Real-Life Communication -- Solution
Here's what you could say:
Welcome. You
are about to do a lot more than learn some martial arts techniques. Over the
next few weeks, you will become part of the culture of tae kwon do. But before
we begin, I want you to have a sense of what has come before in tae kwon do.
Cast
your minds back, if you will, to what is now Korea in the year 50 BC. That
is when records indicate martial arts were first practiced.
The first
group to hone their skills was the Hwa Rang Do. This was a group of young
noblemen devoted to cultivating mind and body. The Hwa Rang later became a
group devoted to poetry and music, but the tae kyon never fully disappeared
and later became the basis for military training.
Nearly 2,000 years
later, the modern form of tae kwon do came about. It was influenced by traditional
Japanese karate and other forms of martial arts.
So you see, tae kwon
do isn't just about fitness and strength and power and self-defense.
It is a part of the world's history. A history you are about to become
part of.
Martial arts instructor Jay Swan says many instructors
are poor communicators, even though it's an important skill.
"If
you're an instructor, you need to be able to communicate the information
you want to convey. Unfortunately, few martial arts instructors are skilled
teachers, nor do they have any formal instructional training," he says.