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  • 3 Quick Christmas Thoughts From 3 Taekwondo Black Belts!

    Happy Holidays to all of the TKDTutors community! Since today is often so busy for so many, this post is going to be short but, much like a Christmas cookie, also sweet. 

    So, one of my younger students asked me a very deep question. What do taekwondo instructors do for the holidays? This is a very good question, so I felt I should answer this question.

    Of course, it would be lacking (in my mind) if I simply put down what I do each holiday season. So I decided I’d ask some of my colleagues what they like to do. Of course, I made sure not to use my colleagues real names. We don’t always want people knowing our deepest desires.

    Ms. C: Pine over that nice uniform on Black Friday sale, but not buy it because teaching taekwondo is not a lucrative job. 

    She’s right. She’s joking, but she’s right. 

    Mr. E: Having elf on the shelf practice the forms. He needs to exercise too!

    I can’t say I’ve seen an elf on the shelf at a taekwondo forms tournament, but I wouldn’t mind if I did! I’d probably score them well too!

    Mstr J: I don’t know for certain, but I like to think that Santa’s security elves know taekwondo. 

    After further questions, this was followed by…

    Master J: Of course Santa has security elves! How else does he manage to hide from international authorities?!

    He’s right; Santa must be a master at sneaking around by now. 

    Anyway, happy holidays to everyone in the TKD Tutors community! Have a wonderful time, and We’ll hope to see you next week (in 2026!)

  • Taekwondo Poomsae: What’s the Point of the Form?

    Let me guess…

    You’ve just started learning taekwondo and you really want to start fighting and breaking boards. But instead your instructor has you doing these blocks and stances, calling them “forms.” Perhaps your instructor has even told you that they’re an “important starting point.”

    Boring! When does the fun stuff happen?!

    First off, it’s good to see you’re excited, but let’s take a step back. How do you expect to do a flying side kick, when you don’t even know what a side kick is? That’s like starting college and asking the professor when you get to do heart surgery. Jumping ahead much?

    That’s part of what a form is about. It’s about teaching you the very basics of taekwondo techniques, stances, and combinations. A good instructor will help you learn the form so that you know how to do the techniques associated with them. each part of a form is a knew stace or way of doing a particular technique. The idea is that, when you memorize the form, you memorize the combinations to the point that they become a reflex. That down block-punch combination in the form? Surprisingly handy when someone tries to roundhouse kick your chest in a sparring match. 

    Guess what? Luckily, I will soon be writing some articles detailing various pieces of information about the Taeguk forms that you may find handy, whether you are a black belt, a brand new white belt, or somewhere in between!

    But that’s in the future; let’s focus on the present. What are some of the other purposes of learning the forms? 

    History. 

    History? How could history be involved? Surprisingly, quite a lot. See, contrary to what the internet likes to think, Taekwondo is not a very old martial art. In fact, it only recently had it’s 75th anniversary. However, it is based on much older martial arts (such as Taekkyeon) that almost went extinct in the early 1900s. It’s a very long and complicated explanation for why the ancestor martial arts of taekwondo almost died off, but it nearly did. Worse, there were not many documents or patterns written out or memorized. (Fun Fact: UNESCO made it part of their Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage!)

    As a result, once taekwondo started to be developed and adapted to fit more modern issues, their was a focus on creating ways to preserve and protect it from any future extinction. People started to realize that it needed to be formalized and defined. The various grandmasters of various schools did a number of things to create a unified taekwondo. One of these was creating the Kukkiwon, and under the Kukkiwon they created formalized patterns (called poomse) to help define what taekwondo is, and help other masters teach it across the globe.

    It worked. 

    The forms later went on to be applied not just in education and preservation, but in competition and evaluation as well. A student’s knowledge of taekwondo forms is also a very helpful way of understanding where exactly they are in their training. This can be particularly helpful when someone comes to the taekwondo school with past experience from another school. By examining a student’s knowledge of forms, instructors can get an understanding of their expertise and training.

    The forms and the details about them have changed over the years, and been altered for various contexts, but the point, and the general techniques, remain the same. Preserve, protect, and teach taekwondo. As an example, a school run by an older instructor might be more familiar with older versions of certain forms. However, the forms performed by a younger black belt from a different school will still look nearly the same to most people. 

    Hopefully that helps you see why instructors are teaching you these forms and really emphasizing their use. They’re teaching you techniques. They’re teaching you combinations. They’re teaching you history.

