Seniors

[leadleg]

Most of my instuctors taught us to bow when asking a question from a BB senior,even if they were younger.We were to greet them when we entered and seek them out and bow before we left. Shake hands ( Korean style) if they offered but never to offer to shake. When we were out of the dojang respect was defered to age,that was what was senior in civilian atmosphere.I still believe that way.

 

[dancingalone]

although the GM took a black belt class last year and a thousand students showed up on short notice so we are hoping he will take some more in the near future.

Wow! Do you train in football stadiums or what?!

 

[ralphmcpherson]

Wow! Do you train in football stadiums or what?!

Yeah, most of the time we would train at a football stadium if we are going to get those numbers. I saw a great photo at my instructors house of a black belt class where 1300 black belts showed up. The day before they went to the stadium with a line marker and placed dots on the ground where everyone was to stand and got a photographer on top of the stadium to take an aerial shot with the GM standing at the front of the class. The photo looks amazing.

 

[andyjeffries]

got a photographer on top of the stadium to take an aerial shot with the GM standing at the front of the class. The photo looks amazing.

Can you post it or send me a PM with a link? I'd love to see this shot.

 

[puunui]

Yeah, most of the time we would train at a football stadium if we are going to get those numbers. I saw a great photo at my instructors house of a black belt class where 1300 black belts showed up. The day before they went to the stadium with a line marker and placed dots on the ground where everyone was to stand and got a photographer on top of the stadium to take an aerial shot with the GM standing at the front of the class. The photo looks amazing.

In my opinion, your grandmaster is really doing his students a disservice by not providing Kukkiwon certification. That is a lot of "ronin" that will be out there after he retires or passes away. What will you and your organization do then? I can't tell you how many Taekwondoin have come to me in that exact same situation, not knowing what to do after their instructor leaves them for whatever reason.

There are people out there who hate the American government for whatever reason. They may disagree for example with President Obama, but they aren't out there trying to take their town and remove themselves from the USA by printing their own money or whatever. No, they stay in there and try to effect change from the inside.

 

[Miles]

With that said, I have a question, or scenario, however you want to choose it. I started in KKW TKD back in 1989 (prior to that I was in Shuri-ryu and Tangsoodo). Currently I am only certified as a 3rd Dan in KKW...different reasons for this. Anyway, would a person who started after me, but is of higher rank now, my senior?

No, I don't think so. I have seniors who are lower ranked than me but they are still my senior. I come from a rural area originally so there was no real opportunity to progress beyond 1st dan when my original instructor stopped teaching. I've been blessed as I moved away for educational reasons and never permanently returned to my hometown. All of my seniors from that original club have stopped training but they are still my seniors. They come to special events such as tournaments and gradings.

 

[ralphmcpherson]

In my opinion, your grandmaster is really doing his students a disservice by not providing Kukkiwon certification. That is a lot of "ronin" that will be out there after he retires or passes away. What will you and your organization do then? I can't tell you how many Taekwondoin have come to me in that exact same situation, not knowing what to do after their instructor leaves them for whatever reason.

There are people out there who hate the American government for whatever reason. They may disagree for example with President Obama, but they aren't out there trying to take their town and remove themselves from the USA by printing their own money or whatever. No, they stay in there and try to effect change from the inside.

Our GM has 'retired' pretty much these days and has very little to do with the club as he is elderly and not well. He is always there for advice but has a much less active role in the club. In fact, he has little to do with the runnings of the club since Ive been a student there and I only ever see him at black belt gradings where he comes along to watch. Our chief instructor, along with his highest ranking instructors (6th and 7th dans) run the club and are doing a great job. His son is also a black belt and is an instructor. When he first severed ties with the kukkiwon he said that any students wanting kukki certification would still be able to do so if they wish and never once has anyone requested one. My original instructor told me I could get a kukki cert when I got my first dan but I was not interested. We are a very big and strong club with a great reputation and thousands of members spanning a large area, we have regional chief instructors and the club is stronger now than ever so when our GM passes we will just continue on as per usual, though it will be a sad time. As Ive said in the past, our GM did not take leaving the kukki lightly and made sure that all his senior students and instructors were in agreement before he did it. He didnt just wake up oneday and say "you know what, screw the kukkiwon", there was a lot more to it than that, and a lot of it I know nothing about as joined the club long after they discontinued their association with the kukki.

 

[ralphmcpherson]

Can you post it or send me a PM with a link? I'd love to see this shot.

I will see what I can do. the photo was up on my instructor's "glory wall" and was taken quite a few years back so I will have to see if I can try to scan it or something.

 

[KarateMomUSA]

Many in Korea look at seniors as the one who is older. Time in the martial arts is also important, more so that rank, as some styles, kwans or systems will have different requirements & time perionds, with others giving the ranks away. Station in life & education levels also play a part.
To me, Mr. Lee Won Kuk is probably the most senior Korean, older, good education & started training earlier