Come take a Tae Kwon Do quiz

[jjaje]

Have you guys noticed that after the slightest bit of criticism, Aaron, doesn't seem to post on the topic anymore? I've noticed this trend on several of his topics.

Would you rather he come on and have arguments and piling on commence?

[sean_stonehart]

Daaaannng.... I made a 70 on it & haven't touched TKD since the early 90's....

[Jay Bell]

Would you rather he come on and have arguments and piling on commence?

Sort of. At least then it'd be entertaining.

[CEB]

Would you rather he come on and have arguments and piling on commence?

Which is what would happen. Truth be known those doing the piling probably don't even train anywhere on a regular basis.

[Jay Bell]

Which is what would happen. Truth be known those doing the piling probably don't even train anywhere on a regular basis.

I'm pretty sure the point has missed you completely, Ed.

[Eliz]

I'm pretty sure the point has missed you completely, Ed.

Actually, I think Ed's point is right on.

And Aaron,
A little follow-up from the OP would be nice.

[Jay Bell]

Time line in a flash...

Aaron joins the board asking if it'd be a good idea if he starts teaching. None of the long timers think it's a good idea. He does it anyway...we shake our heads. Posts of an unknowing nature follow...we shake our heads. Aaron makes a neato quiz on his site that makes me, at least, shake my head.

I'm not sure how the point wasn't missed.

[moogong]

Just my thoughts, quizzes like that are fun for kids but seem much better suited for the back of a place mat at Denny’s…which may say something about the dojang affiliate with that website.
One of my main frustrations with taekwondo in general is how cute it has become. Online quizzes, stuffed animals with dobaks, flashy marketing posters featuring kids doing kicks in different directions…all of this is really just a waste of the material it was made with. All of that crap is what happens when people prioritize a bunch of bells and whistles over actual hard training. This is not coming from somebody with a grudge against taekwondo but from somebody who has spent their entire adult life practicing the art.

Sorry to derail your thread, Aaron. On another note, if you keep creating threads and then abandoning them I will simply lock them.

[rouse]

I just think the test shows how silly some teaching of TKD has gotten.

TKD is a MA not a language class. If some one wants to learn the Korean language they need to enroll in a class at the local junior college. I don’t know where this trend of wasting time on learning Korean language started, but over the years I see it more and more.

The last thing the instructors I know in Korea would do would be to waste their time trying to teach language skills to an English speaking students. They were there to teach TKD “period”.

Besides, with all the misspelling and mispronunciation you hear, when English speaking folks try to use Korean words, it's just plain stupid to me. If your skill levels in TKD are not broad enough to teach TKD techniques for a whole class, maybe you should still be a student. Maybe it's just me?

Johnnie Rouse

[CEB]

I'm pretty sure the point has missed you completely, Ed.

Yes I just don’t get it. The poster appears to be a 7 year 1st dan who runs a Tae Kwon Do club. He appears to study under his teacher who appears to have decades of experience who is located around 25 miles away. The poster has posted video clips of a student sparring and the student appeared competent at the sport.

Based on the webpage their dojang are not places I would personally want to train. That is just me. It doesn’t appear to be my style of training but I won’t fault anyone for PRACTICING their martial art.

The man who doesn’t make mistakes never does anything. IMO the poster’s biggest mistake is asking for advice on how to run his Dojang from an internet form.

Students want guidance and students want leadership. Generally I would advise young teachers to just make a decision and run with it. You learn by doing. If what you do doesn’t work as well as you expect then adjust. If you do need guidance on something important get it privately from people you know and who you trust such as your teacher and seniors. Not a bunch of internet kuchi bushi. But that is just me.

[Jay Bell]

Yes I just don’t get it. The poster appears to be a 7 year 1st dan who runs a Tae Kwon Do club. He appears to study under his teacher who appears to have decades of experience who is located around 25 miles away. The poster has posted video clips of a student sparring and the student appeared competent at the sport.

Based on the webpage their dojang are not places I would personally want to train. That is just me. It doesn’t appear to be my style of training but I won’t fault anyone for PRACTICING their martial art.

The man who doesn’t make mistakes never does anything. IMO the poster’s biggest mistake is asking for advice on how to run his Dojang from an internet form.

Students want guidance and students want leadership. Generally I would advise young teachers to just make a decision and run with it. You learn by doing. If what you do doesn’t work as well as you expect then adjust. If you do need guidance on something important get it privately from people you know and who you trust such as your teacher and seniors. Not a bunch of internet kuchi bushi. But that is just me.

Ahhh...my mistake. I completely read your previous post wrong.

[Jay Bell]

"The man who doesn’t make mistakes never does anything. IMO the poster’s biggest mistake is asking for advice on how to run his Dojang from an internet form."

