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Upcoming Events
-- Fall 2008 |
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Cuiching,
Kyle |
Forms,
Weapons |
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Cummings,
Carlton
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Sparring |
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Dickerson,
George |
Forms,
Weapons, Sparring |
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Engler,
Michael
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Forms |
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Flaws, Jami |
Weapons |
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Gilley, Ryann |
Forms,
Weapons, Sparring |
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Henderson, Leonard
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Forms |
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Kaesler, Ralph |
Forms,
Sparring |
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Lee,
Joshua
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Forms,
Sparring |
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Pozzi, Betty
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Forms,
Weapons, Sparring |
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Rodriguez, Enriquez
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Forms,
sparring |
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Salvi,
Shivani
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Forms,
Weapons |
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Stone,
Tyrone
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Forms,
Sparring |
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Szimel,
Alysha
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Sparring, XMA Forms |
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Vieux, Lindsay |
Weapons |
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Wang, Anthony
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XMA
Forms, XMA Weapons |
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Woodson,
Cheryl
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Weapons |
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ST
U D E N T O A T H S
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Karate for
Kids' Oath
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Spirit of
Taekwondo
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Each
day I will live
by honoring my parents and instructors,
practicing to the best of my abilities,
and by having courtesy and respect
for everyone I meet.
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(first
half)
I will practice
in the spirit of Taekwondo, with courtesy for fellow students,
loyalty for my instructors, and respect for my juniors and
seniors.
(Second half)
I shall
live in the spirit of Taekwondo, having honor with others,
integrity within my self and self control in my actions.
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Belts
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The
concept of belts and rank is probably one that
most people associate with Taekwondo and
martial arts in general, even if they only
have a passing interest in the subject.
In Songahm Taekwondo, our belts reflect a
member's proven level of competence and (just
as importantly) the progression of colors
reflects an inner journey that never truly
ends. Each belt achieved is truly an
accomplishment worthy of respect. It is also
worth noting that achieving a belt isn't just
a matter of "spending enough time"
in a previous belt. In order to achieve their
next rank, a student must demonstrate their
proficiency in their current belt's
techniques, to include Basic Moves, Sparring
and Forms.
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ATA
Songham Taekwondo Belts (Ranks)
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White
Belt
"Pure
and without the knowledge of Songahm Taekwondo. As
with the Pine Tree, the seed must now be planted and
nourished to develop strong roots."
The student has no knowledge of Songahm
Taekwondo and begins with a clean (pure) slate.
Purity is often signified by the color white.
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Orange
Belt
"The
sun is beginning to rise. As with the morning's
dawn, only the beauty of the sunrise is seen rather
than the immense power."
The beginner student sees the beauty of the art
of Taekwondo but has not yet experienced the power
of the technique.
Orange is found among the many
colors of the sunrise.
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Yellow
Belt
"The
seed is beginning to see the sunlight."
The student begins to understand the basics of
Taekwondo.
The sun appears to be yellow.
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Camouflage
(Camo) Belt
"The
sapling is hidden amongst the taller pines and must
now fight its way upward." The student
begins to realize his/her place in the world's
largest martial art. The student must now begin to
spar in order to promote in rank.
Camouflage (greens) is used to hide
among the trees in the forest.
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Green
Belt "The
pine tree is beginning to develop and grow in
strength."
The student's technique is developing power. The
components of the basic techniques are beginning to
work in unison.
As the pine tree develops, it sprouts green
pine needles.
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Purple
Belt
"Coming
to the mountain. The tree is in the mid-growth and
now the path becomes steep." The
student has crossed over into a higher level of
Songahm Taekwondo. The techniques, poom-sae (forms),
and level of gyeo-roo-gi (sparring) becomes more
difficult, creating a "mountain" that must
be overcome.
Mountains are often depicted as being purple.
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Blue
Belt
"The
tree reaches for the sky toward new heights."
Having passed the mid-way point, the student
focuses his/her energy upward toward black belt.
The sky appears as blue.
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Brown
Belt The
tree is firmly rooted in the earth."
At this point the student has mastered the
basics and developed deep roots in Taekwondo.
Brown is known as an earthy color,
such as dirt.
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Red
Belt
"The
sun is setting. The first phase of growth has been
accomplished."
