respect -- noun: high or special regard : Esteem. The quality or state of being esteemed
Respect. It's what we martial artists hear a lot about in class. It's something that's learned from day one. You may or may not learn to respect your elders outside of the dojang, but while there you learn so much more about it in depth.
Respect is something that is taught in many martial arts schools, but really it is earned over time. Sure I can respect the fact that there is a black belt tied around my instructors' waist. Obviously he/she knows a whole lot more than me about the art I'm studying. Hopefully they earned it the right way through many years of training, and not through some McDojo. And that's something that I don't need to question myself. I know that they earned their rank.
But to respect someone does not just mean to respect their rank or status. It's something much more. I guess you could say that respect comes with trust. They go hand in hand with each other. But back to my earlier point. What else do I mean about respect if it's not just for their status?
I mean that I respect my instructors for their character. I've seen them in action living by Christian values and teaching others the same. I've seen them come to class diligently without complaint week after week, year after year. And they don't even get paid for it. They come and teach because they love the art and want us to learn. They have servant attitudes that model what Christ would have them to do and we can see that through their actions. They praise us when we do something good and correct when there's something wrong. They are patient, kind, honest, trustworthy. . .and I could use a multitude of other adjectives.
My instructors are role models to me. I want to be like them. They have gained my respect not from being X Dan black belt, but for being who they are.
Crimson
My Story Part 2
Okay, well now I'm going to pick up where I left off.
"...I don't think it was too long until I was tested for my green stripe."
Anway, so now I'm taking from Mr. S and Mr. H in the gym of a local church. There's a pretty good number of students (about 10-20) that are also in the same class.
To make a long story short -- class went on as usual and I hung out at green belt with stripe for quite awhile. I won't go into anymore details on that part. We moved to another church and stayed there for quite a bit, then were moved to the gym, and then finally to the side building where there is a small gym that's used for the church's lunchroom.
This past December, me and a younger boy tested for our blue and yellow belts respectively. What was so great was that although we were the only two students there on the last class before Christmas holiday, five black belts showed up. Actually, we weren't even going to be tested until the next year, but thankfully the instructors changed their minds. :)
So now it's back to the present. It's the month of June 2008 and we are still in that little side building. Our class has grown quite a bit and we average at least 8-10 students at the very least every Tuesday. I'm the highest ranking belt right now seeing as the other blue belt tested in January. We're having more and more black belts starting to come besides our regular ones. This past week we had five and eleven students. I'm currently in the process of training for my brown belt (3rd kyu) and I hope to reach that sometime this year. In the meantime, I have my hands full with learning, teaching, and practicing at home (which I need to do more of). Oh, and we're having a red belt from GA come in this Saturday to test for his 1st Dan! *excited*
There's my somewhat rushed story. Believe me, I could have gone into a lot more detail.
Crimson
"...I don't think it was too long until I was tested for my green stripe."
Anway, so now I'm taking from Mr. S and Mr. H in the gym of a local church. There's a pretty good number of students (about 10-20) that are also in the same class.
To make a long story short -- class went on as usual and I hung out at green belt with stripe for quite awhile. I won't go into anymore details on that part. We moved to another church and stayed there for quite a bit, then were moved to the gym, and then finally to the side building where there is a small gym that's used for the church's lunchroom.
This past December, me and a younger boy tested for our blue and yellow belts respectively. What was so great was that although we were the only two students there on the last class before Christmas holiday, five black belts showed up. Actually, we weren't even going to be tested until the next year, but thankfully the instructors changed their minds. :)
So now it's back to the present. It's the month of June 2008 and we are still in that little side building. Our class has grown quite a bit and we average at least 8-10 students at the very least every Tuesday. I'm the highest ranking belt right now seeing as the other blue belt tested in January. We're having more and more black belts starting to come besides our regular ones. This past week we had five and eleven students. I'm currently in the process of training for my brown belt (3rd kyu) and I hope to reach that sometime this year. In the meantime, I have my hands full with learning, teaching, and practicing at home (which I need to do more of). Oh, and we're having a red belt from GA come in this Saturday to test for his 1st Dan! *excited*
There's my somewhat rushed story. Believe me, I could have gone into a lot more detail.
Crimson
My story
Well I thought I would get this up and running with a little info and some stats on me, myself, and I. :P
I love the martial arts and the art that I am studying right now is Tae Kwon Do. I go to class once a week on Tuesdays from 6:30 to about 8:30 pm. I am the ranking student as a blue belt (4th kyu) and am hoping to earn my brown later on this year.
