Koryo Family Taekwondo Center

Got your goal set for 2012?(credit: Dream Designs at FreeDigitalPhotos.net)

With 2011 behind us, and 2012 ahead, have you met your 2011 resolution/goal?

If you said “yes”, then congratulations!

You have 2012 ahead, and should be setting a new goal for the year. If you answered “no” or “what goal?”, then remember that one of the most powerful tools in life is setting goals and going for them; so go set a goal already.

You can set any goal provided it is within the realm of possibility (be realistic).  Set a high goal and go for it.   This goal must be breakable into smaller objectives. These objectives must be realistic, as well, and be measurable (in some way); this way it is easy to see if you’ve met it.

Completing all your objectives should lead to your goal.  Sounds simple enough?  Well it is.  It is in the execution where most people fail; but you can do it; just stay focused.

Anyway here’s an example. Let’s say that your goal is to write a book by the end of the year. To do this, you must create multiple objectives as follows:

1. Write an outline for the book by the end of January.  Book target size is 100 pages.
2. Write 10 chapters–a chapter per month, starting in February, with an average number of pages per chapter of 10.
3. Wrap up the book in December (add usual parts like acknowledgments, table of contents, etc.).

You can turn each item above into an objective.  You can probably make ten (10) separate objectivs for the second item.

If you approach your future goals this way, you will almost always reach them.  If you run into issues, learn from them so you can be better next time.

OK.  Now that we’ve got that straight, start thinking of your 2012 goal or resolution.  Don’t wait too long; make sure you get it set this week.

2011 All CA TKD Championships

Last Saturday, 05 Nov 2011, we had five (5) of our kids compete at the annual All California Taekwondo Championships. The kids had fun and won trophies to boot.

Here are the results:

• Jeremiah – 1st forms, 1st sparring
• Rachel – 1st forms, 3rd sparring
• Marso – 3rd breaking
• Jessica – 1st breaking, 2nd forms, 3rd sparring
• Diego – 1st breaking, 2nd forms

Halloween Potluck 2011

Halloween came early at the Koryo Family Taekwondo Center.

Halloween isn’t until Monday, 31 Oct 2011.  However, kids of all ages had the haunting of their lives a few days early–Friday, 28 Oct 2011, at the Koryo Family Taekwondo Center Halloween Potluck party.

We had creatures of all size, shape, age, and looks.  Here are some, just to name a few:

• Link (from the Legend of Zelda)
• Yellow Angry Bird
• Zombie boy
• Spiderman
• Luigi
• Vampire woman
• Spider queen
• Cleopatra
• Anakin Skywalker
• Yellow Kitty (continue reading…)

Halloween Potluck Party, this Friday, 28 Oct 2011

Mark your calendar.

This Friday (28 Oct 2011) from 5:30pm to 7:30pm, we are holding a Halloween Potluck party!

We encourage kids and adults to join the fun and wear their favorite costume.

Note, kids and adults are both encouraged to take part in the costume contest; we will give an award for best costume.

Join us for the fun, games, prizes, and food.  Each child coming to the party must bring at least a 1 pound bag of candy; if you feel more generous, bring more!

We will pass around a potluck sign up sheet starting Tuesday, 25 Oct 2011.  Please sign up to bring a main dish, and also bring dessert if you are feeling generous.

See you all on Friday!!!

source: Chron.com

Early in October 2011, there was news posted on the web titled “Olympic Taekwondo Ditches Sport’s Traditions.”  In this article, they noted that just a year before, the governing body for Taekwondo changed the rules for sparring so that judges award more points for head shots.

In my own personal opinion, the way Taekwondo has evolved in sports, not just in the Olympics, isn’t helping promote it as a martial arts.  I’ve personally seen it detract from the traditional teachings of martial arts.

In the referenced article, competitors who make it to black belt say that they simply focus on training to fight and not even think about other parts of the art, to include forms (or “poomsae” in Korean).  This behavior is contrary to traditional teaching of Taekwondo as a whole.

People have seen evidence of this trend seen as early as the 2008 Olympics.  In one sparring match, a Cuban competitor wasn’t happy with a referee’s call, and decided to kick the referee on the face.  That Cuban fighter (I call him fighter because he isn’t a martial artist) has long been banned from Taekwondo competition.  That was a sad day in Taekwondo, an art known to help build stronger inner character for those who truly practice it.