BINGO and the winner is CEB!!!!!

Chris,

There wasn't a contest. Run along now..

[moogong]

I believe he works on that website.

[David Craik]

I wish the quiz let you know which ones you got wrong. I got only 60%, though in my defense I haven't done TKD since the late 80's and all techniques and forms were referred to by English names.

It seems the quiz follows specific teachings of that dojang for that level, as questions 5 and 9 could be answered several ways and not really be 'wrong'.

Good quiz. If it helps students remember things they need to know more power to ya.

[Eliz]

I just think the test shows how silly some teaching of TKD has gotten.

TKD is a MA not a language class. If some one wants to learn the Korean language they need to enroll in a class at the local junior college. I don’t know where this trend of wasting time on learning Korean language started, but over the years I see it more and more.

The last thing the instructors I know in Korea would do would be to waste their time trying to teach language skills to an English speaking students. They were there to teach TKD “period”.

Besides, with all the misspelling and mispronunciation you hear, when English speaking folks try to use Korean words, it's just plain stupid to me. If your skill levels in TKD are not broad enough to teach TKD techniques for a whole class, maybe you should still be a student. Maybe it's just me?

Johnnie Rouse

As far as I have seen, the use of Korean terms in class is the norm. The Hapkido section has a few members living in Korea who go so far as to say Americans are popular teachers as they can also teach English while teaching HKD class. It seems to be a popular trend on both spectrum.

I do agree with you that the learning of the MA is more important than the the name that you give it. I guess in this day and age, people do not want raw ground beef, they want steak tar-tar.

An exception, I am an internationally ranked official and we MUST be able to call the match verbally in Korean, simultaneous with international TKD sign language. We are required to re-test annually. Suffice it to say, I am glad I am not a center court ref - my Korean and TKD sign language combined is all over the place! I can do one, or I can do the other, but I cannot get both coordinated simultaneously. It really is entertainment.

[Webmaster]

I think that too many people miss the point of using Korean or the native language of whatever art you train in. The point is not to make you do something needless, but the idea is to have a common language and terminology for a particular community so as to ensure clear communication between it's members who may not have a common everyday language. That is common in many communities and not just martial arts. For instance, the international language of aviation is English. So no matter the nationality of the pilot or air traffic controller, all communications are in English. It's obvious the reason why, and there would be a lot of dead passengers if a pilot did not understand the air traffic controllers instructions to land on a certain runway.

The same applies to the martial arts. Not only is it proper and respectful to learn the terminology of your art in it's native language, but when you interact with those from other countries, it's absolutely essential. For instance, during my many travels to countries where English is not the first (or even second) language, if I had said, "I am going to do a Major Outside Reap", they would give me a blank stare. However, if I said, "O Soto Gari", they would understand what throw I was about to do.

So while it's easy to disregard learning your Korean or Japanese terminology as a waste of time, once you start to get around and interact with those from different cultures who train in the same art, you will quickly come to realize how important it is.

End of rant!

[jjaje]

I wish the quiz let you know which ones you got wrong.

Just like our old final exam philosophy, when in doubt pick "C".

I think the answers are C A C C B B A C D C

[rouse]

I see the point that both Robert and Eliz are making. However, I personally think its way over emphasized early on.

There is plenty of time to learn the language skills as you mature in your respective MA. Naturally, if you get involved with international interactions such as tournaments or other types of exchanges, the terminality of the art become very important.

Learning the proper techniques, and skills involved in an art is tuff enough without clouding the issue with learning the language too. This is especially true if the instructor can’t even pronounce the terminally correctly himself.

And by the way Eliz, it took time for me just to get the difference between Red and Blue right .

Johnnie Rouse

[Eliz]

And by the way Eliz, it took time for me just to get the difference between Red and Blue right .

Johnnie Rouse

Been there, done that!

My main issue are the half and full point deductions and warnings. I will execute the sign for halfpoint, say the word for full point, then begin the match again from the spot of the infraction, which is indicative of a warning. My time keepers/score keepers are like, "WHAT??!!!"

The signs KILL me, the language does not. My "begin" signs are not big enough, I call for red and blue, but sign for victor (hand down vs. hand up). It is a hoot!

Only the A and AA ranked officials center court at National and International events, but the Head Referee requires all of us to center court at friendship matches. When it is my up, I just die. He is actually a very nice and supportive man. Very encouraging. I pass my re-certification every year, I just freeze up at the actual tourny's. He is right there with me fixing my every blunder.

[rouse]

I try to see which is from Ghina and which is from Korea. Lets see now, is it Chung or Hong?
Johnnie Rouse