Responsibility

[dancingalone]

I, too, am not comfortable with the word master. The GM at our club is a 9th dan and has been doing tkd for almost 60 years and he is not comfortable with being described as a master. No matter how long I had trained for, or regardless of rank, I would never refer to myself as a master.

What about the reverse? Are you comfortable referring to your teachers as 'masters'? How do you address them?

 

[Master Dan]

Before I comment further can you clear up this bit for me

"However there are many bad types but lets drop the ones that the kids have no parents or thier parents have substance abuse and other issues."

Are you advocating dropping kids because you don't think their parents are any good or if they have no parents? Are you saying we should punish the children of parents we disapprove of by excluding the children?

No I was trying seperate the discussion away from kids who don't have parents or have or substance abuse or are abusive. Those are whole topics by themselves but sadly some times these kids have more of a chance than those who have suposably good parents who interfere badly and ruin development. I never eliminate any student who is trying at any level even if I have to pay for everything I can. Its the parents who punish the kids. Most people do not understand that Dicipline is not punishment its teaching with love. People learn from Dicipline not from Punishment.

 

[terryl965]

What about the reverse? Are you comfortable referring to your teachers as 'masters'? How do you address them?

Most of the ones I stay around wants to be called by their first name, about the only time they ask for the Master GM thing it at formal events because so many expect it.

 

[ralphmcpherson]

What about the reverse? Are you comfortable referring to your teachers as 'masters'? How do you address them?

My instructors like to be called by there first name, our GM we just use his surname with "mister" in front. He would laugh at me if I called him master.

 

[dancingalone]

I'm not a fan of the title either, but that's my westernized outlook. On a educational note, can someone explain how the master title came into wide usage in taekwondo? It would be out of place in karate for example to refer to someone as "Master Smith". Yet, from what I can tell, it's not so unusual in TKD, and may even be common usage.

 

[elder999]

Most people do not understand that Dicipline is not punishment its teaching with love. People learn from Dicipline not from Punishment.

Discipline is a means to an end, and never an end in itself....

 

[Stac3y]

What about the reverse? Are you comfortable referring to your teachers as 'masters'? How do you address them?

I wouldn't be. Mr., Ms., Mrs.; Sir, and Ma'am are what I'm comfortable with.

 

[Steve]

No I was trying seperate the discussion away from kids who don't have parents or have or substance abuse or are abusive. Those are whole topics by themselves but sadly some times these kids have more of a chance than those who have suposably good parents who interfere badly and ruin development. I never eliminate any student who is trying at any level even if I have to pay for everything I can. Its the parents who punish the kids. Most people do not understand that Dicipline is not punishment its teaching with love. People learn from Dicipline not from Punishment.

I think this depends entirely on how you define discipline. What do you mean by "discipline?" What does the term mean to you? How are punishment and discipline different to you? Can you give some examples?

 

[terryl965]

I'm not a fan of the title either, but that's my westernized outlook. On a educational note, can someone explain how the master title came into wide usage in taekwondo? It would be out of place in karate for example to refer to someone as "Master Smith". Yet, from what I can tell, it's not so unusual in TKD, and may even be common usage.

As far as I can tell it come from the meeting when they invented TKD, so it has been with it since the conception. As far as why, ego's I would imagine and that pretty much sums it up.

 

[dancingalone]

I wouldn't be. Mr., Ms., Mrs.; Sir, and Ma'am are what I'm comfortable with.

I like that. Or 'SaBum Smith' would also be a good alternative since this is the TKD forum.

 

[Gorilla]

When first involved in TKD I hated the Master Title. We use the term on our team because our Coach has earned that title by hard work, dedication and integrity! Terry is a very humble person and I am sure that he prefers Coach but everyone has such respect for him that Master just seems right!

A title that he has definitely earned!!!

 

[Master Dan]

Parents should be told up front that they are not to interfer with class and that their child will make grade only upon his/her own accomplishments.
Now I have had a different encounter with home school children. Their parents brought them to me to learn to defend themsleves and wanted their kids pushed to the limits. The parents realised that not going to public school deprived the kids of some interaction with others and wanted them in an invirerment where they would have interchange of thoughts and physical involment that was controled.
If a parent wants to pull his/her child from class thats up to them. I do not charge for instruction so it is no loss of money for me. However I do fell it is a loss for the child.

I agree with you I have had many home school or charter school parents with those attributes I was just pointing out the negative one and it does make you hurt for the kids.

Great to hear you don't charge!!! I have taught for free even spent proabably $500,000 over the last 16 years for underprivalaged and targeted and at risk youth. Money ruins everything it has wattered down and corrupted the original art. You should email me I would like to know more where you teach http://nometaekwondoacademy.yolasite.com/

 

[Master Dan]

Master Dan

Forgive me but I am still learning how to use this site I have hit some wrong buttons. Figured out how to reply but still do not understand how to make an original Post??

