Archives

Cross-Training and How It Benefits Your Martial Arts Performance

Black Belt Test, HKD, TKD, Training

From earlier posts, you have probably noticed that Be Ryong Martial Arts curriculum and testing requires a tremendous amount of strength, stamina, and mental toughness.  It is particularly so during the Black Belt Testing cycles.  Generally, you will train for a minimum of 6 months from the time you put on your Bo-Black belts until you test for your Black Belt.  It’s really important to use this time wisely to create the mental toughness, strength, and stamina that are required to succeed.

That is where cross-training comes in.  What is cross-training?  It is, basically, doing something that is different.  For martial arts training, it can take a variety of forms.  One of the simplest forms of cross-training to employ is running.  It has been said by runners, “My sport is your sport’s punishment.”  This is in reference to many team sports using running laps as a punishment.  Running is not punishment.  It is one of the most effective training methods to help you gain the cardiovascular fitness and endurance to be successful in martial arts.  It also helps to condition you to work through discomfort to allow you to continue and finish the training.  You don’t need a lot of special gear for running; some good running shoes, synthetic clothing, sunglasses and a water bottle will pretty much do the trick.  You might like it.  You might like to know that Master Yun has completed two 10-Mile races and a Half-Marathon (13.1 miles) in the last two years and will be competing in the Marine Corps Marathon (26.2 miles) this October 22.  Believe it or not, these distances are a challenge, even for our Master ☺

Some other great cross-training is weight training.  I know, I know, you don’t have a gym, or some other such reason, but…  You do have your own body weight and a floor, so, you really have all you need to get started.  Push-ups, yes, remember you will do at least 770 during your Black Belt test, are body weight exercises and you can do them almost anywhere.  On the floor in your office, in the hallway at home, on the patio, on the deck by the pool, or even on the floor in front of your TV!  Just do them a few at a time, 10 then 20 then more.  Practice doing them slow, fast, different hand spacing, on your fists, on your wrists, just do them and do them in proper form.  Pull ups are fantastic.  Live near a school or playground?  Find the monkey bars and start it out.  Can’t do a lot? Do a few at a time and work your way up.  Almost anything can be used as a weight, a gallon of milk, a can of corn, get creative and have fun with it.

Don’t forget about the sit-ups either.  Get creative with them.  Do crunches.  Do bicycles. Do side crunches.  If you know how, practice side falls and back falls and then take it up a notch by practicing the fall and standing up after each one.  Seriously, picking up your own body weight repeatedly will wear you out faster than you ever thought possible, unless you’ve taken a Hap Ki Do Black Belt test…

Cycling is a great cardiovascular cross-training exercise too.  Just ask Daniel, he rides hundreds of miles each week and takes Hap Ki Do and Tae Kwon Do as well.  Many of your classmates commute to and from work by bicycle.  It’s great and we have plenty of safe trails to ride on  around here.

In the summer, you can swim in an outdoor pool and an indoor pool in the winter.  It is low impact and very highly effective at strengthening your muscles, most of which you don’t use as much as you think you do.  Don’t believe me? Go to the pool and swim 20 laps, then come see me the next day.

It’s also critically important to stretch.  You might think that’s not exercise, or cross-training, but you would be mistaken.  Take a yoga class, or Barre, or Pilates.  Do the Wii Fit Balance Board yoga work out.  Sit in front of the TV and stretch after you have done push-ups and sit-ups during commercial breaks ☺ You know stretching improves flexibility and flexibility improves your kicks right?  How can it hurt to work on these two things as a means of cross-training?  Answer, it can’t hurt.  No matter what you do, if it is different than what you are doing in classes, it is cross training and it is helpful to you as a martial artist.  It can also be fun.  So enjoy your cross-training and we will see you at Be Ryong Martial Arts!

by Chris, adult, HKD black belt

What Happens During a TaeKwonDo Black Belt Test?

Black Belt Test, Testing


Every studio is different, but at BeRyong, a first degree black belt test has 10 stages. This test generally lasts about three hours and is non-stop.

At Be Ryong, Master Yun won’t even let you take the black belt test until he sees that you have mastered all the lower belt kicks and forms. Ultimately, the test is one of endurance.

