A WOMAN’S
TOUCH
By
Master Doug Cook
A few years ago I
looked up during class and was surprised to see an instructor from a competing
school standing in the back of the dojang. Intrigued by his visit, I invited
him into my office at the close of the training session only to discover that
he recently had a falling out with his master and came to inquire about
becoming an instructor at our school. While he was candid about the details of
the split, I was reluctant to hire him based on the fact that his reputation in
our community was less than sterling, especially when it came to handling
children. It seems he was verbally abusive and outright disrespectful at times.
Following some personal meditation on the subject, I ultimately decided not to
take him on…a choice I would later come to value. As time went by, I heard that
he was teaching at a dojang in a nearby town.
Recently, we
bumped into each other at a local convenience store. I inquired as to how he
was doing and if he was currently teaching. “I left tae kwon do”, he said with
an air of triumph. “I’m practicing a real
martial art now.” He then went on to describe how tae kwon do has evolved into
nothing more than a woman’s social club at most dojangs and how the curricula
at these dojangs were unfairly weighted towards that gender. Instead he sought
out a school where people “break bones and hurt each other”. “The real thing”
he growled.
.
As you can
imagine, the feeling that I had made the proper decision in not taking him on
in the first place was amplified all the more. Being a staunch supporter of
traditional tae kwon do – a martial art that is highly democratic in nature -
and, as Master Philip Ameris states in a recent quote “has something for
everybody”, I was astounded by his statement but not surprised from whence it
came.
Clearly, many
women today find the practice of taekwondo to be a highly desirable discipline
and in truth more than half the student population at my school, the Chosun
Taekwondo Academy, is female. But do these facts detract from the defensive
value and overall effectiveness of tae kwon do as a traditional martial art?
For many years
during the genesis of the martial arts in America, it was unusual for a woman
to train in tae kwon do. “Dungeon dojangs” situated in cellars and back alleys,
or in gyms exclusively for men, did not make ideal training environments for
the would-be female practitioner and were often unsafe in any case. Couple this
with the fact that it was only within the past few decades that women began to
penetrate the glass ceiling of martial arts in Korea, the homeland of tae kwon
do, and an onerous history begins to materialize. Yet, this pattern was
destined to be broken by the vanguard of women’s rights sweeping through
Western culture.
Today, there is
little doubt that women of all ages can benefit significantly from a sincere
study of traditional tae kwon do. Serenity of mind through meditation,
confidence, instilled by drilling in self-defense, physical-fitness gained
through vigorous training, all multiply to create an individual that is greater
than the sum of their parts. This
synergy can be seen as a vehicle for the empowerment of women in dojangs across
the nation, and now, the world.
Moreover, it is
not women who exclusively benefit from tae kwon do, but the art of tae kwon do
itself that gains from a women’s touch. Children’s classes at many schools
profit greatly from the compassion and patience female instructors afford their
eager pupils. Many, being mothers themselves, have a unique understanding of
how to approach enthusiastic youngsters that to some may prove problematic.
Likewise, as is the case in our school, women instructors provide valuable
insight when it comes to the composition of techniques in women’s self-defense
courses. They, more than anyone, appreciate the threats posed by a potential
male predator and can interface with their peers in a serious and meaningful
manner. Having seen the results of skills practiced against their male
counterparts, female martial artists can impart the importance of speed,
balance, and the element of surprise in tandem with the will to execute an effective
defensive strategy. Whereas men often rely principally on strength, a woman
must rely on the above in order to extricate themselves safely from an
altercation, and who better to impart this knowledge than another woman.
Adding yet another
dimension to their practice, rather than perceive tae kwon do as a pure form of
self-defense, women, as well as men, can enjoy the discipline simply for the art of it. My column in the January 2008
issue of TaeKwonDo Times touches on
this subject. Keeping in mind that the traditional martial art of Korea is as
much an avenue for expressing bodily motion in the spatial plane as it is a
valid system of self-defense, we can appreciate how spiritually uplifting the
execution of precise technique can be.
When I look out
over a class dominated by my female students, I feel a sense of pride in their
acquired power, skillful precision, and newly-found confidence as they progress
on their journey from white to high ranking black belt. Watching them spar, executing
well placed jumping back and spinning hook kicks within inches of their
partners vital points, I cannot help but think how my confused instructor
friend would feel if he came in full contact with any one of these techniques.
Perhaps he would change his outlook of tae kwon do after experiencing a woman’s
touch of this nature!
My sincerest thanks to Master Cook. You, sir, certainly have all the
right in the world to feel proud as the women in your dojang acquire “power,
skillful precision and newly found confidence as they progress on their journey”.
I highly recommend this instructor to readers, both female and male. Check out
his website and his best-selling books.
I guarantee that we’ll be hearing a lot more from him in the future!
Master Doug Cook, a 6th dan black belt, is head instructor of the
Chosun Taekwondo Academy located in Warwick, New York, a student of Grandmaster
Richard Chun, and author of the best-selling books entititled -
Taekwondo…Ancient Wisdom for the Modern Warrior
Traditional Taekwondo…Core Techniques, History and Philosophy
Taekwondo…a Path to Excellence
Taekwondo Black Belt Poomsae…Original Koryo and Koryo, co-authored
with Grandmaster Richard Chun, published by YMAA Publications Center, Inc.
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