    They’re teaching you taekwondo. 

    So keep up the good work! The better students do on these forms, typically the better they do in the more advanced material. In my experience anyway.

    Have a wonderful day!

    Did you like this post? Then click the like button, and subscribe for more!

    Note: This site is for informational and entertainment purposes only. All martial arts techniques and exercises should be supervised by a trained martial arts instructor in order to prevent injuries and to ensure the proper technique is utilized. The information on these pages and videos is meant only to reinforce and supplement the instruction given at your martial arts classes. To properly understand these techniques, you need to learn them from a martial arts instructor who can provide you with an in-depth explanation of the technique, help correct your mistakes, answer your questions and detail how the technique should be utilized. In addition, all martial arts techniques and training should be used safely and responsibly.

  • Taekwondo Kyorugi: What’s That?!

    So, you’ve started taekwondo training and you keep hearing the word “Kyorugi.” What are they talking about? And why does that matter?

    In short, Kyorugi means “sparring.” Sparring is a practice where two people partner up and have a friendly match (I.e. they’re not out to hurt each other). Various martial arts have different versions of sparring drills; some have specific rings, rules, or match durations for example. In taekwondo’s case, it’s known for its Olympic sparring matches. There are other types of taekwondo sparring matches, but the one most people are familiar with is the one they show every 4 years during the Summer Olympics. 

    As a first point: It’s not a fight. It’s a game. That’s very important to remember. Like any game, it has rules. The rules can be long and complicated. In fact, those lengthy rules could be why some people are critical of taekwondo sparring. Despite these lengthy rules (and their critics), I will try my best to explain the basic concept behind a typical Kyorugi (Or sparring) match.

    In a sparring competition, athletes are typically paired up in 1v1 matches, with someone at about their skill level and weight class.* They are equipped with protective equipment, two of which (the head guard and the chest guard) are “targets” during the match. 

    When the referee starts the match the athletes try and hit their opponents chest guard or head guard. If they do successfully hit either of those, they win the match. The scores vary depending on the competition rules but, typically, it’s two points for a kick to the chest guard (called a hogu), and another two points (totaling to four) if it’s a kick to the head guard. There are other changes to the score if it’s a spinning kick or punch, but that would require its own post. For now, just know that the athletes are trying to hit each others chest and/or head to score points. After that, the game is fairly simple. The person with more points at the end wins.

    Now, a player can get penalties (called gamjeoms) for a variety of reasons. For example, one can get a Gamjeom if they kick their opponent below the waist. An athlete gets a Gamjeom when the referee stops them and tells them (using specific hand signs) if they got a Gamjeom, and for what. If they get a Gamjeom, it goes on the scoreboard, and gets factored in to their score at the end of the round (typically 1 point for the opponent per Gamjeom). If they get too many Gamjeoms, however, they automatically lose. 

    A little confusing? That’s understandable. There is an additional factor involved as well. The coaches. Much like with the boxing matches you see on TV, taekwondo sparring matches have coaches on the sides of the mat cheering on and instructing their athlete. When the referee calls a round the coach gets a certain amount of time (typically less than 1 minute) to chat with their flustered athlete. Coaches must be careful though, if they get too rowdy their athlete might get Gamjeom’d for it!

    Alongside instructing their athlete and (possibly) getting gamjeom’d, coaches also get to participate in the match to a limited extent. If a coach sees something that they believe the referees missed, they can raise up their card (matching the color of their athlete’s hogu) and get the referees attention. When they do that they tell the referee what they saw or want to contest. Then the referee collects their colleagues and asks them what they think about the matter the coach brought up. If the referees agree with the coach, the coach gets their card back, the scoreboard is modified accordingly, and the match continues. But be careful! If the referees disagree, the card is gone and the match continues as if nothing happened! 

    And for the spectator, that’s the basic premise of the match. There are other complexities to it that deserve longer posts, but that is the rudimentary explanation that should help with watching a TV match. I would go into more detail about Gamjeoms, but that has its own post, if you want to check that out.

    Sparring is all about the game. Some people dedicate their entire training just to playing this particular game. Some even devote their careers to it (and then go to the Olympics and retire at 25). 

    If you want to learn more, you can check out my other posts. If you’re curious about taekwondo culture, for example, you can check out this post! My other posts include topics like Jung Shin or tips for preparing for your first black belt test! What ever you need to continue your taekwondo education, check it out here!

