out of school promotion

[Callandor]

Good day! This is my first post. I am currently enrolled in a TKD school in my area. My main reasons for taking up the art are physical fitness, self-defence, and art. That is why I am very interested in poomse. It is a good work out, is artful, and could hone your basics which in turn is helpful in SD. In addition, my age does not allow me to execute the more demanding kicks of the art. So, poomse is all I've got. The problem is that the school I am enrolled in does not focus on poomse at all. It is mainly bag work and sparring - tournament oriented. We do poomse only like once a month or less. The rest of the schools in my area - and there are only a few of them - are the same. I am spending for something I don't need and want. I thought of practicing alone at home with my son as my partner. This is attractive because, like I said, I'm paying for something I don't want and, to aggravate, work gets in the way. However, I am aware that learning at home from a book or video is not most efficient way since nobody could correct me. That led me to think of the possibility of training at home but taking promotion tests with other schools. This way, I could parctice my poomse and the basics required for promotion on my own but at the same time could be corrected by a pass/fail during the test. Is it allowed in WTF TKD to take promotion test even if not enrolled at a school? Btw, in our place, exams are not held in a school but in a neutral venue where different TKD schools participate. Could I just show up during those schedules even if not enrolled in a particular school? I already paid a life time membership fee to the association in our country which is affiliated to WTF. Is this enough to participate in the testing?

 

[terryl965]

First off welcome and happy posting before I comment on your wuestion can you tell me where you are at?

 

[Last Fearner]

Hello Callandor, and welcome to the Martial Talk Forum!

As Master Stoker (Terry) asked above, it will be helpful to know where you are.

I already paid a life time membership fee to the association in our country which is affiliated to WTF. Is this enough to participate in the testing?

It will also be helpful to know what organization it is that you joined for life-time membership. However, chances are that this fee is for record keeping in the event that you do test, and does not automatically grant permission to test.

Is it allowed in WTF TKD to take promotion test even if not enrolled at a school?

First point of clarification I want to make is that the WTF (World Taekwondo Federation) has absolutely nothing to do with promotions. This arm of the "Kukkiwon" (World Headquarters for Taekwondo in Seoul, Korea) used to keep record of Black Belt "Dan" (degree) promotions only, but they no longer do that. The WTF is solely responsible for Taekwondo competitions (and various aspects thereof).

Instructors, and/or their respective National organizations to which they are affiliated keep track of color belt promotions and issue color belt and Black Belt certificates (Black Belt certificates may also be obtained from the Kukkiwon upon recommendation by a certified Instructor who has this authority).

in our place, exams are not held in a school but in a neutral venue where different TKD schools participate. Could I just show up during those schedules even if not enrolled in a particular school?

Not likely. Testings are procedures in which instructors (usually Master Instructors and/or Grandmasters) observe each student's performance on a particular day, discuss with their daily instructor the student's capabilities, attitude, and progress, then verify that the student is ready to advance to the next level of learning. Only by being enrolled in a school with an instructor guiding you, is participation in one of their tests usually permitted.

There are occasions where a student can receive remote instruction via regular communication of videos, phone conversations, e-mails, and then personal visits on a less frequent basis. Sometimes, testing with a legitimate organization can be done through taped videos of your performance being sent to a Master Instructor who has the authority to approve your promotion through the color belts.

One option you might have in your current situation, is to go your instructor and explain what your personal needs and desires are (given your age and any physical health concerns). Most good instructors will teach you everything you need to advance without forcing unnecessarily difficult training on you. This does not mean that you would get to pick and choose everything you do, but your instructor can adjust your training to meet your needs, yet not delete important aspects. You don't have to be able to kick above the waist, but if you can try, kick as high as your body will allow. Your instructor should be able to allow you to move to an area of the dojang and practice forms, or some other valuable aspect while the other students spar or do the extreme training.

Most of your training can be kicking low, and doing forms, one-steps, hoshinsul (self defense tactics), hapkido, and whatever physical fitness and health exercises you need to stay in shape. If your current Instructor won't accommodate you, check with one of the others in your town. If they won't help you, get back with one of us here. Perhaps we can get you on the right track. I don't recommend training only at home without some kind of connection to a good, legitimate teacher.

Please reply with the answers about where you are, and with what organization your school is affiliated.

CM D.J. Eisenhart

 

[IcemanSK]

I will let these gentlemen help you. But, I did want to welcome you to Martial Talk.

