Koguryo

The following was copied from Facebook’s official blog (http://blog.facebook.com/blog.php?post=381246352130&ref=mf). Very useful for parents with children who are accessing Facebook, specifically, and the Net in general.

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UPDATE on Monday, July 26, 2010: Today, we launched a new Facebook Safety Page, where we’ll regularly post dynamic content to complement the resources in the expanded Safety Center that we introduced in April. The Safety Page will highlight new initiatives to keep people on Facebook safe, valuable educational materials from Internet safety experts including the members of our Safety Advisory Board, and relevant news coverage.

The Safety Page is modeled after our popular Security Page, which discusses best practices for maintaining data security and has grown to over 2.2 million fans.

Online safety is a shared responsibility. We’ll continue to think of innovative ways to promote safety on our service and elsewhere on the Web. By liking the Safety Page, you also can make safety a regular part of your Facebook experience.

Originally Published on Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Safety is Facebook’s top priority. Our most talented people are dedicated to creating an environment where people can connect and share comfortably. As a result, we’re unveiling today a completely redesigned Safety Center. It offers new safety resources for parents, educators, teens and members of the law enforcement community.

We’ve quadrupled the safety content available, and we’ve created cleaner, more navigable interfaces to help you find answers to safety questions fast. This portal—which we’ve been testing during the past few weeks—draws multimedia content from Facebook and from independent organizations specializing in safety and security online.

[Note: August 2, 2010: New photos added to the post. See gallery below the post]

We had a nice, simple belt presentation ceremony for Jannese and Justin. Nothing too fancy, but very meaningful.

To see these two little ones (one aged eight and the other six) get their first yellow belts was a proud moment for me, as I’m sure it was for their parents.

I’ve been involved in this “game” for more than 30 years, and have trained many champions…yet these two little cute ones made me feel so proud.

I don’t know why…

Maybe they really put in great effort when training (and also when playing) and they really tried their best at the grading, despite being very nervous. Yes, they were very nervous, I could see that. But they went ahead and did it anyway.

Very, very good job.

The other children were also involved in the ceremony and all received a “goodie-bag”, compliments of my gifts retail store at Klang Parade (Miki Gifts). You could see how happy each were to get a gift.

They also learned the proper protocol when receiving something from the instructor:

1. Walk up smartly when called.
2. Bow.
3. Shake hands, if the giver extends his/her hand
4. Extend both hands to receive the gift
5. Bow again after receiving the gift
6. Turn around smartly (right and back) and walk back smartly and take your seat/place

And they had no problem with that. They did it…well…smartly

We also had a quick photo session with all the children and parents. Everybody looked so handsome and pretty…including the instructor…hehehe

(Note: Click on the photo above to see more photos from the presentation. Also, click on the gallery below to see even more photos from Jeffery Lim, Jannese’s and Justin’s dad)

Hi Moms and Dads,

This post was taken from my personal blog — and I’ve added a message for your little ones. If you decide that it’s appropriate for them to see, and that it’s time for them to learn some of its lessons, please share the post and video with them, along with the message below.

Thank you,

Kenneth

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Little Ones,

Though the places and the people look very different from what you’re used to, yet this video has one important message for all of us — and you.

Your parents may not be as old as the granny in the video, and you may (probably) never have to live in such circumstances, but remember this: your parents feel exactly the same way as that granny.

They love you, they want the best for you, and they are willing to go through anything — anything — to give you the love you deserve, and make sure that you have a good life.

I know, because I, too, am a father, and want the best for my child — no matter how hard it gets for me.

So, once in a while, give your daddy and your mommy a BIIIIIIIG hug, and say “Thank You” — because they love you.

A touching TV commercial for the 2005 Chinese New Year by the late acclaimed Malaysian director Yasmin Ahmad.

May I, may we, never forget the values that she so deftly depicted in all her films.

The literal translation of what the grandmother told the boy is something like “Able to eat the bitter, able to let go, have love in the heart, is enough”

(Zi de ku, kan de kai, yu ai xin, jiu ke yi le)

Our parents and their parents, and some of us have known such circumstances and surroundings (yes, even my ultra-hip, ultra-modern “baby sis”, Ashley). Still, no matter how hard the times, how little we had, how tough it got, it was all about love, family, filial piety, understanding, forgiveness, friendship, etc. May I remember and be able to teach my children such things.

