What if Zoom classes aren’t working for me?

Hi Parents and Students

• Some students find that they struggle with Zoom classes;
• We will offer outdoor classes as soon as gathering limits are viable (at least 25);
• There are alternatives to Zoom, so ensure you keep practising and improving;
• Thank you to those who emailed me their project!

Struggling with Zoom classes?

I receive a few email from parents and students for whom Zoom classes aren’t working. They enjoy Taekwon-Do, but they are frustrated by the lack of face-to-face classes due to COVID-19 lockdowns. Sometimes they don’t have a useable training area. (You don’t need much space to do a Zoom class – we work with what you have. Also as the weather improves, many are joining Zoom sessions from their backyards.) Other times, young children (in particular), find it difficult to focus and participate over Zoom.

We will offer outdoor classes when we can

We are also eager to return to face-to-face classes. While we can’t, we are doing our very best with Zoom classes, and encourage you to attend. When outdoor gathering allowances get larger (at least 25), then we will quickly offer outdoor classes. Outdoor classes are not viable with a limit of 10 – we don’t have enough instructors or weekdays, or a booking system, to offer classes to all of our students in groups of 9.

Alternatives to Zoom

There are alternatives. Put on your dobok, go outside, and practise.

For young students, parents have often watched many sessions, and we have our recorded sessions here. Perhaps a parent can put a short lesson plan together, and guide their child for what to practise. This can work very well for Kubz students, and our 6–8 year-olds. You may not be able to correct their technique, but getting them practising is most important at this time. Have some fun. Fly around and kick into the air. You may have an old cushion or pillow you can hold for them as a target to kick.

We also have a few classes where parents are joining in and helping their children. Try this! Adults pick up Taekwon-Do movements and sequences much more quickly than children. If you are there learning with them, you can help them understand and implement instructions. And your children will love it when you join in, too!

Senior students and adults, create a simple lesson plan and work through it. Warm up for 10 minutes, practise your fundamental movements for 10 minutes (spot technique or linework), practise your patterns for 10 minutes, spend 10 minutes on step-sparring, 10 minutes on free sparring drills, and 10 minutes on your self-defence (perhaps an older sibling or parent can grab you). Then spend 10 minutes warming down and stretching. If you are ever stuck for ideas, skim through our recorded classes. You can increase the playback speed of YouTube videos to skim through for ideas, and the content of each class is described on the recorded classes page.

You can take videos of yourself, upload them to the internet (YouTube, WeTransfer, etc.) and email a link to Master Banicevich. We can review your video and email you feedback on which to work.

Also ensure that you are reading your syllabus handbooks. Check that you know all of your syllabus. Read the self-defence handbook. Google your pattern histories and learn more about them. (To purchase a syllabus book, email Master Banicevich. We periodically drive over to Glendowie and deliver a bunch of books and other items.)

There is a lot you can do to keep active and engaged during lockdown. With gradings approaching, it makes sense to keep improving, despite our current limitations.

Student projects on pattern histories and Taekwon-Do

Thank you to Yasmine and Tvisha, who both sent me work they did about Taekwon-Do and pattern histories. Yasmine wrote about Taekwon-Do, and she included many things I did not expect her to know – well done! Tvisha summarised the legend of Dan-Gun wonderfully, and I am confident she now knows her pattern history well!

We are doing our best to survive

Like most small businesses, we are doing what we can to survive. We lose more than our usual number of students during lockdown, with those who haven’t tried Zoom classes, or struggle to maintain interest. We are also very limited in recruiting new students. A couple tried Zoom classes and didn’t proceed. This places our school in a precarious position.

Before you email to ask whether you can put your membership on hold, please remember that classes have not stopped during lockdown, merely changed. Some are choosing not to come to class. The agreement you signed with our school says that training fees remain due regardless of whether or not you choose to come to class (just like a gym membership). Our costs continue, they merely change. We are working harder than ever to keep you motivated and engaged (Master Banicevich is teaching Zoom classes five days per week). Please consider doing what you can to remain practising instead.

If everyone who chooses not to come to class stopped paying fees, it is likely our school would not survive and you would not have Taekwon-Do classes to return to. We are doing our very best to stop that from happening, and we ask you to do your best, too.