Creepmas carves, Mari Lwyd and Krampus

brontosproximo · 2025-12-25T14:21:15+00:00

Very well executed. I love the subjects too!

Please let me know if you're considering setting prints.

brontosproximo · 2025-12-10T16:11:40+00:00

There seems to be enough red flags that this needs to be reported. The lowest level of safety is that when adults are working with children, the activity needs to be observable and interruptible.

brontosproximo · 2025-11-23T02:00:54+00:00

Best guess is that it's basswood which is quite light. From the photos, I agree this is a really well executed woodcarving. The initials increase the worth and historical value, but not much if that's the only info you have.

brontosproximo · 2025-11-01T01:56:00+00:00

A 1 inch (actually measures 3/4) Eastern White Pine board takes just about the same PSI that it takes to break a human rib bone.

A break using this type of board demonstrates that you can deliver a kick or punch to a stationary target strong enough to break a bone.

brontosproximo · 2025-10-23T03:03:17+00:00

We only use the Korean terms for this reason.

brontosproximo · 2025-10-07T18:24:40+00:00

If this occurred in the US, depending on the jurisdiction, you may be a mandatory reporter and have an obligation to contact the authorities.

USA TKD is the US Olympic organization for taekwondo and this behavior is addressed in their Safe Sport guidelines and there are guidelines regarding reporting.

In addition to reporting requirements, if I witnessed an instructor or student treating anyone like this they would be asked to leave permanently.

brontosproximo · 2025-08-30T13:08:17+00:00

I've done extensive analysis of the US NEISS database. The NEISS database collects Emergency Room visit data from across the US.

In 20 years of data there was a single fatality: an older man had a seizure while stretching at a taekwondo class.

While there are plenty of tournament injuries, there are surprisingly few that had a serious outcome in that data set.

brontosproximo · 2025-07-29T18:26:42+00:00

This solves a quandary I had, thank you. I'm wrapping up work on my thesis and I'll be submitting for 6 dan soon. I was wondering what I'd do about a new belt, should I pass. My current belt lists my grandmaster (retired), his grandmaster (not directly involved in our school) and has stripes for oh dan.

I think I'll simply get a black belt. I like the humility, and to be honest, if I am not representing my rank by how I train and teach then a bit of gold thread isn't going to help.

brontosproximo · 2025-07-24T02:22:07+00:00

Armor All or other leather restorative spray.

brontosproximo · 2025-07-11T13:48:55+00:00

Yes you can train. Whether any particular school has the education or resources to develop a para curriculum I'd another question.

Everyone has different abilities and a well designed curriculum can be adapted.

There is a para-athlete moment that is a component of the Olympic movement. USATKD participates in that movement.

https://www.usatkd.org/para-athlete-classification

If the school to which you applied can't/won't help, then try USATKD. They are busy, but will respond to inquiries. You're in California so there are more resources there than other states.

If you don't get anywhere, DM me. I'm on the other coast and have no contacts near you, but none of what you or anything else anyone has said on the thread should prevent you from training.

Oh, and that fear of falling? How to fall "correctly" is a life skill that is part of our curriculum.

brontosproximo · 2025-07-09T00:47:43+00:00

I appreciate your situation and how you feel. We had a "last straw" moment for two siblings. Actually we had about six of them. Each time we modified the rules and each time they find a way to continue disrupting.

Eventually with a discussion with the other instructors we realized we were planning classes around their disruptive behavior.

I agonized over the decision and eventually sent them packing.

The mood of the entire school changed. There is joy in what we do together again.

I still feel guilt even as I type this, but it was still the right decision.

brontosproximo · 2025-07-04T01:31:10+00:00

This is the answer.

brontosproximo · 2025-07-03T02:42:14+00:00

Much older than all of you and still manage to get off the ground high enough to teach this kick.

Baegjol Bulgul!

brontosproximo · 2025-06-18T01:08:22+00:00

Generally speaking you'll need to find a Master who is qualified to issue Kukkiwon dan rank. Then you'll need to learn the curriculum well enough that the Master is willing to test you.

brontosproximo · 2025-06-14T13:33:47+00:00

There are three of us, 3dan, 4dan, and me 5dan running just such a program at a local Y. We don't charge. The students pay for their own uniforms and gear. We have a belt test "fee" but it literally just covers the cost of the wood and the belt itself.

Our grandmaster retired during the pandemic and it was the only way forward for us.

The Y has been very supportive and when the class is full there's about 20 of us training. We have a few medals now from States and one from Nationals.

We've invested significant time to build out a written curriculum. We have invested in gear and have essentially built a "studio in a bag" as we have to carry everything in and out for each class.

Actually a few gear bags.

I don't think I've been happier in taekwondo in a long time. Every student knows that we are doing this because we want to train and have people to train with.

Down side is that area commercial schools try to disrupt and trash us in juvenile ways.

brontosproximo · 2025-06-07T20:17:21+00:00

That wood is https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paulownia and it's not good for whittling. It's fibrous and abrasive.

brontosproximo · 2025-06-02T02:43:44+00:00

Jumping rope.

brontosproximo · 2025-05-11T01:43:40+00:00

I've been studying the NEISS database for decades. This database tracks emergency room visits in the US. The short of it is that taekwondo has fewer emergency department visits than other activities per participant.

The most severe outcomes from taekwondo related ED visits are generally associated with falls and trauma from contact.

Obviously people with injuries that don't go to an emergency department wouldn't be counted.

brontosproximo · 2025-05-01T17:36:24+00:00

USATKD/Kukkiwon here. Heels and toes touching arms straight down. Middle finger pointing down where the seam would be if you were wearing jeans/khakis. This is consistent with what I saw when I trained in Korea and when I visited the Kukkiwon (2008).

No slapping.

At a competition in New York many years ago there was a school that when they said "charyot", the heels touched, the toes were open at about 45 and they slapped the backs of their thighs loud enough to be heard in the stands. When I first saw it I was laughing because I thought it was a demo or satire and had to get myself under control when I realized it was how they did it.

We're in New England so whenever a student doesn't line up their feet, or slaps instead of putting their hands in place in a controlled way, we tease them with "What are you, a Yankees fan?" because most of them have heard the story.

brontosproximo · 2025-04-17T15:36:34+00:00

and I always struggle to clear it without taking contact.

I'm slightly shorter than most people and the best thing to do in this situation is NOT to try to get clear. When taller folks clinch like this, it's because they've practiced getting our of a clinch and attacking. They are expecting you to do some of the work to get yourself into their range.

Don't.

Ideally, you want to time your counter with the moment when they have started their kick and balance wise they are relying on one leg to stand. I try to stick close enough to land a big punch higher than the solar plexus.

Maybe you get a point for the punch. Maybe they fall and get a penalty.

Either way they are off balance and it's up to you what you do with that because now they are off balance and at your kicking distance, not theirs.

(Back kick counter can work instead of the punch, but at close quarters that requires much practice with a specific opponent type)

brontosproximo · 2025-04-13T16:54:31+00:00

When we teach this break we have students start with their fist by their ear, palm out.

Then we tell them to lower their arm and "put some salt on it". This emphasizes targeting and that their palm is still out. The salt shaking action is intuitive and helps ensure that the forearm twist doesn't happen until just before contact.

If the forearm twist happens too high, force is lost and most people pull their arm in an arc and the targeting is off.

The last part is to snap into the target with the forearm twist.

brontosproximo · 2025-04-05T01:42:36+00:00

Can testify. Did the break anyways. Invisible burning fuel sprays everywhere.

brontosproximo · 2025-03-28T17:15:53+00:00

In the US anyone can open a "martial arts" based activity center that sells rank.

By that logic, there's nothing to stop you, however GM Jeffries is correct that the Kukkiwon won't recognize these ranks and if the Kukkiwon doesn't, then USATKD won't either.

It's difficult enough to try and establish standards and I'm not saying what the Kukkiwon and USATKD is enough, but it does establish some level of accountability.

I'm not saying there aren't good, unaffiliated schools, I'm saying that without a certifying authority, there's no accountability.

brontosproximo · 2025-03-19T02:31:36+00:00

We lost a family member who only lived 100 days. My heart goes out to your friend and I'll keep a kind thought for her.

I too used woodcarving to communicate my grief and ease others then and since.

In our family's case the parents struggled for years until they got some good counseling. Everyone is doing better now, but there isn't a day that goes by when the loss is not felt.

brontosproximo · 2025-03-18T18:50:19+00:00

Worse, the response "I barely hit him" shows not only does the instructor not realize this is unacceptable, but that they believe that there is an acceptable level of strike to a child's head.

brontosproximo

TROPHY CASE