Practicing forms outside

[bluemtn]

I'm curious about everyone's opinion on practicing forms and techniques outside on your own time, no uniform on (of course). The reason I'm asking is I have a limited amount of room in my apartment, but have space outside in my "backyard". I don't want people to think I'm showing off, but I need to practice.
If not at home, how about a gym?

Thanks in advance!

tkdgirl

 

[Brother John]

Hey TKD girl...
GOOD topic!!

Three VERY useful subjects here:

1. Working on your material outside of class. This is CRUCIAL!!! Like I tell my students... "It's in class where you learn, it's on your own that you become GOOD". Keep this up, no matter where you do it.

2. Working out in regular clothing as opposed to your dobak. This is good. I'd bet that if you ever needed to use your art to defend yourself...you'd not be wearing your TKD uniform! But 99.9% chance has it that you'd be in your day-in/day-out regular clothing. Important to be comfortable executing your art in that!!!

3. Working out or doing your Hyung out-doors. THIS is GREAT! THink about it, the level of environmental awareness you'd need in your home? Small! In your Dojang? Smaller. In the park???? A LOT MORE!!!!!!! Uneven ground, slick grass, rocks, trees, sand/mudd, other people (observers)...etc. Very good.
Besides, myself...being a bit of a nature boy...I LOVE to do my forms outdoors.

Your Brother
John

 

[TigerWoman]

One word comes to mind, brrrrrrr. We can only do that in the "summer"time here in M'sota. Practice where-ever, you may encourage others to try it! (and after a while in martial arts with multiple tests and tournaments, we tend to lose self-consciousness. Practice is good where-ever you can do it! TW

 

[michaeledward]

We have two big dogs. When we bought our house, there was a 4 foot fence on the West side of the property. Last year, we completed a 5 foot fence on the other parts of the property for the dogs. Once snow was on the ground, the dogs could easily go over the 4 foot fence. Soooo ....

When we put the dogs out, it was best if I was outside with them. If they looked as if they wanted to explore over the fence, a little call from me, would keep them in the yard.

I had to something while we were out back ... so there I was at 10:30 at night, its about 4 degrees out side (plus or minus) ... reviewing Short Form 3 and Long Form 3 in my winter coat, mittens and snow boots.

Fortuneatly, most of my neighbors can't see into my yard. I think it really helped with those forms.

 

[Brother John]

I had to something while we were out back ... so there I was at 10:30 at night, its about 4 degrees out side (plus or minus) ... reviewing Short Form 3 and Long Form 3 in my winter coat, mittens and snow boots.
Fortuneatly, most of my neighbors can't see into my yard. I think it really helped with those forms.

artyon:
a man after my own heart!

Cool story Michael.


Your Brother
John

 

[Dr. Kenpo]

I prefer doing weapons forms outside, that way people have a working idea of what I'm doing. When they see empty hand forms, they have no idea, and often bother me. I really prefer my privacy.

 

[shesulsa]

I think practicing forms outside is an excellent way to really own your stances. Uneven ground really challenges the balance, doesn't it? And working out it the snow - OOH RAH, Michael! Try the dry sand at the beach - and the packed wet sand when tide is out - it's harder than you think.

We mostly get rain here, so that's a different challenge - water getting into your eyes (if you wear any hair care products, they run into your eyes and sting like the dickens), drenching your clothes which makes movement more difficult, surfaces get slippery, unpaved surfaces get muddy - fun, fun fun!

 

[MichiganTKD]

Not only do I like to practice Tae Kwon Do outside, I like to conduct class outside when the weather cooperates. We can practice forms in open areas, use leaves for kicking, and use trees for kwon go practice. This can be done either in uniform (class) or in street clothes. It's not necessarily the environmental factors I consider, although taking note of ground debris, uneven surfaces, and ice etc. is certainly important. I like the feeling of being close to nature and the whole outside environment. Something natural and real about it. Kind of like going into the mountains. It refreshes you and cleanses the soul.

