See Photos Of My Kids?

I have been helping my friend voluntarily to teach a dozen of kids Taekwondo.

Kids are really not easy to handle. They are unpredictable! Though I was a kid, and still am a big one, these little ones are more hyper! Realy need alot of stamina and patients.

BUT, while teaching them about kicking techniques and understanding respect and discipline, I learnt much from hem too.

I started out using punishments and shouting at them. Then I remembered that they are kids and I learn to be more patient and let them have more space to grow. I now no more punish them. I merely position them at different position so that they won't disturb each other. I do not want them to suffer low self-esteem from the punishment. I want my dojang to be loving an caring...

These little ones have too much potential and too adorable to be ruined by punishment. They are to be groomed and led to better persons and leaders.

Check out these cute guys in action here: http://www.eeoostkd.wordpress.com now!
Or go to this link for short-cut: http://flickr.com/photos/monsteree

Which School Of Thought Will You Adopt?

Hi, long time no see...I am alive and kicking (literary because I am back to Taekwondo training).

I had a profound learning yesterday after a sparring session. After sparring, JH likes to debrief and share tips to improve sparring strategies, techniques, etc.

It was Big Nic's turn and this was what he shared: His strategy is to study and analyze the opponent's habits - strengths and weaknesses of the opponent. So well he analyze the opponent that he try to mould what the opponent thinks till he is so sure of what his opponent's next move(s). Then Big Nic will devise specific stategies to either handicap the opponent's strengths and/or capitalize on the weaknesses.

In my humble opinion, this works good if the opponent is a regular sparring partner because there're lots of chance to improve on the specific strategy. Also, the person adopting this strategy must be experienced and skillful enough to analyze and devise a counter strategy to the opponent's strengths and weaknesses in a short time.

My personal motto to Taekwondo is to improve myself to be a better fighter. Improving to me is to fine tune my strengths and reduce my weaknesses. To cultivate and discipline my mind to not fear opponents, bruises, think in the middle of a sparring session and to control my emotions (though I am not master of all these yet).

If I can perfect my strengths and have minimal weakness for the opponent to capitalize, I will be able to be at the upper hand most of the time.

So which strategy will you adopt? I am curious to know. DO leave your comments :-)

And the million-dollar question is, how to adopt either strategies in life? I welcome your feedback too!

Have fun pondering...