    *This isn’t necessarily true for training sessions. Most training sessions are filled with people of a mix of weight classes and skill levels, so practice rounds are also a mix.

  • How Do I Get A Christmas Present for my Taekwondo Teacher?!

    Help! I want to get a Christmas present for my taekwondo instructor, but I don’t know what to get! Help!

    First off, happy holidays! It’s the season to be jolly and giving out gifts to friends and family is a great way to spread the joy. Perhaps you might be thinking of getting a present for your taekwondo instructor. That’s very sweet of you! It’s certainly not expected of students but, just like any other human, we like being appreciated.

    But of course, it’s hard to figure out what to get us. What do you get a person who teaches you how to kick?! 

    Custom made snow plow. The bigger the better.

    Kidding! I decided to write down some basic ideas for Christmas presents for taekwondo teachers.

    Christmas cards. Yes, just Christmas cards. It’s always nice to know we’re appreciated by our students. Getting a personal card from a student really makes us smile. We like being appreciated, and knowing we make people happy, makes us happy.

    An apple. I think one of my favorite presents I ever got from a student was an apple. Well, actually this student bought me an orange, but I found it humorous. I told him it was a sweet gift. His dad laughed. Maybe not every teacher will appreciate this, but gift giving is really about the sentiment in my mind more than the object.

    A gift card. Now, for ethical reasons, gifts of monetary value are not always received well.* I however, did once receive a five dollar gift card to a bookstore in a Christmas card. It was, for social conventions, going to be terribly awkward to give it back. So I ended up using it to help buy a bookmark for some of the taekwondo books in my office. It has been very helpful!

    A group project. Normally, large presents are rarely considered particularly professional for the same ethical reason as anything else with monetary value. My instructor, one time, received quite a large cake from some students (he smiled at that) when they figured out his birthday (he was less happy about that). But they all gave it to him as one large gift from the community, so he took it and blew out the candles. The kids cheered. It was quite charming!

    All of that in mind, it’s really about the appreciation. In the spirit of Christmas (and taekwondo) it’s the thought that matters most! In my experience, my favorite gifts and the ones I remember most, are the cards given to me by my students. Especially the hand made ones. I’m not sure about my fellow taekwondo colleagues, but I find them to be the best presents!

    In summary, gift giving is not about what, but why. If you haven’t noticed in this post, the material presents are the ones that have relationship, professional, and ethical complications attached. It is the hand made cards and humorous fruit jokes that really make good presents for taekwondo instructors, because it brings good memories, which are priceless.

    But also, I wouldn’t mind some black belt jewelry from Etsy! Those are so cool! (Kidding!)

    Have a happy holidays!

    *It should also be noted, make sure it’s less than 25$. Just like any other teacher, it’s kinda weird if it’s too expensive. 

  • A Thanksgiving Rambling About Taekwondo!

    A happy taekwondo Thanksgiving to all my readers! Here is a wonderful thanks to you for your support and enjoyment of this blog and I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving with you and yours.

    This post is going to be a bit shorter and more scattered then usual. After all, I’m needing to set up for Thanksgiving too! The stuffing won’t make itself!

    In all seriousness, Taekwondo Tutors is very thankful for all the support from everyone. It’s turned out to be something that is quite entertaining to write. Hopefully it’s been something entertaining to read too! 

    So what is this blog post supposed to be about? That is an excellent question. I truly don’t know. It’s very difficult to figure out how one can make a taekwondo related Thanksgiving post. With Christmas it’s fairly easy; gift list! With new years? New Year’s resolutions! Even Halloween has its own taekwondo themed content! 

    But Thanksgiving? It’s hard to pick.

    Being a distinctly American holiday with some dubious history behind it, Thanksgiving is not really related to taekwondo, sport, or exercise at all. Although…

    It does certainly have some connection with community. As any frequent reader knows, I write a lot about community. I mean, a lot. Perhaps too much. But isn’t that what Thanksgiving is about? Bringing people together? When you think about it, Thanksgiving, both historically and in modernity, is all about community. We gather friends and family together. Taekwondo is all about gathering people together and bringing in a sense of community! 

    Yeah… I suppose that’s what I’m doing today. Comparing taekwondo to thanksgiving. So let’s get started!

