Taekwondo Oath

After all these year of training taekwondo, only recently I found out that there's actually a taekwondo oath. I'm not sure if this is a official taekwondo oath or just something that created by someone or some organization. Anyhow I find this oath to be something all taekwondo practitioners should be abide to.

• I shall observe the tenets of Taekwondo.
• I shall respect the instructor and seniors.
• I shall never misuse Taekwondo.
• I shall be a champion of freedom and justice.
• I shall build a more peaceful world.

Sixth DAN Grading

It's been quite awhile since I took my 6th Dan grading. It was on 17 April 2011 and I was not even in my best shape then. Anyway, it was really a last minute decision and I'm glad that I took it. I was the only coach that take his grading during the centralized grading as many high-dan grading is conducted behind closed door. I feel that as a coach you should not be shy to sit for your grading in front of the juniors or your students as it is an indication of your confidence in your own ability. Doing the grading behind closed door only indicate that you do not have the confidence to show your ability.

However, although I was not in my best shape, I tried to perform to the best I can and luckily I made it through. I have passed my 6th Dan grading and now I need to write-up my thesis in order for me to apply for my Kukkiwon certificate. As I have not really write thesis for a long time, hence it is actually not easy. I have the idea in my head, but to actually bring the idea into paper is really hard. Anyhow, I have completed 4 out of the required 10 pages which is a good progress. I intend to complete my thesis by end of next week.

Running A Business

Setting taekwondo classes is like running a business taekwondo coaches also businessman trying to sell taekwondo to the people. Ironically your students are actually your clients or customers. However, most of us taekwondo coaches are better in teaching than running a business. We are technically people which have difficulty in dealing with administrative paperwork such as setting up database of your students, preparing proposals, selling your 'business' to corporate and filing.

Ideally, we just want to teach the students well and have someone doing the administrative for us but then again we too need to be business-savvy as taekwondo is our business, hence we need to run it like how business does, whether we like it or not. Learn to be a businessman while making sure our

product is still the best.

Keep learning technically and also increase your business sense cause what the use of a good product which you cannot sell.

The Five Tenets of Taekwondo

Although I have been practicing Taekwondo for more than 20 years, I am still learning and today I realized that after all these years I have never really look into the other aspect of Taekwondo which is the non-physical side. Many time I have been teaching on the physical aspect while have not really teach tenets of Taekwondo. Only today that I realized there actually have the tenets FOR TAEKWONDO.

The Five Tenets of Taekwondo are:

1. Courtesy - which covers respect of one another, be polite to one another

2. Integrity - upholding one's principle at the same time able to differentiate between right or wrong, being honest

3. Preseverance - always be patient, the time will come.

4. Self-Control - able to control one's emotion

5. Indomitable Spirit - Have a strong will to never give up

World Championship 2011

Last week the World Taekwondo Championship was held in Korea and I managed to catch some of the fights. It's actually been awhile since I watch any competitive sparring and although I do aware of the changes in point system, I have yet to watch any match with the new body protector point system.

Anyway, the first match I watch was the fly weight male and I was deeply disappointed on how the fight has become. It was not as it used to be. There was just too much hanging the leg and pushing kick instead of the old school roundhouse kicks and all. I understand that the body protector is more sensitive towards pushing than hitting with the in-step. The fight has becoming more ITF style.

Luckily, the female category was more interesting to watch as they create more actions than the males'. Also the heavier weight category provide more interesting watch than the usual lighter weight category.

Promotion Test

Promotion test or grading is the the time to determine when the students is able to be upgraded to the next belt. Many a time we, coaches prepare them by teaching them the poomsae and other components that require for the promotion test. However, it is also a time when the coaches do feel stressed by the performance of the students as they are some will end up not doing well in the test. They perform well to earn them the spot for the grading but when the actual time for the grading, many would not be able to do well as anxiety, nervousness and also the feeling of overwhelmed get the better of them.

Then the coaches will be stressed up seeing the students not performing up to mark. I, personally hate that feeling but just can't control it. Although we know that we have done our part, still it is our responsibility to ensure that they are able to do well. Failing which it is our job to find out the reason behind their dismal performance and rectify it so the next time it will be better.

Make Money or Make a Living?

As a coach we too need to survive, therefore we charge a certain amount of coaching fees in order for us to pay our bills, bring food to the table, provide for the family etc. So are do we make money or make a living?

They are coaches who just interested in making money and they are some who just want to make a living from coaching. Also they are some who wants to make money the proper way or ethically.

There are many unethical coaches who just coach to make money as these coaches charge a high price for non-quality coaching to the athletes/students. They just want volume, therefore they conduct classes with more than a hundred students by themselves or the most with another coach. In actual fact, they just there to collect fees and let the black belt students run the class for them. Mind you, those black belts also pay fees to train NOT to teach. How then can you justify their charges? They charge the students to be coached by their peers from the same school.

Then ethical ones get 'killed' by these unethical coaches as people will generalized us to be like them. Why they want to pay us the same amount if we are like them, which in fact we are not. We provide good coaching and at the same time we also need to earn a living. And coaching is our life. It's in our blood. We love doing what we do, and hope at the same time to make some money the ethical way to provide for our family etc.