 

[bluemtn]

Well, seeing the only issue I have now is dealing with cold weather (specifically the snow and ice), and that is'nt too bad. W.Va. (at least my area) doesn't get a great deal of snow often, just all at once here and there. I personally love the outdoors, as long as bees stay away, and the ground is'nt too snow covered.

tkdgirl

 

[TX_BB]

When it's indoor time try breaking your forms into executable bites like:

turn low block in ws, step fwd ws middle punch. etc.

Sorry for the shorthand

 

[cali_tkdbruin]

I'm curious about everyone's opinion on practicing forms and techniques outside on your own time, no uniform on (of course). The reason I'm asking is I have a limited amount of room in my apartment, but have space outside in my "backyard". I don't want people to think I'm showing off, but I need to practice.
If not at home, how about a gym?

Thanks in advance!

tkdgirl

Yeah, in the back of my mind I keep thinking that if I practice my poomse in Open public that people will think that I am showing off. However, I know that I most definately need to practice my forms over and over in the dojang and on my own time or else I'll forget them. So, I try to be a little discrete when I practice on my own time.

If I go practice at my YMCA, I'll go into the dance/aerobics room when it's not being used and I'll practice my forms there. If I go to the park, I'll go to an area where there's nobody around and where I'm not intruding on anyone's space and go through my poomse there. I often see Tae Chi practitioners working out in the park, so why not Taekwondo practitioners?

Anyway, practice your forms whenever and wherever you can...



:ultracool

 

[TigerWoman]

Hey everybody,
Tonight, Halloweeen, I think we can ALL get away with wearing our gi's/doboks and brandish our weapons outside on the lawn!
Happy Halloween! TW

 

[bluespacething]

I enjoy practicing forms and such outside...granted only in the summer because it's cold here in Minnesota to do it in the winter. It's good to practice outside of your standard environment in different clothes and having shoes on. Sure people may look at you weird, but who cares?

I like practicing technique outside as well. You get to see what you can do with shoes on and "normal" type clothes in case you were in a situation that required you to use TKD. I definitely think it's good practice.

 

[shesulsa]

Hey everybody,
Tonight, Halloweeen, I think we can ALL get away with wearing our gi's/doboks and brandish our weapons outside on the lawn!
Happy Halloween! TW

Hey! You just gave me the idea for my halloween costume!! Here it is (small fanfare...)

:knight:WEAPONS QUEEN!:samurai:
​

What? Doncha like it?

 

[bignick]

hey...if you're good enough to make people think you're showing off...go for it :wink:


seriously.....as others have said after a while you get over the "stigma" and can just practice...every once in a while you might have to explain to someone what you're doing...but who doesn't enjoy being able to share their art...

 

[TigerWoman]

Yeah, its a little nippy to footsie it over the lawn tonight.
I think we had about 8 doorbell rings and that was that. Chocolate all mine!

But this summer, we are a bluegrass festival and the RV's were parked all over the place. I found a nice flat square and started doing form. Pretty soon I had big audience so just kept trucking. Alot of people came up to me later and asked questions. Its good for people to see that anybody can do it....they might get interested. Promote your art!!! TW

 

[Raewyn]

My front lawn is out there!!!!! no fence so everyone can see. I'm lucky that I have a big park straight across the road, so I sometimes go over there and practice my forms. I havnt been it doing lately as we are just getting into the summer season and daylight savings has just started. So in the coming months Ill be over there with my son practising our forms!!!

 

[RanaHarmamelda]

I live in an apartment complex, so no lawn -- but I don't have much of any other place to practice my TKD forms. So I just do them when I wake up in the morning, at about 4:30 or so. Seeing as no one else is awake then, and it's dark, I don't worry so much about people seeing me out there. .

Course the downside is it's at frickkin 4:30 in the morning, but, ah well. It's kinda cool. *grin*

 

[Zepp]

Something I learned the hard way about practicing outside: if it's a hot day, and you're on concrete, make sure you wear shoes.

 

[Miles]

Training outdoors is very important. You will learn more about balance, stances, and footwork outside than in a controlled environment inside (dojang).

I am in the Metro-Detroit area, so we get a little snow and ice. That's when you get to practice falling (nak bup) in an impromptu manner.

Miles