    Community

    Like I said earlier, taekwondo is all about gathering together. Just like thanksgiving. This creates a sense of community among fellow taekwondo students. The “taekwondo family” if you will. Especially when you grow up doing taekwondo, the sense of community is something that many taekwondo schools strive to create. Thanksgiving is certainly an opportunity to acknowledge the community in which you train!

    Sharing

    Thanksgiving is, inherently, about sharing. Sharing food, sharing time, and sharing an experience with your friends and family. Taekwondo is also all about sharing. In class you’re sharing knowledge. In competitions your sharing an experience. At testing, you’re sharing the stress with your fellow examinees. Sharing, whether you’re sharing a meal or sharing knowledge, is something we should all be thankful for.

    Food!

    Ok, so maybe this isn’t a similarity, but a (very distinct) difference. One involves food, while the other doesn’t. Well, usually. Sometimes I’d get food with my instructor and fellow examiners after a long day of testing. But thanksgiving is all about the meal. Sharing the meal, particularly. Unless if you’re that one relative who doesn’t know how to cook. Then it’s your opportunity to come up with a reason not to cook. The best one so far has been “my pet ate the butter I needed for the recipe”. Plausible, yet also obscure. 

    Alright, now I must leave and prepare myself for my own thanksgiving dinner. A Happy Thanksgiving for all your support!

  • Taekwondo Poomsae: What’s That?

    So, you’ve started learning Taekwondo and you keep hearing the word “Poomse.” What are they talking about? What does that mean?

    Well, in short, Poomse means “form” or “pattern”. But it’s a little more complicated then that. 

    What is Poomse?

    Very basically, Taekwondo Poomse are patterns that are universally taught across thousands of schools around the world. They are a way that the taekwondo community has for standardizing the martial arts. Originally, that’s what the Poomse were made for. They were designed to help create a way of learning, teaching, and practicing taekwondo that everyone can use and understand. You’ll most likely learn Poomse as part of your basic taekwondo training. 

    The cool thing about Poomse is that it covers basic techniques, patterns, even philosophy and history! In fact, there are whole books (and soon posts) discussing some of the information behind each of the Poomse, and why they are the way they are. The details can get quite complicated, but are quite interesting to those who are curious!

    Over time, the Poomse went from being purely educational to becoming a form (get it?) of competition. So how does the competition work?

    Competition Poomse

    This is a topic that deserves its own post, but here is a basic explanation. There are two main types of taekwondo Poomse competitions. Freestyle and formalized. Freestyle is exactly that. The competitors choreograph their own set of techniques and patterns (often a ttached to music) and are scored by the judges from 0 to 10. It’s very similar to ice skating choreography, or competitive ballroom dancing, in that it is judged based on style and performance.

    Formalized Poomse is a bit more technical, and therefore requires a longer explanation. In this competition, athletes perform any one of the universal Poomse (usually the Taeguk Poomse) and graded based on their performance. The better the performance, the higher the grade (the perfect score being 10 points).

    So how are the points calculated? Well, 4 of the 10 points are based on accuracy. If you make a mistake in the form you lose either .1 or .3 points. The difference between the two is typically listed in the rules, but basically if it’s a small mistake you’re marked -.1, and if you make a big mistake (like you miss a technique entirely), you get marked -.3. These might sound like small decimals, but it adds up!

    The next 6 points are a little more arbitrary. Those are graded on 3 criteria. Those criteria are “speed and power”, “rhythm and tempo”, and “expression of energy”. Each of them is judged on a scale of 0 to 2 points, and determined solely on the judges, well, judgement. Speed and power is judged based on how fast/slowly an athlete moves in the form, and how much power they produced for each of their techniques. Rhythm and tempo is judged based on how an athlete put together the form. Some sections of forms do techniques at very specific tempos, and athletes are graded on that. “Expression of energy” is perhaps the most arbitrary. That one is essentially the question of “how loud is the Kihap?” The louder the Kihap, the more likely it is that the judges will score you positively on this form. Some athletes are quite deafening with their kihaps.

    So there you have it! There is a (extremely brief) summary of taekwondo Poomse, both as a general training type and as a sport. Hopefully that was helpful. If you’re at all curious to learn more, then check out our other posts (many of which are coming soon) on the taekwondo Poomse!

    Good luck in your taekwondo education!

  • How Can I Help?: Taekwondo, Black Belts, and Community Service

    Recently in my area there was an unfortunate event that impacted the lives of many community members. Thankfully, the city was there to help! People bonded together and collected food, clothes, and anything else those impacted by the event might need. I talked with some of my students, and I discovered that many of them are unaware of an important part of taekwondo. Community service.

