I thought it would be cool to have a thread about some of our most memorable TKD classes. I'll start:

Last night was quite memorable for me. I went in to class a little early last night. the weapons class was still going on. i talked to some of the parents who were waiting on their kids. the parents seem to like me a lot. they told me how their kids want to ki-hap like me. i finished talking with a couple people and looked away for a second and another parent was shaking my hand and saying hi by the time i looked back.

the weapons class ended and i managed to find my bag gloves right away. we started out with about 5 or 6 2-minute rounds of bagwork. we stretched out briefly and then it was time for sparring. i sparred with a friend of mine who is a green belt, another 2nd dan, and my brother (2nd dan). then the fun started. for the last round, i got to spar with my teacher (4th dan). he is great at sparring. he has done more than one martial art and he combines his skills very effectively. sparring with him is very unpredictable. he likes to challenge his black belts especially. i don't know why i was feeling so good last night, but i was pumped up and ready to go. we started off trading a couple roundhouse kicks to judge distance. usually we'll be proud if we're able to hit him once or twice. for some reason i was just on my a-game and if he landed one i landed one right back. one time i saw him going for a roundhouse that i thought was directed at the body. so i blocked my body and went for a counter. as it turns out the kick was going to my head. we both landed our head kicks at the same time. we got into a clash and each landed a few punches. i jumped out and shot out a roundhouse to the chest protector that i think landed. we both threw roundhouse kicks for a SECOND time and they both landed. I can't effectively put it into words but it was the best match i think i've ever had. neither of were expecting me to do tht well. it's the nights like that that remind me why i go to tae kwon do. it's great stuff. there's no better way to bond with your instructor than kicking eachother in the face .

Now it's your turn, what are some of your most memorable tae kwon do classes or experiences?

Classes with General Choi were memorable due to his ability to recall material in detail, his stamina nad ability notwithstaning the fact that he was over 70 years old when I had my forst experience with him.

ClassES? you had more than one class with general choi? you lucky duck. i've never had one. and quite regrettably i never will. who else has some stories?

We had an instructor one night who is typically not there. He's going into his senior year like me. He would break off into random stories right in the middle of class and we couldn't stop laughing. I never met someone who would interrupt his own drills and just forget what he was doing.

We have another instructor like that as well. He's actually a year younger than me. He likes it when the class talks with him and when we're loud. He's the energetic type that you love to watch in demonstrations. One class he kept hitting my friend and I just to joke around because we didn't talk with him. In fact, after class, he came up to me a did little slaps all over my face saying how he loves to mess with his students. It's hard to hold back a giggle.

I had a very similar experience with one of my early instructors when I was a red belt. He's a very big guy and very imposing. Not necessarily tall, but big... lot's of presence. He used to be the only person I never seemed to be able to score any kind of hits on. What made it even harder to hit this guy was the fact that he would just take a stance and not move. Then, when you started trying to advance, he'd just put on this huge grin and say something like, "sure you want to be there? You're in my range." ( drove me insane.)

Well after sparring one night he told me something. "You're a red belt now. You should throw everybody that stands accross from you on every sparring night to help them learn.. everybody. He wouldn't even allow me the slightest whine about not being as good as the bb's.

Next sparing class comes and I'm determined to try. I actually do throw everyone in the class,,, until I come to HIM. There he stands grinning. No attacks to counter; he's making me attack. So, finally I just stand off with him. I watch until he makes the slightest flinch and I just blast in for a throw. Head tucked into my shoulder, left hand high cover, right hand low, and eyes completely closed expecting to get knockedTFO. To my surprise, he doesn't give me a kick to throw him with but that lead left hand connects right on the chin... perfect. He takes two steps back, feels his jaw and regains his composure. AND, his grin turns into a full ear to ear smile. "GOOOD ONE!, LET'S GO!"

I bow and say so sorry sir. He says, "Why? For What? It's all good" So I get back in stance and so does he. Now, out of nowhere this really large man moves instead of being that mountain. He jumps in the air and does a scissor takedown on me. Not the nice one leg behind and hold on and drag the opponent to the ground. He slammed his right leg into my gut and swept my feet with his left. We hit the groud with a thud so loud the entire class stopped sparring and looked our way. I barely avoided having the wind knocked out of me but man it hurt.... and I survived. He helps me up and whispers quietly, "that's for the jaw." I say "Yes sir." After that, it was fun. It was ALL GOOD. Definately no better way to bond with an instructor than a good kick in the face.

And I've never been afraid to spar anyone since. I don't say I am better than everyone, but I've just never been afraid since. I didn't always win an encounter or sparring match,,, but I always left my opponent with something to remember me by.

i think i'm gonna try incorporating that immovable kind of mentality to my sparring. i think that's the thing that makes my instructor so hard to spar with. when you throw a big technique, you expect anyone to move to avoid it, but he prefers to move in before you execute the technique or block it straight on. but it's matches like friday's that give me a new appreciation for the art and for constant development.

That's one huge key technique in Hapkido. If you're moving, you have to stop and then move wherever you're planning to attack/counter-attack. If you're still, you save a step. You're muslces have 2 states: contracted and relaxed. If you're using a muscle you have to stop and then redirect it. If you're still and calm you only have to move.

I have had some pretty nice things happen along my journey. I am not sure I can pick out THE most memorable. However I do remember back in the mid 80s when I trained with Gen. Choi for the first time. When I came back everyone asked me, well how did it go? What did you learn?
I answered I learned that I didn't know anything about TKD. Thats how good that 1st training experience with him was.

i never got to train with General Choi.