The first day (the period of time from white
belt to red belt) of growth is coming to an end. The
physical skill has been developed but lacks control;
therefore, physical and mental discipline must now
be achieved.
Variations of red are found among
the many colors of the sunset.
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Red/Black
Belt
"The
dawn of a new day. The sun breaks through the
darkness."
The previous day has ended, giving way to a new
dawn. The student must begin a new phase of
training; that of being a black belt.
The red is the sun (in a sunrise)
as it breaks through the black of
night.
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Black
Belt
"The
tree has reached maturity and has overcome the
darkness... it must now 'plant seeds for the
future.'"
The color black is created when all the colors
of the light spectrum have been absorbed into an
object. That object has "taken control" of
the colors and retained them. If one color was to
"escape", the object would no longer be
black but would appear as that color. The student
has mastered the nine geup (grades) of Taekwondo.
He/she has "absorbed" all the knowledge of
the color ranks and overcome or "mastered"
that level or training.
The colors of the spectrum are bound together and
are not reflected off an object, resulting in the
absence of color which we call black. |
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While
training in Songahm Taekwondo, each student focuses not only
on the physical skills he or she must learn, but also
important skills that will help lead to personal success in
life. This aspect of our Taekwondo and philosophy is just as
important to us as kicking high or breaking boards. What good
is physical fitness and the ability to defend yourself if you
aren't prepared to live your life and be successful while
doing so?
We have several "sets" of these Life Skills, one
each for Color Belts, Black Belts, and Leadership. To give
you an idea of how these Life Skills integrate into our
training, take a look at our Color Belt Life Skills
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Confidence
“Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, it
can achieve." –Napoleon Hill
1)
Practice - Anything you do will improve when you try extra
hard.
2) Self Image - Positive self image will improve you’re
attitude.
3) Visualization - Use your imagination to see yourself
accomplish something
4) Stand Tall - Body language is as loud as your voice, use it
to send a good message. |
Attitude
“Attitudes are contagious. Is yours worth catching? -Author
Unknown
1)
Positive Thoughts - Believe in yourself!
2) Resolve - Make up your mind to finish what you start.
3) Expectation - Set high standards for yourself and set the
example for your peers.
4) Willpower - The power of your mind drives you to success |
Goals
"Setting a goal is not the main thing. It is deciding
how you will go about achieving it and staying with that plan."
-Tom Landry
1)
Specific - Know exactly what you want and how to achieve it.
2) Motivating - Keep a positive attitude and believe in
yourself.
3) Achievable - Set high goal and develop steps to make it
easier to reach them.
4) Relevant - Remember why your goal is important to you.
5) Track able - Make sure that you can measure how you are
progressing |
Respect
“Respect
is something that is earned, not commanded."
–Patrick Lewis
1)
Manners - Show others that you value them by being polite.
2) Follow the Rules - When everyone acts within the guidelines
there is harmony.
3) Communicate - Listen to gain understanding, talk to clarify
your thoughts.
4) Thoughtful - Think of another person’s needs before your
own. |
Self
Esteem
"Of all the judgments we pass in life, none is more
important than the judgment we pass on ourselves."
-Nathaniel Branden
1)
Unique - You are special and unlike anyone else in the world!
2) Brave - Dare to be different, conformity is boring.
3) Proud - Act in a way that will make you feel worthy of
honor and respect.
4) Appreciate - Recognize your value and believe in your
potential to succeed |
Perseverance
“It's not that I'm so smart, it's just that I stay with
problems longer." -Albert Einstein
1)
Diligent - Always pay attention to the task at hand.
2) Consistent - Perform to the same standards every time you
do a task.
3) Tenacious - Never give up!
4) Drive - Force yourself to do your very best every time |
Focus
“Don't waste time calculating your chances of success and
failure. Just fix your aim and begin." -Guan Yin Tzu
1)
Concentrate - Use all your energy and thoughts to accomplish a
single purpose.
2) Train Hard - Working on the one thing that is most
difficult will make it your best skill.
3) Expectation - Prepare for the best outcome and you will get
nothing less.
4) Foresee - Believe in your ability to reach that goal by
imagining the future result. |
Discipline
“With self-discipline all things are possible."
–T. Roosevelt
1)
Self–Control - When you know what you’re supposed to do
AND you do it!
2) Leadership - Set a good example for others.