    On the surface, taekwondo might not seem like it is in anyway connected to charity work and community contributions. This may surprise some, but it can in fact prove to be quite helpful to various causes. Contrary to what some might think, taekwondo can be a community-engaged function. So, now to answer the question: How can you help your community in need?

    Raising Money and Supplies

    This one is fairly obvious. One of the things people are most in need of is supplies to support themselves at the time of their crisis. Simply grabbing some cans or perhaps preparing food for those in need is certainly a great way to contribute. Besides food, people also need clothes and tools to fulfill various functions in their new homes. 

    But what about a taekwondo specific way to help? Well, how about doing a demonstration or some other public stunt? People love coming to watch, and it is also very appealing to know that the money is going to help others! I’ve run across small taekwondo related events like demonstrations, but also larger events like tournaments formed by multiple dojangs to support larger organizations, such as hospitals. 

    Forming Relationships and Expressing Kindness

    A crucial part of being human is having a sense of community and support. Taekwondo is all about community. Extending that community to those in need is an easy way to show support. But how does one accomplish that? There are several ways. One, simple but significant one is simply offering moral support to others. In moments of crisis, simply having a sense of being seen and supported inherently brings support to those in need.

    Running A Marathon

    Okay, perhaps not that specifically, but getting involved in some sort of physical event to raise funds for an organization is great for both your health and the cause you’re advocating for! Some of my taekwondo colleagues take running a marathon for a charity as both an act of charity and their next exercise goal! So really, you’re accomplishing two things at once!

    Encouraging Exercise, Self-care, and Self Defense

    Connected to creating community is encouraging exercise and self-care in times of distress. Exercise, of any sort, can be helpful to reduce stress. With the addition of a sense of community, getting to enjoy some time with others, and perhaps thinking of something other than all that’s going on around them, exercise may help someone in distress stop themselves from feeling overwhelmed.

    An example of a taekwondo school offering self-care and training to their community is anti-bullying initiatives. Bullying is a big problem in schools, and attempts should be made to reduce it. One way that taekwondo schools handle this is by teaching conflict resolution. Essentially, teaching people how to dissolve a bullying scenario or perhaps stepping in to stop it. Not only is it the right thing to do, it is the black belt thing to do.

    How You Can Help Others

    Now, for the most important part. What specific ways can you help others? What organizations might getting involved in help? Well, there are several. Like I mentioned before, there are community sponsored marathons. There are also food banks and crisis relief organizations that one can get involved in or give resources too. There are also hospitals that need blankets for their beds, or perhaps toys for kids. In essentia, look for those in need. You will most likely find them.

    Good luck!

    Have you ever helped your community through taekwondo? How’d you do it? Leave a comment down below!

    Disclaimer:

    This site is for informational and entertainment purposes only. All martial arts techniques and exercises should be supervised by a trained martial arts instructor in order to prevent injuries and to ensure the proper technique is utilized. The information on these pages and videos is meant only to reinforce and supplement the instruction given at your martial arts classes. To properly understand these techniques, you need to learn them from a martial arts instructor who can provide you with an in-depth explanation of the technique, help correct your mistakes, answer your questions and detail how the technique should be utilized. In addition, all martial arts techniques and training should be used safely and responsibly.

  • 3 Key Questions About The Life of a Competition Team Member!

    I am a Taekwondo competition referee and instructor. I used to compete. As such, I get a lot of questions from students, athletes, parents, and total strangers on buses. Honestly, I get a lot of questions. Some are more common then others. I figured I’d take the time and write out what some of these common questions are, so that I can refer everyone to this. The questions I get are many, but they can be boiled down to just a couple general ones. 

    The first most common one from students who are interested in competing is: Is it different then general taekwondo training?

    Well…

    Yes. Yes it is. In many ways.

    First of all, it depends on the competition your going to. Generally speaking though, the techniques you use in a sparring match are often different than those used in self-defense. Similarly, those used in forms are different then those used in sparring. Then everything changes again when you consider weapons safety drills!

    Competition taekwondo training is specifically focused on drills centered around winning whatever event your training for. In my experience, these often feature heavy cardio/endurance drills, practice events, target training, even detailed reviews of the rules. Some even go so far as to consider extensive dieting methods and attend lectures on such topics. Having attended these lectures myself, they can be very informative, though some of these diets aren’t something I’d honestly encourage doing without a trained professional to guide someone.

