Last week teaching tkd

[msmitht]

This next week will be my last teaching TKD. I have enjoyed the last 23 years of teaching tkd but will be moving on to teaching bjj full time. I have met many good practitioners of tkd and enjoyed training alongside them. I will miss that.
On a good note...
No more belt tests. No more parents insisting that their child advances. No more jr. Black belts or need to explain what/why it is. No poomsae that has rule changes yearly. No more sparring rule changes or equipment upgrades- just a gi, belt and a rashguard.
Peace out

 

[drop bear]

Yeah. It is good to get back to the basics of learning.

 

[msmitht]

Yup. And after 16 years in bjj I still learn every day

 

[Tames D]

T I have enjoyed the last 23 years of teaching tkd but will be moving on to teaching bjj full time.
No more belt tests.

You and your BJJ students won't be advancing in rank?

 

[msmitht]

You and your BJJ students won't be advancing in rank?

No tests. Is informal and given when ready after class session or during.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

No tests. Is informal and given when ready after class session or during.

I'd considered this approach for my program. It has a lot of appeal to me in that it removes the focus on the test. I do find value in the test, both for the student (the struggle of holding everything together for that test) and for me (it keeps me honest in evaluating every part of what I'm expecting for the next level).

In a few years, maybe I'll get comfortable enough with my new curriculum that I'll decide I don't need the test, anymore. I like the idea.

 

[RTKDCMB]

No more parents insisting that their child advances.

In all of my years of teaching I have never had a parent insist their child advance.

 

[Buka]

If I had to do it over again, I wouldn't have any testing, I'd take the BJJ approach, which I like better.

As for a parent insisting about anything...that's pretty funny to me. I picture it like a chihuahua barking, then gacking on it's own spit. Never had it happen, though. Kind of wish I had.

To msmitht - best going forward, sir. Twenty three years of helping folks - awesome.

 

[msmitht]

In all of my years of teaching I have never had a parent insist their child advance.

Well I've only been teaching 23 years and in that time I've seen my share. Usually when there are siblings involved or when soccer season is about to start and they are gonna be out a while.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

Well I've only been teaching 23 years and in that time I've seen my share. Usually when there are siblings involved or when soccer season is about to start and they are gonna be out a while.

I think that happens in some schools more than others. It's a characteristic of the types of parents attracted to certain programs, and not really a reflection of any flaw in the program itself, IMO. I've never run into it (I taught kids at my primary instructor's dojo for a few years), but I've heard similar woes from other instructors who taught kids at other schools.

 

[Gwai Lo Dan]

In all of my years of teaching I have never had a parent insist their child advance.

I could see it if there are 2 brothers, and 1 is more naturally atheletic that the other, yet the parent doesn't want to less athletic kid to feel bad.

 

[Gwai Lo Dan]

This next week will be my last teaching TKD. I have enjoyed the last 23 years of teaching tkd ...

What dan did you get to? If you are a higher dan, has there been any shock or backlash locally? I think TKD can be like a religion sometimes.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

What dan did you get to? If you are a higher dan, has there been any shock or backlash locally? I think TKD can be like a religion sometimes.

Why would there be a backlash when someone stops teaching?

 

[msmitht]

What dan did you get to? If you are a higher dan, has there been any shock or backlash locally? I think TKD can be like a religion sometimes.

I received my 5th Dan from my late GM in 2001. When he passed I found out he had not been ordering my KKW certs- only school certs. Had to play catch up and got my kkw 5th in 2007. Many were upset. Had several I hadn't seen in years come in.
I don't know about backlash but it has been stressful on me saying goodbye to many. 2 more days to go.

 

[Gwai Lo Dan]

Thanks for the reply. By backlash, I was thinking some senior people may be upset that you would focus on another art (albeit one which you had been practising for 16 years). I was thinking some people may get defensive that you either enjoy bjj more, and/or you think it is more effective.

 

[msmitht]

Thanks for the reply. By backlash, I was thinking some senior people may be upset that you would focus on another art (albeit one which you had been practising for 16 years). I was thinking some people may get defensive that you either enjoy bjj more, and/or you think it is more effective.

My senior students see the value in it and respect my decision. Is not a matter of enjoying one more than the other. The bjj program gets new students almost daily and is an easier sell.
Let me be clear- for self defense it is more effective. At least for me it is. Is not all ground fighting. There are many stand up techniques that are not taught by sport only schools.

 

[Gwai Lo Dan]

Let me be clear- for self defense it is more effective. At least for me it is. Is not all ground fighting.

True, I know a prison security officer who had a jiu jitsu background, and he enrolled in TKD so that he had more long-range capabilities. I always thought this Simpson clip on BJJ was hilarious.

 

[Archtkd]

Well I've only been teaching 23 years and in that time I've seen my share. Usually when there are siblings involved or when soccer season is about to start and they are gonna be out a while.

Master Smith do you think your experience teaching taekwondo would have been different if the bulk of your students had been adults? What's the age mix of your BJJ program? I ask as one who runs a mainly adult school, a rarity in our neck of the woods.

 

[msmitht]

Master Smith do you think your experience teaching taekwondo would have been different if the bulk of your students had been adults? What's the age mix of your BJJ program? I ask as one who runs a mainly adult school, a rarity in our neck of the woods.

No sir. I like teaching both but at my max I never had more than 20 adults. Currently 61 kids and 91 adults in BJJ.