by ·Comments Off on Respect Your Parents and Elders

The title of this posting–“Respect Your Parents and Elders”–is the second commandment of the 10 commandments of Taekwondo.  The incident you are about to read will show why this commandment is very important for kids to learn today.

By now most of you may have already heard of the news about Karen Klein–a 68-year old bus monitor from New York–who was bullied by 7th graders while on her bus monitoring duty.  The video (shown below) has gone viral, and has been viewed over 3 million times by people all over the world.

WARNING, the language used by the kids in the video are pretty graphic.  If you have a head set,  use it so your young ones don’t hear and emulate such vulgar language.

For whatever reason, the kids in this video thought that harassing and bullying Karen Klein was fun.  Fortunately, the rest of the world didn’t see it that way.  An outpouring of support both morally and monetarily came in from various places through her facebook page as well as a fundraising site, which by now shows that her supporters have raised over $630,000 to send Mrs. Klein on vacation.  Note that the original goal was $5,000.

The disrespectful kids, along with their parents, have since apologized to Mrs. Klein.  I’m not sure how sincere those apologies are; regardless, these kids will be permanently marked as bullies because this video will forever exist on the Internet, serving as a reminder of the pains they’ve caused a fellow human being.

Bullying another person isn’t nice.  It goes against the tenet of courtesy–the first tenet of the 6 tenets of Taekwondo.  When you have “courtesy”, you treat people with respect, regardless of age or gender.

I hope the kids in the above video have learned their lesson, and parents who see this video remind their kids about respect, and how disrespecting others can negatively impact them and others around them.

Kids, please respect your parents and elders!  You will be better for it.

by ·Comments Off on Is Taekwondo Good for Kids?
Taekwondo child bowing to show respect

Taekwondo child bowing to show respect

As a parent, you might have this lingering question–“Is Taekwondo good for my child?”

The simple answer to this “yes”, for the following reasons:

  • Respect.  Taekwondo teaches kids to show respect; at our Taekwondo school, the student begins by bowing to staff, students, and guests as soon as they enter the training hall.
  • Motor Skills.  Children perform drills which help them become more coordinated–helping them improve their motor skills.
  • Self-defense.  Kids learn that Taekwondo is only for self-defense.
  • Agility and Skill.  Kids learn about the Olympic sport of Taekwondo and through training improve their agility and skill.
  • Self-confidence.  Through training and testing, children are able to build their self-confidence.
  • Leadership.  As children move up in rank, they learn to set goals and objectives to reach their goals.  At higher belt levels, they are taught to lead the class through warm up exercises.
  • Code of Conduct.  Kids learn about the tenets of Taekwondo–courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self-control, indomitable spirit, and victory.
If your kids take Taekwondo, how has it change them?  Please share your thoughts by posting comments below.

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Members and family at the anti-bully campaign

Members and family at the anti-bully campaign

Family and members pose for a picture after a successful demonstration by the members.

On Saturday, 25 Sep 2010, a group of students and family members participated in a community sponsored anti-bullying campaign.  The event was held at the Impact Teen Center, 725 N. El Dorado, Stockton, CA.  The kids performed to show their various skills in forms, weapons, self-defense, board breaking, and kicking combinations.  Awesome jobs kids!  You looked good out there.

Thank you to the students, the parents who supported them, and Sabumnim Jamie for putting the demonstration together.  This is just one of the many ways the kids are learning to support their community–especially for such a good cause like this anti-bully campaign.

By the way, this event would not been possible without the coordination efforts of Mrs. Forlanda, Koryo FTC Program Director, and the support of Gloria Allen, our local Stockton Unified School District board member.  So a big “thank you” to both for making this opportunity possible.

Here’s a video of the demo:

by ·Comments Off on Home Rules for Children
  1. Children shall greet their parents with “Hi, Mom! and “Hi, Dad!” when they enter the home and tell their parents “Goodbye!” when they leave.
  2. Children will always be respectful of their parents, teachers, and elders.
  3. Children will be kind to their brothers and sisters.
  4. Children will keep the household neat and clean.
  5. Children will keep their hair, body, and teeth clean  daily.
  6. Children will not interrupt adult conversations.
  7. Children shall fix The Recipe for Straight ‘A’s Daily!
    • When you come home from school, open the refrigerator and have a glass of milk or juice. 
      Open your book to review what you studied today.
    • Do your homework.
    • Preview what you will study tomorrow.