Martial Arts in Mesa, AZ Karate for Kids Lessons

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Deal With The Elephant (part 4)

November 3, 2011

DEAL WITH THE ELEPHANT or IGNORE IT? (part 4)

IGNORE THE ELEPHANT LOSE

CREDIBILITY

Theres this thing called credibility, and it means simply, believable. The word comes from theLatin, credo, which means, I believe. And I fear that all too few instructors realize that the value of

their program is directly proportional to their credibility. I also fear that many instructors do not realize

how carefully many parents are watching and listening.

Lets go back and look at exactly what the instructor did and said, especially the very last thing he said:

The students had lots of trouble with the drill, and at the end of class, the instructor said:

Lets give them a round of applause, come on parents! Great job, kids!!!! Clap for yourselves. Woo

hoo!

After that, he went on to review announcements, lead the oath, and dismiss the class. That is known asignoring the elephant.

PARENTS ASK THEMSELVES THESE QUESTIONS

When this happens, parents watching have to ask themselves a few simple questions:

Did the instructor NOT see that the students could not do what he was asking them to do?

Wow! If he did not see how poorly the kids did, Im not sure hes watching very closely. Maybe I need to

take my kid to another studio where he will be watched more closely.

Maybe the instructor did see what happened. After all, he did change the activity. So if he knows that the

kids could not do it, then why is he telling us they did a great job? Why is he asking us to clap for

them?

I assure you that if you ignore the elephant and do not address the difficulty the students had, these

comments will be floating around in the heads of the parents who watched.

Is that situation any good for your business?
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WHY DID HE IGNORE THE

ELEPHANT?

BECAUSE ITS EASIER THAN TALKING ABOUTIT

All instructors feel responsible for the performance of their students. They want them to do well, and they

work hard toward that goal. Whenever your students dont perform as you would like, it can be

embarrassing for you as an instructor. That self-consciousness makes it hard to talk openly about how the

students did.

Inexperienced instructors often act this way.

But classroom elephants can shut down even experienced instructors because any time you need to talk

about something difficult, its always easier to just avoid it. Whens the last time you explained a nochange to some parents? Or whens the last time you faced a parent who insists the tournament judges

missed all his childs points?

It is simply easier to avoid these stinky issues.

DEAL WITH THAT STINKY

ELEPHANT

The best instructors simply admit that a big stinky elephant just left a pile of processed grass in the middle

of the floor!

So thats the first step. Say something like this: Hey parents. I know you noticed how challenging thatfront kick drill was for them. Many had some real problems with it, right?

INCREASE YOUR CREDIBILITY

Acknowledging what really happened actually increases your credibility, especially when what happened is

negative. It makes the parents feel that you are not only watching carefully, but also you are HONEST

about how the students deal with what you ask them to do!

Thats extra points in the value department, folks!!!!!!

Then, you can say: I know many had some real difficulty with the combination. Thats to be expected.Its

week #1. This material is very new for all of them.


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OR

I know many students had real difficulty with the kicking combination. Taekwondo IS challenging. But

thats how we build confidence.

BLACK BELT ATTITUDE vs PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE

And then you can hit the instructor-generates-value-home-run by saying:

But did you notice, that all of them were smiling. No one got frustrated and quit or cried. So I think we

need to clap for them showing BLACK BELT ATTITUDE. I know they did not get it TODAY, but their

attitude and effort tells me theyll be back in the next class and keep trying hard. Thats the kind of

attitude you want in them.RIGHT?

And heres another great tip, ALWAYS END YOUR STATEMENT TO THE PARENTS WITH A

REQUEST FOR CONFIRMATION-Right? and look right at them and expect them to shake theirheads in confirmation. In fact, shake your head in approval while you look right at them.

Senior Master James Kenney explains the difference between praising technique and praising attitude very

clearly:

Sometimes we move further and faster than the students are ready for. In this case you can always

recognize a student for their effort and attitude. Instead of saying to the parents what a good job they did,

you should recognize the students for great attitude while practicing a difficult combination.

BE SPECIFIC WITH PRAISE

You must be specific in what you are praising, as Master Kenney says. Acknowledge that their

performance was inadequate, but their attitude was superior.

