Hey Everyone
Well this is my tenth blog. Oh yeah. Anyway I wanted to comment on this morning’s classes. I did a cavemen workout this morning with teh morning kickboxers. They did their normal 20 minute strength and toning warm up followed by five 5 minute rounds of cardio circuits with 30 second breaks in between. I got good reviews after too. So Thanks and good job to the ones that did it.
I also want to comment on this morning’s Taekwondo class. They all did a wonderful job. I put them through a heavy strength workout for the warm up and then 30 minutes of kicking on shields and paddles. Lots of 360 degree spinning style kicking. They all worked hard for the full hour as you could tell as they all left sweating. I really do have a good bunch of students. They all work really hard and improve their skills quite quickly. Makes my job quite easy sometimes. And I mean only sometimes. LOL
I also want to talk about karma. For the ones who don’t know what karma is, karma is basically what goes around comes around. Even simpler, if you do something bad to someone, something bad will happen to you and vice verus. Some people just don’t learn their lessons. I can see it taking a couple of times to learn your lesson but when it is 6 or 7 or even up around 20 times, that is just plan ridicolous. Learn your lesson and move on with your life.
Life is full of questions and answers. If you would just quiet your mind and mouth and just pay attention, you might hear and learn something. Life seems to have a way of working out the way it is suppsoe to. Choosing to ignore this fact and ignoring what is happening is just outrageous. One reason why we are here on Earth is to continously learn. If you are no longer learning and moving forward, you are moving backwards since you can’t stay still.
Master Jonathan Field
Don’t worry about it Gerri.
Forgiveness is divine but never pay full price for late pizza 😉
Master Field,
I apologize for my inappropriate comment a few days earlier. I did not intend any disrespect, and I certainly didn’t mean for anyone else to take you to task for what was obviously my error. It will not happen again.
Regrets indeed.
Okay let’s see what I can do here. Karma is a tricky and confusing topic. I will just say I don’t wish ill things to happen upon anyone and that everyone is welcome to their own opinions on how Karma relates to their own lives.
Kwon means Fist. Kwan means school. Referring to Kukkiwon, the headquarters for the World Taekwondo Federation, it was founded when the Korean Government wanted to unite all the Korean Martial Arts under one name. Kukkiwon is just one form of certification for Taekwondo. If you want to compete or be involved in the World Taekwondo Federation and its’ competition circuit than you need a Kukkiwon. If you don’t, it really doesn’t matter. There is also many other Taekwondo organizations out there such as ITF, UTI, ITU, GTF, UTA, KTA, and many others I can’t think of at this moment. There really is no right or wrong. Taekwondo is Taekwondo. ALl these organizations exists because no one can agree about all the techniques and politics involved. Study the style you like and be happy with that. I give me students the opinion of Kukkiwons if they want them. Some do, some don’t. Doesn’t matter to me.
So the whole Sir thing is just out of respect. Instead of calling him Mr. Suppose we could call him Sa Buhm Nim(Instructor). And he is not british or anything along that line. Even though I am 2nd generation born in Canada as my family was originally from England.
Also when myself, the other instructors or my instructor sign a certificate, we put just ours name on it and underneath it says Master Instructor.
Hope that answered all that needed to be answered.
Master Jonathan Field
Oh, one last question. If you feel a little weird about your students calling you master, why not have them call you Mr. Field and sign your name as: Mr. Jonathan Field, Master Instructor? Although, the term, as I believe, merely means you have mastered the art (something I think we can only strive to do) and not that your students are your servants.
Cheers
Well put, Master Field.
You are very right about my mistake, stating that you swore when it was your student. I apologize.
With respect to Karma, is it about getting what is coming to you, really? I am not convinced. As I stated earlier, is it not more about cause and effect? You cannot honestly tell me that everyone who intentionally wrongs another gets the same in return. If that were the case we sure would have a lot less successful business people in the world. As a result, some of these “business” types tend to be more successful and struggle less as a result. I am playing the devils advocate here – but could the effect of a negative action become positive for the person doing the action, and as a result the people around them? Also, has karma not become something certain people use as a type of comfort, when they have been wronged? “They may have hurt me but what goes around comes around”, this seems to be more the karma you are referring to…a wish that some have when they are wronged.
Doesn’t a kwon really mean school? Also, isn’t the kukkiwon founded by the kwons, such as, chang moo kwan, moo duk kwon, ji do kwan etc? Does your dan certifications come from these kwans? Also, aren’t kwon or school certificates a level between kukkiwon dans? If so, how can a student hold a 2nd dan kukkiwon and a 4th dan school? Another question, do your kwon certifications have any international clout? If so, where? Is it just in your style of kwon?
I do agree with you, that certain accomplishments will become more important to an individual based on the effort needed to attain them. It is like having someone give you something and then having to work for something else – which will you value more? Easy answer.
Aren’t kukkiwon dans able to be transfered to any school in their international organization? Also, would stating that a kukkiwon dan is easy not depend on the instructor who is conducting the test? I am sure that there are certain instructors in your kwon system that do not do as your instructor does, with respect to testing. We don’t want to generalize and paint everyone with the same brush, now do we?
