blue belt

[Manny]

Last night afther a light class I tied to Arthur his blue belt, it was a significant moment because sambonim left us alone, he told me Arthur is my student and he must recieve his belt from my hands.

We did a light warm up with stretching and then we did kicking to the padles, nothing fancy because Arthuro's wife was sitting waiting with her camera and I did not like her to get bored, so we sweat a little and then proced with the belt ceremony.

I only have two studentes, I would like to have more but it's very difficult for a TKD father get inside TKD because of work/job, for me sometimes it's difficult to show up to dojang because of that but the love I have for this martial art and for my home (dojang) keeps me on the right path.


Manny

 

[sfs982000]

I'm sure that it meant the world to him to have you be the one to tie his new belt on him.

 

[Cyriacus]

You know, at first i was questioning the conversational value of this, but then i figured, hey;

Its a nice story
And im sure you enjoyed the chance to award a promotion yourself.

 

[IcemanSK]

That's great, Manny! Welcome to a whole new side of Taekwondo...teaching. I'm sure you'll be great at it!

 

[Thesemindz]

Don't worry about the time in the dojang that you miss Manny. TKD isn't going anywhere. It will be there for you when you have time. Sometimes we have to shift our focus out of the karate school and in to jobs/family/community. That's life. If you really love martial arts, you'll return to the path. It extends infinitely in front of you anyway, you won't reach the end no matter how fast or how far you go. So enjoy the journey when you can, and don't beat yourself up for the times you can't.

Congratulations on your students. It does mean a lot to them. Just like it meant a lot to you when your instructors promoted you. You looked up to them. You respected them. And they recognized and rewarded your hard work. Now you do the same. And they look up to you and respect you for it. That's karate. Hand to hand, instructor to student. Forever and ever in both directions.


-Rob

 

[Manny]

Talking today with my dad (he's 71) and his aches I told him to sit down and rethink about his age. My dad is an avid hunter he's been hunting quail for the last weeks and quail hunting is demanding because the hunter has to walks alot. My dad has been walking in the fields with the dogs for 3 hours in a very humidity and hot climate so now my dad's back is giving him troubles. I told my dad that he maybe have to rest and walk 1 hour instead of three that he has to think that even his brain tell him he can endure his body's not.

The same hapend to me, in my early days as a black belt I can endure 2 tkd classes in a row, spining and jumping around, now I only can endure one class and my body sometimes reminds me I am not too young anymore so, I decided to focus in something less demanding like teaching and judgin in tournaments.

Teaching has been nice to my body, I teach and also do exercise but not to the point to hurt my feet again, so like the mature lyon I save my energy to use just in case (against a young lyon) BUT I am still doing the workout in a moderate way, besides my two students are 40+ years old like myself so we enjoy the class doing more self defense than flashy and flamboyant moves jejejeje.

Thank you for your replies.

Manny

 

[Kong Soo Do]

Manny,

Congrats for your student.

 

[jthomas1600]

Many that's awesome that your instructor is extending to you the courtesy and privilege to have your own students with in his school. You're right, having a class that's targeted at adults is not going to fill up like one that targets kids...but I think one or two good students probably trumps a whole bunch of mediocre ones. It seems your focus has always been on quality rather than quantity anyway.

As far as your dad...my dad will make 80 next year. He still manages his property (several hundred acres of forest) and while this wears him out from time to time, I'm sure it is what has kept him going all these years. Probably the same goes for your dad and hunting. Do you or any of his grandkids hunt with him?

 

[Manny]

Many that's awesome that your instructor is extending to you the courtesy and privilege to have your own students with in his school. You're right, having a class that's targeted at adults is not going to fill up like one that targets kids...but I think one or two good students probably trumps a whole bunch of mediocre ones. It seems your focus has always been on quality rather than quantity anyway.

As far as your dad...my dad will make 80 next year. He still manages his property (several hundred acres of forest) and while this wears him out from time to time, I'm sure it is what has kept him going all these years. Probably the same goes for your dad and hunting. Do you or any of his grandkids hunt with him?

I work for my dad in the family bussiness so we are close every day, my dad is mi boss. I am a gun nuts too and some times I go out with him (not to ofthen) to the fields and wetlands for hunting, my dad mostly hunts quail,dove and ducks and some rabbits when it's possible.

The kids are too young to go with grandpa to hunt, but I know that him (granpa) would love to take the kids with him, maybe thie next season one of my daughters will go with granpa hunting.

I make my living outside TKD, TKD is my passion that's why maybe I like to concentrate in quality more tha quantity about teaching.

I don't cahrge anything for the classes I teach, I do this in a way to contribute with my dojang/sambonim for all the good things both has given to me, I am one of the senior instructors and yes my class is self defense oriented and sport tkd is secondary.

Manny