Taekwondo Tournaments

I don't know where I heard that, but I suspect it had something to do with marketing and advertising. Regardless, it's a true statement when it comes to tae kwon do.

Competing in Taekwondo Tournaments is a scary, exciting and gratifying experience. If you have never participated in a tae kwon do tournament, I strongly encourage you to try it.

There are several reasons why. First, it allows you to gauge how your training is progressing. Especially if the tournament includes schools other than your own. Haven't you ever wondered how your orange belt techniques stack up against another orange belt's techniques? Competing is a good way to find out just how well you are learning what your Master has taught you and gives you a basis for comparison. Not to see "who's better" but instead to see what you need to work on to improve your personal best.

Secondly, it's good practice for black belt testing. You spend time preparing for a single moment in a single event where you hope to show everyone watching that you shine. That you above all, know your techniques and have practiced with a diligence few can master. And you are prepared to bring your best game no matter who or how many are there to watch.

Last, though certainly not the end, it's really fun. The adrenaline rush and gratification are reason enough to compete. It builds self-esteem and helps you feel confident in your training. You gain a real sense of accomplishment and with any luck at all, maybe a medal too.

I have created a Tae kwon do Tournaments page on the site. I encourage you to visit this page and upload information about any upcoming taekwondo tournaments you know of in your area. I want to build a database of tournaments around the world to increase participation and attendance.

And if you're still uncertain about competing, try attending a tournament first just to see what's it's all about. I guarantee you'll feel compelled to compete in a few taekwondo tournaments yourself.

Visit New Tae kwon do Tournaments Page

Words We Use: Showing Respect

Words have power - the power to motivate, encourage, and energize. In many disciplines, people use phrases they repeat many times to get themselves "psyched", "in the spirit", prepared for the tasks at hand. Try these out!

Ko jin kam re Hard work brings success.Sang kyong ha eh A senior's respect earns a junior's love.

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What's Happening at
The Taekwondo Network...

Lots of visitors to The Taekwondo Network take the time to share their style.

You can take the poll now by visiting the tae kwon do styles page and share your style.

Here are the current standings:

WTF 28.7%
ITF 21.5%
ATA 12.7%
ITA 5.5%
Tang soo do 2.8%
Moo duk kwan 5.5%
Oh do kwan 6.1%
Chung do kwan 8.8%
Other 8.3%

A new "Other" submitted this month was:Taekwondo America

Your Feedback

Courtney wrote: I am just starting out and I am a 34 year old woman who is about 204 pounds. I am working on losing weight. My balance for this is horrible, are there any exercises that I can do to improve balance? Do I let theinstructor know that I can't do sit ups for long periods of time because I had a Cesarean from the birth of my daughter 10 years ago and it is still very sensitive?

Thank you,

Courtney

My response: Courtney,

I just realized today that I had started to reply to your feedback but never finished. I must have become distracted somewhere along the way, which I will admit is easy when you have 3 children.

All three of my sons were delivered by Cesarean as well and I understand first hand how sensitive your abdominal area can be. To this day, it still hurts when I cough or sneeze. But, I also know that doing the abdominal exercises in class have strengthened my core tremendously which is always good. Not just for your stomach but your back as well.

It's always a good idea to let your instructor know that there is some aspect of the training that causes you pain and that you need to modify until you can do the exercise as instructed. A good instructor cares about their student's well being and will gladly help you modify for greater benefit.

Balance is an issue for most students. It does not come naturally for most students, children and adult. That is especially true when you are carrying extra weight on your frame.

Many of the skills we practice in tae kwon do require good balance, such as standing on one leg or jumping to kick, turning during a kick or form and others.

You can learn to develop a better sense of balance with a few exercises:

1. Spend time standing on one leg. Practice at home by simply lifting one foot off the ground and forcing yourself to balance on the other foot.

2. Once you can stand on one leg, try the same exercise with your eyes closed. This will force you to use your mind to gain a better sense of where your body is in space and help you continue to work on balance.

3. Try doing your kicking techniques in very slow motion. This will increase the amount of time you stand on one leg and increase strength in the kicking leg. You also practice balancing while another part of your body is in motion.

4. Next, you can do this movement in front of a mirror and note at what point in the exercise you lose your balance. You will probably notice your body out of alignment. Seeing it in the mirror will help you gain awareness again of where your body is in space.

As you work your way through this sequence, stay aware of your center of gravity (for women it's the hip region). You can also use your arms to compensate and counterbalance as you work to gain better control of your balance.

Courtney, forgive me for not sending this message to you sooner. I hope your training is going well. Check in again if you have any other questions or just want to update me on your training.

Good Luck!

Kalynn

I love it when we share information and opinions like Courtney. So I have created an area on Taekwondo-Network where you can share your questions or comments with all visitors. Please visit Your Feedback and leave your story for everyone to comment and learn from.

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"Success is a journey not a destination. The doing is usually more important than the outcome. Not everyone can be Number 1."-Arthur Ashe

To Your Success...

Kam sa ham ni dah,

Kalynn