What is Testing? (Shim-Sah)

Testing is an evaluation of students who wish to advance in rank. They happen every eight weeks, and every student who wants to recieve a new rank must attend, test, and pass to recieve the new rank. Each student is evaluated by a panel of judges, usually the instructors at the school, and sometimes guest judges from other schools. The students must show great proficiency of Form knowledge, One-Step Sparring (For white through green belts), Sparring (For Camouflage through black belts), Board Breaks (For brown through black belts), and knowledge of Songahm Taekwondo.

Does Testing cost anything?
Yes. There is a fee for testing. How much depends on your rank, so ask your instructor for more information.

Do I have to Test to advance in rank?
Yes. In order to advance in rank, you must Test.

Why do all the students Test together?
The reason all the students Test together is to put you under some preasure. We want to put the students into a controlled stress situation so that the judges can know that a student can remember the material and perform under that stress. We believe that if a student cannot perform in the controlled stressful environment, they will not be able to perform in a real life stressful situation.

If you have any more questions, feel free to ask your instructor!

What is a tournament? (She-hahp)

Tournaments are controlled competitive environments that allow practitioners to display and improve their skills in a safe environment. Although some may think it is all about "who is better", that is only a part of their purpose in Songahm Taekwondo.

In general, there are basically two types of tournaments:

• 1. Winning a trophy at any cost, while exclaiming victory and scorning defeat
• 2. Competing with a good attitude (possibly winning a trophy) and learning under ideal conditions

The second is what we in Songahm Taekwondo try to achieve! Remember that tournaments are not just for a trophy. They allow our members to meet new people, make new friends, put nerves to the test, and display skills. By focusing on these purposes, it is very possible to be happy whether one wins or loses. Most people think that the reward at a tournament is the trophy. By eliminating this idea, we eliminate the unnecessary devastation of leaving without a trophy.

In reality, competition is not just in a ring. Students of Songahm Taekwondo, as well as all other human beings, are competing with self on a daily basis. We compete with our body to lose weight. We compete with our mind to retain knowledge, and we compete with our intellect on our spiritual convictions. Even in the case of a match against an opponent, we are not only competing against that person's skill, but also against ourselves to the the absolute best that we can. Therefore, tournaments are a great opportunity for increasing skills as well as boosting confidence. And, just as importantly, it is possible to learn self control over a temper, or become motivated to react positively instead of negatively to outcomes one does not desire.

For all these reasons and more, she-hahp (tournaments) are a vital part of Songahm Taekwondo, and one of the most dynamic, fun aspects of our art.

Who is allowed to attend a tournament?
Everyone who is a student of Songahm Taekwondo! We encourage all of our students to attend at least one tournament per tournament year.

What do you do at a tournament?
When you attend a tournament you compete against people of your own age group and rank. There are two main types of competitions* at a tournament. The first is the Traditional competition. In this competition you will be judged on your traditional form as well as compete in tournament sparring (for camouflage belts and higher) or one step sparring (for white through yellow belts).

*There are more types of competition. Ask your instrucor for more information.

The second type of competition is Protech Weapons. If a color belt competes in a weapons competition he or she will create their own freestyle form (no longer than 30 seconds long) with a protech weapon of their choice**. If a color belt competes in a weapons competition they may compete with a black belt protech form from their rank or lower.

**Color belts can only compete with the following protech weapons: Single and Double Ssahng Jeol Bong, Single and Double Bahng Mahng Ee, Ssahng Nats, Staff, Sword, and Chinese Broadsword.

How much does a tournament cost?
The traditional competition cost $35, and the Weapons Competition is $25

If you have any more questions, your instructor would be more than happy to answer them for you, just ask!

Common Korean Terminology Used in Class

Other Korean Terminology

Information taken from http://www.ataonline.com & The Way of Traditional Taekwondo, Volume A.