The first time I walked into a dojang with my boys, I had no idea whether to keep my shoes on, where to sit, or what to do when everyone suddenly bowed at the same moment. I remember standing there holding a water bottle, whispering to my youngest, “Just copy what they do.” If you
Tang Soo Do Dojang Etiquette for New Connecticut Families Read More »
There is a moment that every martial arts parent knows — the one right before your child steps onto the competition floor. The room is loud, the judges are seated, and your kid is standing there in their dobok, hands at their sides, trying to look calm while you can practically see their heartbeat from
How Tang Soo Do Tournaments Teach Kids to Compete With Grace — Win or Lose Read More »
The first time I watched my 10-year-old perform his first hyung — standing at the edge of the mat, eyes locked forward, moving through each technique with quiet determination — I felt something shift in me. It wasn’t just pride. It was recognition. That focused, self-contained young person moving through a pattern of blocks and
The first time my 10-year-old competed in a Tang Soo Do tournament, he walked off the floor after his forms division with a fourth-place ribbon and a lip that was doing everything it could not to tremble. He had practiced that hyung hundreds of times. He knew it cold. And still — fourth place. I
Tang Soo Do Tournaments: Teaching Kids to Win, Lose, and Grow Read More »
My 12-year-old had a baseball game last spring that I keep coming back to. Bottom of the last inning, two outs, his team down by one. The pitcher wound up, threw a fastball, and my son — who had been striking out more than he’d like that season — took a breath, planted his feet,
Tang Soo Do Training Boosts Performance in Other Sports Read More »
The first time my 10-year-old had to perform his hyung in front of the entire class, he froze for just a second — eyes wide, feet planted — before something clicked and he moved through every technique with quiet determination. After class, he told me he had been so nervous he almost forgot the first
Tang Soo Do Hyungs: The Hidden Power of Forms Training for Kids Read More »
My 12-year-old stood at the edge of the competition floor, hands shaking, eyes darting around the gymnasium. It was his first real tournament, and every ounce of months of training seemed to evaporate the moment the room filled with unfamiliar faces, judges, and the echo of sparring gear hitting the mat. I watched from the
Tang Soo Do Builds a Competition Mindset for Everyday Life Read More »
The First Time I Watched My Son Perform a Hyung I still remember standing in the back of the dojang watching my then-beginner perform his very first hyung — a white belt form, deliberate and a little shaky, but completely his own. He wasn’t sparring anyone. He wasn’t kicking a target. He was moving through
Tang Soo Do Forms Explained: What Hyungs Teach Your Child Beyond the Moves Read More »
Hey friends — quick life + Tang Soo Do update because it’s been a minute since I sat down to write one of these. We’re still very much in the game. Twice a week, rain or shine (or snow, because Connecticut), Hunter and I are on the mats. Most weeks we also sneak in Friday
Still Kicking Twice a Week…And Heading to WORLDS in Chicago! Read More »
It’s Wednesday. Day 1 of our four-day Tang Soo Do sprint this week. And if I’m being honest? I’m not sure any of us were ready. The Thanksgiving Food Coma Hits Thanksgiving hit us like a turkey truck. Days of non-stop eating, vegging on the couch, and zero structure. By Sunday night, we were all
Day 1 Back on the Mats… After a Thanksgiving Food Coma Read More »