Also some times time very short I maybe making only partial comments. There is definately more positive than negtive. I teach all ages but I am happiest when one or more parents will train with thier children. I would say the largest percentage is Mothers. They find thier health improves and begin to convince thier friends to do the same soon they have thier own little social group.
In Eskimo culture adoption is normal and very frequent sister's will have baby's for other family members or any teen age girl that does not want to keep her baby other family members will take the baby.
Also strangers are adopted into the family and culture. I have always taught TKD as an Indiginous Native Art Form and we adopt the same principle in teaching always willing to adopt a new member into our family with teaching and nurturing the new student by family members and being supervised by the Elder in Charge which would be the Master Instructor.
http://nometaekwondoacademy.yolasite.com/

Quianna Eskimo Thanks

 

[terryl965]

Dan if you do not mind, how is it you can teach for free, do you have sponsors or some other avenue to support yourself and family? I am asking because we have five free program that help our youth and at risk childern and abuse women groups. I believe you may have come off very rough in the first post so I will hold judgement until later but it sounds and looks like you are doing some great work up north? Let me ask this other question how does one man run so many location or are you part of a bigger org?

 

[Master Dan]

Wow. There is so much I want to say, I don't know where to be begin. In fact, I don't have the time or energy right now. "Master Dan", I really hope you don't believe all the stuff you just wrote. If this was your way of getting something off your chest, I think there are more professional and constructive ways of doing so. Do you realize that some of your students/parents can view this site; some of which may fall into that very broad category that you created?

I will say this. It is very ugly to categorize people based on their personal or social situation/circumstance.

I personally know many students that could prove you wrong on every count, beit home school, without parents, or parents that have substance abuse issues. If all that were true you would be right. First things are not always as they seem depending on our words a person with a sensative bias hears or sees what they want to rather than what is there. Reality is 100% of perception regardless of facts. I am guilty however of stirring the pot sometimes to motivate creative discussion.

You say, "drop those kids"; I say, those are the kids that need it most. Apparently not from you though.

I will be more careful with my words no I meant that some parents think they know better how to teach traditional MA and they pull thier kids out and that is simptomatic of thier trying to insulate or over protect thier child. That is only that particular case not a generaliztion of all parents and or home school ect. The venting I may be doing is the frustration that the child desperatly in that case needs the training physically and mentally.

As for offending any student or parent? not likely I am the farthest North most remote Master in the World, the only one to teach St Lawrence Island about 40 miles from the Rusian boarder in the Bering Sea (Deadliest Catch) none of them would remotely find or know about this site. But it was a good point. I teach in areas that I have to worry about a violent person walking in at any moment with a knife or gun. I have one parent a violent convicted felon who tried to set fire to the radio station becasue he was hearing voices and then tried to set fire to a house with women and children inside. His son was my student for three years and starting to do well. I never knew he had a father. The guy walks in one day starts saying alot of bad things in front of the children making threats I finaly had put him out and restrict him. Unfortunetly since this man came back into his kids life he now no longer trains and hangs out with a bad bunch. Its very sad.

This is what I meant by some times no parent is better than having one. Those of you who are parents this isn't about you or how you choose to teach. And to the person who said hey I shop around to get what I pay for its a business? I don't charge money for teaching If any money is accepted its from corporations or foundations and all of it used to supply equipment for the students. I follow a traditional method of teaching from my Master and his before him Our text book is in its 8th edition with the right instrution I think turns out one of the best overall well rounded black belts nationally but more important a happy healthy person.

 

[andyjeffries]

I like that. Or 'SaBum Smith' would also be a good alternative since this is the TKD forum.

And remember the title in Korean comes after the surname. You would refer to yourself as "Smith Sabum" and to someone else as "Jones Sabumnim" (adding the honorific -nim suffix when referring to someone else).

Cheers,


Andy

 

[MasterWright]

[yt]7t8xwpW8gJQ[/yt]

Good one! Post some more if you can!

 

[Earl Weiss]

Humor aside.

Korean Flag on wall and Japanese terminology stinks.

 

[Daniel Sullivan]

I like that. Or 'SaBum Smith' would also be a good alternative since this is the TKD forum.

If using the Korean title, it would Smith Sabeom, or more likely just sabeom of the instructor is being addressed directly. In the third person, he or she would be sabeomnim.

Daniel

Edit. Now that I posted this, I see that Andyjeffries beat me to the punch.

 

[dancingalone]

And remember the title in Korean comes after the surname. You would refer to yourself as "Smith Sabum" and to someone else as "Jones Sabumnim" (adding the honorific -nim suffix when referring to someone else).

If using the Korean title, it would Smith Sabeom, or more likely just sabeom of the instructor is being addressed directly. In the third person, he or she would be sabeomnim.

Yes, I occasionally follow that convention when typing on MT.

Is it incorrect to westernize it and add the title to the beginning as we typically do in English speaking societies, such as Mister Jones or Captain Jones? I am not so sure it is. I have an Asian surname. Properly written, it should be last name first, then first name. Yet, as I am in America, my name follows the convention of [firstname, lastname]. I believe either usage is OK, although obviously the Western style is preferred given the locale.

I don't think it's worth the correction, although I appreciate the thought. If anyone addresses me as 'Sensei' or 'SaBum' I am more than pleased whether they choose to add it to the end of my name or the beginning.