In-Person Classes Have Resumed!

I am sure this has happened to us all at some point: you've made a search online, found some promising results and clicked the link to one of the websites. The website opens and after a quick scan around at the information and images, you click on the News or Blog link, eager to find out what the service or business has been up to recently, only to find the last update was several months ago... 

"Has the business closed", you wonder. "Or have they just not got round to posted anything recently?!"

In our case it's the latter, but I'm pleased to confirm that our in-person martial arts classes have literally just restarted. A combination of lockdowns and searching for a new venue means this has been a 20 month break! (In fact, this is not strictly true; we've had a small group training and grading online since April 2020). 

In the interests of protecting each other we are operating with some restrictions (see further below) but our classes are now held at the following location, conveniently located between Ealing Broadway and Ealing Common:

St Matthew's Church Hall

North Common Road

Ealing

London W5 2QA

Google Maps link 

Look out for the gate on the left side of the church. Follow the path to the hall at the rear to your left.

Some points for returning students and those interested in discovering Choi Kwang-Do for the first time:

- Currently, classes are observing social distancing and will not include any partner or equipment work, unless training in a family group. 

- We would ask that students arrive dressed for class, as much as possible. Toilets are available and a separate kitchen area for changing, if needed.

- Doors will be open for ventilation, so you may wish to wear a t-shirt or extra layer under your uniform top. 

- No spectators; we're asking parents of regular students to drop and collect their child. Parents are welcome to observe if bringing a child for a free trial lesson. 

Get in touch today if you would like more information on the new classes or interesting in booking a free trial.

The Martial Art For Life News - 15/02/20

World CKD Day, syllabus updates and Coloured Belt Grading dates. Click here to read the latest newsletter

A Quick Look Back At 2019

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

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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

Leading By Example

In our April leadership workshop we reviewed class procedures, general guidelines and our role in both adhering to them and helping others to do the same. We touched on a handful of subjects most easily summarised in the 3 points below:

(Side note: This was a session with our leadership team - junior leaders, assistant instructors and head instructors - and discussed from the perspective of undertaking leadership roles the class. In reality they may be useful for all students).


1. It Starts With Us

We all know the school rules – the official Choi Kwang-Do school guidelines are sent out in the welcome pack whenever a student enrols. However, as clear as they are, reading a list of instructions can be very different when compared to actually following them.

The bottom line is that it starts with us; leadership team members are expected to maintain the highest standards so their ki-hap must be louder, their movement to line up faster, their uniform standards higher, etc. etc. than everyone else.

We have to provide an example and collectively, guide and influence others to follow.


2. Take Pride In Your Position

Students know you are ‘special’ by the colour of your uniform, but we should also seek to display that difference in our character.

So take pride in your position! Show people that you are ‘special’ - not to be confused with showing people you feel superior – through the way you conduct yourself and your knowledge of the martial art, as well as your techniques.

It goes without saying that this should always be done with humility.

This doesn’t mean you know everything and never make mistakes. We're all human and sometimes forget things or get things wrong. Mistakes are a necessary part of the learning process, but you can still take pride in being curious and finding out the right answers or course of action.


3. Remember, Everything Counts

Whether we are aware of it or not, people pick up on the things we say and the actions we take (or don't take). Sometimes it's conscious, at other times it can be unconscious.

Many would say it’s more what you do, than what you say. Whatever you believe, what this simply means is that everything you say and do counts and perception, as they say, is ‘everything’. Ask yourself:

- Do my words and actions ‘match’?
- Am I trying to do the right thing and acting truthfully, both in public and in private?

Being consistent in our actions can help others to have confidence in our words and is an outward display of personal integrity. Just like martial arts skills this requires focus and practise; aim to keep you intentions in mind and persevere, using the feedback from instructors, fellow leadership team members, students and parents, as helpful reminders.

__________
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

March 2nd 1987

March 2nd is World Choi Kwang-Do Day.

Grandmaster Kwang Jo Choi, the founder of CKD turned 77 years young (or old - it's matter of perspective...) If you attended any of the anniversary seminar events in June 2018 you'll have learnt that Grandmaster Choi is an innovator in the field of martial arts and has a career spanning 6 decades.

It was also the 32nd anniversary of CKD. It was on March 2nd in 1987 that Grandmaster Choi announced his new martial art - Choi Kwang-Do, which translates as "the art of Kwang Choi" - to the world. The result of several years of research to create a martial art based on modern science that is good for your health, and powerful, yet gentle on the human body. (Officially launching in the UK in 1988, it's actually the UK's 31st anniversary).

Thanks to the parents and siblings that joined us recently to mark the special occasion.

Some of our students may not have seen Grandmaster Choi perform so we also showed a few video clips at the end of the classes. As promised, to save you hours of searching through YouTube I've shared them here for your convenience (not the curriculum DVDs, however).


In this first one from the early 1990s, eagle-eyed black belts may notice early versions of our black belt patterns and speed drills.

See if you can spot any of our instructors from Ealing CKD in this next clip.

Lastly, a personal favourite (which I like so much I copied)

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

A Quick Look Back At 2018

Ealing CKD Summer Schedule 2018

Classes are on but we wanted to advise of an amendment to our schedule: as usual at this time of the year, the children's classes are merged to 7.00pm only, so there will not be a 6.00pm class. This will commence from Wednesday 1st August and effective on the following dates:

7.00pm – 7.50pm Children’s Class (no 6.00pm class)
8.00pm – 9.15pm Teens & Adults

Wednesday 1st August
Monday 6th & Wednesday 8th August
Monday 13th & Wednesday 15th August

We then break for summer resuming on Monday 3rd September at the regular times of 6.00pm, 7.00pm and 8.00pm.