Best Age for Poomsae Competition Development

[Archtkd]

What age do you folks out there consider to be the best to start preparing young ones for serious poomsae competition. I ask, because much to my delight, surprise and trepidation, my 7 1/4 old-son is showing lots of talent for poomsae. I've taken him to two local competitions twice -- first when he was 6 1/4 and a few days ago -- and he's showing very good balance, confidence, power and speed that I rarely see in boys his age. In the first competion last he won while he was a 5th Gup performing Taeguk Sah Jang, and in the most recent competion as a 1st Geup he performed Taeguk Pal Jang. He's also sparring fairly well and took second place at the tournament.

 

[miguksaram]

What age do you folks out there consider to be the best to start preparing young ones for serious poomsae competition. I ask, because much to my delight, surprise and trepidation, my 7 1/4 old-son is showing lots of talent for poomsae. I've taken him to two local competitions twice -- first when he was 6 1/4 and a few days ago -- and he's showing very good balance, confidence, power and speed that I rarely see in boys his age. In the first competion last he won while he was a 5th Gup performing Taeguk Sah Jang, and in the most recent competion as a 1st Geup he performed Taeguk Pal Jang. He's also sparring fairly well and took second place at the tournament.

Start them as soon as they show interest. We have that are your son's age that do very well in poomsae competition. They develop a passion for it, just like they would for any other type of sport.

 

[puunui]

Start them as soon as they show interest. We have that are your son's age that do very well in poomsae competition. They develop a passion for it, just like they would for any other type of sport.

I agree. I would do everything possible to encourage him now. No time like the present.

 

[terryl965]

The best time is from day one, sorry but poomsae should be the very foundation to start your TKD journey.

 

[mastercole]

What age do you folks out there consider to be the best to start preparing young ones for serious poomsae competition. I ask, because much to my delight, surprise and trepidation, my 7 1/4 old-son is showing lots of talent for poomsae. I've taken him to two local competitions twice -- first when he was 6 1/4 and a few days ago -- and he's showing very good balance, confidence, power and speed that I rarely see in boys his age. In the first competion last he won while he was a 5th Gup performing Taeguk Sah Jang, and in the most recent competion as a 1st Geup he performed Taeguk Pal Jang. He's also sparring fairly well and took second place at the tournament.

Start now. I would also expose him to top level Poomsae competitors as much as possible as early as possible.

 

[GlassJaw]

I think 45 is a good age. (Or, at least, I'm hoping.)

Good luck to your youth. Competition aside, I think youths can probably develop more skill-wise from poomsae than from sparring (even though it might not be as much fun for them).

 

[andyjeffries]

I would agree with most of the others - as soon as he wants to. I agree the poomsae is a foundation of Taekwondo and it should be learnt throughout their Taekwondo life, but in terms of prepping him for competition he has to want it. If he wants to do it, now is a good time. If he didn't want to do it, then now would be a bad time to add the pressure of competition preparation/focus as it may turn him off of it...

Best of luck for your son!

 

[Archtkd]

I would agree with most of the others - as soon as he wants to. I agree the poomsae is a foundation of Taekwondo and it should be learnt throughout their Taekwondo life, but in terms of prepping him for competition he has to want it. If he wants to do it, now is a good time. If he didn't want to do it, then now would be a bad time to add the pressure of competition preparation/focus as it may turn him off of it...

Best of luck for your son!

Thanks a lot. The serious competition part is what I worry about. He loves it, but I don't want to be one of those fathers we all know about, who push their kids too hard and burn them out before they really reach their true potential.

 

[miguksaram]

Start now. I would also expose him to top level Poomsae competitors as much as possible as early as possible.

Excellent advice. Best way to motivate the younger ones is to expose them to top competitors to see how what they could be doing. Most of the younger kids at are school are in awe with our form competitors and try their best to emulate them, which includes working out hard like they do.

 

[miguksaram]

Thanks a lot. The serious competition part is what I worry about. He loves it, but I don't want to be one of those fathers we all know about, who push their kids too hard and burn them out before they really reach their true potential.

Because you recognize that in others, you are less likely to do that yourself. More times than not you may end up being in the opposite camp and not pushing when you need to. Just let the coaches do their jobs and you be there with the pom poms (short mini-skirt and pig tails optional) and cheer him on.

 

[Archtkd]

Because you recognize that in others, you are less likely to do that yourself. More times than not you may end up being in the opposite camp and not pushing when you need to. Just let the coaches do their jobs and you be there with the pom poms (short mini-skirt and pig tails optional) and cheer him on.

Here's the catch. I am also his teacher.

 

[miguksaram]

Here's the catch. I am also his teacher.

DOH!! The only advice I can give on that is to have one of your other teachers work with him. Reason being is that familiarity breeds contempt and many fathers/teachers have a tendency to be harder on their kids than a regular student. You can still monitor and help with their training, but I would leave the majority of it up to another one of your instructors....simply an opinion based on what I have seen and experienced myself.