Broke the Board

alan40 · May 18, 2001

Just a light hearted post after reading some of the more serious posts here. Last night my son broke his first board in Tae Kwon-Do/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif!!! He's been involved now for two months and has a great time even at 4 and a half. We didn't think we(yes, we!!!! Didn't know you could get so tired just sitting in a chair!!!/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif) were going to test and they called his name out. He did great in all four phases(could be Fatherly prejidice though)/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif
They learn patterns, respect for the flag and the five tenets among alot of other things. The tenets are Courtesy,Integrity,Perseverance,Self-Control and Indomitable Spirit.
It makes a Dad proud to see things like this and gives you a little more faith in the future to see people of all ages involved in such a positive learning experiance.
The other side of this testing is now he want's to break every board in the house!!/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif
You all have a great day and many more to come!!!
Hope my house is still standing tomorrow!!!
Al

cowboydoc · May 18, 2001

Alan,
Great to hear on your son. I know the feeling of being a proud papa. Activities like that is what keeps kids out of trouble and helps them to grow up to be responsible citizens. My daughter, 5, has started girl scouts this year and it is along the same premise. Respect for God, country, and helping your fellow man. I've heard the oath about a hundred times now /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif.

Harv · May 18, 2001

Al -

I think we're all proud of your son. /w3tcompact/icons/cool.gif

I was a little older (45) when I took up martial arts myself, but you've pointed the aspects of the sport that are too often overlooked in the movies. It really isn't about kicking butt, but about discipline, poise, self confidence, self control, respect and much more. I studied the art for over a year before we were actually allowed to "strike" another person (fellow student, mind you -- not a random person of our choice). And even then, the whole idea was to make clear, firm contact without causing injury. Believe me, it ain't easy to learn how to get past your opponent's defenses, strike a clean blow but pull back your punch or kick before you actually hurt him.

Our forum master can probably explain it better than I, but I think properly taught martial arts is a tremendous learning experience for children of all ages (even us). The particular style I studied didn't get into attacking inanimate objects (other than punching bags), so my house came out just fine. My own kids have been exposed to martial arts, but neither has expressed interest in taking a class yet. I'm hoping at some point they'll give it a try.

FOOTNOTE: My wife studied Aikido (the Steven Segal kind of fighting) for a couple of years and she (100 lbs) really enjoyed tossing my (nearly 200 lb) ass around the living room. The experience played heavily on my decision to take up karate when the opportunity came up. /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

M. Sullivan · May 18, 2001

Congrats, so good to hear some positive stories and programs about kids; too much negative anymore. Ironic, not a 1/2 hour ago I had a discussion on martial arts for my just-turned 5 son with my (black belt) barber. She said he's not too young as long I feel he can responsibly handle the tools he will learn , and recommended Tae Kwon Do! I plan on locating a few facilities in the next week or so.

Had a brown belt at 13, but didn't enjoy it past that point as I felt like a punching bag (told things have changed now). Really want the mental discipline, respect and self confidence aspects for my boys. The ancillary benefit of major asp-whopping ability can't hurt either.......

Good luck keeping your house together....wait 'till he learns how much fun whacking drywall is!

alan40 · May 18, 2001

Darn, wish you hadn't told me about the drywall!!! We went to two or three place's looking but found this instructor by word of mouth. He had my son come for the first class free and did his evaluation. It mostly came down to attention span and behavior. It's amazing what they can soak up for knowledge in a short period of time. We'll keep at it as long as it remains fun for him.
Good luck finding a good instructor. It makes all the difference in the world.
Al

BobT · May 18, 2001

Al,

Quite a milestone. Way to go! You may be aware that Muhamnmad, who runs this TBN board, is a second degree Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do and an instructor. He was also the US National Junior Olympic Champion as well as New York State Champion many times. I probably would want to be real polite to him if we met up! In fact, he just mentioned to me in a prviate e-mail that he is going to be a referee this weekend in Staten Island at the NY State Championships.

I very firmly support activities like Tae Kwon Do. This is exactly the type of discipline and training young people need today. Strange that folks from another culture have to come here and teach us how to raise our kids to act like decent people. Whenever I meet kids (and adults) involved in the martial arts, they impress me for all the reasons you and Harv mentioned.

Now, just provide a lot of support and it won't be long before your son is testing for HIS black belt.

By the way, Muhammad also built a Taekwondo web site at http://www.gotaekwondo.com . It's very well done, best I have seen.

BobT.
A Indiana Boy

Muhammad · May 18, 2001

Great to hear, Al! In addition to learning, competing, and refereeing in Taekwondo for many years, I taught for several years, mostly in the 4-16 year old group... the 4-6 year olds have a lot of energy and if they stay with it, it will help them not only physically in life, but in many other areas, as you mention. The difference in attitude and discipline in the children after only a few months (sometimes less) is usually quite noticeable to the parents. Plus it's a physical activity that really benefits them in more ways than one.

The confidence it builds in the younger ones is really good to see... breaking a board, passing a test, etc. All teach them to work towards a goal and then experience a reward once they have reached a goal.

Since this *is* the off topic forum and a few of us here have an interest in TKD and/or martial arts, keep us updated on his progress if you like. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif