Make Your Choi Kwang-Do Practise More Mindful

Grandmaster Choi recently gave a simple piece of advice to School Owners and instructors:

"Remember, it is important to practise slowly, regularly in a relaxed manner and with mindfulness".

Becoming more aware of what you are doing and how you are doing it can assist in creating a more engaging and enriching training experience – even aside the physical benefits. The problem is, this can be challenging for instructors and black belts due to experience; having performed so many blocks, punches, strikes and kicks over the years you can now perform the techniques and sequences automatically, without conscious thought.

Ironically, it takes another conscious action to break that automatic process – to pause and take note of what you are doing and how you are doing it. In the context of a physical activity, we could stop and reflect. This is an important exercise in its own right, eg. asking yourself questions such as, "what do I enjoy most about training CKD?" or "what aspect of my training do I want to focus on improving?" However, in our recent monthly Black Belt Training session at Ealing Choi KwangDo we sought to raise awareness during the activity.


3 Simple Steps

Firstly, before doing anything we agreed to reduce the speed and intensity of all drills throughout the class. Not drastically - just enough to ensure students can work at a consistent and moderately comfortable pace, while enabling them to think about what they were doing, while they are doing it.

Then we enhanced focus on the movements using the Three Ts:

1. Tool – which part of the body should be used for the techniques. Have you prepared this? Eg. For a punch, have you formed the fist correctly? Is your fist and/or arm in the correct position? 

2. Type of movement – consider how the body should prepare for the movement and the trajectory of the arm or leg. Eg. For an Inward Punch, have you extended the arm with the fist and elbow level and the knuckles horizontal? 

3. Target – where is the technique aimed towards or designed to make contact with? Eg. For a punch aimed at the head/face, which surface are you aiming for? 

Exhaling with each technique can also assist with deliberate performance.

I made up the Three Ts in the hope that it would provide students with something concise and catchy while capturing the overall theme in a simple way: to make the experience of Choi Kwang-Do practise more purposeful and keep our minds in the present moment. If you try them, let us know how you get on!

__________
Jason Wright is a 6th Degree Black Belt and Master Instructor in the martial art Choi Kwang-Do. For further information on Choi Kwang-Do classes in Ealing, West London visit www.TheMartialArtForLife.com/free-trial

The Martial Art For Life News - 08/09/19

A reminder of our new class times, and that instructors are students too! Click here to read the lastest newsletter

The Middle of the Road

We have a small group of students preparing to take black belt gradings this weekend. This made me think about an article I read recently over at Cartersville Martial Arts on character development and a martial arts student’s journey. 

The piece covers some personal perspectives from School Owner and Master Instructor Michael Wilson too. You can read the full article here

I particularly liked the section titled The Middle of the Road. Master Wilson uses this analogy to describe that point when a student is somewhere after the beginner stages of training, but before the advanced stage or having achieved black belt. 

Unsurprisingly, my instinctive thoughts were of the Choi Kwang-Do intermediate syllabus (orange belt to blue belt senior). It’s here where students generally understand the basics concepts of the techniques, drills and become ‘comfortable’ with the syllabus. Broadly speaking, things are ‘familiar’ (although some may misinterpret this as ‘easy’). It may even feel like there is not much happening, and that achieving black belt seems far away in the distance.

For some students there may have been an occasion when they didn’t feel like going to class, or that classes were boring…

(For this reason, it’s also here were instructors may invite students to be ‘stretched in a different dimension’ through leadership training or undertaking roles of responsibility within the school).

If this is you, it sounds like you’re in the middle of the road!

Try looking at it this way:

• That feeling of things being ‘easy’ is actually your growth in competence
• That feeling of things being ‘boring’ is actually your growth in confidence

With the above in mind, rather than thinking about what you do know, what do you not know (yet!) Look at what you do know. Who, what or how can you improve this? What can you do to move yourself to the next level of expertise?

Martial art training is a journey, and yes, at times maintaining your motivation can still be a challenge for some, but hopefully a simple reframing of the situation might help. Being in the middle of the road is great opportunity to work on your perseverance and unbreakable spirit. 

Read the full article here

__________

Jason Wright is a 6th Degree Black Belt and Master Instructor in the martial art Choi Kwang-Do. Why not start your martial arts journey with a free trial? Visit www.TheMartialArtForLife.com/free-trial

World Choi Kwang-Do Day 2019

 

Can you believe it? World Choi Kwang-Do Day is nearly upon us again!

Here's how we'll be celebrating at Ealing Choi Kwang-Do

Coloured Belt Gradings 2019

Please see below proposed dates for Coloured Belt Gradings during 2019:

Wednesday 13th February
Wednesday 27th March
Wednesday 3rd April (revised date)
Wednesday 22nd May
Wednesday 17th July
Wednesday 25th September
Wednesday 20th November

UK 30th Anniversary Seminar

Wow...what a week!

Gradings, guest instructors, school owners meetings, black belt training, showcase of excellence, seminar, presentations and promotions, training, learning, meeting Choi Kwang-Do friends and family, old and new, from around the UK and beyond - this week had it all.

Updates in the form of pictures and videos are currently in full swing across across the usual social media channels, and we suspect that this will continue for the next several days as students and instructors return to their respective schools, countries and training routines.

If you were present for any part of the events and have pictures that you are happy to share, please forward them so we can collate a small album. We truly hope that you were inspired by witnessing Grandmaster Choi explain and demonstrate the martial art that we study and teach at Ealing Choi Kwang-Do.

If you weren't present then make the most of the flow of updates as they are the next best thing! Until we get round to sharing some of our favourites moments we'd suggest starting with the CKD London 2018 Facebook Group which you can view here.

The Martial Art For Life News - Have You Subscribed?

For regular update on what's happening at our school don't forget that we also have a school newsletter. The latest update is about the Coloured Belt Grading on Wednesday 19th July.

Subscribe for updates here or view the archive here

Maintaining Your Martial Arts Motivation - Part 1

We've recently completed belt presentations following the first coloured belt grading of 2017. Here are a few tips to keep you motivated as you start learning your new syllabus.


Keep The Habit

We are naturally creatures of habit. Therefore, the habit of your practise is one that we should strive to continue. There will always be occasions when we have to miss classes, but aim to plan them into your week and avoid missing your scheduled classes. If you train one class per week and have to miss a class, plan in advance to attend an alternative class. By maintaining class attendance as a habit (and don't forget practise at home too) in time it will become second nature.


Keep Mentally Focused

Avoid comparing yourself with others. Instead, keep your focus on your own journey and your own development in Choi Kwang-Do. Being mentally motivated is a big part, maybe even a bigger part, than just being physically ready. If helpful, make a note of the scheduled dates for coloured belt gradings and black belt gradings. These dates can help you to chart your projected progress and achievements, and assist with your mental focus and motivation.


Keep Inspired

Instead of just focusing on finding motivation, consider also finding inspiration. Motivation often comes from someone telling us we have to do something, while inspiration is an internal desire to do something. Consider what inspired you to learn martial arts or visit our school in Ealing in the first place?

Think about a student or instructor, or another individual that inspires you (Grandmaster Kwang Jo Choi, the founder of Choi Kwang-Do is an obvious choice here. In fact, here's one of my personal favourite inspirational videos of Grandmaster Choi). Maybe there's a piece of music, a book or a film that gets you really inspired? Whatever works for you.


Keep The Faith

If you're a new student it can seem like there is a lot to learn. It can even be overwhelming. Have faith; by following points above, I can promise you that while Choi Kwang-Do will still be challenging, understand that it will get easier.

