That First Class can have Lasting Impressions!

Starting your First Class in Karate can give you butterflies in your stomach whether you are 9 or 69. You will be the low man on the totem pole so to speak. Everyone will be looking at you, checking you out, you know--the usual.

Well, No Worries!! If the First Class you are attending is of reputable caliber then you should be greeted by both low and high ranking belts with the same helpful and inviting nature.

As true martial artists, the elevation and longevity of the sport itself, whether it be
Tae Kwon Do, Judo, Karate, etc., through new students coming in should be of utmost importance. The school you practice in should have an aire of comradory and fellowship, NOT the "Who's the Big Dog" mentality.

So, you muster up the courage to go to the First Class, probably after a lot of "should I, shouldn't I" stuff. You get there and there is all this yelling, jumping, kicking, maybe even bodies throwing other bodies onto a mat if you are taking Judo.

WOW! You think, "What is all this?", "Will I be able to do all these things?"

Sure, it just takes time. At first, you WILL be overwhelmed. No two ways about it. Your Body will not be accustom to moving in the fashion your eyes will be seeing the other students moving in. You Will be awkward. You will be a White Belt. The lowest rank in any Karate, Judo, or Tae Kwon Do school.

But there is one thing I really love seeing in my Tae Kwon Do school. That is, one of my students taking that new, awkward, clumsy, don't-know-nothing-about-nothing except the Chorus of "Kung Fu Fighting" New-Comer, welcomes them to our class, and then starts leading them step by step in our techniques, teaching and encouraging these new students all in one fell swoop.

I always, silently, offer up a "Thank You Lord Jesus" when I see this happen because that is what Life is meant to be like. Martial Arts is just the thing which connects certain people together.

So, Just be patient, be prepared for a LOT of yelling, try to take in as much as you can, and do not try to do everything all at once. Don't try the fancy techniques until you have mastered the basic techniques like Low Blocks, or Front Kicks.

DO NOT go home and try to stretch until you can do the splits side to side and backwards and forwards all in one night!This too, takes a lot of patience. Flexibility is acquired over time.

Whether you come to join my Onsite or Online Class, be sure to address everyone as "Sir" or "Ma'am" and answer with "Yes, Sir", "Yes, Ma'am", "No, Sir", "No, Ma'am", etc.

Its TEN PUSH-UPs for those that break this rule after the First Class!

To Actually look the part of a true martial artist, a good uniform is also in order. There are several points to consider before Buying a Karate Uniform. Choose Wisely and your uniform will last for years to come.

You may also want to find out what to expect when you start a TaeKwonDo program. This video has some basic but vital information about Korean phrases and commands as well as a bit of history about TaeKwonDo. PLUS How to do a Karate YELL! This is a part of one of our older OnLine Class Videos. The Video Quality has gotten a lot better but you'll see that you just can't get any better information about TaeKwonDo AnyWhere! Enjoy!
(The SUPER detailed High Quality Videos can be found at the OnLine Course site)

Hey, while you are here, go ahead and sign up for my TKD Quick Kicks Ezine. Its Free and Sometimes I may have something interesting to write about.

Also, if you don't have a TaeKwonDo School close to you or you just don't or can't go to classes, consider our OnLine Programs Below! Great Video Instruction AND real rank testings!