    The second most common question is: What is it like being on a taekwondo team?

    Tough! Or at least it can be. It honestly depends on how one looks at taekwondo competitions. In my experience, if you look at it as work then it becomes work. Most athletes who do that often experience burnout. However, if you look at it as fun, then most athletes come to look forward to it, even if they don’t perform well. Some of the best competitors on the team are doing it because they enjoy it, and their passion is demonstrated in their performance.

    But I suppose you might be asking what the day to day life of a taekwondo competitor is like. Well, that is a topic that deserves its own post. It’s a rather long days some days! Generally speaking though, it’s much like any other athlete. Regular training, exercise, and (if you’re really into it) dieting. 

    And the third question that, in my opinion, is the most important and the least asked is this: Is competition training fun?

    Yes! Most definitely! Just like any other sport, if you’re enjoy the game, than it’ll lbe a fun game for you. That is what sports are at the fundamental level. Games. And games are fun! If a game isn’t fun then it’s not a game. Besides, training for the game, if done properly, should be just as much fun, in my opinion.

    That’s not to say it’s just a game! Far from it. Soorts are a unique type if game.Sports are a great way to bring people together and enjoy time together (probably going to turn that into a post at some point here). It’s also a great way to get people to bond over something or create (occasionally quite fierce) rivalries among each other via supporting teams. 

    But I digress.

    In summary, people are passionate. With my team in particular, I try and focus them on enjoying the sport and the fun, rather than obsessing over victory. In taekwondo there is only going to be one winner and, no matter how good you are, it won’t always be you. That said, I try and encourage my students to train and practice for the event. In my opinion, if you are truly passionate about an event, you’ll do it for the fun, not the obsession with victory. 

    That said, it is good to aspire to win! If you work hard, focus on getting better, and never give up, then maybe one day you will get that gold medal and be (justifiably) proud of yourself for it!

    Good luck to you in your journey!

    Got any other questions? Leave a comment down below!

    Disclaimer: This site is for informational and entertainment purposes only. All martial arts techniques, exercises, or related material should be supervised by a trained martial arts instructor and/or appropriate professional in order to prevent injuries and to ensure the proper technique is utilized. The information on these pages and videos is meant only to entertain and supplement the instruction given at your martial arts classes. To properly understand these techniques, you need to learn them from a martial arts instructor who can provide you with an in-depth explanation of the technique, help correct your mistakes, answer your questions and detail how the technique should be utilized. Any information on this webpage is meant solely as entertainment and not to replace professional advice. If you need professional advice, talk to the proper experts. In addition, all martial arts techniques and training should be used safely and responsibly. 

  • Why Is Black Belt Testing So Challenging?

    Recently, I had a student who asked me why her instructors were taking black belt testing so seriously. It baffled me that a student would ever ask this question. I mean, what kind of question is that? Of course black belt testing is important! The more I thought about it, however, the more I realized that it’s a really good question. So, I decided to write a post detailing why black belt testing is such a big deal, and taken so seriously.

    It’s a Big Achievement!

    Let’s start with the obvious. It’s a big achievement! You’ve been training for years, you’ve put in hard work, and now you’ve finally made it. You’ve faced challenges and gotten through them. You’ve endured. Now, you’re about to join a collection of other extremely talented and passionate martial artists. That’s a pretty impressive feat! Shouldn’t it be taken seriously, if it’s that remarkable an accomplishment?

    It’s a Recognition of Responsibility

    Being a black belt is pretty cool, but it’s also a responsibility. You are trained in a martial art. As a result you most likely know how to fight. You also need to know when not to. You need to recognize that you have power, and should use it responsibly. A good instructor gives a black belt to students who they think are responsible enough to not go out and fight the first bad guy they see. Sorry, being a black belt doesn’t make you a superhero!

    You Represent Your Teachers

    There is one truth of education that often goes unacknowledged. The performance of a student’s skill is, in part, a reflection on a teacher’s ability to teach them that skill. It would reflect poorly on your instructor’s judgement of your skill and their teaching if they didn’t take your education and performance seriously! That’s why the testing is taken so seriously. Not only are you about to represent your teachers by showing what you learned from them, once you become a black belt, you will become one of them. Naturally, they want to make sure that you can do that effectively.

