SUNY Oswego--Tae Kwon Do Club
The Tae Kwon Do club at SUNY Oswego invites all interested students, faculty, and staff to join. As indicated above we practice four days a week during the Fall and Spring semesters and there are Summer practices as well. For more information call Rameen Mohammadi (X2689), or mohammad@oswego.edu.
There are no age limits, and men and women are all welcome. You just need an interest in learning the art. You don't even need a uniform to start, just come in gym clothes.
We are an affiliate of World Tae Kwon Do Association headed by Grandmaster Duk Sung Son, 9th degree black belt. There are about 450 WTKDA schools and clubs in the world. You become part of a large network and can practice at any of those schools. Many of our members practice at sister schools during Summer vacations or once they graduate.
Our members widely participate in semi-annual tournaments, black-belt camps, and other events sponsored by the Association. We also make a point to visit other affiliate schools for practice and demonstrations.
There are no fees for trying out the club. However, students are encouraged to donate $25 each semester. Members also receive a full uniform when they first join the club.
The cost of testing for promotion is approximately $50. Students are tested for Yellow, Green, Purple, and Brown belts in route to the Black-Belt test. All Black-Belt tests are administered by Grandmaster Son bi-annually in the North East.
Oswego State Tae Kwon Do club is sponsored by the Student Association.
Students often join Tae Kwon Do for learning about self-defense or to just get in shape. Some come with aspirations to become Black-Belts, some come to just see what the marshal arts are all about. Among those who commit, perseverance and persistence are the most common attributes, more so than physical skills or talent. At times, you feel that you are not improving or you are too tired to practice, yet, you keep coming back and trying your best. There are many small victories along the way, but much of the development of your mind and body occurs so gradually that it goes unnoticed. It is always fun to watch videos from the days that you were a lower belt to appreciate how much you have progressed.
Undoubtedly, it takes many years of practice to become proficient in
Tae Kwon Do. The awareness and strength that accompany this proficiency,
more than your physical fitness or the ability to defend yourself,
provide a model for learning that is applicable to all facets of life.
Everyone is encouraged to arrive early to warm up and stretch before each
practice. We always start promptly at the designated times and workout
for 11/2 to 2 hours. Practices are modulated,
starting with a
short run followed by quick stretching exercises. We then perform
Basics,
Forms, Sparring,
Three-Step, Heavy-Bag workout, and finish with Warm-Downs.
Occasionally, we add on board-breaking, side-kick drills and other activities.
Workouts are intense and strenuous, but the expectations are very much
dependent on the student's individual ability.
Over the years, great friendships have developed as a result of involvement
in our club. The bonding that occurs when you practice long and hard
together can last a lifetime. Students are encouraged to help one another
and we all work together in organizing trips and demonstrations.
A majority of our alumni have continued on in Tae Kwon Do and we see them
often at tournaments and other events.
Forms are choreographed movements integrating the techniques practiced
in Basics. Each belt-level has one or two
Forms associated with it. Forms become more complicated as the students
go up in ranks. Amazingly, if you remain true to the intent of the forms, your
hands quicken, your balance gets better, and you react to your opponents
attacks more swiftly during sparring. All techniques should be done with power
and speed. Those who put in everything they have during forms begin to realize
their true motive, those who don't, may as well do thirty minutes of
calisthenics.
We practice all forms leading to and including the forms designated for our
belt-level. This builds stamina, but more importantly it is intended
to promote a simple idea--you must always strive to do the forms better,
regardless of the years that you have trained in Tae Kwon Do. An important
side-effect here is that that lower belts get a chance to observe upper
belts ways. Students are always encouraged to learn by watching upper belts.
Sparring in our style of Tae Kwon Do as taught to us by Grandmaster Son has
No Offensive Contact. Students must show focus and self control in
executing powerful techniques. All offensive techniques must target
critical regions, such as, the temple, ribs, or solar plexus, but not make
contact. All attacks must only target above the waste and the front of
the body. Blocking is taught as a critical part of the art of sparring. We
don't smash our partner's wrist or ankle, blocks are designed to
deflect punches or kicks and protect you, not hurt your friends in class.
Students wear no protective gear since there is no offensive contact.
During demonstrations, we typically use the same techniques used in sparring
to break boards and concrete blocks. It is never acceptable to fight with
contact unless required for self-defense in an actual encounter.
Furthermore, men and women spar with one another in class. There are no
weight or age categories for sparring during class, and White
belts(beginners) do not participate in Free-Style sparring until
promoted to Yellow belt. Mid Hudson Valley Youth TKD, New
York
Mid-Atlantic TKD
What is practice like?
Friendship and Comradery
Basics
Basics are attack and block techniques that are rudimentary to Tae
Kwon Do. Each technique is practiced by students taking a sequence of steps
forward and performing punches, blocks, or kicks with each step.
It is difficult to master Basics, for you can always go faster,
and demonstrate more power and focus as you maintain balance in delivery.
In fact, Speed, power, focus, balance and control are indeed the five tenets
of Tae Kwon Do. Control is more fully discussed in the context of sparring.
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Forms
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Free-Style Sparring
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Three-Step Sparring
Three-step is where the fundamentals of sparring are learned. Students
practice these in pairs. One student stepping forward and throwing a punch
with each step while the other student steps back and blocks each punch.
Punches must be thrown with control, targeting above the lips of their partner
without contact. The other student learns to step back and block on the
wrist. As the name indicates, the attack stops after three punches at which
time the student on defense executes one or more offensive techniques.
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Last modified: Fri May 5 2007