How to deal with a 12 year old 2nd Dan

[Lord-Humongous]

Censoring Dire Straits? Those bastards.

 

[KarateMomUSA]

Kids are very good at winding adults up don't forget

Yes I do believe all models of kids world-wide come with those instructions!

 

[Tez3]

If it were me, I would of just let it all slide. I mean, the kid is 12 and has not matured yet.

which is a good reason for not being a 2nd Dan! or even a first.

 

[Chris Parker]

Guys, it sounds like the OP is a child too. I wouldn't be surprised if he is a 14 year old and ran into a mouthy 12 year old that got him riled up. The whole situation sounds too absurd to be the behaviour of an adult towards a child. That said, it is of no matter how old you are, you should never discredit someone's rank or art or training or instructor. It is incredibly discourteous and thus violates of the first tenet of TaeKwon Do.

From the TKD Roll Call thread, posted 12 August, 2010:

Hi, my real name is Sameh (Sammy) and my middle name is Nuhash, on most other forums i am known as STEELSLASHER, it will probably change in the future

I am 16 and have been practicing ITF TKD for about 9 months (my instructor said i have been progressing really quickly for some odd reason), when i was younger i did wing chun but the training style was excessively boring (it focused mainly on patterns, i prefer to practice moves although patterns are really easy for me, recently perfected the tornado kick which was a huge accomplishment for me)

I hope to start competing as soon as i get back home, but it probably wont be the case because of school

In the long term, i want to learn kendo because i like the idea of holding a sword

 

[Tez3]

I have to say I don't like gobby kids either and while I wouldn't have laughed the child would have have got a rather dry pithy comment made to it. I say that because I'm honest and don't sit at my keyboard being precious.
Nuhash was being honest too, maybe didn't do the right thing according to some but he says he's learnt and will know for the future so I wouldn't be hard on him. As for the 12 year old prodigy, well shame on the instructor I say but I expect he/she will be too busy counting their money to care.

 

[jthomas1600]

thanks for all the comments, i read through each one and i have gained quite an understanding, i understood it was rude to laugh at him and i did sincerely apologise to him but he threw it in my face, i didnt expect him to forgive me but i atleast expected him to acknowledge my apologies, furthermore, since watching me perform koryo he has apparently decided to ignore me according to a mutual friend and has spread rumours about me (which i can prove because he put it on facebook)

so by my understanding i have tried to right my wrongs, i have now decided to not do anything about him at all, this experience, while not being handled well, has helped me understand the concept of "actions speak louder than words", it is in our natural human instincts to question everything we hear and if it collides with what we have been taught then we become more aggressive about this matter and require stronger evidence to believe.

Several people have said "why this is a problem for me?", well as i said before it was a natural reaction for me, but it was not helped by his later reactions and so i understand that until writing this post it has been a problem because he was headstrong in not accepting or understanding that what colour belt you are wearing gives very little indication to your skill (he did say that my instructor was rubbish when he only knew his belt and said that it was impossible for me to do flying side kicks etc. and poomsae required for higher belts)

I have overcome this problem by understanding myself a bit more, i learnt quite a few things about myself, and i hope to use these findings in the future to take new challenges and find new things to learn. I just want to end this by saying thank you, and that some of the best lessons are learnt from mucking up.

The OP got hammered a little (not bad, just a little) for being immature and not handling the situation very well. The above response to all the comments might not be perfect, or even best, but I think it shows a willingness to at least try to mature and handle these situations better in the future. The OP says " i learnt quite a few things about myself, and i hope to use these findings in the future to take new challenges and find new things to learn. I just want to end this by saying thank you, and that some of the best lessons are learnt from mucking up". That's really all you can ask of a kid I think.

 

[granfire]

The OP got hammered a little (not bad, just a little) for being immature and not handling the situation very well. The above response to all the comments might not be perfect, or even best, but I think it shows a willingness to at least try to mature and handle these situations better in the future. The OP says " i learnt quite a few things about myself, and i hope to use these findings in the future to take new challenges and find new things to learn. I just want to end this by saying thank you, and that some of the best lessons are learnt from mucking up". That's really all you can ask of a kid I think.

I wish more people would analyse their mishaps and come to similar conclusions. A sign of maturity, which sadly too many people lack, regardles of age.

 

[puunui]

If it were me, I would of just let it all slide. I mean, the kid is 12 and has not matured yet.

That is the thing about kids, especially the ones who show that type of immaturity -- they don't add anything to the conversation, so it is difficult to take them seriously.

 

[Tez3]

That is the thing about kids, especially the ones who show that type of immaturity -- they don't add anything to the conversation, so it is difficult to take them seriously.

Another reason not to make a 12 year old a 2nd Dan.

 

[leadleg]

Another reason not to make a 12 year old a 2nd Dan.

There are no KKW dans at that age,there are however KKW poom belts at that age.
If you think a BB is a killing machine then KKW poom is not what you are thinking of by any stretch of the imagination. KKW poom is more like Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts on steroids,you get the merit badges and do the required forms,break some boards and there you are.Wait one year and bang,you test for second.We all know they are poom's,ie kids,ie nothing to sweat over.

 

[Tez3]

There are no KKW dans at that age,there are however KKW poom belts at that age.
If you think a BB is a killing machine then KKW poom is not what you are thinking of by any stretch of the imagination. KKW poom is more like Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts on steroids,you get the merit badges and do the required forms,break some boards and there you are.Wait one year and bang,you test for second.We all know they are poom's,ie kids,ie nothing to sweat over.

Why would I think a black belt is a killing machine? I've watched TKD in the Olympics.

 

[leadleg]

Thats great! I heard noone watched TKD in the Olympics.

 

[Tez3]

Thats great! I heard noone watched TKD in the Olympics.

I watched on the BBC news when the British girl was robbed of her chance of gold medal by corrupt judges.

 

[leadleg]

I watched on the BBC news when the British girl was robbed of her chance of gold medal by corrupt judges.

Well,you know how these judges are when it comes to the English, they think you guys are a bit snobbish,I think they thought to teach ye a little humility.

 

[Tez3]

Well,you know how these judges are when it comes to the English, they think you guys are a bit snobbish,I think they thought to teach ye a little humility.

So, to you it's amusing that a young woman's dreams of Olympic gold are smashed then? Sarah is from Yorkshire and you'll find nowt snobby about her, she worked hard for years only to see her chances ruined by the judges favouring the Chinese girl.

Does this sound snobby or like a young woman to be proud of and see as a role model?


"I started Taekwondo at the age of seven, back then Taekwondo wasn′t as popular as is it today and there were a lot less opportunities available to us.
I know what it′s like to have to raise money or find financial support from your parents/families just to attend competitions or to buy equipment. I also know how hard it is to have a full time job and try to find the time to train. Taekwondo has come such a long way and nowadays our elite athletes receive great support from UK Sport via the BTCB and Sport Taekwondo UK.
We can′t all be blessed by being naturally talented and I don′t believe I am. I′ve always had to work hard to be where I am today, and I have always had great support and advice from the people around me, especially my Instructor Master Gary Sykes. Being a successful athlete can be like a rollercoaster, it′s not smooth ride and there have been so many ups and downs for myself and for every champion.
The message that I want to get across is that I have struggled at times, I have been seriously injured (a lot) and I know how hard it is to keep going when things seem to be going against you, but believe me, if you stick at it, believe in yourself and always give 100% in everything you do then you can achieve your goals whatever they may be."

http://www.sarahstevenson.net/

 

[granfire]

There are no KKW dans at that age,there are however KKW poom belts at that age.
If you think a BB is a killing machine then KKW poom is not what you are thinking of by any stretch of the imagination. KKW poom is more like Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts on steroids,you get the merit badges and do the required forms,break some boards and there you are.Wait one year and bang,you test for second.We all know they are poom's,ie kids,ie nothing to sweat over.

gross oversimplification.

I have met young BBs whos maturity impressed me and I was utterly astonished when I later heard how young they really were. And all had their stuff together. No, they were not KKW, nor did they train in a hard style, but all could land their kicks and do some damage.

I think it is part of the school climate if you raise a champion or a disgrace.

 

[puunui]

Another reason not to make a 12 year old a 2nd Dan.

I don't expect all that much maturity from a 2nd Dan, anymore than I would expect them to contribute meaningfully in the types of discussions that we are having here. I know when I was a 2nd Dan, I wouldn't have been able to participate in many of the discussions that flow over the internet. At 2nd Dan, I was concerned with other aspects of the martial arts.

 

[job]

Rank? Hmmm What is it all about? This is America. Micky D of Kung Fu. No need to even comment on a 12 year old being so arrogant. This comes from somewhere. What is 10 years????? A drop in the bucket. You are who you are it is what it is. Belts hold up your pants. They are an adornment. I had an 8 year old tell me he was a junior black belt. I said; you must be happy with yourself. I left it at that. He was a nice young man. If we as instructors are handing out this kind of rank and responsibility to a person of this age. Shame on the instructor. When one of my younger students with a white belt can take a 6th dan to the mat and control him in a hold down. What does this say for rank? When a parent has a child who is ranked so high. Do they understand the responsibility that this child holds? Building false security is one of the worst things you can do. It is great to have self confidence but it is sad to have false confidence.

 

[andyjeffries]

So, to you it's amusing that a young woman's dreams of Olympic gold are smashed then? Sarah is from Yorkshire and you'll find nowt snobby about her, she worked hard for years only to see her chances ruined by the judges favouring the Chinese girl.

Calm down Tez3. Most people outside the UK wouldn't know how a Yorkshire accent sounds and how unsnobby it is. At the end of the day, it's happened and the world has kept rotating. People joke all the time about more serious things than someone missing out on a gold medal (I've read loads recently about the Australian floods).

It doesn't mean they don't think it was/is serious, it's just a light-hearted way of blowing off steam.

Don't get your knickers in a twist, we're well known for having a sense of humour in England...

 

[andyjeffries]

When one of my younger students with a white belt can take a 6th dan to the mat and control him in a hold down. What does this say for rank?

I'd probably say that you train your students in groundwork and this 6th Dan didn't train in groundwork, so given the rules of the 'contest' your student bested him in unfamiliar rules. If you had said "no holds barred" I'd assume the 6th Dan could have pasted your white belt. However, I'd also expect the 6th Dan to have refrained from pasting him as he was a "younger student".

Overall I'd say this says nothing about rank...