child to do, it’s within their ability. All they
need to do is try and practice, and they will be
able to do it. It might not be perfect, but we
can see its potential, and we coach them until
they get it. I’ve lost count of the children who
have told me in class they can’t do something,
only for me to tell them that’s nonsense and
have them doing it a few minutes later.- We teach them that the only person they
are competing and comparing themselves
to is themselves. Competition has its place
for some people, and around 25% fl ourish
with it. About 50% get no real benefi t from
competitions. And 25% fi nd competition
with others so stressful that they fold under
the pressure. In my class we remind the
children that they aren’t competing and
shouldn’t compare against others, only look at
themselves and work hard to improve so they
are better today than they were yesterday. - We let them know that there are things
we found diffi cult initially. I used to hate a
variety of kicks and struggled with them.
As an instructor, children think we are at
such a high level and it’s not something
they could ever achieve. So hearing from
me that I struggled with xyz but now can
do it shows that even their role models have
failed at performing xyz. Th ey learn that
perseverance is the key to improving. - We teach them that sometimes they can make
or break how they perform before they even
try. How they think can greatly infl uence their
chance of success. By thinking negatively,
they are almost certainly guaranteeing
they fail, and by thinking and imagining
themselves performing successfully, they are
far more likely to succeed. We have many
tools to help them realize this. One is by
having them break boards. Th is is by far
more a mental challenge than physical.- Th e class motto. You will hear the words
“Pil Seung” over and over again in EVERY
lesson, almost like a mantra or affi rmation.
Th ese two Korean words mean “certain
victory.” We explain to the children (and
adults) that this means to always do your
best and never give up, that it’s not failing
that counts. We learn from failures and turn
them into lessons that help us win. We get
knocked down yet get back up. If you look
at the biography of any person you think is
successful, you will almost guarantee that
you will see this mindset and attitude.
Th ese are just seven of the little things we do in
my classes to help build children’s confi dence.
It’s not exhaustive. Th ere are many other
things we do that are not included in this list
. Th ey are all common sense and transferable
to other areas and skills, whether they come to
my club to learn martial arts or try a diff erent
activity or martial art elsewhere. Th ese are
just some of the things you want a good
instructor to be doing to help your children.
If you would like to see some of the great
5* reviews given to us by happy parents
and students please look at http://www.
ckdbristol.co.uk/index.php/our-reviews
Dale Miller is a master instructor in the art of Choi
Kwang Do. He started his Choi Kwang Do training
at the age if 12 and was the youngest Choi Kwang
Do school owner in the United Kingdom when he
started running his own school. He now teaches
in the Bristol and Wiltshire areas of the UK. You
can fi nd his details at http://www.CKDBristol.co.uk54 January 2018 / taekwondotimes.com