From: the_dojang-owner@hpwsrt.cup.hp.com To: the_dojang-digest@hpwsrt.cup.hp.com Subject: The_Dojang-Digest V7 #201 Reply-To: the_dojang@hpwsrt.cup.hp.com Errors-To: the_dojang-owner@hpwsrt.cup.hp.com Precedence: The_Dojang-Digest Tues, 28 March 2000 Vol 07 : Num 201 In this issue: the_dojang: Rich Hodder the_dojang: Re: parents/ children training together the_dojang: Re: intro the_dojang: Testing & Grades the_dojang: Re: Seniors Nationals the_dojang: Re: The grades question=privacy issue ? Martial Artists as School Counselors ? the_dojang: Re: You can test here but with my review of your school grades ? Hmnnnnn.... the_dojang: Silence Broken the_dojang: intro the_dojang: Welcom Master Hodder the_dojang: Re: Testings the_dojang: Report Cards [none] ========================================================================= The_Dojang, serving the Internet since June 1994. 800 members strong! Copyright 1994-2000: Ray Terry and 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! ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "J. R. West" Date: Mon, 27 Mar 2000 20:52:28 -0600 Subject: the_dojang: Rich Hodder Congratulations Jere, you win! "Rich" Hodder is actually Master Richard Hodder, TaeKwonDo 7th dan, from Steam Boat Springs, Colorado. Master Hodder is a long-time friend and besides being an extremely talented teacher and player (with over 35 years of experience), he is in charge of the TaeKwonDo portion of the United States Korean Martial Arts Federation. I'm glad to see Master Hodder on the digest, and to all that have an interest in TKD, I'm sure he will be a veritable fountain of knowledge. I'm sorry Rich, but we couldn't allow you to remain anonymous...J. R. West www.hapkido.com ------------------------------ From: TKDAZZKIKR@aol.com Date: Mon, 27 Mar 2000 22:15:44 EST Subject: the_dojang: Re: parents/ children training together I personally think the idea of a parent and child(ren) training together is a wonderful idea. Both my daughters take TKD with me, and it gives us something we can work on TOGETHER. The only problem I have is that of being distracted watching them, and being concerned with THEIR behavior (they are very young). But I am learning to stay focused on MY training, and let my instructor handle THEIR training. It has been a wonderful experience so far, and I'm very happy with my decision. ------------------------------ From: ChunjiDo@aol.com Date: Mon, 27 Mar 2000 22:21:46 EST Subject: the_dojang: Re: intro In a message dated 3/27/00 12:45:08 PM Pacific Standard Time, the_dojang-owner@hpwsrt.cup.hp.com writes: << introducing myself... My name is Peggy >> hi peggy! welcome to the list, and congrats to your son :). i wish more parents with your attitude would get involved with martial arts with their kids. it's a lot more fun for everyone :) melinda ChunjiDo -pe rsonal homepage http://hometown.aol.com/chunjido/homehtmlindex.html Chajonshim Martial Arts Supply - business page http://hometown.aol.com/chajonshim/ma4sale.html Paidforsurf.com - - Main - get paid 75cents/hr to surf the net...i do! Looking for enlightenment is like looking for a flashlight, when all you need the flashlight for is to find the flashlight. ------------------------------ From: "Moja Kwan - C. Richards" Date: Mon, 27 Mar 2000 22:31:17 -0500 Subject: the_dojang: Testing & Grades Dear Thayne, I forgot to say I made copies of all the report cards, to file, when the student handed one to me (bow first, use both hands)...They knew I was going to ask "is this your best effort?"....you'd be surprised how many honest answers you would get...followed by.."You've shown me you can do XY&Z when you apply yourself on the mat, I expect no less outside the dojang"....wait for Yes Sir (or Mam) and send them on their merry way....periodically scan through a students folder and look for a pattern. A decrease in school performance and dojang attendance and attitude should be a clear sign for a long overdue conference.... To GM West, Again your wisdom inspires me to think I've been doing something right (on testing) maybe in another two decades I'll have learned a little about teaching....Enjoying the journey To Anne, Best Wishes....stay in the moment.. Yours in the arts Charles Richards Moja Kwan TSD ------------------------------ From: JSaportajr@aol.com Date: Mon, 27 Mar 2000 22:50:14 EST Subject: the_dojang: Re: Seniors Nationals <> I competed in the 1st Golden senior nationals and won a silver medal in poomse. It was a very exiting experience for me, I had a lot of fun, but I would probably not do it again as Im not sure its worth the expense for me and Im