And that is how you GENERATE VALUE by dealing with elephants in your classroom.

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Here Comes the Elephant: Part 3

October 24, 2011

Number three front kick and reverse punch. Just watch Madison our JTI leader. See.step

together.kickland.reach..punch. You always kick with the front leg. OK, lets all do it now,

by the count.

And so you begin leading twelve basic students, mostly white belts ages 7-12, down the floor. Its going

OK, but several are challenged with which leg to kick with and others cant even step together. In fact,

there are at least three different versions of stepping together:

1. the student steps together, but kicks with the same leg that stepped
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2. the student actually steps in front, instead of together3. the student actually does it right.

Of the twelve students, only two are actually doing it right, but you are not daunted, and you move ahead

with more repetitions. One or two are really getting it, but the rest continue to struggle. In fact, as the drill

progresses, you are amazed at how many variations there are. Some of them do it right three times in a

row. You praise them, and then suddenly they regress into a multitude of wrong steps and and wrongkicks. The one good thing thats happening is that no one seems frustrated. They are all smiling andhappy to be kicking, even if its the wrong foot. But in your own mind, you think, I cant get them to do

it right and all the parents are watching. Ive got to get them to do better.

So you change the drill by dropping the punch. OK, now, lets just work on the kick. Forget the

punch. I know you can do this. By the count. Step, kick. Good! Step .kick. They do a littlebetter with this simpler drill, but just like before, after three or four successful reps, they regress into thatmultitude of variations that are not correct.

A few more minutes pass, and you decide, thats enough. Lets wrap it up. Choon bi. Middle stance

punch. OK, punch hard, yell loud. And they do! In comparison to the #3 front kicks, these punchesare great, and they are still smiling. You dont feel good about the #3 front kicksafter all, that was the

goal on the class plannerbut you feel that you have salvaged the class with the middle stancepunches. You look at the parents and say,

Lets give them a round of applause, come on parents! Great job, kids!!!! Clap for

yourselves. Woo hoo!

Its at that moment that you see THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM.

The elephant is the glaring fact that your students did not correctly perform what you asked of them, and

yet you told their parents they did a great job. In fact, almost all of them performed very poorly. Yes, they

did not get frustrated or cry, but you have to ask yourself, What did the class look like to the parents? I

said GREAT JOB, KIDS and asked the parents to applaud. But anyone watching could see that the

kids failed to perform.

So what you say and do next is very important. Do you simply ignore the elephant? If yes, then what are

the consequences of ignoring it? If you choose to talk about the elephant-I mean, after all, this big

stinky thing is right therewhat do you say?

POST YOUR COMMENTS NOW.

Posted inUncategorized|1 Comment

An Elephant in the Classroom: Part 2October 19, 2011

Hey parents!!! Theyre doing great! Lets have a round of applause.

Im sure those words are spoken over and over in ATA classrooms around the world.
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Undoubtedly, they are connected to the 10 CLASS MANAGEMENT SKILLS and understanding the value

of being positive. I was studying Songahm Taekwondo before we had 10 CLASSMANAGEMENTSKILLS, and Im not sure you would exactly call my early classroom under Mr. Veeders guidance as a

negative place. In many ways it was positive. I had lots of fun. It was all college students. And we

laughed often. But the classroom had a serious tone and we did drill over and over and over.

Once we started teaching kids, the idea of being a drill instructor was probably not what most parentsexpected to find in the classroom.

So we moved on to BEING POSITIVE. At instructor camps back in the 80s we had to do two-minute

teaching drills and we were supposed to BE POSITIVE and CHEER ON our students. In fact the termcheerleader was often applied to this style of teaching.

As we got more involved with parents, we started encouraging them to cheer on as well. Ill never

forget how members of my staff in the 80s used the phrase And the crowd goes wild. It became a

regular thing to look at the parents several times during class, and encourage them to clap in response tohow well their children were doing.

So i need to ask, now that you have this additional background, WHAT IS THE ELEPHANT IN THE ATA

CLASSROOM?

Post your response and well chat some more.