Read Maintaining You Martial Arts Motivation (Part 2)

__________
Jason Wright is a 6th Degree Black Belt and Master Instructor in the martial art Choi Kwang-Do. For further information on Choi Kwang-Do classes in Ealing, West London visit www.TheMartialArtForLife.com

Black Belt Dan Gradings 2017

Please see below dates for Black Belt Dan Gradings during 2017 to be held at:

Wembley CKD
Barham Primary School
Danethorpe Road
Wembley
Middx. HA0 4RQ



Sunday 4th June (revised date)
Sunday 11th June
Sunday 3rd December

Build A Better You With Martial Arts

There are many great reasons for adults to start learning martial arts, but it does take some time to develop the discipline of sticking to the schedule, regular practise and putting in the effort that is required to hone your skills and get the most from the training.

If you’re an adult who has already taken the first step of booking and attending your first martial arts lesson, congratulations! You’ve already achieved something that many others are still thinking about.

Give yourself a pat on the back and attend your next lesson as soon as possible.

Why is this important?


Don’t Let Fear Stop You Before You Start

While there are many reasons to start martial arts, but reasons can also arise that cause adults to stop before they really get started (we’re excluding all of the legitimate reasons such as work/home schedule, health, moving away, finances etc.)

One reason may be given, but the real reason may also be plain old fear:

• Can I do this?
• Will I be any good?
• Will I look silly?

(For the record, children generally do not analyse their participation in martial arts in this way).

When you take steps to better yourself and gain new skills in a new environment you naturally run some risk of the points above, and these are situations that most adults would rather avoid. So your best option here is not to hesitate; if you enjoyed your first martial arts lesson, ride the wave of enthusiasm and schedule your next lesson right away.

Embrace The Challenge

The thing about martial arts is that they can actually help you overcome these fears and issues. There is often a focus on the physical benefits and the self-defence attributes, but there are many positive psychological benefits too. For example, Choi Kwang-Do martial arts classes are an excellent way for adults to feel fitter, stronger and more confident.

• You can engage in exciting martial art workouts that will stimulate your brain through co-ordinated movements, and challenge your body to improve your mental and physical fitness.

• You can set short, medium and long term training goals and feel a sense of achievement when you accomplish them.

• You will learn scientifically designed techniques that are gentle on your joints but will enable you to produce explosive striking power for self-defence.

• You can train and socialise with a group of like-minded people to provide you with a feeling of purpose.

• You can develop new self-defence skills in a structured, non-competitive environment to build your confidence and self-esteem.

Let Us Support You

We’re fully aware that the martial arts class environment can be strange if it’s completely new to you – odd phrases and chants, oriental customs etc. So our friendly team of Choi Kwang-Do instructors will help you feel welcome and support you in each class as you learn valuable new skills. In addition, Choi Kwang-Do’s non-competitive training philosophy means that everyone – students and instructors -  are supportive of each other’s development in class.

The only way that people grow and develop is by taking on challenges and aiming to get better in life. Yes, there will be days when the thought of attending class or practising at home after a stressful day at work isn’t very appealing, but the discipline involved with martial arts can help you realise that you have to put effort in, in order to get the benefits out and begin building a better you. Similarly, there will always be reasons to stop or hesitate doing something that challenges you, but when you succeed at something that challenges you, you can find many more motivating reasons to keep going…and it all starts with taking that first step.


Take the first step to building a better you with a 3 month trial membership for only £99

__________
Jason Wright is a 6th Degree Black Belt and Master Instructor in the martial art Choi Kwang-Do. For further information on Choi Kwang-Do classes in Ealing, West London visit www.TheMartialArtForLife.com

We've Moved!

Ealing Choi Kwang-Do now operates from a new location:

Holy Family Catholic Primary School
Vale Lane
London W3 0DY
Click here for a map of Holy Family Catholic Primary School
 

Following a 2 week summer break, classes start on Monday 8th September.

The 3 Stages Of Choi Kwang-Do

You will probably know that the Choi Kwang-Do curriculum is spilt into 3 stages or levels.

1. White to Gold Senior: Beginner Level

White Belt. This is where everyone starts their training.

The 3 basic blocks, Outward, Inward and Low are taught as well as Inward Punches and Front Kicks. Basic stances, movement, dodging are also covered along with terminology.