not interested in tournaments any more. If you are into tournaments then I recommend the experience. It was a great motivator to train harder and push myself to get in better shape. I ran a lot and lifted weights and sparred a lot to get ready and so was in good shape. This was probably the value of doing it for me. You also meet a lot of nice people from around the country who are around your age, and it is inspiring to see people from all over the country who are getting older but still working hard to stay in shape and compete. Helped me be a little less depressed about turning forty. Now things may have changed since I did it, which was several years ago, but I had some problems with how things were organized. In the sparring, there were no Dan distinctions, so a first Dan could be fighting a fifth Dan. Another problem was the lack of age distinctions, so that a forty-nine year old could be fighting a 34 year old. There was a huge range in abilities. Many of the guys were former national champions who were just over the age limit to fight in the adult division, so they went to senior nationals to relive old times or prove they still had it. While other competitors were just some regular guy who happened to place in forms in a small state tournament, but who may have just gotten his first Dan that year. So picture a 35 year third or fourth Dan, former National team member, fighting some regular guy, 48 years old who just got his first Dan. It was not pretty. I saw several guys get knocked out. I was a first Dan and fought a fourth Dan, proudly held my own and scored a few, but he won on points. They may have changed the way it is organized since I competed in order to avoid these problems. Also, I believe the turnouts haven't been as big since the first one, but Im not sure. Jose' ------------------------------ From: Ken McDonough Date: Mon, 27 Mar 2000 20:11:51 -0800 (PST) Subject: the_dojang: Re: The grades question=privacy issue ? Martial Artists as School Counselors ? One instructor stated: Date: Mon, 27 Mar 2000 16:20:17 PST Subject: the_dojang: report cards Regarding the requirement of report cards prior to testing, at my school, I do require them. The students know this before hand and it is discussed in class as to why. The why being, that over development in any one area or another causes imbalance, and as you know martial artists that are not balanced usually fall flat at some point. More to the point though is, that no one that is practicing the martial arts in any form is a normal person. All of them are above average or they would be at home with a TV remote or nintendo game. Given this and the responciblity we have as Instructors it is imperitive that we require more of our students than the public school systems. My students must have passsing grades in order to be considered for testing. If there are "c's" on the report card, they must improve that grade...> Response: While I admire the intent to have children in school excel, I question whether the grade requirement in an "outside" activity should truly come under the ambit of a private Dojang or Martial Arts school. Would we expect the baseball Little League or my son's Youth Basketball Coach to ask to see children's report cards ? I have a 12 year old and a 15 year old. The 15 year old's grades were dropping. However, I asked the school guidance counselor to work with me and the teachers. I did not ask his martial arts instructor. However, I would not mind if the martial arts instructor casually asked my son how he was doing in school. Now reversing the situation. I recently had a martial arts instructor, from a school that I removed my son from, remind my son that he was not in a Karate school and he could talk more. I reported the instructor since the instructor was aware that I filed a grievance with the Consumer Protection Division of the State Attorney's Office regarding that school. My belief was that the school instructor brought an outside issue into the school environment. My son was removed from the class and is doing well. In fact, my son's grades have improved since I started working with the guidance counselor at my son's high school. Interestingly, the new martial arts instructor has not asked to see my son's grades. In sum, it is the responsibility of the parents (vice private Martial Arts Instructors) to take a proactive approach to their children's educational achievements. Finally, I do not believe that a martial arts instructor has a complete insight into a teenager's raging hormones, peer pressure, and other changes we all go through. Perhaps martial