And give them roots as well as wings…

Hi members/parents,

I’m beginning a new FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) Series on“Children And Sport”. It will consist of a series of questions on how involvement in sports affect or influence children, and how parents can best manage this dynamic.

Watch out for it

The series is only for registered members and can be accessed only by members registered with this site.

If you have not registered yet, please click here to register.

By the way, if you have any questions related to the topic that you’d like to address, please contact me via the contact form or message system (see the links “Contact” or “Message” in the top menu) and I will address them or do some research on them and post the findings.

Have a good day!

On 10th July 2010, sweet little Janesse Lim and the cute and handsome Justin Lim (plus twenty-four other Koguryo students) participated in their first belt test/grading — and passed

Janesse and Justin are now 8th Gup (Grade) Yellow Belts. Great job, Janesse and Justin. Keep up the good work!

Woooooo…woooooo…..wooooo.

There will be a simple belt award ceremony on 25th July to award Janesse and Justin their yellow belts. All parents are welcome to witness the event — and bring your cameras, because your own children’s turn will come too!

Koguryo Taekwondo’s Young Children Programme is designed specifically for children aged between 3 – 6 years old. (Children aged 7 – 10 are enrolled in the Children’s Programme)

One can’t and shouldn’t expect a 3-year-old to learn to punch or kick like an 8-year-old. Younger children should be encouraged to learn martial arts not for the martial arts skills but for the development/training of motor skills and social skills, as well as the inner skills of discipline, courtesy, perseverance, self-control, integrity and indomitable spirit (these are the Tenets of Taekwondo)

Physically, their motor skills, musculo-skeletal system and physiological functions can be enhanced by training in Taekwondo.

Socially, children will benefit from training together with other children in an open environment where they’re encouraged to try new things and mix with and play with other children. They will also have lots of fun.

Just put a few children together and let them do nothing except run and run and run with no purpose in mind and they are sure to have a smashingly good time.

That’s what we try to get the children to experience with Koguryo’s Taekwondo Programme. On top of that, Koguryo’s children are encouraged to take on leadership roles in order to develop their self-confidence.

What children need most are NOT martial arts skills per se but confidence in their self-worth and, consequently, their social abilies. And those two important assets are applicable to all children, not only younger ones.

At Koguryo, we take all that (and more) into account when we train your children.

I cannot speak for anyone else. All I can do is state my own reason and purpose. I train, study and teach, metaphorically speaking:

to listen to the voices of pine leaves when no wind stirs…as well as in the midst of a thunderstorm

In every life, there will be times when things just seem “blah”. Nothing is happening, nothing exciting at least. Sometimes things just seem so pointless, maybe even hopeless. No wind stirs. I train to “find the leaves and to hear their voices”.

At other times, things seem to be a complete mess. Everything is happening “too fast, too furious”. The thunderstorms of life. I try to find the leaves and listen to their voices.

Inevitably, in every life, sometimes no wind stirs;
And sometimes, thunderstorms break out;
But always, in every life, the leaves are there,
And their voices sing.

In the final analysis, to me, it’s neither about character or skills. It’s about Being

Sorry if that sounds like I’m trying to be Zen-ish. I’m not. It’s the way it is for me.

That’s why I love a “sig file” I saw at a forum once  – “Leaves Fall”; because at the end of the day, my leaves will fall, and their voices cease, and “I”, in some way, pass on to the next generation, to be their leaves, and their voices.

A bit of romantic/poetic delusion perhaps, but what is life without a little romance and a little poetry, eh?

“Leaves fall”

Dear members/parents,

Welcome to the Koguryo Taekwondo web site. It is open to all members, students and parents of students of Koguryo Taekwondo Academy.

Registration is free. There are certain sections, however, that are open only to parents or members who are training at Koguryo.

But don’t worry about it. There’s plenty of information on this site to keep you well-informed even if you’re not a training member.

By the way, if you have not yet registered, please click here to register.

