Gradings, Competitions and Seminars
                                                                                     

Dear student / parent,

One of our goals is to make all our activities as inclusive as possible with as many students attending as possible. 

Two things to note here: firstly we can only stage these events if people take part and we would hope that the events are of sufficient interest to the students that they would wish to participate; secondly it is part of the personal development of the student that they attend these events. Please let me try to explain……..

Gradings: The Federation accepts that some of the students are nervous about entering competitions, gradings and seminars. However one of the fundamentals of building a successful martial artist and person is that they can recognise their doubts, fears and misgivings then face them and overcome them; it is finding the courage to take part, despite any apprehensions, that builds determination, self reliance and self discipline. 

In the December grading the Federation had five people who were so nervous that they were either crying or had been physically ill during the morning…..yet they were still there, they took part and performed brilliantly. These individuals showed all the attributes of future Dan grades and characteristics that will stand them in good stead for the rest of their lives. Sadly some instructors had students who felt they just could not attend and asked to be graded in class…….In exception we can grade students in class, however it is part of the test of your physical and mental development within martial arts that you have the courage to attend and show the examining team how you are progressing. Even if you have learnt the syllabus and can perform it well in class, in familiar surroundings; unless you have the courage to demonstrate what you have learnt during an examination then we have to assume that mentally you are not ready to advance.

Competitions: Being able to perform well under pressure is also part of the development of a martial artist. I need you to think seriously about what we are trying to achieve here. Getting up and facing unknown opponent’s takes courage. Think on this, if you ever do have to use martial arts defensively to you honestly think you will get to choose your assailant? Do you sincerely believe you have the option of saying that you do not wish to take part in this particular assault, but as you believe there will be another physical attack due later in the year you will be ok to attend and deal with that one? Come on!! Everyone has butterflies entering a competition ring. If you fail to do well the worst thing that will happen is you will not get a medal. If you fail to put yourself under the pressure of competition you may well loose a lot more than just a medal. Also ALL those who do attend have the butterflies but also have had a fantastic experience. Butterflies and great experiences often go hand. Look at rollercoaster's. It’s the trepidation and excitement that make them worth paying to ride. You’ve paid the entrance fee to the park by training regularly and hard, don't miss out on the best ride because the initial drop looks a bit scary.

Seminars: From time to time we have Masters or Grandmasters attend our competitions or are simply in the UK. Where possible we try and persuade these experienced martial artists to come to Wales and conduct seminars for us. Usually these exponents have decades of experience in different aspects of Tang Soo Do and we would hope to learn something useful from each seminar. We try and make the seminars as interesting and dynamic as possible. The more techniques and forms at your disposal the better a martial artist you will be. You will learn and be shown things you may never have a chance to see or do again. Try your best to attend these seminars. After persuading these Grandmasters that Wales (and our federation) is worth a visit I can think of nothing worse than only a small handful of students attending...It would make us all look very foolish. 

A final thought to be going on with…….. Ask any red belt how many of the students who started with them are still training now. The answer may surprise you. Make the most of your experiences in Tang Soo Do, attend everything you can, it is the events you take part in that will make memories that will stay with you for the rest of your life and make your time in Tang Soo Do a positive one. Life is definitely a participation sport…. take part in everything you can.

If you have any questions or comments on anything I've covered above please get in touch with me I’ll be happy to discuss anything that may be causing concern.

Master Wayne Humphries