From: the_dojang-owner@hpwsrt.cup.hp.com To: the_dojang-digest@hpwsrt.cup.hp.com Subject: The_Dojang-Digest V6 #567 Reply-To: the_dojang@hpwsrt.cup.hp.com Errors-To: the_dojang-owner@hpwsrt.cup.hp.com Precedence: The_Dojang-Digest Mon, 15 Nov 1999 Vol 06 : Num 567 In this issue: the_dojang: RE: The_Dojang-Digest V6 #566: Demonstrations the_dojang: re: demonstrations the_dojang: Martial Arts Collective Society Web page ========================================================================= The_Dojang, serving the Internet since June 1994. ~780 members strong! Copyright 1994-99: Ray Terry, California Taekwondo, Martial Arts Resource Replying to this message will NOT unsubscribe you. To unsubscribe, send "unsubscribe the_dojang-digest" (no quotes) in the body (top line, left justified) of a plain text e-mail addressed to majordomo@hpwsrt.cup.hp.com. To send e-mail to this list use the_dojang@hpwsrt.cup.hp.com See the Korean Martial Arts (KMA) FAQ and online search the last four years worth of digest issues at http://www.MartialArtsResource.com Pil Seung! Ray Terry, PO Box 110841, Campbell, CA 95011 KMA@MartialArtsResource.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Brad Bezoni" Date: Sat, 13 Nov 1999 17:14:53 -0600 Subject: the_dojang: RE: The_Dojang-Digest V6 #566: Demonstrations Subject: the_dojang: demonstrations > My question resolves into these elements: are demonstrations a necessary > part of a martial art? Should a member of a dojang be expected to > participate in a demonstration? Should it be volunteer or mandatory? This is impeccable timing, as I have actually just returned from a demo that our dojang put on this afternoon. Much like Anthony, we were given little time to prepare for this demo. On top of that, I was unable to attend 1 of the 2 practices that we were supposed to have, and I ended up having a very large role in this particular demo. Still, we were able to scrape together enough participants and put together what I feel was a very good looking demo in a very short period of time. I've been on demo teams before, and one thing that I have found consistent between them all is that you do not get much warning before having to actually perform. For this reason, I would say that demo participation should be voluntary - mainly because the students who perform have to be willing to give the extra time and effort needed to put together something worth watching without having much time to do it in. However, it is my wish/goal (and that of every instructor, I'm sure) that all students in the dojang be able to and have the desire to perform in demonstrations. In our dojang we wish for every student to be able to show their abilities, and to show others outside the dojang the wide range of skill levels and ages that can all come together into this one art. To answer your question about if demos are a necessary part, I believe they are for many reasons. It is all well and good to advertise with fliers, ads in the paper, etc., but nothing compares to actually seeing the public and showing them what you are offering, and what they have the potential to become. Also, demos may provide students with an arena to showcase a particular skill that they have, where they may not get that opportunity in the regular classroom or in testing situations. On top of that, demos may encourage students to put forth more effort than normal in class to be recognised on the demo team (this is only if you are forming a team from hand-picked students, not a general all-dojang demo). For all these (and the many other) reasons demos should be viewed as a necessary part of martial arts training. Kicking high and punching fast... Brad Bezoni ------------------------------ From: "Christopher Spiller" Date: Sun, 14 Nov 1999 12:02:04 PST Subject: the_dojang: re: demonstrations Anthony Boyd wrote: >I'm curious how people feel about participating in demonstrations. >My question resolves into these elements: are demonstrations a > >necessary part of a martial art? Should a member of a dojang be > >expected to participate in a demonstration? Should it be volunteer >or >mandatory? Demonstrations, strictly speaking are NOT essential to the martial arts. However, demonstration of techniques is. There is a difference. Demonstrations involve going out to the public and showing them things about Taekwon-Do, Hapkido, Kum-Do, etc. While this is a common practice TODAY it doesn't seem to be extremely prevelant in the past. But in the course of anyon'e training there is always some demonstration of what has been learned - - tests, demonstration in front of the class, teaching itself, etc. Public demonstrations can be good, however. They increase public awareness of the martial arts and they give the students involved an opportunity to grow in self-confidence, especially if they get nervous in front of crowds. I think that participation in demonstrations can be either mandatory OR