Returning to Taekwondo After 40 Years

I'm 60 years old and one thing I can't do is stretch, but when trying to be good in TKD is be very important to be flexible.   So I have decided to work on my stretch and see if I can improve my hip flexibility in the next month .   Below is a picture showing where I am today.  Not very good.    So starting in 2023 - I will do 45 minutes of stretching 7 days a week, and see where I am at that point.  When I was a teenager I could almost do a complete split.  I hope that old me can be encouraged to come out!   Some of the stretching will be:  Lateral Lunge Single Leg Split Butterfly Vertical Leg Swings Lateral Leg Swings Middle Split

 Last week on December 14th I had my first belt test.   The belt test was for a white belt - which is the first step through the belts.   We had 15 minutes of warming up, with 15 minutes of form and one step sparing, and then 15 minutes of braking boards.  The judges were Grand Master Kang (9th degree), and a 7th degree black belt lady that travelled from New York (GM  Erica Linthorst).  After the test, they provided the new belt, certificate and trophy to each person that passed the test.   Their focus was energy and power and mentioned it several times.   Here a few pictures: Afterwards they celebrated with pizza - but since I was to be at prayer meeting, I took off immediately after the belt test.  Hopefully my test belt test will be in February. 

  I had my flags sewed onto my uniform and attended my first real class.   I'm a bit excited because, I was told by the instructor that I could take a belt test this mid-December.  I think my practice of the first form paid off, because they went over it with me and seemed surprised that I knew it so well.  My only concern is the drills, which there are two.  1) ready my left arm to do a high block, step out with my first leg into a horse stance - high block and then punch. 2) feet together, front kick with left leg, Axe kick with right foot, dropping into a long step, then left punch.  At least that's what I believe he said.  I have a couple weeks to figure it  out.  ;p   I was paired up with a fellow named Robert (green belt, grey hair).   He hurt his foot doing a round house kick.   There was another kid there that is India, his name is Ethen - he'll be testing with me. 

 I attended my first (trail) class this last Monday.   I thought I did quite well - however I don't remember the forms and my stretching was a bit underwhelming.   Let me start with the stretching.   My front kick could only go 5 feet to the upper chest, but no higher.  Some of the stretching on the mat would not go far, for example the Sitting Feet-together Adductor Stretch was not good.  Also the stretching of my knee and hip was not to good.   One last thing was sitting down on top of my legs - I just couldn't do it.  :p The forms I was doing poorly on.  I would go the wrong way, and I would not throw out a punch at the right time.  I was a good effort, but not up to speed.  At the end of class Master Kang invited me to sit at the front of the class and introduce myself.  I was not ready for this - and gave a summary of my life (my work, marriage life, & TKD history with Ki Chung Kim) and with an...

 It's been a while.  The reason is that a few months ago I discontinued going to very local TKD school since these classes were not traditional TKD classes - but were more of a high breed program of aerobics/TKD.   I have since talked to TKD school in Dover (one town over) and I have added to an introductory class on Monday, November 28, 2022.    If I join this will be a traditional class, which will require me to attend at least twice a week.  Very excited! and at least I have a week to stretch and throw some kicks to prepare. 

   Anyway will I was tired and was not up for the class I went and it was a good class.    I was the only one there - Master Kai informed me that the other people were out with Covid-19 (in fact 5 of her young students were also out today).   For the class, she give me more correction of my kicks informing me that I needed to keep my hip in.   Also had to do slow motion kicks trying to strengthen my kicks.   We did our normal stretches which focused on the hip.   I was a good work out.   

Tonight was my second class, and this time there was three women there besides me.  Having a bigger class meant that the shared time doing the exercises was divided so it was a bit easier.   I don't think I did any better then the first night.  I struggled with the stretching (a lot of hip stretching, and a stretching which make you look like a frog.   The kicking involved the front kick, and jumping front kick in sequence, and the round house kick from one to a triple sequence.   At one point she had us do a running front kick with the right leg, jumping front kick with the left leg, and finish with a flying front kick with our right leg.  None of us did well on the exercise.   I was 35 minutes into the class I looked down and my foot and it was covered in blood.  I must have seriously scraped my toe - during one of the exercises.  So I had to take a break to get the bleeding under control, and I rejoined the class....