An Elephant in the Classroom: Part 1

October 18, 2011

When someone says, Gee, theres an elephant in the room. He is referring to a common situation in

which something has been said or done and yet no one who obviously has heard or witnessed the event saysanything about it. Everyone in the room simply ignores what is so obvious or they all just talk around

the subject. You might here about the elephant in the room in a leadership or communication course in

which the facilitator is trying to get the students to be more direct, to address all issues on the table, or to

talk about that topic which is really obvious but unpleasant.

We encounter the elephant all the time at family gatherings, in casual conversations, in training sessions,

and in classrooms around the world. Sometimes we ignore the elephantdespite its sizebecause wedont want to hurt someones feelings or because we ourselves feel inadequate to face the topic. And manytimes, it may be better to simply let quiet elephants stay quiet.

As an ATA instructor, however, there is one elephant that will make regular appearances in yourclassrooms, and if you expect to be viewed as a real professional, if you expect parents to believe the

money they are spending is really well-spent, you had better stop the class, embrace the elephant, and

explain to the parents and students how it got there and what you are going to do about it.

So what is the elephant in the ATA classroom?
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Part 6: Six Secrets to Success with ATA Tiny Tigers

July 13, 2011

Secret #6: have fun

Lets end our TIGER discussion with that first image of the class about to start. Problems arise when theinstructor gets fearful of either being able to control the kids or is overly concerned with accomplishing

certain Taekwondo objectives. They are just 4-year-olds. And Chief Master Clark gave me this very

important idea years ago: every instructors most important objective is motivating the child and the

family to come back to the next class!!!!!

Be loving, but also create structure

To do this you need to be a combination of Mr. Rogers, Superman, Bozo the Clown, and the Blue Power

Ranger (thanks go to Mr. MIKE CHAT). It is really important to be loving, but it is also important to be

the enforcer of rules and to establish a structure that the kids understand. All this can be done with a littlepractice and a few ideas for having fun.

Use growls, facial expression, and exaggerated gestures to help kids stay focused on you. Use rhymes, gibberish, and meaningless phrases that sound funny, like: Songahm 2 I do for

you! Songahm 1 is fun under the sun with a bun! Songahm 3 fills me withglee. Songahm 4 is fun galore.Songahm 5 makes me alive Andeach of these is delivered

with vigorous, exaggerated gestures and facial expressions.

Use alliteration, repeating the beginning consonant sound, as in. . . Super, slippery,spectacular side kick fabulous, fast, frenzied front kickrambunctious rocket

round kickpotential power punch

Wear a different removable tattoo each week to show the kids or use a kids Band-Aid if you get aminor cut on your hand. The entire class will be talking about it, and you will build rapport.

Use different names and sounds for techniques, like atomic knifehand, low (in a low pitchvoice) block high (in a high pitch voice) block

Always make faces! Lip-synch the TIGER PLEDGE to help them do it more independently. LAUGH OFTEN, LAUGH LOUD and ALWAYS SMILE!

Tigers are the best!

Some might say you could base your entire business on TIGERS. I think they are easier to market to. I

think they are easier to enroll (at first on a short term program). I think preschool parents are quick to

realize the value you offer. And as a result, they stay longer in your program. And then, you can enroll

the parents too!


PART 5: Six Secrets to Success with ATA Tiny Tigers

July 4, 2011

SECRET #5: CREATING VALUE
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Heres a tip: go to the library and read some business books on customer service. None of this is rocket

science. Most of it is just common sense, courtesy, and honesty. Here are a few

recommendations: SWIM WITH THE SHARKS, IN SEARCH OF EXCELLENCE, and CUSTOMERSFOR LIFE.

Here are SEVEN IDEAS TO BUILD VALUE:

1. Training conferences are done both formally (usually prior to upgrading) and informally (justtalking after class with parents about their children). This effort never stops. It happens

everyday, with every class.

2. Curriculum-based instruction means that almost every class in your entire academy isconnectedconceptuallyto every other class. There is something that is happening in my TT

basic class that is preparing them to be in my 1st

degree black belt class. There is someprogression from beginner to intermediate and to advanced and on to black belt. And ALLinstructors teach from some kind of planner that ties each separate instructor in each class to the

work of the other instructors in the other classes. (More on this in another newsletter).3. Structured organized classes that stress focus and discipline. They learn to STAND STILL!4. Reasonably paced advancements5. Communicate clear expectations about classroom behavior to parents and explain the

consequences of inappropriate behavior.6. Regular lobby talkto stress participation in special event and seminars7. Involving parents in almost every class to hold boards, targets, and assist with drills.8. Greetingstudents and parents with a smile and name.9. Talk to the parents while you are teaching class. Whos the proud parent of this powerful

puncher?

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==

Next week well wrap it up with PART 6. DONT FORGET TO POST YOUR COMMENTS!!!!!

What are YOUR ideas oncreating value?


6 Secrets to Success with ATA Tiny Tigers: Part 4

June 23, 2011

Secret #4: create a smooth, personalized transition to K4K

Once a TIGER turns age SIX, we watch him closely, looking for signs of the need to move to K4K. Wealways do a training conferencewith the family to make plans for this transition. It s a great

opportunity to build value. More on that later. The most obvious signs that a TIGER is ready for K4Koccur when the TIGER

1. spars too hard for anyone else in the class

2. memorizes part of his form on his own
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3. shows signs of lagging motivation.

4. is close to age 7

A brilliant idea!

All of these signs indicate that the TIGER needs the greater challenge ofK4K curriculum. Heres how tomake the transition to K4K really smooth: our entire TT curriculum is ONE BLOCK behind the K4K

block. In this way, when a tiger moves to K4K, he is doing the same form in K4K that he was doing theprevious cycle in TT.

Earn trust and support

And heres another really radical idea: some kids moving to K4K spend 4-8 months training in K4KBEFORE they graduate, depending on their age and maturity. I know that curls hair among those whosay, students need to advance or theyll quit. Well I also know that when you have earned the trust and

support of families, parents will support your decisions about not graduating and keep bringing their kids to

class because they really trust you!!!! Thats money in the bank, but most often, it is also the right thing

to do!

Be sure to post your comments!

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June 20, 2011

Secret #3: progress is slow

In my school, over the last twelve to fifteen years, we have used TWO different advancementformats before settling on the one that has worked best for us. At first, there was PLAN #1: advance themevery three months. This approach worked rather well because they spent THREE FULL MONTHS

studying the same block of material. But it became cumbersome because we had 10 different graduations

per year (6 for K4K and 4 for TIGERS) and created too much administrative work (ATA reports,

inventory controls, notices and newsletters).

A real disaster!

In PLAN #2, we advanced them EVERY TWO months, along with the K4K and adults. That was an

absolute disaster! Even with the half-rank advancement, it did not take long for us to have too many high

ranked TIGERS who were not ready to handle the responsibility of being a K4K blue belt. We had toconsider the idea of advanced TIGER classes and possible TIGER black belts. But I did not want to do that

because I did not want TIGERS earning black belts without being able to break effectively, spar with

confidence, and do powerful forms.

Plan #3 finally works!
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So we hatchedplan #3: advance 3-4 year olds every FOUR months; 5-6 year olds could possibly go every

TWO months. To be certain I would not have any 5 year old blue belts, I actually calculated the age andrank of a hypothetical student who starts at age 3 and graduates every FOUR months, using the TIGER

half rank system. It worked out perfectly to produce a 7-year-old purple or blue belt. And remember, no

tiger automatically advances. Each is still held to some minimum performance criteria for his rank and

receives permission from the classroom instructor to advance!

BE SURE TO POST YOUR OWN COMMENTS!! JOIN THE DISCUSSION



June 13, 2011

Secret #2: TIGER class is not about punching and kicking

But we are teaching Taekwondo! You shout! Yes, indeed we are. Our Taekwondo program, however,

is a vehicle through which we teach discipline and character. In fact, I believe that the development ofphysical skill in Taekwondo parallels a childs physical growth pattern. In other words,give their littlebodies a chance to grow into Taekwondo.

Lets get real!

Im not denying that there does exist the exceptional 8, 7, or even 6 year old who might be a good black

belt. You must realize, however, that as an entrepreneur you are not going to pay your bills teaching

prodigies and you certainly are not going to retire from teaching prodigies. Stories of these exceptional

children always come up in seminars. I always here, Ive got several TIGERS who memorize their forms

and theyll be black belts by age 7.

