McMinnville Taekwondo

Ready for a uniform? Most students order theirs from their teacher, although you can locate them online as well. Search for white Karate uniforms, traditional cross-over design, light weight. Do not search for Taekwondo uniforms-- these are often the wrong style. A new uniform is $40. Students purple belt and above may order a heavy weight for $50. These "talk" to you, making a snapping noise when you have thrown a technique correctly. Your uniform will come with a belt and patches, and silk screening with our school logo is free. TIPS: Sew flag patches about 2” from shoulder seam, horizontal to seam. On the Korean flag, the red part of the yin-yang symbol goes up (left shoulder when you have the top on). Stars go in top left corner for American flag (right shoulder). Before sewing on the school patch (round red one), put on your uniform and pin the patch over your heart (left side).

For me, water has always worked as the best metaphor to describe what I want to become as a martial artist. I'm always throwing myself against obstacles, or giving up when I think I've hit a roadblock I can't get past, so Master Tesdal offered me another way to look at life's challenges. He told me once to try to be like the water in a stream: by flowing around obstacles, it moves inevitably toward its destination. Water is one of the earth's most powerful tools, able to wear down solid stone... over time. Water is patient. Remember the five tenets of Taekwondo: courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self-control, indomitable spirit. Be like water, and time will be on your side. Zen proverb: The obstacle is the path.

It's hard for us to remember the formal rules of the dojang sometimes, when our training area is only a grade school gym. We have lots of room, but we don't have our own space, so it's more difficult to get in the mood and remember to show respect to the training area. We bow into the gym to show this respect. This puts us into the mindset that now is time for training. Now is the time to leave all the worries and stresses of the day outside and focus only on Taekwondo. In a real dojang, we would be bowing to the flags on the wall, and to all of the blackbelts. It would be easy to remember to take off our shoes, to be quiet, and to focus on training if we could walk into a building that was meant only for martial arts, with perhaps inspirational sayings on the walls, heavy bags and other equipment for working out, and the instructors' qualifications posted-- not to mention trophy displays. Someday, we will have our own school, and we will be able to create this special ...

No matter what age, if the individual loves their sport, they will love a related gift. The items in the list below can be found on various martial arts supply sites-- try doing a web search for "martial arts supplies" or for the specific item you're looking for. Most importantly, shop around different sites and check prices and shipping costs before making an impulse purchase. Martial arts gear bags are always useful. They come in various sizes, usually black. Patches. The student can attach these to school backpacks, clothes, bags, whatever. A good stocking stuffer. Kick pad. This is a great tool for the student to have at home for practice outside of class. T-shirts or other clothing. Different sites offer different designs. One I like is "Don't block my kick with your head." An extra uniform. Make sure you get a white Karate uniform-- not a Taekwondo uniform (these are often the wrong style on the web), light to middle weight. Heavy weight is for purple ...

How do I know when to test? Your instructor decides when you are ready based on how hard you have practiced, how well you are doing, and how often you have come to class. Testing occurs about every three to four months for most adults and teens, but younger kids may need more time. Remember, you aren't competing against anyone but yourself. Your instructor will pretest you in class before sending you to the formal test. Where and when is the test? On the last Wednesday of the month (usually), promotees may go to Master Tesdal's dojang to test. Try to arrive by 6 pm. Address: 4315 Pacific Ave, Forest Grove, OR‎ - (503) 359-4997‎ View Larger Map Those who cannot make the Wednesday test may go to Portland. Address: 6950 S.E. Duke Street, Portland, OR 97206. Click here for map. Directions to the Portland Dojang: Take the Ross Island Bridge across the Willamette River, and you will be on Powell Blvd. Stay on Powell until it veers to the right at 50th; this puts you on Foster Road. F...

All students brown stripe and above may compete in breaking competition at tournaments. Choose your wood carefully, looking for dry boards without pitch or knots. Go to a local lumber store and purchase a 12" wide shelf board of any length, cutting this board into 8" lengths. See the photo: The top board in the photo is fairly hard, but the bottom board is ideal. Note how the grain runs horizontally across the board, with a fair distance between the lines.

Master Carothers began his training in 1985 with Grandmaster Kim (in front) and Master Campbell (on right) then continued his training under Grandmaster Tesdal and Master Tesdal (pictured in center).

