Advice for Beginners to the Martial Arts

I like to tell my martial arts students to do their best and to focus on learning techniques correctly. Many students wrongly try too hard and admonish themselves when they're not performing Taekwondo techniques correctly. This is not the right way to learn, and is counterproductive to the entire learning atmosphere we are trying to create at our martial arts school. If anyone is going to critisize your performance, let it be me or one of my other black belt instructors.

During training I also like beginners and students to relax as much as possible while learning and performing techniques. It is far more important to understand body dynamics than to channel dysfunctional 'power' through strikes or blocks. Don't try to be too 'martial art-y'. Leave Hollywood at home. Power generation is done not by tensing your upper body or arms through the strike, it is by using correct physics to send power through your body into your striking tools - then 'locking' the body at the point of impact to transmit striking power into the opponent.

At the end of class, I tell most beginners and those students who are somewhat struggling with new techniques not to practice new techniques at home. This is in order that I can see the initial progress of learning and make sure that movement and body dynamics are correct before the martial arts student assimilates the correct technique. I have seen self-training go pear shaped in just one week! Then it takes another week to change and modify that - it's all too much.

Beginners need to manage your own performance and progress. If you are not fit or flexible enough, this is what you need to work on outside class. Practice everything taught and ensure you are looking at other students and instructors to make sure you have got the right idea about lessons.

Lastly, please have some consideration for your instructor - chances are he or she is not paid or paid very little. Some courtesy and politeness goes a long way. This includes a proper greeting, concentration during the lesson, and feedback when it is requested. Also it is highly desireable to inform your instructor if you are not intending to visit training sessions due to illness or other planned events.

Beginners should read the page on Assumption of Risk and Safety in Traditional Taekwondo.

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