That may be true, but lets keep our VISION in mind here. We want to change the world one black belt at

a time. And we want to make a living doing that. And we want to RETIRE at some point. To do those

thingsyou need numbers, so lets stick with what MOST preschoolers need, not what some of them can

accomplish in rare circumstances.

Skills to teach in TIGER class:

Learn to answer when called

Listen with eyes and earsmake eye contact

Stand still and follow simple commands

Learn spatial orientation (front, back, left, right, up, down)

Learn basic counting, shapes, and letters

Develop concentration skills

Develop basic social skills, self-control, and manners
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Begin to develop independence in daily tasks like getting dressed

Yes, the TIGERS in your class punch and kick, but nothing is really learned in any class until the students

get still and focus. So that is your first objective. And at any time, you can stop the class and wait till

they get back on track. We do this by using the simple structures you already know: stand like a black

belt, sit like a master, listening position. I give one of these commands in-between every karate exercise

in the class. Although the kids love the punching and kicking, the parents know that the most importantdrill in class occurs when I say listening position. Parents are regularly surprised when we getTIGERS to stand still and listen. Im sure the same is true when you teach!

Discipline and focus must come first!

Another wonderful fact is that when youfocus on listening and concentration, their physical skills also

improve. If you try to teach too much physical skill without the foundation of focus, nothing of any

quality is every accomplished. Discipline and focus must come first!!

And have clear expectations about behavior in class and clear procedures and consequences for

inappropriate behavior.

============================================================================

PLEAS POST YOUR OWN COMMENTS! LETS TALK! WHAT DO YOU DO IN YOUR

ACADEMY?


6 Secrets to Success with ATA Tiny Tigers- Part 1

June 7, 2011

A Scary Situation!

Youre standing in front of FIFTEEN 3, 4, and 5-year olds about to teach some kids karate. These arethe youngest, newest, and lowest ranks in your school: the TINY TIGER BASIC class. Some are lying

down; some are asking for a drink of water; one is crying to go see his mom; another has spit on the floorand is smearing it around; and one is sitting like a master. Youre waiting forone to ask to go to the

bathroom, knowing that at that point, they will all need to go. This will happen just as class is about tostart.

Your junior helper has not showed up today, so in addition to wrangling this quivering mass of little

humans, there is a pile of homework sheets and award papers you need to organize for the end of class.

To make the situation even more intimating, just a few feet away are 25 parentsseveral with infant

siblingseagerly waiting for you to start class. At least ONE of the infant siblings is screaming. Othersiblings are eating cheerios and goldfish and making a mess in the viewing area. Two of these siblings lean

over the viewing wall, talking to their brothers and sisters in your class.

The final shocking element that reaches your consciousness is the fact that thoseparents are waiting to see

how you are going to generate VALUE equivalent to the $150 per month they are payingfor your

program. How are you going to do that?

Youre in good shape!
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1. YOURE IN THE ATA: Your training to become a certified instructor has prepared you to know

that this group of kids learns especially well through play.

2. The ATA TINY TIGER program, the belt system, life skills, and awards give you exactly what you

need to teach.

3. Your experience tells you that more kids from your Tiny Tiger class go further in your program thanmembers who start at older ages.

4. AND. . . . You understand the SIX secrets of successful tiger instruction.

So with one Cher ryut, kyung ney! You begin with confidence.

Secret #1: Tigers become K4K, NOT black belts!

OK, lets ruffle some feathers here! I dont think its a good idea to make TIGERS into black belts. I

think the only reason to have a TIGER program is to prepare young children to become K4K

students! Thats it! Everything I do supports this concepthow often they advance; how the TIGER

groups are blocked; how many tiger classes I have each week; what material they do; how they spar;

how/when they use weapons; how/when they break boards; when they enter leadership. Everything isgeared toward preparing the child to transition to K4K around age 7 and BEFORE blue belt.

Parents of preschoolers are looking for you!

