So we recently started a TKD school in Northern Afghanistan at one of the camps here. Our instructor has a 2nd degree black belt in AMAI TKD and working on his 2nd degree black belt in WTF TKD. I feel like I am progressing pretty fast, possibly too fast? I've been doing this for about 3 months now and I have just received my blue belt. We mostly work on forms and technique..ie..punches and kicks, and using re breakable boards. At this point I am proficient with Taeguks 1-3 and starting 4 tomorrow. We can't do any contact sparring because we don't have the gear for it. I've watched some videos of other blue belt tests on youtube and there seems to be a lot more to those tests than ours. I guess I'm wondering what I should expect if I decide to pursue this more when I get home later in the year. We have class 3 nights a week for an hour then some of us work with the instructor during down time or on off days.
So as a blue belt what do I need to be proficient at? Like I said, in the OP maybe promoting too fast. What are some of the things I can be working on on my own to get myself ready for going to a different school when I get home?
Whatever the guy who runs your club says you need to be able to do (and at what level). One of the awkward things about grading systems in TMAs is that there is no fixed standard as to what you have to do and how good you have to be in order to be promoted by your club's standards. Some clubs will make you take a long time with a lot of practice, others will give you belts relatively easily. Different clubs also have different standards as well. A black belt in one club may very well not be as good as a black belt from another club. If you're not happy with your current club you could change. Where as if you are happy there then you could look at maybe just not grading until you are ready to? Drill your fundamental techniques as best you can - against the air, against a bag, whatever you can do. Some people believe that doing this can reinforce bad technique, I'm of the view that technique practice is almost never a bad thing. Just be sure to actually focus on the quality of technique as much as anything else. It can be very easy to fall into the trap of "oh yeah I've drilled 'X hundred' kicks with each leg, I'd doing brilliantly!". When those X hundred kicks might all be terrible. That aside, any basic strength/conditioning and cardio routine will be a blessing no matter what school or art you go to. Just my two pennies.
Thank you all for the advice. I am happy with the school that we have started here, however I will be heading home at the end of the year, and I am just trying to make sure that I am as good as I can be if I can find time to get into a new school.
I'm sure you'll be fine. Just keep practising when you get the time. If you do find a school that has better standards when you go home, it'll do wonders to improve your technique and your sparring ability too. Best of luck
I always ask myself "Could I beat up that wimp noob Philosoraptor circa three months ago?" I think I could whoop that idiot.
Well we don't spar because we don't have the protective equipment for it, however I am much better at my forms today than I was 3 months ago. So I guess in a sense I would beat myself from 3 months ago in forms now.
See, that's when I'd start questioning either my training or my approach to training. Glad you're getting better at forms though!
Is that because we don't spar? We are in a unique situation here. We are civilian contractors here with other jobs we do during the day. Our instructor has had to foot the bill for everything so far. He has bought kicking pads, paddles, and all of the belts for promotion out of pocket. It's not really fair to ask him to buy the sparring equipment also as it is pretty expensive. No one has to pay for classes or membership because in the end our class space and time is controlled by the MWR (morale, welfare, and recreation) department which is the entity that provides the gym and other services to the soldiers..free of charge.
Pretty much. In a lot of cases (though not all), instructors who pull the "we don't spar because of X" often is because the quality control issues are poor. I've spent a fair amount of time at clubs where we managed to spar "light" contact with no padding at all. It's perfectly possible to spar light contact with speed - the odd knock and bump will still happen but it's part and parcel of it. Basic sparring gear can be relatively inexpensive depending on where you shop around - 8 - 12 ounce gloves, foot pads, maybe some inexpensive shin pads (like the ones you play football with) and probably a mouth guard is plenty of protection IMO for sparring. Could you guys afford to pay for that out of your own pockets rather than asking the instructor to buy it? EDIT: As long as you're not sparring like these guys : [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXdmgBTxon0"]Black Belt Test - Street Fighter 2 Version - YouTube[/ame] Never gets old.
I understand where you are coming from. Once again, I have to refer to our unique situation. I don't mind to buy some of the gear to help out and obviously the instructor doesn't, but that's about it. I talked to the class the other day about donations because he has spent so much money and they all looked at me like I had a giant penis on my forehead. They really aren't interested in putting anything like that into the class. Most of them are headed home in a month or two also and I doubt that more than 2 of them will stick with it when they get home. We are still feeling this thing out and seeing just where it is going to go.
Just trying to work out how long it will take me to reach blue belt in ITF TKD at our club - I train 2 x a week and there are gradings scheduled every 2-3 months, so probably since beginning it'll be 18-20 months or a bit more, if I grade at each opportunity, which may or perhaps may not happen. But with my limited experience I'd say progression rate is about exposure to the discipline and readiness to pass the kup requirements. BTW I love sparring and IMO it's a core component of TaeKwon-Do. At the moment I do the points scoring in the class but am gradually now being introduced to more continuous work. You should seek to incorporate it if at all possible. It's great fun and puts the theory into practice.
I have never met a Taekwondo athlete from Afghanistan who has not been a complete and utter weapon. The only Olympic sport that Afghanistan has won a medal in is TKD. Apparently it's very popular! Maybe see if there is a way you can train with anyone in the community, they may have protective gear? Alternatively, just train for now at what your doing and worry about re-grading when you get home. The club that you decide on when you get back will just assess your skill and give you either: your current grade, ask you to start again, or something in the middle.
Blue belt is usually a reasonably senior (junior) grade in TKD... averagely about 2 to 3 years to get to. Did you take gradings before then? If so, what are the belt orders and how far apart were they? I second the sparring comments - a) sparring can be done reasonably saftey with no pads, provided respect & control is shown. b) Afgan TKD is pretty tuff... go train with the locals as suggested, if possible. Regards, Stuart ps. Also, how often is your training?
Do you have prior karate training? The reason I ask is that can be used to justify accelerated promotion. Otherwise, the 3 hours a week over 3 months would concern me about the speed of progression. Also, sparing is a key component of learning to apply a martial art.
My advice is I wouldn't worry about belts too much. In your situation your school is temporary (cannot be long term). You seem to enjoy it and it helps you maintain morale for your stay in Afghanistan. That, obviously, is a very important thing. So enjoy it, get what you can out of it, and figure out the rest when you get back home...
Well, I am not impressed at all with your classmates. Not willing to contribute at all to someone taking the time and spending their own money to teach them MA? They are lucky to have free instruction and they sound - well- like ingrates. I remember other MA instructors saying on other forums that they charged a fee, not because they cared to make money, but because they found that students took classes more seriously and as something valuable if they paid vs getting it for free. (Obviously not ones who teach for a living.) What you say here makes me see the validity in this. Talk to you instructor. See if he would be willing to work with you after class if you paid for sparring gear for both of you.
Firstly fair play on doing anything productive in the 'Stan. I don't know anyone who picked up a new hobby whilst out there let alone a good one. The relative standard of the club shouldn't bother you if you have no other options, I would just look at it as a head start for when you get home Once back you may find that you are not at the level of other blue belts and might have to change your belt but you will be significantly above the level of a beginner walking in off the street. Also im sure there are worse blue belts around if you looked for them. It might be frustrating for the mean time but a belt is just something to hold your trousers up / hold your gi in place. Any significance people attatch to the colour is arbitrary, just concentrate on learning as much as you can and prepare yourself as best you can for the training you will be able to do when you get back.
