It's done. I've destroyed a square piece of a tree with my bare foot, demonstrated my proficiency at the refined set of movements called Poomsae, and passed the physical test. I've graduated from white belt to yellow in TaeKownDo. I'm pretty happy with the journey too.
All along the way my English speaking instructor Brendan passed on solid information to me that he had learned while attaining almost 3 black belts so far. Some points really standout in my experiences with Yonsai Universtiy TKD. I am so impressed that they never lost sight of my advancing age or the physical shortcomings I have accumilated along the way. The goal has been to see me advance without causing harm and that's what has happened. Actually, I feel better every day after 10+ years of pain. Another impressive point is that nobody felt slighted when I respectfully agreed to simply bow to the Korean flag rather than salute or place my hand over my heart. I'm no nationalist, but hey, I have to pay respect to what my flag means to me. They bought me my very own flag. I was moved deeply by this.
I'm going to continue with this location and my instructors as this is one more great experience for me in Korea and in Songdo, Incheon specifically.
Showing posts with label gym. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gym. Show all posts
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Taekwondo, rise up and get your Poonsae on!
About a month ago I dipped my toe into the TKD waters to see what would happen. Actually, I jumped in head first. For months my Canadian buddy Brenden had been urging me to go to Yeonsei TKD in Songdo for it for increased core strength, flexibility and balance.
Each day starts with a pretty rigorous routine of sit ups, push ups, squats with the kettle bell and jumping rope. Form while doing all of these is paramount. We finish all of this with some serious stretching. It's not easy and Brendan understands this.
A little about me. I am a 41 year old male. I've been a "good" bicycle racer and largely kept my sport persuits limited to that or some running. I broke my left hip and femur almost exactly 10 years ago thanks to a careless driver. Since then I have had some sort of pain or limitation in my hip and the muscle in my left quad. Each night during our workouts of punching, stretching, forms, and kicking, I am reminded of this injury through imbalance or weakness. However, the next day finds me totally recovered and feeling measurably better than I did the previous week. I find myself grunting less when picking things up from awkward places or just getting in and out of the car.
Brendan and Master Kang have done an excellent job of listening to my thoughts, understanding my physical limitations, and accommodating my needs. I think it safe to assume any lesser facility would be more of a sink-or-swim style. I feel like I'm swimming and doing it without injury. I should also stress that this a non-violent approach to learning martial arts. I'm approaching a yellow belt (not so rookie as white) and am assured of minimal contact for some time. Whew!
Cost is $100/month. Classes are Monday - Thursday night at 9:30PM for one hour. You can come a little early for additional workout time.
If you want to contact Brendan to check out a class or just chat with him, shoot me a note.
Each day starts with a pretty rigorous routine of sit ups, push ups, squats with the kettle bell and jumping rope. Form while doing all of these is paramount. We finish all of this with some serious stretching. It's not easy and Brendan understands this.
A little about me. I am a 41 year old male. I've been a "good" bicycle racer and largely kept my sport persuits limited to that or some running. I broke my left hip and femur almost exactly 10 years ago thanks to a careless driver. Since then I have had some sort of pain or limitation in my hip and the muscle in my left quad. Each night during our workouts of punching, stretching, forms, and kicking, I am reminded of this injury through imbalance or weakness. However, the next day finds me totally recovered and feeling measurably better than I did the previous week. I find myself grunting less when picking things up from awkward places or just getting in and out of the car.
Brendan and Master Kang have done an excellent job of listening to my thoughts, understanding my physical limitations, and accommodating my needs. I think it safe to assume any lesser facility would be more of a sink-or-swim style. I feel like I'm swimming and doing it without injury. I should also stress that this a non-violent approach to learning martial arts. I'm approaching a yellow belt (not so rookie as white) and am assured of minimal contact for some time. Whew!
Cost is $100/month. Classes are Monday - Thursday night at 9:30PM for one hour. You can come a little early for additional workout time.
If you want to contact Brendan to check out a class or just chat with him, shoot me a note.
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