You see, the TIGER program is great because it appeals to the segment of the market that looks for thingsfor their preschoolers to do, especially activities that are developmentally enriching. Young families are

looking for what you have to offer in your TIGER class. And the best part is thatparents of preschoolers

are much more involved in their kids activities than school-age kids. Your TIGER parents will always be

hanging around your school, watching class and asking questions. This behavior is great because if you doproper lobby talk, you can be constantly educating them on the benefits of your program and reselling

them on their investment. This behavior is sometimes called customer service.

Parents of older children often exhibit the drop off syndrome. They drop off the kid for class, neverwatch, never know whats going on, then when you talk to them about purchasing gear or going to a special

event, they act surprised. Its really hard to work with families like that. Our experience has shown thatTIGER families are the ones that stick around the longest. In fact, in our program last year, we had 11 3

rd

degree black belts around age 13. EIGHT of those 11 started as tigers!!!! Thats an important statistic.

Parents of preschoolers WILL make a long-term commitment!

So having large tiger classes should meanas long as you build valuethat you would always have plenty

of students in your K4K program. And you dont need to focus on making black belts out of these

kids. The parents KNOW the children are very young; they usually do not expect rapid physical progress;

and, moving them quickly through belts can be a real turn-off to families who would otherwise make a

really long-term commitment to your school.

So the basic concept is that yourTIGERPrograms main function is to prepare students to enter your

K4K class somewhere around age 7 and no later than purple belt. And I dont think preparing kids for

K4K class means memorizing forms and 1-steps! It means focusing on the mental and social skills

required for success in K4K.

MORE IN PART 2. . .


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Archive for July, 2009

praise, correct,praise lessons from Randy Pausch

July 30, 2009

Last week i talked about leadership and about making corrections. lets remember, the phrase from theinstructors manual is praise, correct, praise.i sometimes wonder if we have forgotten the WORD IN

THE MIDDLE. as i said last week, if we really are going to make the world a better place ONE BLACK

BELT AT A TIME, we need to make corrections, whether those are corrections of BEHAVIOR or

TECHNIQUE. theres a couple of more tips from the instructor manual that we need to remember:

show sincere interest

give realistic praise

give thoughtful feedback

Again, these are NOT NEW points. Weve been talking about them for at least TWENTY YEARS. Thedanger that we face is that as we started talking about praising and building self esteem, the correction

part of the equation has been pushed aside. there is a whole lot of rah, rah teaching going on. . . . awhole lot of cheerleading. theres nothing wrong with that as long as it is balanced with real

corrections of student behavior and technique.

To help understand this teaching dynamic, i recommend THE LAST LECTURE by Randy Pausch. Read

the book and view the brief video

at YOUTUBE (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9ya9BXClRw). Randy has some really good things

to say about teaching and building self-esteem. For example, he talks about his childhood football coach,JIM GRAHAM:

Coach Graham used to ride me hard. I remember one practice in particular. Youre doing it all

wrong, Pausch. Go back! Do it again! I tried to do what he wanted. It wasnt enough. You owe me,

Pausch! Youre doing push-ups after practice.

Randy goes on to quote an assistant coach who witnessed this treatment:

Coach Graham rode you pretty hard, didnt he? Thats a good thing. When youre screwing up and

nobody says anything to you anymore, that means theyve given up on you.

WOW!!! Has that ever happened to you as teacher of Taekwondo? Have you ever felt like giving up on astudent? Have you ever felt that it is much easier to just say, Good job! rather than get into the details

of making an 8-year old really learn a front stance or a side kick?

The answer is obviously yes. I know I have. Our goal is not to be perfect teachers. We are going to make

mistakes because we are human. Were going to have weak days when we do overlook

corrections. Thats OK, but we can still pursue perfection by striving to be the best we can be; and thats

not easy! You have to do some difficult things. You have to tell people what they are doing wrong! Youhave to tell them what they dont want to hear. You have to get them to understand how to improve. And
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you have to motivate them to keep trying. Thats a whole lot more than just saying, Good job. Heres

your star!

Lets get back to Randy Pausch. He has some golden words about self-esteem:

Theres a lot of talk these days about giving children self esteem.Its not something you can give! Its

something they have to build. Coach Graham worked in a no-coddling zone. Self-esteem? He knewthere was really only one way to teach kids how to develop it: You give them something they cant do,

they work hard until they find they can do it, and you just keep repeating the process.