3) Responsible - You are in charge of your actions and
feelings.
4) Plan - Make a map for your goals and stick to it until you
achieve them. |
Integrity
“Integrity is doing the right thing, even if nobody is
watching." -Jim Stovall
1)
Honesty - You always tell the truth
2) Character - The positive, unique qualities that make you
the person you are
3) Trustworthy - Everyone knows they can depend on you to do
the right thing
4) Conviction - Standing up for what you believe in |
In
addition to monthly themes, our system includes the unique
victory patch. Kids are rewarded special "victory
stars." These difference colored stars are rewarded for
outstanding performance in karate class, school, home, or at a
tournament competition. Kids may receive the following stars
for the following deeds:
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Gold
Star |
Straight
A's, honor roll, or significant improvement |
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Silver
Star |
Special
performance awards |
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Blue
Star |
Monthly
themes, weekly lessons, classroom
performance |
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Red
Star |
Tournament
participation |
Four different
colored Victory Patches are available to accommodate all the
stars that can be earned by high achieving Karate Kids:
| Blue
Victory Patch |
0-24
Stars |
| Silver
Victory Patch |
25-49
Stars |
| Gold
Victory Patch |
50-99
Stars |
| Blue/Gold
Victory Patch |
100+
Stars |
In
Songahm Taekwondo, each rank has its own unique poom-sae
(form) designed specifically for the techniques taught at that
rank level. The form is part of a complete system of teaching
the Songahm Taekwondo student.
Why must students learn forms? Many martial art styles have
discontinued the use of the poom-sae or use them only for the
purpose of testing or tournaments. This means they have taken
the "do" (as in Taekwondo), which means "the
way", out of their style. They have in essence taken the
"art" out of "martial art."
POOM-SAE/FORMS
The
Korean word "poom-sae" means a "form" or
"pattern of movements." It is actually a planned
series of movements that combines the physical skills (such as
blocks, strikes, kicks, stances and more) with the mental
skills (such as balance, coordination, discipline, strategy,
focus and more). The target of these movements is an imaginary
opponent of the practitioner's own size.
The copyrighted Songahm forms have been arranged as a system
to gradually increase the student's skill, develop technical
balance equally on the left and right side of the body, train
muscles, and to develop students from the beginner level
through the rank of Grand Master. This is why each Songahm
form does not repeat most techniques more than twice and also
why every technique which is done with a right arm/leg is also
repeated with the left arm/leg.
These forms, designed by Eternal Grand Master H.U. Lee, were
the first that truly emphasized the tradition of the art of
Taekwondo, unlike older forms (hyung) which were based on
Japanese and Okinawan Karate forms. Not only do the Songahm
forms train you in each rank, but they are also excellent for
using as a warm-up prior to a work out.
The "system" that encompasses the 18 Songahm forms
is based on traditional philosophy, as well as being designed
for easy memorization.
FORM
PHILOSOPHY
All
goals require a poom-sae or pattern. Even in life we have
structured patterns. When you're born, you learn communication
and basic skills in the home. A few years later, you are
enrolled into kindergarten or elementary school. Following
this comes high school. During high school, we begin to decide
the direction we will take in life. We choose a college and/or
a career goal. This is the pattern of the first part of our
life. If you choose a good pattern, you can be a success. If
your pattern is poor, you may not be as successful in your
life endeavors.
Similarly, your chances of success in Songahm Taekwondo are
much greater by following the solid series of patterns (forms)
we have developed for our students
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TYPICAL COMMANDS:
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chareot
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attention
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kyong
nae
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bow
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jun
bee
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ready
(as in ready position)
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shi
jahk
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begin
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ko
mahn
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stop
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shiuh
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at
ease
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bah
roh
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return
to ready position
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sah
bum nim
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Master
Instructor
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sah
bum
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Instructor
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poome-sae
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forms
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komap
sumnida
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thank
you
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THE
NUMBERS:
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1
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hana
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first
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il
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2
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dul
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second
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ee
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3
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set
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third
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sam
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4
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net
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fourth
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sah
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5
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dasut
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fifth
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oh
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6
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yasut
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sixth
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yook
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7
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il-gope
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seventh
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chil
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8
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yugh-dil
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eighth
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pal
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9
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ah-hop
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ninth
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koo
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10
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yul
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tenth
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sip
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Student Corner