I agree, the sir thing is good, it shows respect – it is also good that you don’t view yourself as better then your students. I like that. We can learn from anyone. My question in my initial post was that one of your instructors has a title of “Sir” – that is what I was referring to. I have never seen that before…so I was curious.
I read your testing blog for your 4th kwon dan – very intense! You no doubt deserved it.
As far as stating anything about your students, I have read the positive statements that you have written, very good. I would caution you; however, it is ones perception that creates how they think and feel about things. If you write something, try to make it more generalized. Maybe you did, maybe I am just sensitive. 🙂
Good night.
Master Jimmy Vallen
Hi Jimmy
Lots to cover here. I am always up for a good debate. First off, I do know what karma is. I just put forth one of the little bits of it. I actually did read the wikipedia quote. I was not talking about any of my students. I have issues with them or feel they need help I will talk to them. I am quite good with that. The karma issue was not necessarily aimed at any one person in general. It is more of a general statement of society at time. People are sometimes concerned with hurting people or getting ahead that they don’t care who they screw over or hurt. In general, life has a way of dealing with you. If you try to live a reasonably good life, you tend to do better. If you are one who treats others wrong and doesn’t really care, you may struggle with life more.
Also I am not saying if you stand still and are not moving forward that something bad is going to happen. I am stating that if you are a person who is making mistakes that hurt others, it will effect you and the people around you. You are more then welcome to read it as you see fit.
Okay next. I obviously didn’t say “a&# kicking”. That was one of my students who made that comment. So professionally speaking, you need to make sure you comment on that person and not myself. As you know we all can’t control every action that ours students do. I do not swear in my blogs.
As far as black belts go, we are doing two different things. We are testing for Kukkiwon belts as well as the old kwan style belts. No black belt is more important than the other. I find Kukkiwon testings extremely easy. The most I have did for a kukkiwon belt is 2 hours for a grading. My kwan style belts were 40 hours. They were extremely hard and were more about personal growth than giving a master $500 or more of a piece of paper that most people can easily pass. My master who grades us the old kwan way is very strict. Her gradings mean more to me and my students. But like I said, no black belts are more important than the other. I am recognized as a master at world level tournaments.
As far as the whole sir thing goes. We at my school have mutual respect for all students and instructors. We call everyone by Ma’am or Sir. We don’t believe in black belts being superior to colour belts. Everyone is equal. Black Belts just have more experience, that is all. I don’t ask or expect my students to call me master. If they do, it is their choice. I still feel a little weird sometimes when I hear it. I try to be very humble about it. Once again I will say we are all the same regardless of rank, age, sex, race, and etc,.
And don’t worry about offending me. We are all entailed to our opinions but I have clearly dated above that it was not about any of my students. If I mention them here, it is strictly a good thing they have done.
Why can’t someone stay still? It is a called being inert. Many people stay still in their lives, because they do as you suggested – neglect to learn from their mistakes. Also, just to keep things clear, Karma means “deed” or “act” and more broadly names the universal principle of cause and effect, action and reaction that governs all life (wikipedia quote). It is not necessarily what most people mistake it for, the cliche, “what goes around comes around”. It is more that each choice and action has a consequence, negative or positive. You cannot believe that when someone does something that is deemed wrong to someone else (but may not be), that something happens to them. What happens if something done out of a good intention results in a negative, karma? Again, I disagree. When bad choices are made there are consequences, cause and effect. However, the cause of a negative action may not necessarily be a negative reaction. If someone wrongs you, do you wrong them back? “Eye for an eye and the whole world goes blind”, Mahatma Gandhi. What happens if you are wronged by someone and then your reaction is something positive? You choose to do this because it is obvious that the negative action was a sign, that it is their need that causes them to perform their negative action.
If I am reading into your message correctly. I would think that you have an issue with a student or students in your club. If that is the case, may I suggest talking with them, in private. Posting something on a blog so that everyone can read it and as a result tells your members what is going on, it is not professional. Be a leader and lead the right way – don’t air your dirty laundry outside. Your students will appreciate and respect you for it.
As far as learning lessons, again, not necessarily about karma. Lesson are learned when the learner is ready to learn. If a person is not learning something, they must experience it in a new way (think of multiple intelligence, for example). Your statement about “what goes around comes around”, mistakes are something the someone did not intend to do…that is why they are called mistakes. If something is intentional, then they are not a mistake. Then I could see your definition of karma maybe applying – but what you are saying is that if I am unable to move forward, because I keep making the same mistake, something bad is going to happen to me? What you are stating, I don’t really buy.
Master Jimmy Vallen
ps think professionally, making statements like a&# kicking classes – you may want to rethink this. Also, why do you call your one black belt “sir” what he knighted by the Queen? Is he even British? Another question, what is the difference between your black belt and your kukkiwon black belt and why are some people only a 2nd kukkiwon and a 4th black belt – should they not be 3rd kukkiwon and them maybe a school 4th dan?
pps I thought about what I said about taking your students aside and talking to them. Then I have come on to this public forum to question what you have written. However, you posted on this public forum, which provides me the right to question what you have written. I do hope you have not taken offense to what I have said or asked…if you are game, lets debate. Shall we?
Great class today Sir…you never stop inspiring and motivating. I’m very glad to take part in these ass kickings! 🙂