It’s here where the learning curve is at it’s steepest; not only are you learning the basic techniques of Choi Kwang-Do, you are also learning and absorbing the class protocol, procedures and overall philosophy of the martial art.

It's worthwhile noting that much of what is learnt at the beginner stage, eg. sequential motion, body weight transfer, follow through and recoil, forms the foundation for your future training in Choi Kwang-Do.

2. Orange to Blue Senior: Intermediate Level

It’s here whereby you should be reasonably familiar with the basics from the Beginner Level as this represents your second year of training, assuming you were grading every 2 months. A significant development is the Orange Belt Defence Drill: Level 6 hands down, single attack, block and counter. As a result the Defence Drills stays the same until Purple Belt.

You’ll also now be familiar with format of the curriculum: patterns – single and four direction, the speed drills, and learning a new hand and foot technique per belt.

3. Purple to Brown Senior: Advanced Level 

As with the previous stages, there are new nechniques to learn and a new Defence Drill at Purple Belt (Stopping Kicks) but now in your 3rd year of training you will have acquired a certain level of technical competence. You will have a stronger, more positive mindset to approach new challenges such as the spinning kicks at Brown and Brown Senior or your pending Black Belt grading. You may even look back and wonder why you struggled with some of the earlier techniques you have now mastered!

At the Advanced Stage I strongly recommend that students practise all patterns (4 directions) and speed drills when training rather than just your belt level. This is essential for Black Belt preparation.

In this stage peforming a set of coloured belt patterns should be ‘easy’; meaning that your recall of the sequences should be effortless allowing you to concentrate on your execution of the techniques and combination of techniques – how you flow from one to another. This is made easier given the fact that by Orange Belt Senior you will have learnt all of the techniques that occur in all of the patterns from White to Brown Senior:

• Front, Side, Swing and Reverse Swing Kicks
• Inward, Round, Upward Diagonal and Upward Punches
• Sidefist, Backfist and Knifehand Strikes

A set of Coloured Belt patterns should take less than 10 minutes to perform. Do also remember that Instructors’ expectations of you during the 3 stages will increase progressively, as should your expectations of your own personal standards and abilities. You may notice this if you review your grading feedback forms over a period of time.

__________
Jason Wright is a 5th Degree Black Belt and Master Instructor in the martial art Choi Kwang-Do. For further information on Choi Kwang-Do classes in Ealing, West London visit 
www.TheMartialArtForLife.com

25th Anniversary Seminar: A Visual Review

Can you believe that a month has passed since the seminar?

If you attended any of the anniversary events (black belt gradings, instructor training, showcase of excellence, seminar, banquet...not to mention the numerous ad-hoc social events inbetween) I sincerely hope you had an enjoyable time.

I hope you'll share your experiences with other students to help them understand how important it is that they attend future events. I also hope that you gained a deeper understanding and appreciation – not just of Choi Kwang-Do, but also of the fact you are part of a much bigger family than our students at Ealing CKD alone.

If you missed the event I've posted 3 of my favourite 'review' videos for you to enjoy; visual accounts of the week long celebration of 25 years of Choi Kwang-Do in the UK. Don't forget that there are many more available on YouTube.

Choi Kwang-Do 25th Anniversary Seminar 2013

The Seminar and Showcase of Excellence celebrating 25 years of Choi Kwang-Do in the UK is fast approaching! This is your chance to learn directly from the founder of the martial art that we study and practise at Ealing Choi Kwang-Do. Given that Grandmaster Kwang Jo Choi only visits the UK approximately every 5 years, this is a valuable opportunity.

In the meantime, here are some video clips from the Seminar and Showcase of Excellence at the worldwide 25th anniversary celebrations in Atlanta in 2012.

Visit this page to register and pay for the seminar, dinner banquet, showcase and instructor training

You can also join the UK Seminar Facebook Group, follow on Twitter or watch on YouTube

What Are You Trying To Achieve?

It's said that discussing subjects such as religion and politics will always result in an argument. You could probably add martial arts to that list too. Martial arts training is a personal experience that practitioners take very seriously - possibly too seriously sometimes. In the past I have seen people react to a comment about their style/system/founder with the kind of anger you'd expect to see if a member of their family had just been publicly insulted.

