A-Z Challenge: a different kind of story collection featured here!
There
is so much more to Tae Kwon Do than punching and kicking. Each pattern (a
sequence of attacks and defences against one or more imaginary opponents) has a
meaning attached to it, which students are required to learn. These pattern
meanings are intended to inspire students, showing the five tenets; courtesy,
integrity, perseverance, self-control and indomitable spirit; in action. In
practice, students tend to memorise a bunch of words, not always correctly. It
is very amusing to be told by an earnest six year old that Yi the First was an
expert on Neon Confusion but if he knew the real story of Yi I he would be
getting a much fuller Tae Kwon Do experience. Pattern meanings are a
marvellous, under-used resource for teaching Tae Kwon Do, for teaching about
life and death, about another very different culture, about philosophy and true
bravery.
Which
is why I wrote, illustrated and published a book about them!
Today
I have woken up, taken Dog for a run around tiny beautiful country lanes, stood
out in the sunshine learning one of my brand new Second Dan patterns, then done some
practical things like sending out invoices: spent time on my novel (which is
for grown ups, and whilst it embodies the benefit of resilience does not
contain any Tae Kwon-Do) and whizzed out this bit of writing and am about to
embark on another round of research for the next Tae Kwon-Do book. There are
holes in my socks and the house is messy, in need of cleaning that won't get
done until Saturday. And then only out of courtesy to guests! Housework isn't
important right now.
The
things that I would like to change, I am in the process of changing.
Everything
else will either catch up or be dropped!
This isn't a sales pitch- more of a rant about how much I love this project of mine, but if you would like a copy, do use the email on the poster! There is no e-version yet, folks, though one is proposed :-)
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