RO INSLER TAEKWONDO

PHILOSOPHY OF STUDY & DISCIPLINE

In martial arts, there are standard and school-specific rules of etiquette, guidelines, tenets and philosophies. They all work together to instill and foster a student’s respectful behavior in class and in society, but they also prepare students for becoming martial artists. When I first started teaching, I felt there was a need to have written rules and regulations for students to follow. As I became more involved with instructing the proper attitude and various philosophies of martial arts, I wrote many articles describing my thoughts and ideals for training as well as those of other martial artists. I began putting them together with school notices and announcements, which then developed into the Taekwondo Take-Down.

I spent many days and late nights composing and presenting this information to our students, because I felt that it was important and that they would appreciate and respect it. Unfortunately, not everyone recognized the value of retaining this information, and I even found that some students would sometimes discard the newsletters after reading them. I later decided that if students had an official set of instructions they could refer to as needed, they might regard our rules and regulations a little more thoughtfully and with care—and I would not have to write the same information over and over again. I then created a student manual containing all of our do-jang’s rules and guidelines, as well as other information pertaining to martial arts philosophies and training.

Every student receives a manual at their Second High White Belt test, which they are required to bring to every class. I urge them to study and learn what they can from the information contained inside and to adhere to it as best they can. This way, they may begin to understand what is expected of them in terms of rules, respect and the responsibilities of training.

In Taekwondo, we also have many unwritten rules and beliefs which should be followed that I feel need to be addressed at this time. The following paragraphs, when read out loud, reflect the way students should think and feel as they train to become martial artists.

In class, we require proper behavior from ourselves and from others at all times; this behavior is conveyed mostly by example. We also demand that absolute respect be given to teachers and to each other. Disrespect will not be tolerated. Instructors will let us know when we behave inappropriately. Of course, they are mindful of our feelings and always try to explain why the behavior was wrong. They also instruct us in the proper ways to behave.

We students must understand that inappropriate or disrespectful behavior is unacceptable. We should not place our instructors in the awkward position of having to point out our misconducts. We dishonor them by being rude, especially if it is disruptive or insensitive. Instructors are supposed to be occupied in the process of training strong, confident, well-rounded martial artists; they should not have to be burdened with the task of disciplining us for our rudeness or lack of respect—those are qualities we should have learned already.

The knowledge both passed on and learned in martial arts comes with tremendous responsibilities for everyone involved. The instructors have the responsibility of training students to become “martial artists”, not just teaching techniques. This is a serious undertaking that involves students behaving in a specific manner—much like soldiers in an army—and it must be done in a way that will develop the means to self-control. Therefore, the instructors are obliged to enforce the rules and regulations effectively to ensure that we develop this self-discipline.

Our instructors discipline students according to the infraction. Minor breaches, such as forgetting our equipment or manual, will result in minor consequences like being placed at the end of the line or not being able to participate in a specific activity. It is our responsibility to come prepared for class mentally and physically. The student manual, sparring gear, forms book, uniform and rank belt are only used for Taekwondo; all of these items can be stored in our equipment bags. There’s no reason for them to be misplaced or left elsewhere. There are no excuses for arriving to class unprepared or with missing items—this can be easily avoided if we think responsibly.

Unexcused lateness or being unprepared for class is unacceptable. If we do this three times we may lose an attendance credit—meaning we will be marked absent every third time we are unprepared for class. We all know that if our attendance record isn’t adequate enough, we can’t be considered for promotion.

If we do something slightly disrespectful or inappropriate, it will be pointed out to us in private; we will be expected to acknowledge it and make suitable amends. If our misconduct continues, then it will be made known to the entire class, which may make us uncomfortable enough to ensure that we won’t repeat it. The youngest of us may be placed in “time out” for being disruptive, allowing us time to calm down and to realize that we’re missing out on the fun. After a few minutes, we may rejoin the class if we behave properly.

Major (or repeated) violations, such as being disruptive, argumentative, disrespectful or uncooperative, will result in major consequences. The minimum punishment, which would usually come after a first offense, may be for us to do a certain number of push-ups or some other rigorous exercise. Subsequent offenses, however, may lead to our exclusion from the day’s activities. Continuous occurrences may call for us to be passed up for promotion (usually until the next available test date). In extreme circumstances, it may be necessary for our instructors to demote us for an unspecified amount of time. This means our current rank would be taken away and we would go back to our previous belt level. Once we have adhered to the do-jang rules and regulations consistently, we will be reconsidered for promotion or our ranking could be restored.

Noncompliance, indifference and unresponsiveness also indicate a lack of respect both to our instructors and to our martial arts training. Apathy and a lack of attentiveness will certainly not promote favorable attention from our instructors. These are characteristics that are the exact opposite of the traits required of us to be worthy of becoming true martial artists.

Instructors need to devote their time in training students who desire to become true martial artists, just as we, the students, need to devote ourselves completely to our own training. Becoming a martial artist demands hard work, diligence, patience, devotion to study, respect and awareness of tradition and philosophy. Instructors will look more favorably towards those of us who are prepared to live by the rules and responsibilities associated with this way of life—anything less than full obedience is not what is expected of a martial artist.

I hope this helps in explaining our expectations for our students a little better.

- Chung Sah Nim Ro Insler