What is Step Sparring in Taekwondo

Step sparring in Taekwondo is a series of drills between an attacker and a defender.  In other words, it’s a sequence of attacks and blocks that doesn’t actually connect with the other person.  It’s a way to practice an actual fighting scenario without hurting your opponent.  There is 3-step, 2-step and 1-step sparring and beginners start their training with 1-step sparring.  The main difference between beginner level step sparring and advanced is that at the advanced level, the defender does not know which specific attacks the attacker is going to use.  Below is a video which demonstrates 1-step sparring at a basic level.

Interested in learning more about Taekwondo?  Drop by at our location in Waterloo and ask about a free trial class.  Ms. Charlotte D’Souza has more than 10 years experience in teaching and is a third degree black belt herself. 

 

Choosing a Quality Martial Arts School in Waterloo

When shopping around for a martial arts school in Waterloo, you will want to make sure that you and/or your child receives quality teaching.   Not all martial arts training is created equally and in most cases, you will be locked in to a contract for a year so that you will want to make sure that you are getting high value training for your money.

Most martial arts schools will allow you to try before you buy.  So, before you commit, try a few classes at different schools in the area to see if you like the atmosphere, the teaching style and weekly class schedule.  You should also ask if you can watch a black belt class.  At that level, you will be able to determine even without experience if the school offers really good training.  Of course, they won’t all be the same martial arts style.  Some schools teach karate, while others teach Kung-fu or Taekwondo for example.  And, if you’re interested in learning an authentic martial art, there are some questions you need to ask of the school and of the instructor(s).

First, find out if the school is affiliated with a recognized federation.  So, for Taekwondo, that would either be WTF (World Taekwondo Federation) or ITF (International Taekwondo Federation).  Not only is this important to find out so that you will know that you’re learning an authentic martial arts style but also, if ever you change schools, you will want to ensure that you can transfer your credits to the next school, otherwise you may have to start all over again at the bottom with a white belt.

Next, you will want to ask about tournaments.  If you find out that the school interacts with other schools during tournaments then you will know that the teaching is “real” martial arts training.  If this is not the case, then this would definitely be a red flag if you are at all concerned about quality instruction.

Finally, find out about the instructor’s qualifications, their belt level and how long they’ve been teaching martial arts.  With many schools, their head instructor is the owner.  Generally, the owner started their training as a white belt and spent many years working their way through the belt ranks in order to be fully qualified to run a martial arts school and teach classes.  If this is not the case, then you may want to keep shopping.

D’Souza Martial Arts Academy in Waterloo teaches all levels and ages of students.  Classes are taught by the owner, a third degree black belt who began her training in 2000 and began teaching in 2005.  She has taught many students from little ninja level all the way up black belt level.  Contact us today to arrange a free trial.  You can check out the class schedule here.

 

Prevent Bullying with Martial Arts

If your child is being bullied in school or on the playground, martial arts is a great way to help them.  Not only does the practice of martial arts help kids to build confidence in their physical ability but it also helps them in dealing with their fear.  Over time, kids who study martial arts build great reflexive action so that if ever they are attacked physically, they know what to do by using one of the many blocking or defensive techniques they learn.

In addition, the postures in martial arts exude confidence so that if your child feels that they can stand tall when confronted by a bully, they will be far less likely to be bullied in the first place.  Same holds true for when kids use their voice.  In martial arts, many patterns are punctuated with loud “HAH’s” and your child will automatically begin to use a strong self-assured and composed voice in confrontational situations which again, will help to diffuse a negative situations with bullies.

But, don’t be concerned that your child will start beating on his or her younger siblings.  Instructors encourage young students to use their words and martial arts as more of a defense outside of class.  If your child shows a strong interest in practicing martial arts, he or she may want to continue all the way to earning a black belt.  The overall benefits for kids are great.  Aside from developing confidence and their physical fitness, they will also develop leadership skills, life-long friendships and better focus for achievement in school.

Outside of class, you can help your child with bullying by listening to them about their day.  Try not to jump in and offer advice right off the bat with difficult situations.  Ask questions and let them talk.  The more you do, the more they will open up to you and then you can better respond once you have all the information.

If you or your child would like to try a martial arts class, contact D’Souza Martial Arts Academy in Waterloo by dropping by or calling 519-725-5550.

 

 

How to Get Your Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do

Many people who take up martial arts want to know how long it’s going to take to earn their black belt.  The answer depends on which art you are taking up and also depends on whether you are with ITF or WTF.  In general however, it takes approximately 3-4 years to master everything you need to know to pass the testing and earn your black belt depending on how often you attend class.

Everyone starts at the same point and that is, with their white belt.  Your first belt is a yellow stripe and then you move on to a full yellow belt.  From there, you work on earning your green stripe and then your full green belt, then blue stripe, full blue, red stripe and then full red, first black stripe, second black stripe and then full black.  In general you will spend about 3 months at each of the beginning levels and then as you progress through the belt ranks, it takes a little longer.

Along the way, you will learn so much and have a lot of fun, gain friendships and improve your fitness, become better able to handle stress and manage relationships.  You will learn a variety of several patterns (known as katas in karate), different blocks, strikes, kicks, take downs and sparring.  As you move up through the ranks you will mentor lower belts and may participate in teaching some classes.

Becoming a black belt is not only about getting to wear a piece of black cloth around your waist.  It takes a lot of hard work and commitment to get there.  And once you’re there you will find that you possess a confident and self-assured attitude in almost any situation.  Once you reach the level of black belt is the level where you’ve mastered the basics of Tae Kwon Do.  It’s your first degree black belt and from there, you will want to move on to earning your second degree black belt, third degree and so on.

If you’re looking for a Martial Arts School in Waterloo to study Tae Kwon Do, drop by D’Souza Martial Arts Academy or call 519-725-5550.

Waterloo Activities for Kids

Keeping kids busy when they are out of school is tricky.  There’s only so many times that you can pop that Disney movie into the DVD player and hear Hakuna Matata before you wanna roar like a lion and attack a wildebeest.

While there are lots of one time activities for kids in the Waterloo Region such as visiting the Children’s Museum, Bingeman’s Splash Pad or the Cambridge Butterfly Conservatory, finding a regular activity for you child that they will enjoy might be a little trickier.  The last thing you want to do is have to drag your child kicking and screaming to their next swimming lesson.  So, you may have to try out a couple of different things before settling on an activity that your kid will enjoy long term.

If your child is showing athletic tendencies then team sports may be the way to go with enrollment in soccer, hockey or baseball.  And if your child seems to be more artistic then music, dance or art classes may be the way to go.  Either way, physical activity for kids is necessary for their development.

A great all around activity for a child is martial arts because it provides a great full body workout and kids learn discipline, respect, focus and concentration.  And, you need not worry that your child is going to start karate chopping their younger siblings because, classes include instruction on how to manage conflict without beating up the opponent.

In fact, because learning martial arts requires focus and concentration to learn and memorize the patterns (sequences of movements), those skills are transferable to school.  If you’ve got a young child who is just getting started full time in elementary school and fighting you at every opportunity when it’s time to do homework, you might find that Tae Kwon Do classes will benefit them.  They will learn how to settle down and get things done in other areas of their life.

At D’Souza Martial Arts Academy, we offer classes for Little Ninjas ages 3 to 5, youth ages 6 – 12, teens and adults.  Drop by our Waterloo Taekwondo club and try out a class with your child.  On Saturdays, we offer family classes at 10 am.