 

[exile]

Hi Callendor—

First, welcome to MT. In addition to the information contained in the excellent and informative posts you've already gotten, I wanted to suggest that you use some of your `home training' time to learn how to extract the combat applications of the poomsae you study. There is a considerable literature on the analysis—often called `bunkai' following the Japanese term—of martial arts patterns to extract their combat content, which is, typically, concealed by the (deliberately deceptive) labelling of the movements in the patterns. There is a lot of good work on this area altready, by TKDists who have applied some of the recent research by karateka on realistic applications of movements in kata to actual combat situations. The best single work on the subject I know is Iain Abernethy's Bunkai-Jutsu: the Practical Applications of Karate Kata, published in 2002. I think by Neth Publications. Check out Stuart Anslow's 2006 book, which is a direct application of IA's methods of analysis to ITF poomae, or Simon John O'Neil's Combat TKD newsletters—full info on all of these is available on the Web.

 

[stoneheart]

I'd suggest just switching to a school that has the focus on forms and self-defense you desire. Don't limit yourself to TKD if the option is not there locally for you. The skills you have learned in TKD are highly transferrable to a variety of arts, and you should not feel like you would be starting over from square one. Look at TKD first, then Tang Soo Do and Shotokan Karate if you want to stay closest to what you currently train in.

 

[Callandor]

Thank you very much for your warm welcomes, sirs. Perhaps the treasure in this forum is not only the knowledge shared by experts like all of you but also the air of friendliness.

terryl965, I am from the Philippines.

Last Fearner, I am not sure of the organization but I was told that the payment was for "lifetime membership". True enough, when I returned after 10 years (now), I wasn't made to pay the fee again and was permitted to wear my previous rank. However, I'm sure that our school is WTF/Kukkiwon affiliated through the Philippine Taekwondo Association (I don't know if it's still the PTA now or a different org). I'm just not sure if the fee is for membership of that national org or for membership of our own school for record purposes like you said. Our patches say WTF and the training methods are definitely WTF style (if there is such a style). Furthermore, there isn't any other brand of TKD here like ITF or the other more popular orgs in other places. BTW, thanks for your very informative post.

IcemanSK, thanks.

Exile, your suggestion of "home training time" is what I definitely do - though for a different purpose. I use it to stretch this stiff and tire muscles just to get a decent axe kick and to not be laughed at during class. I spend 2 hours just for warm-up and stretching (I feel that I need to go slow); another hour for kibon and poomsae. The publications you recommend are interesting, thanks.

stoneheart, you might be right. We do have Shotokan and MDK-Soobahkdo here. The Soo Bahk Do guys are fearsome fighters and their chil sung and yuk ro forms are beautiful to look at (remember why I like MA?). However, I do like the scientific approach of TKD - specially the kukkiwon variety. I could be wrong on that perception, though, but I just notice it in the way they develop, innovate, modify, and refine their forms and techniques. Furthermore, aside from TKD and MDK-SBD, I'm not sure if the other schools are genuine/certified.

Thanks again, sirs. Sorry for the long post.

 

[matt.m]

Welcome to MT. The only thing I can add is a congratulatory wish to your future endeavors. Good luck in your search, I am somewhat restricted in my TKD training as I am a poomsea junkie......I can't spar in competition, to do so for me would just be foolish.

I do wish you the best and hope you find the answer or suitable solution.

 

[Callandor]

Thank you, Matt. You said that you can't spar in competition, is it ok to ask why?

 

[tshadowchaser]

I think youu may have joined the wrong school for what you can do and want to do. If there is a way out of any contract you have signed I would suggest doing so.
That being said try to get the most out of what you are being taught and then go home and practice with your teaining partner doing poomse.
I hate to say it but you may need to look for a different style of martial art in your area if all the TKD schools in that area seem to follow the same pattern as the one you are in now.
Best of luck with this situation.
Have you talked to your instructor about this?

 

[Callandor]

I think youu may have joined the wrong school for what you can do and want to do. If there is a way out of any contract you have signed I would suggest doing so.
That being said try to get the most out of what you are being taught and then go home and practice with your teaining partner doing poomse.
I hate to say it but you may need to look for a different style of martial art in your area if all the TKD schools in that area seem to follow the same pattern as the one you are in now.
Best of luck with this situation.
Have you talked to your instructor about this?

tshadowchaser, luckily for me, there isn't any contract. Changing styles is a thing to consider but if I can help it, I would stick to TKD for the reason I stated in my previous post: there are only a few legitimate schools and I like the modern approach. My problem is the emphasis. Perhaps I should just attend two sessions per week instead of three and practice my poomse and hoo shin sul during off days. I'm going to have to mine this treasure trove of a forum for some hoo shin sul ideas. :wink1:

 

[Kacey]

Welcome, and happy posting! :wavey: I can't really add to the excellent advice you've recieved so far, so I'll just wish you happy training.