Comparing style with style is somewhat pointless (unless you’re talking about the genre of classic kung fu films: my snake fist versus your tiger style etc. etc.) I say this because I think it depends heavily upon:

1. What you personally are trying to achieve through your training, and
2. What's most important to you as an individual

If you're training to be able to defend against anything, you're going to need to know everything, right? Therefore, if you're training to be a well rounded fighter, your selected style would need to encompass punches, blocks, kicks, grappling, throws, chokes, joint locks etc. A single martial art style may not be enough to cover each of these disciplines sufficiently, hence we have the booming mixed martial arts scene.

So what are you trying to achieve?

Do you want to be a fighter?
Do you want to be healthier?
Do you want to be stronger?
Do you want to socialise?
Do you want to be able to defend yourself?
Do you want to have fun?

More importantly, is your training helping you to achieve the things that you want?

Some martial arts serve a niche, while others strive to be all things to all people. I believe Choi Kwang-Do's niche is health, both physical and mental: utilising martial arts training to enable practitioners to lead a more happy, healthy and more productive life. This philosophy is encapsulated in one of Grandmaster Choi’s sayings:

"You may go through life without ever having to use your martial arts skills for self defence, yet good health is important to everyone".

(Similarly, but on a personal note, I enjoy teaching and working towards the personal mastery of performance and the self discipline that requires. I take self defence as a 'by-product' of all the components of the system).

Yes, the biomechanically correct techniques in Choi Kwang-Do have power and practical application. Yes, the Defence Drills and Close Range Drills create scenarios to develop self defence skills. However, the focus on health means that when placed alongside some martial arts, Choi Kwang-Do doesn’t really compare on equal terms.



Choi Kwang-Do may not cover the wide array of combat skills as some martial arts, but it's fluid Patterns and Speed Drills will help to improve your aerobic capacity enabling you to run for the bus without passing out from exhaustion should you actually reach the bus stop in time. Choi Kwang-Do may not teach you how to disarm a knife-welding attacker, but Shield Drills will help to tone your muscles enabling you to do some gardening at the weekend without having to take the rest of the week off from work.

This focus on health is important to note as it underpins a lot of what takes place - or doesn't take place - in a Choi Kwang-Do class, and also the on-going development of the martial art as a whole.

__________
Jason Wright is a 5th Degree Black Belt and Master Instructor in the martial art Choi Kwang-Do. For further information on Choi Kwang-Do classes in Ealing, West London visit www.TheMartialArtForLife.com

The Meaning Of Self Defence

What do you think of when you hear the term self defence?

- Practising releases from various restraining positions?
- Avoiding dimly lit streets?
- Hitting an attacker and then running away as fast as you can?

Any, if not all of these initial responses could be correct, although in Choi Kwang-Do, I believe the definition to self defence additionally follows two distinct paths:

Firstly, by employing principles of biomechanics, body movements are optimised to create powerful striking techniques while simultaneously reducing the risk of hyper extension damage in the joints.

Small adjustments to techniques can translate to greater output, even for those who are of small or medium build. These techniques are utilised within training drills designed to develop various aspects such as reactions, counter attacks, verbal skills, pre-emptive attacks and releases.

Such drills help to stimulate the central nervous system enabling it to more effectively recruit the muscle fibres required to execute the movements as well as respond with those movements faster.

This definition seems to best fall in line with the initial 'confrontation-based' responses to the definition of self defence.

Secondly, a core objective of Choi Kwang-Do is to employ martial arts training (the movements, combinations, training drills etc.) using the biomechanically designed techniques as a means of serving the well-being of the practitioner.

One example of this is the circular movement of the shoulder joint when punching creates synovial fluid which 'oils' the joint and helps maintain the active range of motion.

Think of this as defence for the self, if you like; protecting your physical and mental health now and in the future by taking moderate and regular exercise through Choi Kwang-Do training today.