arts instructors should also have a shingle next to their Dojangs indicating that they also provide homework checks and therapy for troubled youth ? Just musing. But, slightly disagree with the boundary overstepping echoed above. I am certain that my response will result in stoic Martial Arts Instructors taking a defensive position. So, I will not respond to this issue anymore. Next issue: Should Martial Arts Instructors offer career counseling for youth ? Ken McD... __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger. http://im.yahoo.com ------------------------------ From: Ken McDonough Date: Mon, 27 Mar 2000 20:23:31 -0800 (PST) Subject: the_dojang: Re: You can test here but with my review of your school grades ? Hmnnnnn.... Another comment on this report card issue. An instructor noted: Response: Again, I delve into an issue that is sure to incur the wrath of stoic martial arts instructors who have chosen to enter classrooms. Personally, while I understand the motivations of a martial arts instructor I would not submit my son's report card to any other individual other than my wife and the respective school officials. Many bright children are late bloomers and do not necessarily perform at the A or B level. Many teenagers are going through a myriad of changes that a C to them is "Cool". Many high school children perform poorly on SAT's or other standardized tests yet go on to obtain graduate college degrees. While I think it is great incentive to applaud achievement, I think it is "tracking" students who do not live up to a society's standard of what is deemed laudable achievement. Personally, I believe the Martial Arts Instuctor should treat each child as a human being with warmth and caring and leave the scholastic issues to parents and teachers. Enough said. Ken McD... __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger. http://im.yahoo.com ------------------------------ From: Ray Terry Date: Mon, 27 Mar 2000 21:23:05 PST Subject: the_dojang: Silence Broken Forwarding... Silence Broken with author and filmmaker Dai Sil Kim Gibson at TKS For the New Yorkers on the list! You are cordially invited to... Silence Broken : Korean Comfort W omen with filmmaker & author Dai Sil Kim-Gibson Acclaimed filmmaker and author Dai Sil Kim-Gibson shows excerpts form her documentary film Silence Broken: Korean Comfort Women, airing on PBS this month, and discusses her book, an oral history that chronicles the lives of Korean women forced into sexual servitude by the Japanese Imperial Army during World War II. A 1999 Asian American Media Award co-recipient who has also received Rockefeller and MacArthur Foundation fellowships, Ms. Kim-Gibson was born in northern Korea during the Japanese Occupation and has lived in the United States since 1962. Her other films include A Forogtten People: The Sakhalin Koreans (1995) and America Becoming (1991, with Charles Burnett). Monday May 8, 2000 . 7:00 p.m at Japan Society 333 East 47th Street New York City This program is co-presented with the Japan Society and the Asian American Arts Alliance. Followed by discussion and booksigning. Fee: $8 (members of The Korea Society and Japan Society); $10 (non-member); $5 (student). To order tickets, contact Richard Hitchcock at 212-759-7525 ext. 12 or richard.ny@koreasociety.org or register directly with the Japan Society Box Office at 212-752-3015. Alina Oh Program Associate The Korea Society 212-759-7525 ext. 15 alina.ny@koreasociety.org www.koreasociety.org ------------------------------ From: Janne Puputti Date: Tue, 28 Mar 2000 07:13:00 Subject: the_dojang: intro Hello, I=B4m 28 years old finnish male taekwondoist. I=B4m interested all areas considering martial arts, but especially self-defence aspects and how to tie poomse/forms to self-defence. In other words poomse applications.=20 - -JP=20 ------------------------------ From: "Mac" Date: Mon, 27 Mar 2000 22:34:13 -0600 Subject: the_dojang: Welcom Master Hodder A warm welcome to the list from Houston. Glad to see (read) you here. I look forward to more of your insights into working with children. I sure enjoyed our discussions over breakfast in Jackson and hope to do it again soon. Dennis McHenry Houston, Texas USA http://users.ev1.net/~D.McHenry/TangSooDo ------------------------------ From: IntlKido@aol.com Date: Tue, 28 Mar 2000 01:00:19 EST Subject: the_dojang: Re: Testings The good Mr. West wrote... << If the instructor is a student of mine, I might discuss some issues with him at a later date, but not then. I think that the last thing some poor instructor wants is a critique of everything he