I know of at least a couple of schools in my state where their main focus is sparring.  One of them is no longer in business, while the other remains open.  If all the focus is on sparring, then it is no longer a martial art.  They should explicitly be advertised as Sports Taekwondo instead of just plain Taekwondo (or Tae Kwon Do) so people will know it is sports and not a martial arts.

The sport itself detracts from realistic fights since it focuses on kicks.  The hands are mainly there to block or to help set up for a kick.  Never in my life have I seen anyone score with a punch; judges award points for kicks only.  This is why Taekwondo is widely known as a style that uses lots of kicks.

Note that the sport of Taekwondo has its place.  For my students, it allows them to compete and test their skills with other kids whom they’ve not sparred before.  It also helps them experience winning and losing, and in the process exercise the application of Taekwondo tenets–courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self-control, indomitable spirit, and victory.

If things are to improve in the sports of Taekwondo, techniques of both the hands and the feet must be awarded points.  After all, isn’t Taekwondo the art of using the hands and feet for self-defense?

What do you think?  Do you agree?  Please comment below.

2011 All California TKD championships

Please mark your calendar.

We urge you to take part in the upcoming 2011 All California Taekwondo Championships.  This event is scheduled on 5 Nov 2011 (Saturday).  Click the image below to register online.

2011 All California Taekwondo Championships

Please let your instructor know if you are going to take part as a competitor or will be coming in to give moral support for those who are competing.

Good luck!

Taekwondo child bowing to show respect

As a parent, you might have this lingering question–”Is Taekwondo good for my child?”

The simple answer to this “yes”, for the following reasons:

• Respect.  Taekwondo teaches kids to show respect; at our Taekwondo school, the student begins by bowing to staff, students, and guests as soon as they enter the training hall.
• Motor Skills.  Children perform drills which help them become more coordinated–helping them improve their motor skills.
• Self-defense.  Kids learn that Taekwondo is only for self-defense.
• Agility and Skill.  Kids learn about the Olympic sport of Taekwondo and through training improve their agility and skill.
• Self-confidence.  Through training and testing, children are able to build their self-confidence.
• Leadership.  As children move up in rank, they learn to set goals and objectives to reach their goals.  At higher belt levels, they are taught to lead the class through warm up exercises.
• Code of Conduct.  Kids learn about the tenets of Taekwondo–courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self-control, indomitable spirit, and victory.

Want to see our kids demonstrate their Taekwondo skills?

Come join us this Saturday.  The demo will be held inside Old Navy in Manteca.  It will begin at 12pm, on 15 Oct 2011.

Old Navy is located at the 2320 Daniels St. strip mall in Manteca.

If you are part of the demonstration team, please meet at the school at 10am for some final practice before the 12pm event.

See you there!!!

credit: Graeme Weatherston

Are you confused by Taekwondo belts?  When you go to a Taekwondo event and see the many rainbow of Taekwondo belt colors, do you wonder why there are so many?

Well, this article should help clear things up.

In Taekwondo, the core belt colors are:

• White (typically mapped to the lowest belt rank)
• Yellow
• Green
• Blue
• Red
• Black (generally mapped to the highest belt rank)

Taekwondo is great for health and fitness

Is it true that Taekwondo is good for health?

The answer to this is yes.  Like any physical activity, having exercise in one’s life is good for the heart, muscles, bones, and to some degree spiritual and mental fitness.

Unlike other physical activity, Taekwondo as a martial arts also provides one with core values to strengthen one’s character.  No other physical activity builds one’s core like Taekwondo.

When you practice Taekwondo, you exercise your mind, body, and spirit.

The mind is kept active through the knowledge one gains about martial arts and how one is taught to have “victory”–a code of conduct which reflects positive mental attitude.

The spirit, which is ones inner motivator, is strengthened through the reinforcement or teachings on core values–the six tenets of Taekwondo (courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self-control, indomitable spirit, and victory).  When one has strong spirit, one is able to motivate himself or herself to achieve goals and objectives.

Last but not least, the body is regularly exercised through calisthenics, aerobic, strengthening, and stretching exercises.  The exercises are done in such a way where all parts of the body work in an integrated fashion to give it natural strength.

No other fitness activity can deliver like Taekwondo!