Square 1

Back in August, I had an opportunity, so I took it. My daughter had just started kindergarten, and my wife had just started her job. So we agreed I should work close to home for a couple of weeks so as to assist the children as they got into the correct routine for getting up, getting dressed, and getting on the school bus each morning.

In the evenings, I had a bit of extra time. I've been watching the kids do Taekwondo at Spirit Martial Arts for 5+ years. I know the routines, and I figured I'd try it out.

Background: I started martial arts (Judo) in 1982. Started Wado-Ryu karate in 1985, and currently hold 5th Dan Black Belt in it. I also hold 1st Dan in Okinawan Kempo and 6th Dan in a Japanese style of Jiu-Jitsu. It is Jiu-Jitsu that I teach at my dojo.

So I purchased a do-bak from Mr. Smith, threw on the old white belt, and attended a few classes at his Dojang. Here are some observations:

Uniform
The most comfortable uniform I own is a good, soft, jiu-jitsu uniform. They are fitted where they need to be, and loose in areas that need room. Virtually any body movement is unrestricted in a jiu-jitsu uniform. The v-neck taekwondo do-bak (uniform) is a distinct second on that list, and I've owned many karate uniforms, as well as judo / jiu-jitsu uniforms. I've even owned a ninja uniform and have worn a kung-fu uniform.

The do-bak is really comfortable and restricts very few movements. I prefer a heavier weight material, but the lightweight do-bak meets my needs, and looks decent, too. Mr. Smith and I joked a bit about wearing his logo.

Warmups
A bit more stretching than we do in jiu-jitsu. Since taekwondo as a sport favors kicking, this is necessary so the legs do not suffer injury. There is also a bit of joint-loosening and a tad of aerobic exercise - just enough to get the heart rate up and the blood flowing. Not strenuous at all. Certainly not as intense as a jiu-jitsu warm up with respect to conditioning. Perfectly acceptable for the art, though.

Forms
This is actually harder than I thought it would be - much to my surprise. In my first class, I earned a red stripe - indicating knowledge of Basic Form 1. However, it was so similar to the Kihon Kata I started practicing in 1985, that it would be unfair to compare me to a new white belt.

What was hard for me:
A) Chamber hand at the belt in taekwondo (in Wado, the chamber hand is kept at the solar-plexus level).
B) Walking stance (not used at all in Wado forms)
C) Chambering punches as well as blocks is different.
D) Did I mention walking stance???

Self Defense
This might have been my favorite part. We had drills like this in Wado. At SMA, they follow a prescribed set of self defense techniques. Two are required at each belt level, and a black belt candidate must know them all. They resemble the Japanese jujutsu which is incorporated heavily into Wado, so I caught on after a single viewing. Again, it would be unfair to compare my technique with that of a fresh white belt.

My second class saw me earning a blue stripe, indicating my understanding of the self-defense techniques.
A) The first is a chest-punch defense. One steps out to the side while executing an outer middle block and simultaneously punching the opponent.
B) The second is a lapel grab defense. One grasps the wrist in a gyaku te dori manner, and rotates it, pressing on the elbow with the off hand. This has the effect of bending the attacker over forwards.

Kicking
My kicks belt level and lower are solid... if not better.
Taekwondo does not permit kicks below the waist. And mine need help. The old hips do not like these kicks, and if I ever find the time to pursue TKD full time, I'd have to address this issue.
There are also more kicks than karate has to offer, so I got to practice some that I'd never really done.

Agility Drills
Mr. Smith has a full assortment of agility drills. These can be quite difficult to master. I am not a master of them at all. My son and others make them look easy!

Fun
I really enjoy doing classes with my kids. They both outrank me and that's really cool for them.

Overall
I'd really recommend it. It is fun, a good workout, and will definitely give you goals to shoot for. Because of the structure, most anybody can earn a black belt - if they provide the discipline of showing up to class and try to get better.

I would like to have the time to pursue it, because I've never had a yellow belt of any sort, nor an orange, green, nor red. Olympic Taekwondo has all of those belt colors and more!


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