There will be helpful and informative articles on

• sport and traditional Taekwondo training
• child development/management as it pertains to sports/martial arts training
• personal defence
• cyber safety and security
• exercise wisdom
• health
• etc.

There will also be helpful videos (whether our own or those streamed from video-sharing sites) that help with specific aspects of training, such as sparring, training drills, poomsae (Taekwondo patterns).

The site will also, occasionally, publish reflective articles and poetry by yours truly as well as contributions from members.

By the way, if you can write well and can contribute articles relevant to the subjects mentioned above, I welcome your articles. Please contact me. I will immediately arrange for your site membership to be upgraded to “Contributor”

Thank you!

Kenneth Tang

So, you wanna be a coach.

Well, do you?

Sure you do. Or you wouldn’t be reading this.

First things first.

To be a good coach — nope, scratch that — to be a GREAT coach, you must have a deep desire and willingness (and the humility) to learn from everyone and everything. That last bit about humility is going to be a tough call because we martial artists like to think we know it all, and LOVE to walk with our chests up in the air and heads up in the clouds, pretending we’re the oh-so-greaty-respected-and-admired martial arts master.

Sigh…

… sound like anyone you know? Certain “masters” who always insist on being called, well, “Master”?

Heh…

In any case, you must possess a deep curiosity about how things work and how you can enhance those performance using whatever legitimate and ethical means possible. And then be willing to go out there and find out how to do it. There goes that bit about learning again. Let’s face it. The days of the illiterate coach who can only do the “kung-fu” part but not the reading/writing/learning etc., part are gone.

The day of the specialist, well-informed and well-educated coach/martial arts instructor is already here. It’s alive and well and kicking. YOU have got to learn and be willing to keep on learning. That brings me to the second pre-requisite.

The second thing you’d need in order to fulfill your coaching role is excellent command of language and its related skills (reading, writing, speaking, etc). Whether that language be English, Bahasa Malaysia or your own mother-tongue, you need to have a powerful command of the language in which you’d be LEARNING with as well as COMMUNICATING with in your role as a coach.

Too many coaches leave themselves at the mercy of a deficiency in language skills. They let it become their excuse for not learning and/or taking the requisite courses and exams. And they stagnate not only in their learning, but also in their thinking. A mind that has no room for new, innovative fresh thinking grows stale and dull — and consequently life itself and one’s perspective become dull as well.

Believe me, “dull” wins no championships.

By the way, if you found it hard to understand what was written in the above passages, you REALLY need to brush up on your English.

Third, you need to love reading. And I don’t mean just the entertainment news, or sports news, or the latest gossip on who’s dating (or dumping) whom, or the juicy tips on where to get the best “char kuey teow” in town. A great coach loves to read both broadly and deeply. And don’t just read about sports. Read psychology, philosophy, sociology, history, science, classics, politics, etc., etc.

A coach has to know a whole bunch of things about a whole lot of stuff. Substantial reading helps him or her do that.

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If after reading that you’re thinking, “Wow, sounds like a lot of trouble”, I’ve got news for you. It’s just the beginning, the basic, “entry requirements” to becoming a modern, sophisticated and scientific coach. The days of just “winging it by the seat of my pants” are long gone.

If you want to be a professional, that’s what it takes to get started.

If you’re a “veteran” martial artist and/or instructor and you’re thinking that’s a bunch of baloney, well, I’m here to tell you that you’re a dinosaur. Times have changed. People are very knowledgeable nowadays, and to be able to interact and connect with them (students and prospective students, or parents of students), YOU need to be knowledgeable as well, if not more so. And to be able to lead and train a team effectively, you need the best available information, methods and techniques to do that.

Stop using “tradition” and “hierarchy” as an excuse (and scapegoat) for your refusal, inability or unwillingness to learn, start again and (heaven forbid) let others see that you still have things to learn and are not the “martial god” so many pretend to be.

Stop using the old Chinese saying,  “I’ve eaten more salt than you’ve eaten rice” to let yourself off the hook. (By the way,  eating too much salt leaves you all salty and leathery, making you the human equivalent of the “ikan masin”. Who wants to follow or be taught by a salted fish? Think about it)

So, forget about “the way we used to do it” and “get with the (scientific) program” . Stop being a dinosaur.