S.D.Y. TaeKwon-Do

With the improvement in weather conditions, classes were much larger this week. Rank promotions continued to be distributed and several new students joined the class. The first newsletter of the year was made available this week both in class and on the website. Each newsletter has quiz questions, answer the questions through your rank level and turn it in to an instructor to earn student of the year points. Students required to keep a practice log should count time reading the newsletter and filling out the quiz on their log.

As students of TaeKwon-Do we must always strive to be better inside the do jang and outside of class. This week SDY students should spend some extra time focusing on being courteous. Respect others and be polite by holding the door open for a stranger, patently waiting, make a kind gesture, etc.

Beginner Class
This week in class students worked on kicking, patterns, flying kicks, rolls, and hand releases. Suggested areas of focus for students this week are:

Patterns/fundamental exercises

• Practice all of the patterns/fundamental exercises required for your rank, not just your highest pattern.
• If a specific pattern/fundamental exercises is particularly difficult on that day, spend more time on it and go through step by step.

7 ways to do a kick

• Lead leg kick, rear leg kick, jump lead leg kick, jump rear leg kick, skip kick, one-step kick, one-step jump kick
• White belts do these kicks with a front snap kick, single and double yellow stripes do these kicks with a turning kick, yellow belts and higher do these kicks with a side kick

Tenants of TaeKwon-Do

• Look up the 5 tenants of TaeKwon-Do in the student hand book or on the website
• Know what each tenant means and why it is important to practice

Advanced/Adult Class
Everyone had a good sweat in class this week primarily focusing on sparring. The class also ran through some drills including throwing continuous hand techniques for 2 minutes and continuous kicking for 30-60sec at a time without putting down the striking foot. Suggested areas of focus for students this week are:

Fundamental Exercises/patterns

• Know the meaning, diagram, and number of movements for each pattern required for your rank
• Know the purpose of each and every technique
• If a specific pattern/fundamental exercises is particularly difficult on that day, spend more time on it and go through step by step.

Series hand techniques

• Look up requirements for your rank
• Practice/memorize series hand techniques required for your rank
• Know the striking tool of each technique and what the target is
• Series hand techniques can be found here

Theories of power

• Look up the 6 theories of power in the student hand book
• Know how each theory is implemented in a single technique
• Practice the theories of power while performing fundamental exercises
• Video tape or watch yourself in a mirror to correct techniques lacking in power

Happy Training!!!!!!!