Education

By Aarush Venkat, Teen Red Belt

Education is one of the most important foundations to academic and practical success in any society. Though many people may not choose the traditional or “standard” route of going to college and pursuing a degree, education comes in other forms such as through real-life situations and experiences. This contrast may also be known through the simple phrase “book smart versus street smart.” Summarized perfectly by American comedian and actor J.B. Smoove, “There’s book smart, there is street smart, there’s relation smart, there’s too many different kinds of smarts to know them all.” Through Taekwondo, all of these different forms of education are strongly emphasized in our Moo Sul Kwan campuses. From memorizing rules to learning different moves and adapting to surroundings, education truly is a genuine factor that creates any CTI student.

Every CTI student is encouraged to familiarize themselves with a plethora of rules, regulations, and information about all aspects of Taekwondo from the CTI manuals. However, this is not simply a matter of pure memorization. Through these guidelines, students are encouraged to understand the broader meanings of these rules, and apply them in their own lives. Through this more academic form of education, students learn to connect the words on the paper to their physical practice in Taekwondo and elsewhere. Through constant reinforcement this also strengthens the student’s ability to evaluate and apply these rules and regulations in their everyday lives, thereby improving their effectiveness in and beyond martial arts.  Furthermore, the memorization of the CTI manual ensures that students are accustomed to performing and executing movements and techniques confidently and without hesitation. By internalizing these rules, students don’t have to focus or worry about simple techniques that are of second nature, which will allow the student to focus on learning advanced, detailed, and complex techniques that require more experience and practice.

Other than excellence through academic learning, education learned through external teachers, instructors and other mentors are equally valuable in providing high levels of practical experience for the CTI student. A mentor or instructor can not only be a brilliant source of inspiration and learning, but they can also shape the worldview of the student’s perspective. This means that in addition to learning techniques and forms by the instructor, students can also take away themes like discipline, leadership, respect, and perseverance through following the example set by upper belts and instructors. This form of education can also be a form of personal development, where the student can use their instructors as role models to help them advance their technical skills and personality. Although this type of education is most successful with younger kids or lower belts, it is still a vital form of learning that is applicable to all belts and all ages, as long as the students are open to being positively influenced by the external factors around them. 

A final source of education and learning is self-learning, or learning through experience and adaptation. This form of education is vital to a student’s growth,  and plays an important role  in their success in the future. By learning independently through experiences, students don’t always have to rely on instructors and mentors for guidance, but rather find solutions to  challenges on their own. Challenges faced in one’s everyday lives creates resilience and makes the student ready to face similar situations with confidence. This type of education can come especially useful during sparring, self-defense, poomse, and even fields outside of taekwondo, such as academics, where students can explore the possible resolutions to problems themselves. In addition, through student’s repeated self-paced practice, they can learn useful skills, like how to adapt to unfamiliar situations, how to deal with pressure, and how to make quick decisions based on their own judgement as well. 

Ultimately, education goes far beyond earning degrees and certificates. It can be obtained in a plethora of different ways, most notably academics or through self-experience. With a combination of all of these methods, the CTI student can truly excel in many areas of knowledge, and they will be prepared to face any obstacles that might occur by using these different skillsets to their advantage. By embracing all forms of education, CTI students will gain the knowledge, wisdom, and character necessary to succeed in all aspects of life.