Frustrated Jr belt nees help! Pllleeease?? :(

[ShelleyK]

Ok I was just promoted to Green belt and I KNOW most of Pal Gwe Sam Jang form but I keep brain farting on which way to turn when doing knife hand blocks and which hand to bring up towards my face when turning into the block.

Got any tips on how to remember what to do?
I damn near had a hissy fit and took 5 seconds to stomp my feet before recomposing myself in class today!! LOL :tantrum:

 

[Brad Dunne]

Take your time when doing the form. Trying to hard and going to fast always makes for mistakes. Go easy on yourself, your in the learning phase of your training. Having control of one's self is a significant attribute needed for doing martial arts and the instructor is/should be watching and will make note of how he/she see's you react. This will/should have a bearing on your time frame for your next testing cycle.

 

[ShelleyK]

Take your time when doing the form. Trying to hard and going to fast always makes for mistakes. Go easy on yourself, your in the learning phase of your training. Having control of one's self is a significant attribute needed for doing martial arts and the instructor is/should be watching and will make note of how he/she see's you react. This will/should have a bearing on your time frame for your next testing cycle.

Not to sound all sassy and all but...that didnt help me one bit!! :waah:
LOL!!

Im definitely NOT going fast as I am just learning it, And I am pretty confident that I can do almost the whole form already...its when I GET to that point of turning into the knife hand block where I have a mental block...I literally just stand there thinking...what am I supposed to do next...yet knowing what I am supposed to do and not being able to do it, KWIM?

 

[dortiz]

I always found it easier to imagine what I was fighting. Imagine the block against an opponent. Its easier to remember the move if you place a situation in your memory. In the end the best advice is simple repetition.
I always got frustrated when they would show a form and one person would just go OK and have it. I need to do each step over and over for it to sink in.
We are all different and like you are asking you will just need to find the trick that matches your learning style.

Dave O.

 

[ShelleyK]

I Think youre right Dave...I am one that I have to be repetitive in order to remember...at least in the case of knife hand.

Looks like I will be viewing my instructional DVD quite a bit and practicing my moves with Grand Master Chong on my computer screen

 

[bluekey88]

Sounds like you need tyo break things down a bit. Try this:

Do the move you're struggling with 15 to 290 times with good form. Now, add the next move and do them both 15-20 times (again with good form...go as slow as necessary to do them perfectly. Focus on gettng the feeling of the mocves into muscle memory). Now, add the preceding move and do that section 15-20 times. Keep adding bits out and repeat 15-20 times until you feel secure in that section or you;re doing the entire fomr. Whichever comes first.

Learned this trick from y old piano teacher te help memorize difficult passages. Works great for forms too.

Peace,
Erik

 

[Sukerkin]

I can't really help in the practical matters for the very simple reason that I've never done any TKD . Nonetheless, from basic principles I would imagine that the rule of thumb is that the hand to use for the block is the one on the 'inside' of the direction of turn e.g. turn to the right then block with the right hand.

Regardless, all people learning martial arts can sympathise with your feelings. It takes time and practise to bed the moves of kata into yourself. The best advice anyone can give you is that it will take as long to learn as it takes. Don't force it, don't stress about it. You're doing the art because you enjoy it - turn it into an endless 'exam' and you'll rob yourself of the pleasure it should bring you ... and possibly take longer to learn it too .

 

[ShelleyK]

Thank you Erik and sukerkin, that was very helpful...Erik I was planning on taking part of the afternoon tomorrow to just keep going over the moves until my hands and feet decided to cooperate with my brain LOL

 

[terryl965]

Shelly I have been training people for over thirty years and I can add a little help for you, first clear your mind before starting the poomsae and I just do not mean clear it from the outside world but also on the inside of you. See poomsae are like a dance in that if you need to think then a mishap will happenm ket the flow come natually without self doubt. Next thing is to break in down into segments like the first 4-6 and so them for a humdred times and then add a few more until you hav completed the entire forma hundred times without any mistakes.

Last thing is so simple that even a man can do enjoy the movement and the application of said poomsae, this will help you when you start to drift off while preforming the poomsae. I hope that all of this helps.

 

[ShelleyK]

Yes it did thank you

 

[Marginal]

It generally helps me to remember what it is a technique is supposed to be accomplishing. Usually covering one way vs the other doesn't really make sense etc.

Other than that, it just takes me a whole lotta reps to iron those brain farts out.

 

[Aikicomp]

Ok I was just promoted to Green belt and I KNOW most of Pal Gwe Sam Jang form but I keep brain farting on which way to turn when doing knife hand blocks and which hand to bring up towards my face when turning into the block.

Got any tips on how to remember what to do?
I damn near had a hissy fit and took 5 seconds to stomp my feet before recomposing myself in class today!! LOL :tantrum:

Practice slow and you will learn fast.

 

[TKDHermit]

repeat, watch video, repeat, watch video, repeat. that is, for the steps. for refinement, approach instructor.

 

[miguksaram]

A couple of suggestions:
1) Break the entire form up in to 3 sections and the practice each section 10 times each. Once you do that the break the form in 2 sections and repeat. Once you do that, run the entire form 10 times.

2) If you don't want to run sections, one of the things I have done in the past when having problems with the form was to do it 10 times in a row. If I messed up I had to start over again from 1 (even if I was on the 10th time and I was on the last move...if I messed it up...back to 1). What happens is that you take your time when doing the for so not to mess up.

3) Last suggestion. Get the direction down first. Once you get that, then go through each step and make sure you are executing proper technique and stances.

Both are self discipline items, meaning you have to do what you are challenging yourself to do. Reptition is the key in getting forms correct.

 

[Brad Dunne]

Not to sound all sassy and all but...that didnt help me one bit!! :waah:

Going easy on yourself and taking your time learning (as others have offered) was of no help. OK, then we'll just have to search for the magic solution to your brain freeze. Next time you come to that part of the form, try to visualize that your at your favorite shoe store and somebody pushed their way in front of you and took the shoes you were just about to pick up. Then just do what you would do to that person. :whip:

I did notice that you totally avoided the response to your "I damn near had a hissy fit and took 5 seconds to stomp my feet before recomposing myself in class today" I guess we'll just let that aspect of training (self control) fall by the wayside, as it was not your fault - it was the forms fault!....:tantrum:

:lfao:

 

[ShelleyK]

HAHAH!!! Thanks for the laugh!!

 

[Cyclona]

I don't know if this will help you, but this is what I do and learning the patterns is really not my forte...anyway when I'm first learning the pattern, I SAY the movement. So, left hand low block, hammer fist, right hand low block, hammer fist, knife hand block, forward punch, side kick, side kick, knife hand...etc etc....and after a few times of saying or whispering the names of movements, pretty soon I memorize the words and my body just follows along.

 

[kerc]

One technique my Master has taught me is to use different sounds of each type of movement when learning. So, for example, a "woof" sound when kicking, a "whoosh" when doing open-hand thrusts or blocks, and so on.

Feels and sounds funny at first, but it does help.