teaches on the night of a test, and nine times out of ten his mind is already made up >> Just my two cents... In my dojang, I conduct "testings." I tend to be quite strict in my expectations and my students understand that going in. I never allow anyone to test if they are not fully prepared -- but on the same token, I never allow someone to advance in rank if they cannot perform to an expected level during the testing. I look at everything from the techniques they're asked to perform, to their enthusiasm, to their determination to persevere even when they're about to drop from exhaustion, to their self-control, to their endurance/fitness level, etc. When they come away from the testing and are promoted, they 'know' they've accomplished something somewhat out of the ordinary (in comparison to day-to-day classes) and they know that they actually earned the honor of the next rank. Now, if I have guest instructors (which I normally always do), I rely very heavily on what they tell me. If an instructor from another school comes to a testing and tells me that they dont feel someone performed to a level that would merit a promotion, then I will go with that opinion - no matter what I think. If a guest instructor sees something that would provoke them to make that suggestion, then there must be something obviously wrong. This has never happened, by the way -- but I've always said that is how I would handle it -- and my students understand that also. I know a fellow instructor in my area who flat says he will not hold a student back unless they completely forget everything during their test. His reasoning is that it is too much of a crush on their self-esteem and self-confidence if they dont get promoted. No offense intended to anyone who is of the same mind... but this seems really backwards to me. If you're students are taught in the right way -- and they know that they are expected to perform to a given level... then if they dont, and are not promoted, they should have learned enough from the instructor to understand that it means nothing more than they weren't ready and they need to put in more training time. I am not an teacher of martial arts to coddle to people's every emotion... I am here to teach them to get beyond that and understand that things worth having are worth working their butts off for. The pride I see in their faces (sometimes through tears) after a testing, when they know they've done all they could do, is far more rewarding than whatever pride would be there if I just handed their belt to them for nothing more than showing up and paying me a testing fee. Granted, everyone is likely going to go out and do their "best" -- but this is real life, and under certain circumstances, it is possible that someones "best" just isn't quite good enough. And again, its the instructors responsibility to give them the skills (if they dont already possess them) to get through that setback. I really feel that too often these days, people are handed things too easily. Some have said my methods are harsh -- and that may be -- but its what works for me and for my students. It may not for someone else in some other school. Mike Burnett Shin Koo Hapkido http://members.aol.com/intlkido/hapkido.html ------------------------------ From: Emactkd@aol.com Date: Tue, 28 Mar 2000 01:05:07 EST Subject: the_dojang: Report Cards Since when did we become the parents of our students? Some schools extend the requirements even further and require the parent to send in a report card on the student: did he do his chores?, does he always say "yessir" and "No, ma'am?" I teach martial arts. If a student attends class regularly, learns the material, acquires the physical skills, and can demonstrate the level of proficiency required, he gets an opportunity to test. It's up to parents to do their part and make sure the grades are right. I've got kids in class that achieve for the first time in martial arts, and get whatever they need to do better in school from the success in the dojang. If I required success in school before they could test, they would never have gotten what they needed to improve their entire life. submitted for your perusal. Rick Foley ------------------------------ From: Ray Terry Date: Mon, 27 Mar 2000 22:27:56 -0800 (PST) Subject: [none] ------------------------------ End of The_Dojang-Digest V7 #201 ******************************** It's a great day for Taekwondo! 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 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. Copyright 1994-2000: Ray Terry and Martial Arts Resource Standard disclaimers apply.