Preparing for yidan grading this year

[Daniel Sullivan]

I tested for my ildan in 2008, learned Koryo and Keumgang, but was never formally tested for second dan. I was prested with a dojang sadan certificate, but I am no longer with that school.

As most of you who know me reasonably well know, I teach a sword class at a TKD/HKD school and train HKD at that school (Moo Moo Kwan). Master Disney and I had a lengthy conversation the other day, and I spoke with her about getting back into taekwondo. She said she'd like for me to prepare and hopefully test in September.

I have been focusing on a form a month in my process of stepping back into the pool. January was Taegeuk iljang, which I was practicing in the process of working with geomdo student who is preparing to test in the form and asked if I would practice with him.

I have been practicing my forms fairly regularly, but not daily, as I also practice kenjutsu and kendo. But after working with him, I decided to hit iljang every day for about a half an hour to forty five minutes in addition to other practice. February has been yijang. Next week, I will be hammering away at sajang.

Maybe not the most efficient way to do it, but I want to have each pumse perfect by September.

 

[Instructor]

Wow you've got a lot on your plate!

 

[Daniel Sullivan]

Wow you've got a lot on your plate!

I'm a single parent and have a day job to boot!

 

[IcemanSK]

I'm in your corner, Daniel. You can do it!

 

[Twin Fist]

you got this bro

 

[dancingalone]

My best wishes to you, Daniel. I am similarly preparing for a sam dan examination so I feel we are spiritual brothers of a sort. I no longer have the challenge of having a 'day job' however, so I admire your dedication and willingness to work.

 

[Daniel Sullivan]

At some point, I will try to video my taegeuk iljang and put it up here for all to see and critique.

 

[SahBumNimRush]

Way to go Daniel! We're all pulling for you!

 

[miguksaram]

Anything is possible to the willing mind. You will do fine sir! Fighting!!

 

[puunui]

Master Disney and I had a lengthy conversation the other day, and I spoke with her about getting back into taekwondo. She said she'd like for me to prepare and hopefully test in September.

I hope it was something I said.

I have been practicing my forms fairly regularly, but not daily, as I also practice kenjutsu and kendo. But after working with him, I decided to hit iljang every day for about a half an hour to forty five minutes in addition to other practice. February has been yijang. Next week, I will be hammering away at sajang. Maybe not the most efficient way to do it, but I want to have each pumse perfect by September.

Jesse Glover, Bruce Lee's original student in Seattle, told me a while back that the most important thing was reps. The guy who is the best generally speaking is the one who has done the most reps. His point was early in the cycle, those reps didn't need to be perfect. You just have to grind out those reps. To that end, when I was training for the Kukkiwon Instructor Course, my basic poomsae routine revolved around 10 reps each of the taeguek poomsae three times per week, and 10 reps of the yudanja poomsae three times per week. On yudanja days, I would also do taeguek 1 jang 10 times as a warm up. On all days, I did the first three Chung Do Kwan Basic sets 10 times each to finish. It took me a little over an hour to finish on the taeguek days. The forms average about 30 seconds each, give or take, so you can work through them in an hour with minimal breaks. If you cut the reps to 5 instead of 10, you can finish in half an hour.

I also reviewed the poomsae on video immediately before starting my workout, so I had a clear picture in my head of what I wanted to look like. Poomsae was my lunch time workout. Night was sparring training.

Just grind those reps out.

 

[Daniel Sullivan]

I hope it was something I said.

You and others.

When the environment at my old school imploded (they're still around and hopefully doing well, but the environment is no longer a good fit for me), I mainly focused on kendo and hapkido. But I wanted to eventually get back to taekwondo. Seems I have found my way back in sooner than I had expected.

Truth be told, December of 2010 when you and Master Cole began posting frequently, a lot of things about the Kukkiwon and taekwondo as it was in Korea came up that I had never heard before, or which had been touched on and pooh-poohed. The old dojang imploded in June of last year, but was in the process of imploding through most of 2010. After my old GM and I parted ways, I kept my head in the conversations here because even though I wasn't practcing actively at that point, there was information that was coming up that had me rethinking a lot of what I had previously thought.

I also ordered a copy of the Kukkiwon textbook. I got the softcover two part version. It was jammed with great information and I have been going through it for the past year and a half. I find that the things that you and Master Cole say are well supported in the source material. Other things that you have both posted about, I have looked into and found that you were both on the money.

