Where To Find What

In class I often direct students to certain websites where you can get various pieces of information to support your training at Ealing Choi Kwang-Do. I also have students and parents say that they are not always sure which website to go for which information.

So here's a short guide on where to go to find what you might be looking for.

1. Ealing CKD School Website

TheMartialArtForLife.com
This is the website for prospective students. It provides general information about our classes for people wanting to start Choi Kwang-Do and enables them to book an Introductory Lesson. Once you have joined the school it is unlikely you will visit this site very often.

2. Student Services Website

EalingCKD.co.uk
This website is designed to support existing students and families who attend Ealing Choi Kwang-Do. This is the website you will probably find the most helpful and visit the most often once you have joined the school.

Visit this site to:

- Learn how to tie your belt.
- View or download the Welcome Pack and Student Guide.
- Check important dates throughout the year (there's a Calendar at the bottom of each page).
- Check Black Belt Grading times.
- View or download issues of our bi-monthly class newsletter, Excellence.

3. Student Shop

TheMartialArtForLifeShop.com
At this website you can pay for Grading Fees plus purchase any required training equipment for use in class. Delivery is made to students in class.

Go to this website to:

- Pay Grading Fees online via credit/debit card or PayPal.
- Purchase Safety Equipment.
- Buy Choi Kwang-Do uniforms and T-Shirts.

4. The Official CKD Website

ChoiKwangDo.com
This is the official website for Choi Kwang-Do Martial Art International.

Visit this site to:

- Read up on news directly from Choi Kwang-Do HQ.
- View a list of all Choi Kwang-Do school across the world. You can search by country and postcode.
- Login to the member's area via the Student Login link. This is where you can access your Syllabus Sheet which contains everything you need to know for your current belt level plus all preceding belt levels.

You will need your Student ID and PIN to login which will have been sent in your welcome email when you first joined. If you have misplaced (or even deleted) it please contact me and I can resend it.

In addition to these 4 websites you can also connect with Ealing Choi Kwang-Do through social media:

Like us at facebook.com/EalingCKD
Follow us at twitter.com/EalingCKD
Watch on youtube.com/EalingCKD

...and lastly our mobile web app. To view updates from our Student Services Website (see website number 2 above) plus Facebook, Twitter and YouTube all in one place and conveniently on your mobile phone simply go to ealingckd.mobi on your mobile phone's web browser only - it will not work on a desktop browser. Or if you use a Nokia mobile phone you can install the app directly via the Nokia Store

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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

Black Belt Gradings 2012

Please see below dates for Black Belt Choi Kwang-Do Gradings during 2012, all to be held at Wembley CKD:

Sunday 11th March
Sunday 10th June
Sunday 9th September
Sunday 2nd December

Coloured Belt Gradings 2012

Please see below dates for Coloured Belt Choi Kwang-Do Gradings during 2012, all to be held in class at Ealing CKD:

Wednesday 29th February
Wednesday 25th April
Wednesday 20th June
Wednesday 22nd August
Wednesday 24th October
Wednesday 5th December

Leadership & Black Belt Training 2012

Please see below dates for Leadership & Black Belt Training during 2012, all to be held at Crowne Plaza London Ealing:

Friday 13th January
Friday 3rd February
Friday 2nd March
Friday 6th April
Friday 4th May
Friday 1st June
Friday 6th July
Friday 3rd August
Friday 14th September
Friday 5th October
Friday 2nd November
Friday 30th November*

*A second class in late November ensures there is a session before the Black Belt Grading on Sunday 2nd December.

Excellence - November/December 2011

Below is the current issue of our now bi-monthly newsletter Excellence. Includes details of our Christmas meal and dates for gradings and special classes throughout 2012.

Download Excellence (November/December 2011)

Coloured Belt Grading - December

Our last Coloured Belt Grading for 2011 will be held on Wednesday 7th December. The class on Monday 5th will be the last opportunity for practise. The grading takes place in class time so please arrive 10 - 15 minutes early to be ready to start.

To check whether you will be grading please refer to the confirmed grading list sent by email.

Click here to pay Grading Fee online.

Grading dates for 2012 coming soon.

Throw Yourself Into It!

Roughly a year ago I had our adult students working on sliding kicks.

The technical aspect of what these are isn't really that important but just to provide some context, as the name implies sliding kicks involves performing a kick whilst sliding forwards towards the target. It's a way of covering distance dynamically to reach an out of range target while simultaneously attacking. It's faster than taking a separate step forward towards the target and then kicking. Plus, it can also result in a more powerful kick as the whole body weight is being thrust forwards with the kick.

Officially, sliding kicks occur in the Choi Kwang-Do curriculum at 2nd Degree Black Belt but this wasn't a Black Belt Class. In fact, there were only three black belts in the entire class of 16 that evening...one of them being me!

So why was I getting the students to do this?

The first reason was that it was a fun challenge for many, without straying too far outside of what they would normally be working on, eg. basic kicks with the target in a comfortable range whereby a slide is not required. However, the main lesson behind the lesson (if you see what I mean) was that to perform a sliding kick you have to throw yourself into it.

Physically speaking, you really do have you launch your body weight towards the target but in a controlled manner. If you don't, you simply won't cover the distance and reach the target. If you do, your balance (and subsequent power) will be negatively affected. This is quite a radical change for most students because they would have been initially taught to kick from a stationary position without sliding.

Emotionally speaking there can be even more to learn. Once you have practised and realised the need to launch your body weight towards the target, you're less likely to hesitate when approaching similar techniques in the future.
You will have already demonstrated to yourself that to complete particular tasks, you sometimes have to overcome self-induced obstacles.

Of course, among the more junior students there was lots of hesitation at first. Perfectly natural given the circumstances, but that was that whole point; to enable the students to recognise when this is happening, when they may be deliberating over a task that has little or no damaging outcomes.

Make a decision.
Affirm commitment.
Throw yourself into it!

There are many areas of life whereby unless we make a commitment and throw ourselves into something, before starting we've already limited the experience we could potentially receive. A valuable and useful lesson for me, the students...and maybe for you too?

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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