Sabumnim Certified Instructor - Kyosanim The Boss - Kwanchangnim Grandmaster Instructor - Dosanim Friend - Chingu I love you - Sa rang hae

How To Tie Your Belt

The Belt 'tti' is considered to be an expression of a concerted effort to 'straighten-up' one's self. It is the gathering of the three elements that consist of a person, (heaven, earth and person) which is believed under Korean custom to be a micro-universe. The tying of the belt is a sacred practice that is believe to have the 'KI' or 'energy' wrapped in and trapped into the 'DAN-JUN'. It is the 'DAN-JUN' training that is said to be brought out in all TaeKwon-Do techniques and executed with a gradual increase of self-enlightenment.

	Hold belt at its center, ends even, with stripes (if you have them) on the left side.
	Place center of belt on front center of jacket, about one inch below the naval (a location called the tanden). Wrap belt around your waist, crossing the right side over the left side at center of the back. Stripes will now be on your right side. Pull ends of belt forward and adjust so the ends are even.
	Lay the left side of belt over the tanden. Lay the right side of belt across the tanden. Stripes will now be on your left side.
	Slide the left side of belt (striped side) under and behind all the belt layers at the tanden. Stripes will still be on your left side.
	Loop
	Bring left (stripped) end of belt down and over the front of the U
	Loop stripped end under and up through the U shape to form a knot.
	Pull ends of belt outward to tighten knot. Stripes will be on your right side.
	Adjust knot so the ends of belt are even and hang neatly.

The basic theory of technique and power originate

from what is called the 'tan jun' or

CENTER OF POWER. In TKD,

we concentrate all of our energy into an inch of our

body then release it through superb timing. This

repeated effort is what gradually makes our mind,

body and spirit stronger.

"Tan-Jun" (Center of power) and "KI" (energy)

Located about three finger widths below your belly button, this area is where your body's "KI" or energy is stored. The "KI" is the spring of constant new life source. "KI" also flows through every part of your body including the intangible aspects of your mind as well. All actions initiate first with a thought, then should be controlled from your "Tan-Jun."

During meditation, poomse practice, and all other methods of Tae-Kwon-Do practice, you can develop this area by controlling the tension around your lower abdomen. When you sense this control, you will feel "centered" thus making your body and mind feel as if they are "one." The more centered you are, the more in control you are. The stronger your center becomes, the more you can accomplish simply by applying your TAN-JUN in coordination with your mind.

Um/Yang (positive/negative)

(External) "Wae-Kong" training / (Internal) "Nae-Kong" training

It is also important to recognize the study of um/yang (positive/negative). Tae-Kwon-Do has many aspects of training; however, it can be broken down into two main categories. WAE-KONG (outside energy/ body, force, strength) training, and NAE-KONG (inside energy/ spirit, mind, power) training. Facets of the beginning student include the seeking of learning how to fight, learning how to break, and forging the body and mind by suffering through hardship and discomfort. As the student begins to develop mastery and maturity, there comes a time when the cycle has become full and once again, reaching emptiness that must be filled in order to cultivate perception. This is the part of a student's journey when all that has been learned thus far begins to transform into seeking NAE-KONG training. Leadership, compassion, healing, and ultimately, wisdom. Perception is the key which unlocks the intangible power of the human spirit.

"The Kihaping Korner"

You have no real spirit in your training, until you have developed "Your" KIHAP

There is a distinct difference in the way a Taekwondoist makes a kihap. Here is a brief list of the various ways a seasoned Taekwondoist makes a kihap.

"Baho!" - Made famous by the notorious Hyon K. Lee of the San Diego area.

"Pacho!" - Invented and used by the ever-so-illustrious Jeff Pinaroc of the Dallas Metro area.

"AAaaaiiieeee!" - Exemplified by the most dominant bantam weight ever to grace the U.S. Circuit, Han Won Lee.

"Heeaap!" - Brought upon the U.T.F. by the creative nature of Bob McQuarrie.

"Aiultz!" - Made famous by the 'old school' Rommie Gorrell.

"Assahh!" - Utilized by the return of Clarence Williams.

"Ahaaa!" - Etched into the minds and hearts of the feather weights of the 90's era, made famous by Clay Barber.

"Aie!" - The most common and popular form of a beginning child's kihap.

"Ahuahho." - What is commonly heard from the spirited students of the Broken Arrow Dojang.

kang's institute of taekwon-do | 6202 s sheridan rd | tulsa, oklahoma 74133 | ph 918.494.9691

universal taekwon-do federation world headquarters dojang