I studied TKD Moo Duk Kwan in the late 60's and 70's and earned the rank of 1st Dan. Life (school, kids and job) took over my life and I drifted away from the martial arts. I am now 65 years old and have an opportunity to start training again. I have found a school to attend, have watched classes, etc., and have been accepted into the school-I start training next month. The forms this school learns are different from those I learned with the exception of Korio. The one steps appear to be the same. I will have to learn all of these things again. Although I am not as flexible as I once was, I believe that my fundamentals are still pretty good.
Moo Duk Kwan in my area is TSD. So I guess yes there have been changes and differences.
My question-when I start training what belt should I request to wear?
Are you being asked in as a guest? If yes then wear your rank.
Are you being asked to join the club, knowing that you are already a black belt? If yes, then confirm with the instructor you have talked with.
If you have not talked with anyone, I recommend bringing your training gear and plan on wearing a white belt.
I would really like to be able to practice with the advance class which is green, red and black. Your feed back would be welcome.
If your basics are as good as you think they are, then it will be evident and if you have not had a talk about your exprience then it will give the isntructor the cance to bring it up.
Also, I am very proud of having received my black belt from the Korean that trained me initially. He is now retired and golf is his game. What are your thoughts on how I might re-achieve black belt status without receiving a belt from a new instructor? Or, does it matter?
Depends upon how stiff and the total amount of life injuries combined with desire and willpower and the requirements of your club / organization.
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Now here are my comments in general.
If it is exactly the same organization you got your rank in, then tell them about it and show them documentation of show them your knowledge even if your timing is off, you knowledge of the techinques should still come out. This is the only way I really say you can wear your belt without the possibilities of issues.
If it is a different org or different system or art then walk in and learn what they have to offer and wear their uniform and train with them and test with them.
In one system I teach, there was another school in town. A guy in his early 50's came in and explained he wanted to start training again. He wanted to start out as a black belt that he had already gotten. I asked for and he provided paperwork that was signed properly by the right people. I told him he could, but that if he wore nothing for a while and then got back into it and felt good it woudl be easier to put it on then to take it off.
I wore his black belt. I stood with the other seniors colored belts and black belts in the senior position. He felt good about himself until class started. His endurance as not there, but that is ok. His timing was way off and he felt like he was being beat all the time. His knowledge to explain techniques was not there as he had not for a very long time.
He felt bad and realized he had made a mistake. Note: the other students in class saw the rank and made some assumptions that he could perform at a certain level. He could not. If he would have taken it slowly and worked into it might have.
He approached me and asked to start as a white belt. This confused others, on why a black belt would start over. He also always felt uncomfortable around the students he was exposed to in is first month or so of classes while wearing the belt.
He did not stay past 4 months. I called and asked him why he left. I wanted to make sure he was not injured or picked on. I have never had an issue with either, but I also do not tolerate that behavior. His reply was that yes it was harder to heal. It was more time than he thought it would be to relearn and retrain. He also said he felt uncomfortable, even though everyone treated him with respect like the other members and even when he passed his first test. So did he leave because if pain? Not really. Did he leave because of life and time? Not really. Did he leave because of felt uncomfortable? Not really. But all three added up to a level that made it so he felt like it was better for him to leave then to stay.
When I started my second system, I walked in and started at the beginning. Later when I was working on things I would work with others, who were senior in time and less senior in time. I would help and be helped occasionally. Because I had an open mind and did it from the begining and did not try to change it or make it fit something I had in my mind I learned the system.
It was taught in privates or semi privates but you knew the other person there and it was agreed upon. Well during one of my sessions someone showed up to ask qustions an hour early for their class time. My Instructor (GM) told me to just move and he would make me look good. After the third or fourth move, I was calling myself out. "Late", "I missed that" etcetera. It was more important to me to spend my time learning how to do it right instead of trying to look good and impress people.
Later people would ask what I worked on in my last class. I would say Abecedario (ABC's or basic's) and they would say wow you must be really hurting Rich to go all the way back there. Yet, when a new student would start, I was the only one who could work with them and do the teaching side of the basics and moves.
So my recommendation is the following:
1) Talk to an instructor the club owner if possible and tell him about your previous training
2) Make sure you explain you want to start to train with them and understand that there will be differences and youare on board with that.
3) After you get back into the groove you would like the instructor to review you and see if you could also work out with the advanced class.
This is an open and up front approach.
This puts it into the instructors hands and not you sounding like you are demanding special treatment up front.
Just my thoughts on this.
