Say ‘hello’ to new students and each other

Hi Students
(Parents, please relay this message)

After you enter the dojang and store your shoes and belongings, the rules say the first thing you should do is bow to your instructor and seniors. Why do we do this?

To be polite. To be nice to each other. To make friends, so we can enjoy training together.

If you see someone new, or someone you don’t know, it is very important that you bow to them, too, and introduce yourself.

• This is great for you, because it builds courage, and confidence. If you create a habit, you will make more friends, and this will help you greatly in your career and your life.
• It is great for the new person, too. It’s very hard trying something new with a group of experienced people you don’t know. It is so much easier if we all make the new person feel welcome.

One of the best pieces of advice I was given in my career was about walking into a room full of people I don’t know at a business function. I was advised to find someone standing awkwardly alone (there are always some), and say hello. These people are usually just like us – they don’t know anyone – and when someone says hello and starts talking to them, you both have someone to talk to (and the other person thinks you are wonderful). Thanks to the courage and confidence I built in Taekwon-Do, and this great piece of advice, I am never alone in a room of strangers!