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Category:
Published: October 2007
"The proper purpose of martial arts training is training the body, cultivating the mind, so as to nurture the spirit and contribute to the welfare of the world."
"Beyond The Known" by Tri Dang
Some people may think of martial arts as violent. They have a distinct picture of two or more warriors battling for good and evil, all while flying through the air, performing picture-perfect kicks that can reach several feet above head level, and throwing punches that can go through walls. From time to time I have accomplished these feats, but I somehow lose the ability upon waking. However, there is a fantastic ability all true martial arts instructors possess: the ability to mentor. Mentoring an individual child as a student, raising the bar of ability, and having them walk the path of success will help the student succeed in life and become a successful and productive adult. Yes, we can do this with adults also, but the biggest impact I have experienced is with children.
I have to say that the ultimate role of mentoring rests upon the shoulders of parents. This does not exclude the community as a whole, and as martial arts instructors we must lead through successful mentoring.
The student/instructor relationship starts with trust. Mentoring will not work if there is no trust. When students, regardless of age, walk into Torres Tae Kwon Do (as I am sure it is in any other martial arts school), they have to trust the instructor. Children can pick up fairly quickly if an instructor does not care. In addition, if the parent does not trust the instructor or school, the mentoring process can never begin.
The onset of martial arts training can be very physically demanding. For example, during our warm-ups we focus on three physical aspects: increasing cardio, increasing flexibility, and increasing strength. A child, depending on belt rank, will have to: perform 10 to 100 pushups as part of strengthening; run anywhere from 5 to 15 laps around the Dojang floor (Dojang is the Korean word for "training hall" or "school") to develop cardio; and perform toe touches and splits to develop flexibility. These highlight just a few of the many different warm-up exercises we perform. While practicing the basics such as stances, blocks, strikes and kicks, a student also develops physical prowess. For example, a front stance is quite similar to a lunge and works the thigh muscles. Performing basic kicking develops balance due to the fact that the student is standing on one leg. Kicking at different heights will work on flexibility, and lifting the legs will strengthen leg muscles. When repetition is introduced, we increase our cardio. A poomse is a series of choreographed moves (stances/blocks/kicks/strikes) that are performed in a certain order. Some poomses can be less than twenty moves while others can be more than forty. These poomses, when repeatedly performed, will increase the physical ability of a student.
The mental aspects of martial arts training come next. We develop the mind through character traits: courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self-control, indomitable spirit, focus, self discipline, humility, etc. The first of these character traits to be developed is perseverance never quit. With the constant repetition and the push to increase one's ability and performance, a student must continually be reminded of never quitting (perseverance) and self-discipline. The need for courage is required as the student performs their basics or poomses in front of the instructor and others during a class. This develops leadership characteristics required for public speaking or performing. With all of this training a child will become stronger, their martial arts abilities will increase, and therefore they will be reminded never to use their skills to hurt anyone (self-control) and not show off (humility), which could lead to someone getting hurt. When introduced to a child at an early age, all of these mental aspects will help them grow successfully.
The martial arts spirit eventually develops as the student matures with training and age. Thoughts and actions become one with everyday living. They flow from day to day effortlessly and with a great sense of enjoyment for life. The martial arts are no longer just what they do but who they are. With this fantastic spirit they find that they can accomplish anything they aspire to achieve.
As martial arts participation continues to grow, more and more students will develop, the community will flourish, and eventually it will spread throughout the world.
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