Thats a perfect description of Songahm Taekwondo!!!!! Im still trying to figure out if i can make a sign

that reads NO CODDLING ZONE and mount it over the entrance to my dojang!!

Randy goes on to say: Ive heard so many people talk of a downward spiral in our educational system,

and i think one key factor is that there is too much stroking and too little real feedback.

Think about this: over twenty years ago, someone in the ATA wrote the TEN CLASS MANAGEMENT

SKILLS and included in that list this phrase:give realistic feedback.

So just think about it. Will you join me in curtailing the coddling? Will you make a commitment thisweek to give realistic feedback?

Posted inUncategorized|2 Comments

Three elements of leadership

July 20, 2009

Reaching for ExcellenceA newsletter for ATA instructors by Senior Master William BabinJuly 15, 2009For the last ten years, the word leadership has been the primary cornerstone of

much of our marketing. The funny thing is that we have ALWAYS been aboutleadership. Since way before there was a state or world championship award, since way

before KARATE FOR KIDS or TINY TIGERS, since way before PROTECH weaponstraining, we have always been about teaching and living leadership. Personally I likethe way the term is used in our marketing these days. Times changes; society changes;

and we need to respond to these changes. And we have with many new programs that

emphasize leadership. As much as I support these new ways to market leadership and

our programs, I think we also need to remember and emphasize the connection between

our oldest traditions and modern leadership.

WE TEACH LEADERSHIP IN THREE WAYS:1. We talk about it:

Every time we review a life skill like respect, integrity, or goals, we are

giving a leadership lesson. You must be able to LEAD YOUR OWN LIFE FIRST,before you can be a leader of others. So developing disciplinein addition to the

important social skills like courtesy, self-control, service, and respectis at the heart of

our leadership concept.

A disciplined black belt leader . . . . Attends class regularly Assists or teaches classes regularly Maintains a healthy lifestyle Demonstrates strength of spirit and body
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2. We Model it:Heres some examples of how you act like a leader: Attend class regularly Never talk in class Exercise / practice outside of class Demonstrate focus and effort in class Compete regularly locally and regionally and nationally Demonstrate healthy lifestyle / eating choices Behave with respect, courtesy, and self control Share your knowledge with others. Know and fulfill your rank advancement requirements with no argument Support the chief instructor and the academy in all ways at all times

3. We make correctionsHeres the good part. Talking about leadership and modeling are effective ways

of teaching it. But great instructors know that many approaches are needed to reach all

students more efficiently. Therefore, as black belt leaders, we are responsible for

working with others to some small degree and for enforcing the rules of our school /

organization and the protocols of our martial art. When something is wrong, YOU

correct it. You do not opt out and allow someone else to make the correction. Youshould speak up in some way and to some person so you can make a contribution tomoving our organization forward.

How often do you go to your school on the Monday after a tournament and hear

students and instructors talking about all the things that went wrong? You hear stuff like

this:Did you see that guy throw his head gear down after he lost?

That judge was not watching the competition!

Did you hear those parents arguing with the judges over the points?

And on and on. However, you get little response if you ask this question:

Did you tell anybody about that?

Before I go on, please do not misunderstand. We do not need the Gestapodiscipline squad. We just need all LEADERS to teach discipline both in their schools,

at camp, at seminars, at tournamentsat all events! And corrections can be made with a

great amount of respect and courtesy. Making a correction is where you implement all

those communication skills and rapport-building techniques in your leadership manual.Most instructors cover this material in their leadership classes. So read your manual,

study it, go to class, and put this material to use. Ask your chief instructor what is the

best course of action for you.

WARRIOR SPIRITLeadership is the modern name for it. In more traditional terms, we would say warrior spirit. Whatever you call it, it has those three components just mentioned, andonce you reach the rank of black belt, you are expected to demonstrate warrior spirit in

all three ways. It seems so obvious!!!! You are a black belt!!! You should be healthy

and strong!!! You should be in class regularly maintaining the discipline of working withyour instructor. You should be sharing your knowledge with those of less experience.

