Author: Robert Frankovich

The martial arts are centered around the personal development of the student. This development is for improving the quality of life for the student. Providing skills and techniques that provide the skills necessary to be successful at problem solving and leadership.

In order to accomplish this, the student needs to develop physical  skills to introduce the principles and concepts that will guide them through the dangers. This is evident in the credos of Song Moo Kwan.

The Four Credos of Taekwondo by Supreme Grandmaster Byung Jick Ro are:
1. Yehsi-Yehjong: Begin with courtesy and End with courtesy
2. Solseon-Soobeom: Lead by example
3. Budahn -Nohryeok: Never ending efforts
4. Hasa-Bulseong: Nothing is Impossible

The dangers vary from student to student. Something as basic as an elementary school math test to a presentation to the board of directors. The physical techniques and the principles provide the base skills to fight these fights. These principles are the way to help create bravery within yourself. Only through bravery does the student learn to step outside their comfort zone. Each time the student does this they further develop their bravery.

The little guy in this video didn’t care about the size of the opponent but he was willing to charge in and help save the girl. He didn’t know that it was more play than threat and he didn’t care! That is bravery.

The unfortunate part is that bravery diminishes as we get older. We start playing it safe and stop taking the step outside of the comfort zone that we’ve created.

It is important to take the challenge. It is important to step past the things that you already know and step up to meet whatever is around the corner. Most of the time we under-estimate ourselves and our capabilities. After seeing students for the past 25 years, I have watched students rise to, maybe,  about 60%  of their capabilities. All because they still won’t push themselves beyond the last step they took.

If you look at any hero story, you find that they all follow the same story. Meet the challenges, fix the wrongs and make something better for those who follow the hero.

Whatever challenge arises, the hero will step up the engage it and succeed. The hero (and his help, whether it be a sidekick or comrades) push forward through the fear and doubt to accomplish the trial or task. In fact, several stories show that several attempts were needed to complete the trial or task (Budahn -Nohryeok: Never ending efforts). This only emphasizes that failure is only true if you quit (Hasa-Bulseong: Nothing is Impossible). Through their actions and continued efforts, they build bravery.

Seek to find the challenges that push you beyond your comfort zone. You will amaze yourself with what you can actually do and find true friends (comrades-at-arms) along the way.

Pre-testing for their next rank is a good review for students. On one side it gives them renewed confidence as they get to present the new material that has been learned.

In Taekwondo, they have spent the last months working on the new hyung (form) and one-step self defense and kicking requirements. For the Haidong Gumdo program, they have been working on new gumbub (sword form) and Focus drill and gyuk-gum (fighting drill). They have done them hundreds of times. They know the order of techniques and stances in the form. Usually, they can even tell you the order of techniques and which stance it should be.

On the other side, it also shows the glitches in their technique. It is very easy to fall into the habit of doing the material without truly studying it. The mere repetition of the form or technique doesn’t ensure that you are improving in skill. In fact, it will only re-enforce bad habits and mistakes. These habits will take a long time to correct.

This is where the concept of correct work comes into play. Students hear in my Taekwondo classes that a Front stance has certain parts that need to be in place to make the stance correct. They can even recite those parts to me, BUT…

Merely doing the form or drill doesn’t KEEP the stance correct. The phrase “practice make permanent” is very fitting to martial arts (and personal protection) training. The correctness disappears after training without focusing on keeping all the parts in place. Unless the student actively works at keeping all the parts to all the techniques in all of the form, the training time can be wasted.

If training in the martial arts is a method of personal development, then all studying should include the in-depth review and analysis. The physical techniques being performed must fit into the principles of the martial arts.

Originally posted on the White Tiger Martial Arts website. ‎
When students perform their techniques, whether in drills or patterns, it is very easy to tell if they are actually trying or merely dancing around. This is one of the tricky parts within training…or any education.

I had a student tell me that the way to fix that is to make them work harder. How does that get accomplished? Make the drills longer? Count louder? Stand over them the whole time? Nope. Never going to make their training better that way. If their passion hasn’t developed yet, no external factor will change the behavior.

Does training actually fit their goals? Are they looking for physical improvement? Maybe they just want the socialization in a subject matter that interests them. The only way that a student will improve and develop skill is when they choose to. This is a deceiving point, too, though. I’ve asked students to adjust technique to make them more effective and have gotten “That’s what I’m doing!” as a response. (We won’t discuss the respect issue now) But since it makes no sense that I would waste my time asking for things to be adjusted/corrected for no reason, they still haven’t chosen to learn the technique past what they “think” it is.

Now, I’ll give credit to those putting in effort and working but poor technique can only be helped so much by strength and commitment. There is some passion there, although needing direction. I came across a saying the other day which is very accurate. It stated “If you can’t do it slow, you can’t do it right.” which fits the piece above. The idea of being able to go slow would mean that your mind is in the work as well and that will show in your hands (and legs).

I would wager that, if you are able to put your mind into the focus of the work, your heart is involved also. This changes the fear and anxiety and nervousness into enjoyment. Those feelings and emotions fade as the passion grows. The development of your passion is seen in the performance of your techniques. You start to see deeper and understand more. The desire to see others succeed rises and helps create the desire in you to work harder and learn more. It brings students together as a community…family…who supports each other off the floor as well as on. You are now building your passion.

These factors to improve your training are the same as those you need to develop your career, regardless of the field. If you don’t have a passion for what you are doing, how can people believe that you are knowledgeable and competent? Make sure your heart is in your training.

Please comment, like and share this (and my other posts) if you have found it worthwhile.

Thank you!
Robert Frankovich