VISION

The Juniors such as Mr. Lourenço Brito, Mr. Francisco Pitschieller, Mr. Nuno Simões, Mr. Vicente Melancia, Miss Bao Uyen Nguyen and Mr. Romano Barros, all decided to take important steps in their martial arts training. Songahm Taekwondo Academy welcomes its new black belts and trainee Instructors!

We all worked hard to reach our current stage. We are at a step point where we can finally think of our future as a School, as group, as a family. It is the time to have VISION.

This last year ended with a marvellous camp in Portugal, the centre point of Songahm Taekwondo in Europe at this moment. The fact that it ended with such an important event is significant for this year to come. In fact, the 2008-2009 season is focused on Vision, the year to look forward, the year to set goals, to create new standards, to grow.

In this sense, Songahm Taekwondo Academy Tânger defies the current structure and presents itself as a pioneer school within Songahm Taekwondo currently in Europe.

Firstly, the Songahm Taekwondo Academy Tânger will follow the Master’s Council experience and will start teaching with the block system.

Secondly, the Instruction method used for this year will be that which was set forth by the Headquarters and which was presented to us by Senior Master Droege and Senior Master Abair.

Thirdly, Songahm Taekwondo Academy Tânger will incorporate its trainings with the new ATA/WTTU FIT program. Our goal is for our juniors to be both mentally and physically prepared, thus, we are going to be sure that their physical condition is at a top level!

Lastly, Songahm Taekwondo Tânger will start this year with a specific program for black belts and Instructors. In Portugal, Black Belts and Instructors will have the opportunity to train once a week on Saturdays. Regarding the Netherlands, a deeper connection will be established in order to reinforce the Instructor’s preparation: several intense trainings lectured by Mr. Tânger in Rotterdam and trips from the responsible Instructors to Portugal for camps.

The block system is a teaching system that has the purpose of augmenting the general quality of the student’s technique and complete understanding of Songahm Taekwondo.

It is pretty simple: there are 9 belts in the system. Each 3 belts are grouped together to form 3 different rank groups: white-orange-yellow/camo-green-purple/blue-brown-red.

In a class, the Instructor has now 3 groups to teach, instead of 9.

A student learns the form that is being taught in his/her group.

For example: John is a new student. He arrives at Songahm Taekwondo Academy Tanger and starts his lessons. The Block System is at the white belt cycle. John learns the Songahm 1 form (white belt) and then he passes to the next cycle which is Songahm 2 (orange belt). Finally, he reaches the last cycle of that block, which is Songahm 3 (yellow belt). He then passes on to the next block.

This is simple.

Now, imagine that John would arrive to Songahm Taekwondo Academy Tanger at the time when the 1^st block was at the Songahm 2 cycle (orange belt). He would start by learning Songahm 2 with the rest of the students in that block. He would then test for his orange belt but would start learning Songahm 3. Once that cycle was finished, he would test for his yellow belt and would start learning Songahm 1 since the block would restart. Finally, John would do his last testing of that block (for camo belt) and would pass on to the next block.

It may sound strange to some Instructors to be teaching in with this system. However, it improves the training’s quality since the Instructor can focus on all the students at the same time and guarantee that they are having the proper coaching. Further, students feel they are part of a whole group and strive to reach their goals all together.

As an Instructor, one cannot cope with having nine different belt levels in a same class and rendering the students a proper teaching. With this system, both the Instructor and the students will be able to better train Songahm Taekwondo.

The most modern techniques of Instruction are offered by the Songahm Style of Taekwondo. After years of developments and experience, the Master’s Council has developed a unique training system which will allow the students to cover all the material (sparring, self-defense, technique, form, one steps) in an integrated way.

This means that a student will not learn his/her form by simply copying the Instructor but will rather learn every move by firstly learning its applicability. In fact, instead of copying a strange movement with his/her arms, the student will learn how to really block! Instead of learning a sequence of kicks, the student will learn sparring, etc.

Songahm Taekwondo is all about mental and physical training. Mentally, we prepare our students to learn life skills and to use them both at their Dojanhg but also in their day to day lives.

Physically, Students must be able to cope with the Taekwondo techniques and requirements. Thus, the ATA/WTTU Headquarters is implementing a Fitness program so that all students are physically fit and at the top of their age group.

Songahm Taekwondo Academy Tanger will have an Instructor specifically responsible for the coordination of the ATA/WTTU Fit program for all its branches (Ginásio Clube Português, BES, Rotterdam). Such Instructor is Miss Teresa Guedes since she is a specialist in physical conditioning due to her Pilates Instruction.

The following training program is applicable to both the Portuguese and the Dutch School. However, the Portuguese branch will have weekly black belt/Instruction training while the Netherlands branch won’t.

This schedule offers the guidelines for the year’s training. The school’s motto this year is VISION, therefore, it is important for the Instructors and the Juniors to foresee a year at a glance.

You will find the following table in your Trainee Instructor Manual:

This will also be the Songahm Taekwondo Academy Tanger’s Schedule.

For example: September.

Life Skill: Honor – what is it, how should it be taught, etc.

BB Atribute: Proper Technique

Teaching Skill: Class Structure.

The year long schedule is not really feasible since the school’s needs must be met throughout the year. However, some events can be generally scheduled:

September 16: Mr. Ooms Instruction test for Level 3 ( Rotterdam – in front of all the students and filmed).

September 26: Mr. Saragoça’s Instruction Test for Level 2 at the Ginásio Clube Português.

October 18: Full Day Sparring training for all students at the Ginásio Clube Português.

November 1 or 2: Rank Testing

November 29, 30 and 1 December: trip to Rotterdam for Intensive training on Shim Jun and Instruction.

December 6, 7 and 8: School Camp for all belts.

End of December or Beginning January: Rank Testing

January 17:  Full Day Self Defense Training all students.

February 14: Full Day Sparring training for camo belt onwards.

February 21: Rank Testing

March 14: Full Day training for all students

April 18: Full Day training for all students

April 25 or 26: Rank Testing

May 1,2,3: School Camp

June 14: Full Day training

June 27: Rank Testing

July 11: Full day training

July 25: Rank Testing

A well prepared agenda is an agenda of success. We must point out our goals in order to know the direction of our path. To be part of the Songahm Taekwondo Academy Tanger is to be part of a group of winners. We are eager to surpass our difficulties and are even more willing to create new leaders.

Individually we are strong but together we are powerful. Each one must have his/her own vision of what he wants for himself/herself. There are no limits for tomorrow’s victories!

The Songahm Taekwondo Academy Tanger’s Vision is to create a powerful team of leaders. The long term vision is to create a group of Masters.

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