I started out taking TKD from Mr. O when I was about ten years old because I had become interested in it and some of my friends had already started six months before. Anyway, I went up through the ranks and ended up at orange belt (7th kyu). I loved the class but unfortunately the instructor moved and the class disbanded. :( (We'll call this School A)
So some time went by and me and the same friends who had gotten me interested in the first place were invited by a guy who was in our guitar class to come to his Tae Kwon Do class at a local church. We all ended up going and met the instructors, Mr. S (3rd dan) and Mr. H (1st dan). This class started at 6:45 and lasted until about 8:30ish. (We'll call this one School B) Now being 12 at the time, I was a bit cocky and I went home quite peeved and irritated because this one was (as my friend and I called it) stretchersize, they called things different than what I was used to hearing them called, and class went on differently. I thought that School A was better and I didn't like this one at all. I said that I hated it and didn't want to come back.
But my mom got me to change my mind and continue coming. Don't know how she did that but I did. Anyway, so I started at School B and went through learning what this class had to offer. Still, I was not too pleased with it all and so there were times where I would skip class a couple weeks in a row.
I started liking School B after a while and began enjoying going to class. I don't know where the change came from but came it did. After awhile I heard that Mr. O's class was getting started again by a new teacher.
On that note, I started doing both classes and went all the way to blue belt (5th kyu) in School A. Note to self, this was not a good idea for me. I started comparing the two and ended up disliking School A for a variety of reasons. 1. The classes were shorter. Only about an hour instead of the 2+ at the other. 2. Everything just got so routine and kind of boring. and 3. The partner I had for drills and practice didn't like being paired up with me and made it painful. I finally got fed up with it all and quit.
After dropping out of School A, I threw myself headlong into TKD with Mr. S and H. I don't think it was too long until I was tested for a stripe on my green belt.
Okay, well I think that's enough basics for right now. I'll finish up later.
I love the martial arts and the art that I am studying right now is Tae Kwon Do. I go to class once a week on Tuesdays from 6:30 to about 8:30 pm. I am the ranking student as a blue belt (4th kyu) and am hoping to earn my brown later on this year.
I started out taking TKD from Mr. O when I was about ten years old because I had become interested in it and some of my friends had already started six months before. Anyway, I went up through the ranks and ended up at orange belt (7th kyu). I loved the class but unfortunately the instructor moved and the class disbanded. :( (We'll call this School A)
So some time went by and me and the same friends who had gotten me interested in the first place were invited by a guy who was in our guitar class to come to his Tae Kwon Do class at a local church. We all ended up going and met the instructors, Mr. S (3rd dan) and Mr. H (1st dan). This class started at 6:45 and lasted until about 8:30ish. (We'll call this one School B) Now being 12 at the time, I was a bit cocky and I went home quite peeved and irritated because this one was (as my friend and I called it) stretchersize, they called things different than what I was used to hearing them called, and class went on differently. I thought that School A was better and I didn't like this one at all. I said that I hated it and didn't want to come back.
But my mom got me to change my mind and continue coming. Don't know how she did that but I did. Anyway, so I started at School B and went through learning what this class had to offer. Still, I was not too pleased with it all and so there were times where I would skip class a couple weeks in a row.
I started liking School B after a while and began enjoying going to class. I don't know where the change came from but came it did. After awhile I heard that Mr. O's class was getting started again by a new teacher.
On that note, I started doing both classes and went all the way to blue belt (5th kyu) in School A. Note to self, this was not a good idea for me. I started comparing the two and ended up disliking School A for a variety of reasons. 1. The classes were shorter. Only about an hour instead of the 2+ at the other. 2. Everything just got so routine and kind of boring. and 3. The partner I had for drills and practice didn't like being paired up with me and made it painful. I finally got fed up with it all and quit.
After dropping out of School A, I threw myself headlong into TKD with Mr. S and H. I don't think it was too long until I was tested for a stripe on my green belt.
Okay, well I think that's enough basics for right now. I'll finish up later.
My first post
Well here I am starting off with a new blog. My others I just got bored with I guess, so I'm starting off with a new one and will hopefully remember to post here. *oops*
Anyway, this blog is going to be for my thoughts, journal entries, meaningful quotes etc. Anything that has to do with the martial arts and my personal favorite -- Tae Kwon Do in which I am currently a blue belt. Here I will reminisce about the day's class or rant about my pet peeves or whatever is on my mind at the moment.
So, cheers on my new blog!
Crimson
Anyway, this blog is going to be for my thoughts, journal entries, meaningful quotes etc. Anything that has to do with the martial arts and my personal favorite -- Tae Kwon Do in which I am currently a blue belt. Here I will reminisce about the day's class or rant about my pet peeves or whatever is on my mind at the moment.
So, cheers on my new blog!
Crimson
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