    It’s an Important Tradition

    The examination of a student’s skill in martial arts is a very old tradition. The oral tradition states that it was common for people to bring rice and food in exchange for training and testing in Korea. Now, the historicity of that statement may be dubious, but you get the point. Testing a student’s knowledge is an important part of training. Essentially, the testing is a review of a student’s progress so far. It has lots of ceremony attached to it now, but the purpose remains the same. 

    Jung Shin

    If you’ve read my other articles, you know what Jung Shin is. If you haven’t, very basically, it’s the philosophy that makes up what a black belt is. They’re also called the Five Tenets of Taekwondo. One of the things that instructors are testing you on is how effectively can you demonstrate these tenets? Are you respectful? Honest? Do you persevere? Do you have good self-control? Most importantly, do you have indomitable spirit? If the answer is yes to all of these, then your instructors will be pleased. This is such a big part of what taekwondo is, so it is taken quite seriously when someone tests for their black belt. After all, we don’t want to give a black belt to someone who doesn’t have good self control, is disrespectful to others, and lies a lot! That would be terrible!

    Respect

    I’m going to let you in on a little secret. Many of the examiners at a testing are doing the testing without being paid. Your examiners are taking their time to come to your testing. Why? Many reasons, not the least of which is that they want to see you, their student, perform. They know you can pass, but they want to make sure they get the opportunity to see you do wonderfully! No pressure, right?

    Scared? Anxious? Excited? Totally understandable. Just remember, they wouldn’t test you if they didn’t think you could pass. Good luck!

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  • I Wanna Be A Black Belt! How Do I Get There?

    First off, it’s admirable that you want that. 

    Secondly, they say the hardest part is starting. That’s not true in taekwondo. At least, it wasn’t for me. I started in taekwondo because I wanted to learn. What was challenging for me was all the subsequent challenges that followed. I have here listed some of the challenges one will face.

    Doubt

    Surprised? You thought I was going to pick a particular technique or endurance test. No, the first and most challenging step is confronting self-doubt. It’s especially challenging because it’s not a one time event. It will repeat itself many times. Over and over again. The important thing that always helped me was remembering that others surpassed this challenge before me, so I can do it too. 

    Hubris

    Again, surprised? This one is one that everyone struggles with. It’s a proud moment when a student breaks their first board! Or wins their first sparring match. Or passes their first black belt test. There are many proud moments in taekwondo training. It’s hard for it not to get to your head. I don’t know a single black belt who didn’t have at least a little bit of hubris after their first black belt test. But it sure was a rough realization when they realized they didn’t know everything!

    Frustration

    Okay, now you get the idea. This post is not about technique, it’s about self reflection. Frustration, particularly if you start young, is a challenge every martial arts student faces. Some are sourced from outside factors, some from the stress of training. It is a normal human emotion to feel frustration sometimes. When becoming a blabber though, you learn to deal with a lot of frustration because of all the challenges you have to deal with. Becoming a black belt is about getting past that frustration. The truth is that if you decide to keep going in taekwondo, you will face a lot of frustration. That’s simply the nature of doing something that becomes gradually more and more challenging. The trick is to look beyond the frustration and remember that this challenge is one step closer to completing your goal!

    Belt Test

    Whoa, wait, what? This isn’t a particularly metaphysical topic. This is, in fact, quite physical. That’s why it made the list. It is a difficulty that you will inevitably face. A very physically challenging event. I always reminded myself that I wouldn’t have been asked to test if my instructor hadn’t decided I was eligible to test. I always had a lot of anxiety about testing (in fact, I still do). I was always nervous, even though I knew how hard I had worked to get there. Each testing was one step closer to getting my black belt. Every single one was an opportunity to demonstrate my knowledge and my progress. 

    Friendship

    Ah yes, now we’re getting back to the metaphysical. Yes, friendship is part of what helps you become a black belt. It is extremely hard to accomplish black belt testing without the support of others. Particularly the support of your friends and colleagues. There is nothing quite as good as seeing the friendship and support expressed by the people in your audience. Community, a healthy taekwondo community, can really help advance someone in their training.

    So there you go! These are a handful of the things that people (in my opinion) need to experience to truly become a black belt. Being a black belt is not being able to do a really great tornado kick (though that’s cool too!) Being a black belt is really about building beyond the struggles you face in your training. In other words, the best way to become a black belt is to step forward and keep learning.