Got me rethinking a lot of previously held positions and opinions. Also kept the fire simmering.

Also, there are a good number of people here who I consider friends, if only online, who are active in the TKD section whose posts and conversations I enjoy; Twin Fist, Iceman, Terry, Dancingalone, ATC, Gorilla, Manny, Miguksaram, and Sabumnim Rush to name just a few. Even though I don't always agree with their positions, I do find the breadth and diversity of opinion to be helpful and refreshing.

Makes me feel like part of an extended family.

My sabeom, Master Disney, has been a very strong force keeping my eye on TKD, even when away from it, often devoting hours on the phone to conversation with me about martial arts in general and TKD in particular.

Jesse Glover, Bruce Lee's original student in Seattle, told me a while back that the most important thing was reps. The guy who is the best generally speaking is the one who has done the most reps. His point was early in the cycle, those reps didn't need to be perfect. You just have to grind out those reps. To that end, when I was training for the Kukkiwon Instructor Course, my basic poomsae routine revolved around 10 reps each of the taeguek poomsae three times per week, and 10 reps of the yudanja poomsae three times per week. On yudanja days, I would also do taeguek 1 jang 10 times as a warm up. On all days, I did the first three Chung Do Kwan Basic sets 10 times each to finish. It took me a little over an hour to finish on the taeguek days. The forms average about 30 seconds each, give or take, so you can work through them in an hour with minimal breaks. If you cut the reps to 5 instead of 10, you can finish in half an hour.

I also reviewed the poomsae on video immediately before starting my workout, so I had a clear picture in my head of what I wanted to look like. Poomsae was my lunch time workout. Night was sparring training.

Just grind those reps out.

Awesome!!! Many thanks!!!

 

[puunui]

Truth be told, December of 2010 when you and Master Cole began posting frequently, a lot of things about the Kukkiwon and taekwondo as it was in Korea came up that I had never heard before, or which had been touched on and pooh-poohed. The old dojang imploded in June of last year, but was in the process of imploding through most of 2010. After my old GM and I parted ways, I kept my head in the conversations here because even though I wasn't practcing actively at that point, there was information that was coming up that had me rethinking a lot of what I had previously thought.

I also ordered a copy of the Kukkiwon textbook. I got the softcover two part version. It was jammed with great information and I have been going through it for the past year and a half. I find that the things that you and Master Cole say are well supported in the source material. Other things that you have both posted about, I have looked into and found that you were both on the money.

A lot of people get upset with us because our positions are different from what is generally accepted, outside of korea. Some think that we make this stuff up or have some sort of agenda to mess with people's heads or otherwise screw with people. But the fact and truth of the matter is that all we wish to do is present accurate information and facts about taekwondo in general and kukki taekwondo in particular. It doesn't matter what the particular subject is, technical, basic motions, poomsae, sparring, competition training, philosophy, history, politics, whatever. We try to stick to the facts because we believe that people are interested in reading or hearing it. We are here to help people, not hurt them. The best result from our perspective is if a light bulb goes off in someone's head, which makes them go out and investigate for themselves what we talk about.

I think part of the issue is that what we say sometimes is so foreign to some people's understanding and experience that it literally short circuits their nervous system. More than one person has remarked to me that if they believed everything I said, that would mean everything they know about taekwondo is wrong. How do you respond to that?

But, if it is going to be a problem, if some people are going to feel that their entire existence has been challenged, demeaned, or otherwise disrespected, then we don't have to post. In fact, we don't have to even be members of MT if that is what is happening. We both have very full lives and the next couple few years look to be incredibly busy for the both of us. But if the majority want us to leave, then we will. No problem. Why would we want to be someplace where we are not wanted? If that were what we were about, then the both of us would have been active members of USAT for the last eight years.

 

[Daniel Sullivan]

I think part of the issue is that what we say sometimes is so foreign to some people's understanding and experience that it literally short circuits their nervous system. More than one person has remarked to me that if they believed everything I said, that would mean everything they know about taekwondo is wrong. How do you respond to that?

