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1)
Is There Really Any Difference
Between Martial Arts Schools?
2)
How Does One Evaluate the Quality of a
School?
3) How Does One Evaluate the
Quality of a Teacher?
4) Who is Master Luciano?
5) Who is Grandmaster Kwon, Jae-Hwa?
1)
Is There Really Any Difference Between
Martial Arts Schools?
Yes. First of all, different
schools teach different martial arts.
There are many different kinds of
martial arts in the world. The three
most commonly known are Kung Fu
(Chinese), Karate (Japanese) and Taekwon-Do
(Korean).
Secondly, and probably most
importantly, one must consider the way
the art is taught and the qualifications
of the instructors. To form an analogy
to music, one must choose both the
instrument, for example piano or violin,
as well as the quality of the school and
the background of the teacher.
2)
How Does One Evaluate the Quality of a
School?
Just as with academic schools,
the quality of a martial arts school
depends on the curriculum, the quality
and experience of the teacher and the
standards set for achievement.
The quality of a school is
reflected in the students it produces.
Because of economic pressure, many
martial arts schools grant belt
promotions to students simply because
they pay their fees and occasionally
attend class. A school which is serious
about teaching a martial art, as the
Traditional Martial Arts Schools are,
will only promote students based on
their effort, achievement toward their
potential, and when they are worthy of
the new rank.
Some schools emphasize
competitions, and their students train
primarily to prepare for tournaments.
For many people, this is exciting and
their goal is to become a champion. But
a traditional martial art was never
intended to be a sport with winners and
losers, but rather a path towards each
student's own self-realization. At the
Taekwon-Do Center in the Bronx, we do
occasionally have in-school and
intra-federation tournaments. However,
training to win competitions is not
emphasized. Instead, the development of
courtesy, integrity, perseverance and
self-control is our goal.
One should also consider the
policies of the school with regard to
who does the teaching. As it was in
preceding generations, the relationship
between the student and the teacher is a
fundamental one. Some schools regularly
assign high ranking students to teach
classes and the school head only teaches
occasionally or perhaps only teaches the
high belts. At the Taekwon-Do Center in
the Bronx, all classes are taught by
Master Luciano.
One should also be aware that
stand-alone schools, which are not part
of a larger system, may stray from the
traditional ways. Some schools that are
franchises may be less concerned with
teaching an art than with making money.
The Taekwon-Do Center is part of a
world-wide federation of schools, is
family owned and operated, and is not a
franchise.
The atmosphere in the school
should be serious but friendly and the
students should be well disciplined and
courteous. On a more practical level,
the school should be clean and should
provide the proper training environment
for the students.
Studying a martial art is a
long-term commitment. When looking for a
martial arts school, one should visit,
observe, ask questions and even take a
trial class to make an informed
decision.
3)
How Does One Evaluate the Quality of a
Teacher?
Many schools will advertise
that their Master is a high ranking
black belt and therefore you should
train at that school. In reality there
is no way to tell about the quality of a
teacher based upon his rank alone.
There are no governing boards
or international standards in the
martial arts. A fifth degree black belt
in one style may be equivalent in
knowledge and ability to a first degree
black belt in another. Even within a
given martial art, the color of belt or
the degree of the black belt have little
meaning because of wide variations from
one system to another.
The best way to tell about the
quality of a teacher is to examine his
teaching credentials, as well as the
credentials of his teacher, and most
importantly, to observe the way he
teaches. In addition to knowledge and
experience, teaching style plays a large
part in how rewarding the learning
experience will be. This is a personal
decision, one which can only be made
after first hand observation.
4)
Who is Master Luciano?
 Master
Luciano has been formally training in
the martial arts since 1974 with
experience in both Japanese and Korean
systems. He began his training as a
student of Grandmaster Kwon, Jae-Hwa in
1990. As a 5th degree black belt in the
Kwon, Jae-Hwa Taekwon-Do Federation,
Master Luciano is authorized by the
Grandmaster to teach Traditional Taekwon-Do
to students at the Taekwon-Do Center in
the Bronx. Master Luciano has been
recognized by Action Martial Arts
Magazine for his contribution to Martial
Arts education and was inducted into the
Action Martial Arts Magazine
Hall of Fame in January 2004. He
continues to be recognized annually for
his achievements and dedication to his
art and students.
5)
Who is Grandmaster Kwon, Jae-Hwa?
Simply and humbly
referred to as Master, this true
Grandmaster has earned the admiration
and respect of his followers,
practitioners and fans from all over the
globe and throughout the years.
 Taekwon-Do
traces its roots back more than two
thousand years. In fact, the
characteristic high kicks one sees in
Taekwon-Do today were originally
developed to defend against foreign
invaders attacking on horseback.
The various schools (systems)
of Korean martial arts, known as the
Kwans, were passed down from master to
student through the generations. In
1955, Master Choi, Hong Hi, together
with some of the existing martial arts
masters, consolidated all of the Kwans
into a single, uniform martial art and
named it Taekwon-Do. Hence, Master Choi
is known as the father of modern day
Taekwon-Do.
In 1965, Master Choi, General in the
Korean army, was appointed by the Korean
government to lead a goodwill mission to
Asia, Africa and Europe to introduce
Taekwon-Do to other parts of the world.
Master Kwon, Jae-Hwa was named head of
the Europe demonstration team which
consisted of four master demonstrators.
After the tour, Master Kwon remained
in Germany where he established the
Federation of International Black Belt
Centers. During this time he wrote the
German Language book Zen and the Art of
Self-Defense. Twenty years later he
moved his world headquarters to New York
City where he continued
to teach Taekwon-Do on a daily basis
through 2006. Master
Kwon now resides in Portland, Oregon
where he holds special training for his
masters and instructors and
supervises his
world-wide federation of schools.
In order to guarantee that
each school and each student adheres to
his high standard of excellence, Master
Kwon personally tests and awards all
black belt recipients.
Although Master Kwon
standardizes quality, each school is
individually owned and operated which
ensures that the instructor is
personally committed to teaching the art
of Taekwon-Do.
Master Kwon,
Jae-Hwa is one of the most influential
and celebrated figures in the martial
arts today. |