Students of any Kim's Taekwondo school are always welcome to visit other Kim's schools for training. Your paid tuition covers all schools. For courtesy's sake, when possible let your instructor know that you might visit another school so s/he can let the other instructor know ahead of time. Getting pointers from other martial arts experts is always a great way to round out your training. There are about 50 schools now under Master Kim. Here is a list of web addresses that I have for a few, where you can read about the instructors, find out about class times, and get more information about Taekwondo in general: http://kimstkdportland.com/index.php The Portland Schools http://www.kimstkd-renton.com/ The Renton School http://www.kimstkd-bothell.com/ The school in Bothell, Washington http://www.whitman.edu/taekwondo/ The Walla Walla, WA school http://www.kimstaekwondo.org/ The school in Rocklin, CA http://www2.hawaii.edu/~nakadoma/homepage/ktkd_hawaii.htm The Honolulu Sch...

Aegukga 애국가 Donghae mulgwa Baekdusani mareugo daltorok/ Haneunimi bouhasa urinara manse/ Mugunghwa samcheolli hwaryeogangsan/ Daehansaram daehaneuro giri bojeonhase Translation: Until the day when the East Sea 's waters and Mt. Baekdu are dry and worn away,God protect and preserve us. Long live our nation!Three thousand Li of splendid rivers and mountains, filled with Roses of Sharon ;Great Korean People, stay true to the Great Korean way. This is only part of the anthem, but this is what we sing at tests and tournaments.

STUDENT CREED: To build ourselves physically and mentally. To build friendship with one another and to be a strong group. Never fight to achieve selfish ends, but to develop might for right. PRINCIPLES OF TAEKWONDO: Progress (to strive toward goals), Peace (self-control), and Love (concern & care for others) TENETS OF TAEKWONDO: COURTESY: to promote the spirit of compromise, to be polite to one another, to encourage a sense of justice, to distinguish Instructor from student and respect those who have more life experience. INTEGRITY: to be able to define right from wrong and have the conscience, if wrong, to feel guilt. PERSEVERANCE: to have patience, to continue steadfastly, to remain focused on the goal. SELF-CONTROL: to remain calm in any situation, inside and outside of the Do Jang whether conducting one’s self in free-sparring or in one’s personal affairs. A loss of ones’ self control can prove disastrous to both student and opponent. [Control of ourselves may be the only contr...

If you are an active person, you have seen multiple benefits: greater strength, flexibility, balance, better health, more energy... and doctors will tell you that your quality of life will be better for longer. But you also know that injuries happen. Injury and Exercise Sadly, many people will see an injury as a sign to quit. I guarantee that there is no advantage to stopping exercise because of injury. Yes, there are times when a day or two of rest is called for, but doctors are now encouraging movement as therapy for almost any injury. Your instructor should also be able to guide you in deciding how to handle an injury. For me, being over 40 means bouts of tendonitis, here... there... and everywhere. I've been fighting plantar fasciitis lately, and after conversations with other martial artists who are my age or older, I found out this is very common. It's not a game ender, though. After 20 years of Taekwondo, what works best for me is to wear an appropriate brace for s...

It must have been 98 degrees outside; inside the dojang, it was at least 110—the air conditioning wasn’t working that day. We were sweating so badly, it was hard to make a fist without the fingers sliding apart! When we paused for a water break, I walked up to the big plate glass windows and looked out at the street. To my surprise, a man was jogging past, staring straight ahead with determination. How could anyone exercise in this heat? I wondered, amazed at his dedication. Then I realized that I was in the middle of a Taekwondo class in an overheated, overcrowded dojang… and there wasn’t anywhere else I’d rather be. I certainly wouldn’t have traded places with that jogger. What is it about Taekwondo that makes me forget I’m working out? It’s not for everybody, I’m sure, but I love it. When you find that form of exercise that you really enjoy, it becomes something more than just a way to burn calories. I have to admit, though, there are times when that’s the only motivator to get me o...

Tigard, Fall '08 Tournament The next tournament is February 21st in Cornelius. This is OUR tournament, so don't miss it! That's an order. If you only go to one each year, make it this one. The team did well in the forms competition. They are performing Toi-gye.

Scenario: two Taekwondo students are helping with clean up, raking leaves at a local park. They are attacked by two disreputable thugs...