I respond by saying that if this information may be correct, then they should look into it rather than dismissing it out of hand simply because it takes them out of their comfort zone. If I dismiss it because it makes previously held beliefs inaccurate and hang on to those beliefs, then those beliefs are not any less inaccurate. I would rather learn what is factual and grow, even if it takes me out of my intellectual comfort zone.

Also, I wonder, if people are not at least open to the possibility that they might not know everything or that they may not have completely accurate knowledge, why post on a public board?

I come here for exchange of information, and frankly, Master Cole and yourself have made this a better TKD board. The perspective that you both present was either not presented at all or was drowned out by the perspectives of those who were already here. Before you guys came along, I'd say that Miguksaram was probably the only person really presenting your perspective. There were others who were friendly to it, but who were either misinformed (such as myself) and were critical of things based on that misinformation, or who were mired in both misinformation and organizaitonal issues involving USAT that negatively impacted their perception.

I still am glad for the other perspectives that are here; KSD and Twin Fist present different perspectives that I enjoy reading, though do not always agree with.

In short, glad you're here!

 

[lifespantkd]

First, best wishes, Daniel! For various reasons, I have had a few absences from Taekwondo. I have always found it well worth my effort to return.

Second, I always appreciate posters who make a clear distinction between opinion, personal experience, and factual information. As a researcher in other fields, I have learned the value of assessing the quality of evidence. From highest to lowest, evidence can be categorized by quality: 1) meta-analyses (a report on a group of randomized controlled trial studies that both summarizes overall findings and which critiques the quality of the studies analyzed in the meta-analysis), 2) individual randomized controlled trial studies published in peer reviewed journals, 3) non-randomized but otherwise well-designed studies published in peer reviewed journals, 4) well designed non-experimental studies published in peer reviewed journals, 5) opinions from recognized expert institutions and individuals that are based on clinical evidence, descriptive studies, or committee reports, and 6) the opinions of colleagues and peers. Most of what is posted in the discussion forums of Martial Talk falls into category 6, the lowest quality of evidence. That doesn't mean that sharing opinions with each other is a worthless endeavor. On the contrary, I learn a lot from reading what people have to say here, but what I learn is often more about the varied ways that people experience being a martial artist than about the art itself. Of course, not all issues in Taekwondo or other martial arts have been researched highly or even at all. Hence, some issues simply do not have high quality evidence available from which we can learn. But, when it is possible here on Martial Talk, I particularly value information that is presented with references that allow me to conduct my own research into the issue. And, I particularly value information that is as close to the source as possible given the state of evidence in this field.

Cynthia

 

[ETinCYQX]

You've got it Mr. Sullivan and good luck to you!

You're at Jung Do Martial Arts, right? I "liked" that page on Facebook a while ago and I'm not positive who's dojang it is now...

 

[Manny]

Daniel go ahead tigger, I think you can achieve your goal in the time you wrote, yes you will need hard work but we know tkd is a passion for you, I think that maybe july 2013 can be the date for my 3rd dan black belt testing, I have plenty of time and yes <i will try to earn that grade.

So go ahead againg, you can do it!

Manny

 

[Daniel Sullivan]

You've got it Mr. Sullivan and good luck to you!

You're at Jung Do Martial Arts, right? I "liked" that page on Facebook a while ago and I'm not positive who's dojang it is now...

I am indeed there. I teach a 'geomdo' class on Saturday mornings. The headmaster/school owner is Master Debra Disney (I still think she should have called it 'Disney's World', but more sensible Korean minds prevailed, and probably for the better).

If you're on FB, send me a friend request!

 

[Daniel Sullivan]

Daniel go ahead tigger, I think you can achieve your goal in the time you wrote, yes you will need hard work but we know tkd is a passion for you, I think that maybe july 2013 can be the date for my 3rd dan black belt testing, I have plenty of time and yes <i will try to earn that grade.

So go ahead againg, you can do it!

Manny

And as the Celtic Tigger, I like all that bouncing we do in WTF sparring; bouncing is what tiggers do best!

 

[StudentCarl]

And as the Celtic Tigger, I like all that bouncing we do in WTF sparring; bouncing is what tiggers do best!

I think you ought to change your name block too. Celtic Tigger...I like it!

We've got other members who could be Christopher Robin, Rabbit, Kanga, and Roo.

I think I know exactly which member should be Eeyore, too!:uhyeah:

 

[Dirty Dog]

I know you don't need it, but good luck to you.