I know that there may be some martial arts practitioners that may feel that such views dilute the true essence of martial arts, especially in the ever growing popularity of mixed martial arts and reality based training, but that's exactly the beauty of the martial arts world - there is more than enough choice to cater for everyone's needs and desires.

One could argue that if attacked, martial arts training would come into play to defend yourself. However, if you're never attacked for the whole of your life does that mean that the years spent refining your martial arts skills will have been a waste of your time?

Of course not.

No doubt your will have heard from various sources applauding the benefits of leading an active life, and I'm a strong advocate of martial arts as a stimulating and challenging method to fulfil this need.

If you're not already very active, could you include more activity and exercise in your life? Or to approach the same question from another angle: could you do it if your life depended upon it?

Many would argue that it does.

A few years ago the British Heart Foundation started a campaign called 30 A Day, the objective being to encourage people to take 30 minutes of moderate exercise five days a week which they say can halve the risk of heart disease.

(The good news is that if you're taking 2 Choi Kwang-Do classes per week you're already close to this).

Looking after your heart, whether through Choi Kwang-Do or any other activity, I hope you'll agree is definitely not a waste of your time.

__________
Jason Wright is a 5th Degree Black Belt and Master Instructor in the martial art Choi Kwang-Do. For further information on Choi Kwang-Do classes in Ealing, West London visit www.TheMartialArtForLife.com

To Spar Or Not To Spar?

Alongside health and personal development, as a martial art Choi Kwang-Do also has a focus on developing self defence skills. Having said that, the fact that learning Choi Kwang-Do does not entail sparring often raises questions (and a fair amount of criticism).

Sparring is commonplace in many martial arts and can take a number of forms. Loosely speaking, sparring defines students engaging in combat with one another for the purpose of training or competition. Some martial arts allow no contact, some light or semi contact, and some full contact. The rules and format of sparring will vary between different martial arts.

The question is: do you believe that you have to practise sparring to be able to defend yourself effectively?

In Choi Kwang-Do we believe the answer is 'no'.

Based on this premise, Choi Kwang-Do Defence Drills comprise of a series of exercises which allow students to practise and develop their self defence skills progressively with another student.

More specifically, the Defence Drills are geared towards developing the confidence and ability of both students in a safe and controlled manner. (Point to note: Choi Kwang-Do Defence Drills are often described as non contact. I prefer to use the term non impact contact: while no contact is intentionally made when striking your partner, contact is obviously made when blocking).

Working in pairs, the Defence Drills start off by introducing basic foot work and dodging (evading an attack). An attacking partner will move in with punching techniques, and a defending partner will move back, begin to read and anticipate body movement prior to an attack, and dodge accordingly.

Then, instead of merely anticipating body movement, the defending student will start to respond by applying blocks to the attacking punches.

In the next stage of Defence Drills this basic conditioning is extended to include defence against combinations of punches and kicks combined with more advanced footwork, eg. angling off.

As the student’s confidence grows during these preliminary exercises, the Defence Drills become more dynamic and move closer towards a ‘real life situation’; a sudden suprise attack.

At this stage the Defence Drills focus on conditioning the student’s reaction to an attack using both defence (blocking, dodging and footwork), and offence (combinations of punching, striking and kicking). Pre emptive striking is also practised.

Visually, certain Drills may bear some resemblance to sparring, but the explanations above hopefully give an indication of how the drills are designed to develop student ability in a structured fashion.

Attempting to develop self defence skills in a highly stressful and competitive environment such as sparring can drastically impair some student’s ability to work with their partner, and the developing student’s opportunity to learn and develop their abilities. Hence, the Defence Drills begin by being cooperative, rather than competitive. However, once foundation skills are in place students work with increased intensity and intent and less cooperation, whilst maintaining the theme of mutual respect.

__________
Jason Wright is a 5th Degree Black Belt and Master Instructor in the martial art Choi Kwang-Do. For further information on Choi Kwang-Do classes in Ealing, West London visit www.TheMartialArtForLife.com