You should be giving back to the system which created the opportunity for you to be a

black belt and perhaps a champion. That is warrior spirit!!!

Your black belt does not exist outside of the community which presented it. It is

something which is lived everyday in that same community.

What is the leadership example we are following?


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Eternal GM H.U. Leeservice to others

Do you remember the soap and candle story? Briefly, the symbolism of the story

is this: the candle and the soap represent the instructor. Soap cleans and makes thingsfresh. The candle brings light into the room. But the soap and the candle are both

CONSUMED in the process of living their destiny. BLACK BELT LEADERS are the

same way. They give service to others and give up a part of themselves in fulfilling their

destiny. That is YOUR destiny as a BLACK BELT LEADER. I acknowledge that

there is a big difference between an adult certified instructor school owner and a 10 year

old 2nd degree black belt. But EACH can contribute and demonstrate warrior spirit in away that is appropriate for him. The 10-year old may assist in class twice a month and

the school owner may work 80 hours per week. Each has something to give back, even if

it is as little as one hour per week to help another student or as much as 80 hours perweek.Think about it. Lets work together and keep the vision alive. My thanks for

your support of this newsletter.

Copyright 2009, All Rights Reserved, William J. Babin

May not be reproduced without written permission of the author.

Posted inUncategorized|5 Comments

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Archive for February, 2011

Fundamentals of ATA Curriculum Part 3

February 14, 2011

What about all the rest? Weapons, sparring, self-defense, breaking, leadership?

Although the Songahm forms help us to organize most of the Taekwondo curriculum, what about weapons,

sparring, self-defense, and leadership? (In the interest of brevity, I will only discuss WEAPONS in thisissue.)

Every instructor faces the challenge of ORGANIZING all this additionalmaterial so that there is a

progression from beginner to intermediate to advanced to black. Although THE WAYvideos and books

provide details for color belt forms and for black belt forms and weapons, you will need to create your ownstructure forcolor belt weapons. Here are the questions you need to ask for all three levels: BASIC,

INTERMEDIATE, ADVANCED:

1. What are the basics of the weapon?2. What formif anyor combinations are done?3. What target drills and/or partner exercises are needed?4. How does what you are teaching fit into tournament competition?5. How does it differ from what you are teaching in leadership?

And the most important question of all. . . .

How does the color belt material prepare them for being 1stdegrees and 2nddegrees?

I used to think that because a sseong jul bong flip was in the 1st

black weapon form that color belts couldnot practice that move. After all, it is part of black belt material. Shouldnt it be done only by black

belts. And if everybody does it, then what is special about being a black belt?

Well after many years of trying to teach that move to black belts with NO EXPERIENCE doing it as acolor belt, I finally decided to start teaching it to color belts. In fact, our curriculum now breaks that move

into several parts and begins teaching parts of it to WHITE BELTS!

Have any of you had a similar experience?

Color belts learn the basics of black belt material

That is the simple solution. Color belts should practice all of the black belt movements for most of the

weapons (SJB, BME, JB) in some basic form. In this way, when they become black belts, these studentshave experience with the basics and combinations and can begin learning the black belt forms.

Personally I do not include SWORD or SSANG NAT in the color belt curriculum because I reserve those

for LEADERSHIP students. So color belts can do those weapons if they are enrolled in the leadership

program.
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4. Your curriculum teaches the basics of black materialkicking,punching, and weaponsto color belts so that a new 1stblack is well-trained in all the individual movements he is expected to use as a 1st

black.

5. You curriculum uses some kind of structurelike basic, master club,leadershipto assist in organizing what material is taught in whichclasses.

6. Your curriculum is writtenin detail or just in outline formso that allinstructors are on the same page and yet still retain the freedom to becreative in their approach.

A special offer!

If you would like some help with your colorbelt weapons curriculum, just email me and request, Color

Belt BME. Ill send you FREE a written version that provides details for BME basic techniques and a

simple form for all three levels: WOY, CGP, BBR. As we move forward, I hope to have short video clips

available as well.

Upcoming topics:

Junior Leadership: Why? How? What?

Fulfilling Eternal Grandmasters Vision What is Sseong Jul Bong to the death?? Making your graduations successful Helping parents become great Taekwondo supporters


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