voluntary. This should be up to the teacher and perhaps (but not necessarily) the student. When my instructor does a demonstration he will tell the black belts who he wants there. But he will also ask the lower belts if they want to help out. Of course, he has the final say as to who actually does participate or not. He also tells people to demonstrate what they are GOOD at. Why set someone up to fail? >As you know demonstrations by schools are often not all we would >expect >them to be and can seem like a total, abject failure in the >minds of the >actual performers. Is this experience of public >humiliation a necessary >part of training? Perhaps we should change our view point a little bit. If I do bad at a demonstration (or a tournament) or something I don't feel humiliated. I know I have done my best and taken time to prepare. But if I don't do well I feel bad for my instructor. Your ability, rightly or wrongly, does reflect on the instructor. When demonstrating I want to do well because I enjoy Taekwon-Do but also because my instructor has put his trust in me to represent his school. THAT is the weightier consideration in my eyes. Also, try to go in with the attitude that "I GET to demonstrate what I know." >A demonstration should impress and enlighten the viewers, possibly >giving >them the desire to join the dojang. So, if you train for >solely for the >demands of the demonstration are you not letting your >real training slide >in favour of doing free advertising for the >school? If you do not devote >special training to the demonstration >are you not then increasing the >chances for a poor performance? My instructor never has his students demonstrate something they haven't done in class (and done well). What is demonstrated depends on the audience at the demonstration - basics, forms, breaking, sparring, self-defense. But again the key is to demonstrate what you have ALREADY learned. I have trained at a school where they did special demonstration training. This consisted in a few extra clases before the scheduled date going over new combinations and self -defense moves. Most of the students felt nervous because they were just learning these techniques and were going to have to perform them in front of an auience of several hundred. WHY wa this done? Have the students do what they KNOW. This cuts down on feelings of apprehension and increases the likely hood that the techniques performed will be better. >So what's the problem? The problem is to the untrained eye... I'd >look >like some foreign guy in a martial arts uniform, swinging a >wooden stick >or perhaps an aluminum toy around my head - sliding >across hell's half >acre. No grace. No surety or poise. Just wind and >noise. Is that what a >demonstration should be? I would have to say NO. Demonstrations should be an example of 1) the martial skill of an art's practitioners and/or 2) the skills someone in the audience can accuire after some time spent training. That being said it seems that at least part of the problem your group experienced was due to some factors beyond your control - inclement weather for instance. However, the instructor should have realized things would have to change when he saw the limited space that would be used. Forms done in unison by a group are impressive but if there's no room for a group of people then just have them perform one pattern at a time. Perhaps start out at a basic form, move to an intermediate one, and then an advanced one to show the progression in skills that will be learned. If you don't regularly do patterns in unison in class a public demonstration is NOT the place to start. Also, if you are changing the forms then you really are NOT demonstrating your art (or at least not demonstrating your art's patterns). Taekwon, Chris ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ From: JEREMYT@ATFI.COM (JeremyT) Date: Mon, 15 Nov 1999 08:16:00 -0600 Subject: the_dojang: Martial Arts Collective Society Web page The M.A.C.S. web page is up and running. Please check it and let us know your comments. Thank you. http://www.compnetco.com/macs Jeremy MACS ------------------------------ End of The_Dojang-Digest V6 #567 ******************************** Support the USTU by joining today! US Taekwondo Union, 1 Olympic Plaza, Ste 405, Colorado Spgs, CO 80909 719-578-4632 FAX 719-578-4642 ustutkd1@aol.com http://www.ustu.com ===================================================================== To unsubscribe from this digest, the_dojang-digest, send the command: unsubscribe the_dojang-digest -or- unsubscribe the_dojang-digest your.old@address in the BODY of an email (top line, left justified) addressed to majordomo@hpwsrt.cup.hp.com. Old digest issues are available via ftp://ftp.martialartsresource.com in pub/the_dojang/digests. All digest files have the suffix '.txt' Copyright 1994-99: Ray Terry, Martial Arts Resource, California Taekwondo Standard disclaimers apply.