At the end of the test, you’ll understand why Master Yun says that a black belt test is a physical and mental test.

Here are the 10 stages.

  1. Warm-up (a bunch of jumping jacks) and stretching.
  2. Kicking. You do each belt’s kicking combination up and down the studio.
  3. Push-ups. You do a lot of push-ups during a black belt. You start with 20 push-ups at white belt and you add 10 push-ups as you go up the belts. By the time you’re on brown belt, you’re doing 120 push-ups. Yes, you end up doing 770 push-ups during the course of the test.
  4. Forms. You run through all the belt forms. If Master Yun doesn’t like one person’s form, you may all be asked to repeat a form.
  5. Sit ups. Same as the push-ups, you do sit ups with each belt, starting with 20, until you do 120 at brown belt. Yep, you end up doing 770 sit ups during the test.
  6. Squats. After blue stripe belt, the squats start, starting with 10, adding 10 more with each successive belt.
  7. After you’ve gone through all the forms, you do three rounds of sparring. The first 2 are against 1 black belt; each round lasts 1.5 – 2 minutes. During the third round, you go up against 2 black belts, alsso for 1.5 – 2 minutes. Yes, you will take a beating. Why sparring at the end of the test? Because any martial arts-trained person can fight fresh; the black belt test shows you can fight even when you’re exhausted.
  8. Breaking. Prior to the test, Master Yun will work with each student to develop three kicking combinations of three kicks each. So you’ll end up breaking 9 boards (10 if you do a double kick).
  9. As the Grand Finale, you do hand breaking. If you are under 8 years old, you break 5 thin boards, over 8 you break 5 thick boards, and over 18 you break a 2 inch thick slab of concrete. If you’re over 18 and you don’t succeed in breaking a slab of concrete, you’ll be presented with 5 thick boards.
  10. At the end of the test, after all the kicking, forms, sparring and breaking, you get to eat Korean Food!

by CJ, 13, black belt in TKD

How To Train for a Black Belt Test – Part One – Classes

Testing, Training

Students with Master Yun after the February 2017 black belt test

So you’ve achieved a Bo-Dan/Bo-Black belt, the final step in front of a Black Belt—now what?

You may think that a black belt test is just like any other belt test. Well hold on a minute. Don’t even think about sitting down because you haven’t even STARTED the training for a Black Belt!

Admittedly, Master Yun at Be Ryong is a bit old school when it comes to earning a Black Belt. Master Yun recommends training a minimum of six months for a black belt test. In addition, you must prove to Master Yun that you are ready for the responsibility of being a Black Belt. 

We recommend attending to at least four classes a week along with the Black Belt training class on Fridays and Saturdays. If you can, take two or three classes in a row to build up your stamina and endurance.

During bo dan training, you won’t be learning any new forms or kicks. Instead, you spend time working on kicks, forms, breaking, push-ups, sit-ups, and squats. Focus on developing muscle memory so that when Master Yun or an instructor asks you to do the red belt form or kick, you can execute the form or kick without any hesitation. Focus also on improving your forms and kicks during every class. Ask your instructors and other black belts to critique your forms and kicks and give you suggestions for small changes to make your techniques better. Aim to get better with every single class and prove to Master Yun that are you doing your best and training hard.

Next time, we’ll blog about training for the sparring and power breaking portion of the black belt test.

by Julia, 14, black belt in TKD

Why Tae Kwon Do is Good for Children

Training

TKD students during a black belt test

There are many reasons why Tae Kwon Do is good for children. First, TKD teaches kids about pursuing their goals. Most young children will not have come across many major challenges. But with TKD, they will be sufficiently challenged while also being able to look forward towards the next belt.

The second reason is that TKD teaches persistence. If they aren’t able to get their red stripe on the first try, they must learn to stay motivated and try again after more practice.

The third reason is discipline. They will learn that if they don’t listen to the higher belts and instructors, then they won’t advance on to the next belt. The fourth reason is self defense. They will learn a large assortment of blocks that will teach them to counter any attack.

Finally, and this reason is for parents. Parents, instead of just sitting, waiting or watching your kids practice, you can join your child in the fun that is TKD.

by CJ, 13, black belt in TKD