Taekwondo – PEAC 199
Welcome to Taekwondo! Taekwondo is a Korean martial art which is
also an Olympic Sport. Currently, there
are over five million practitioners worldwide who hold the rank of black belt
in Taekwondo, making it the largest and most widely practiced martial art in
the world. There are many styles of
Taekwondo, and it’s entirely likely that some of you have some experience with
Taekwondo or martial arts. Don’t forget
that experience, but keep in mind that this may be a little different. Be safe, and have FUN!
Course Goals:
Student Outcomes: Students
participating in Taekwondo shall develop expertise in and a commitment in the following
areas:
Psychomotor: Students
will acquire skill proficiency in Taekwondo, and the ability to apply those
skills in a performance setting, which will
enable students to maintain an active ongoing adult lifestyle.
Cognitive: Students
will acquire knowledge about Taekwondo in the areas of rules, strategies, concepts,
training, etiquette, sportsmanship, and
safety.
Affective: As
a result of participation in Taekwondo, students will improve their quality of
life and well being, through
challenging and satisfying physical activity.
Students will develop a personal philosophy that includes
enjoyment and commitment to lifelong leisure activities. In addition, students will develop appropriate
ways to meet, socialize, and interact with people.
Fitness: Through physical means, students
will learn skills to achieve and maintain lifelong physical fitness, mental
health and wellness.
Course Expectations:
Students will:
·
Follow
safety procedures immediately and without hesitation. This includes “STOP!”
·
Follow
general Taekwondo rules and practice rules (see UVM TKD website for class
rules)
·
Attend
class regularly (see GRADING)
·
Attempt
to be early to stretch and prepare for class.
·
Ask
questions at appropriate times.
·
Be
positive, enthusiastic, and supportive of peers.
·
Do
their best, not the minimum.
·
Notify
instructor immediately of physical or medical condition that could affect
performance. This includes temporary
conditions.
·
Notify
instructor in advance if class is going to be missed or you will be late.
·
Maintain
a safe environment at all times.
Instructor will:
·
Be
knowledgeable about Taekwondo.
·
Be
knowledgeable about current best practices for instruction.
·
Accommodate
student differences so that all are held to a high standard.
·
Be
available for questions and consultation.
·
Be
enthusiastic about teaching.
·
Maintain
a safe environment at all times.
Course Outline:
The course will follow the
progression of skills from no experience to yellow belt, which is the first
color belt in Taekwondo. The initial
classes will be focused on strengthening the body through calisthenics,
stretching, and learning the basic movements (stances, kicking, punching,
blocking). After an initial skill set
has been developed, classes will progress to target kicking, basic sequences of
motions, and the first pattern, Chon-Ji.
After a solid foundation in technique and stance has been developed,
students will progress into basic self defense and step sparring. By the end of the semester, students will be
able to perform several kicking techniques, several striking or blocking
techniques, basic step sparring and self-defense against a wrist hold, and the
first pattern, which consists of 19 movements in sequence.
If you have previous martial arts
experience, especially at the intermediate level or higher, this class is
probably not for you. I heartily
recommend that you instead join the UVM Taekwondo club, and earn credit through
Club Sports.
Additional Notes:
·
Taekwondo
class is a fairly intense workout. If
you have physical or medical concerns, let the instructor know immediately.
·
Rings,
watches, necklaces, and piercings should be removed for safety reasons. If an item cannot be removed, it should be
taped in a way to eliminate chances for injury.
·
Taekwondo
is a body contact activity. As in all
physical activity, there is a chance, however slight, of injury.
Grading and Attendance:
Taekwondo is graded according to criteria
established by the University and the department. There is no “bell curve” grading in this
course. Every student in this course
starts with a grade of “A”.
·
Attendance: Be on time.
Be at every class. You are
permitted to miss up to *two* classes without penalty. For each additional two absences, the final
grade will drop by a letter grade (A to B, B to C). A student will not fail if they are five
minutes late every day, but they will not be able to earn an “A”. Department rules stipulate that if a student
misses 6 sessions, they may *automatically* receive a grade of “F”
·
Effort
and “Attitude”: Martial Arts require a
certain code of conduct by their nature.
A safe and respectful environment is required. Students who are exemplary in this area will
receive up to ½ letter grade bonus.
Students who have difficulties with the expectations, their peers or the
instructor in an appropriate way will first meet with the instructor. If the behavior continues, the second
occasion will warrant a ½ letter grade deduction for the course. Extremely serious issues and safety concerns
will be handled through the appropriate University channels. Serious difficulties include minor
difficulties if they are frequent and occur over an extended period of time.
·
Makeup
for classes missed may be scheduled in advance with Master Hart. Please be aware that makeup classes are not
required by the University, and that I am doing this entirely at my own
discretion. Makeup opportunities may
become unavailable at any time, and for any reason.
Fees:
·
There
is a one-time fee of $50, paid to the University, to participate in this
course. This fee provides funding for
the course instructors.
·
A
uniform is required to participate. Uniforms need to be purchased as soon as
possible. After the add/drop period,
students without uniforms will not be able to participate. Any white martial arts uniform is
acceptable. Judo uniforms are too heavy,
but will be considered. You may purchase
your own, or get them from Master Hart.
The cost is $30 for a regular uniform, and $60 for an Adidas™ higher
quality uniform. Please be aware that
you may find a better price online for a uniform, but that price usually does
not include shipping. Uniforms will be
pre-paid before ordering, payable to Master Hart or Champion Taekwondo.
·
Rank
testing and promotion to yellow belt will be available to those students who
qualify. The fee is $20. Testing is not mandatory for successful
completion of the course.
·
Non-required
board breaking will incur a cost not to exceed $2 per board.
Instructor:
Master Ernest A. Hart has been
involved with Taekwondo at the University for over 12 years. He currently serves as the Master Instructor
for the UVM Taekwondo club, and advisor to the Living/Learning Center
Program. In addition, Mr. Hart currently
serves as a nationally certified referee, Vice President of the Vermont
Taekwondo Association, and chief instructor / advisor for other Taekwondo
schools that are not affiliated with the University. He holds the rank of 4th Dan
(degree) black belt through the Kukkiwon World Taekwondo Headquarters in
Master Hart is also certified to
teach Social Studies and Special Education at the High School level, and
currently is the lead teacher for a self-contained classroom program for
students with Emotional and Behavioral Challenges.
Mr. Adis Vehabovic serves as the
assistant instructor for this course. He
holds the rank of Black belt through Kukkiwon and through the German Taekwondo
Federation. He has served as an
assistant instructor for Master Hart with the UVM Taekwondo club.
Any questions that are not about
the content of the class, such as forms and fees, should be directed to Master
Hart. Please contact Master Hart by
e-mail at: ehart@uvm.edu
Additional Resources:
http://www.uvm.edu/~ehart/uvmtkd/
Thank you for your interest in Taekwondo.
If you have
any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask.