Universal Taekwondo Federation

'The Extended Family Within The Dojang' by Dave Cook

To the non-martial artist the practice of Taekwondo may be viewed as a set of individually orientated tasks with the aim of each practitioner being to achieve their own potential. Although this may appear true for such things as competition and to an extent grading, this fails to recognise the global ethos of martial arts. For the true practitioner it is not just about the colour of your belt or the number of trophies displayed for all to see, there is a deeper meaning much more associated with life in general. The tenets of Taekwondo serve to direct the way in which we conduct ourselves and the way in which with integrate with others, and it is this point that brings me on to the focus of this article.

The Taekwondo practitioner will regularly, sometimes religiously, train with a group or class that they refer to as their club and it is in this environment that they will learn the ways and beliefs of Taekwondo. In my own experience this club may well become a form of extended family.

In its basic form the term extended family can be defined as,
"A social unit that contains the nuclear family together with blood relatives, often spanning three or more generations"
(Collins English Dictionary, 1998)

However, within the dynamics that we as people live in, work in and play in, this term is often used as a metaphor associating the friends and colleagues around us with the innate bond of a family unit. Within Taekwondo we can regularly see a framework of family. The Sa-bum-nim heads and leads the family and it is through this figure that the tenets are passed down to the 'children' below them. This framework may also be classed as a team and within team sports the terms to "gel" or "bond" or "have good chemistry" are often heard. The way the members of a team interact has a tremendous impact on the way a team performs. Similarly, within the Dojang, the way in which each individual interacts with the next may also have a great effect on the excellence of performance, an individuals or classes motivation, an individuals confidence etc..

Merely being together at training sessions and competitions does not necessarily guarantee a team will be cohesive and successful, it simply means that they are occupying the same space at the same time (Sugarman, 1998). Cohesive teams have been shown to have several characteristics, which may also transfer to a successful Taekwondo club.

- Respect; respecting oneself and all that surround you.
- Common goals; within martial arts we are all striving to be the best that we can be.
- Positive team identity; by adhering to the tenets of Taekwondo we are able to demonstrate all that is good within our club and martial arts in general.
- A good relationship between practitioners; this unifies the club and enhances peoples confidence in one another.
- Positive energy; upon entering the Dojang only positive directions are taken. We train to improve, we listen to improve, we learn to improve.
- Pride in membership; being proud of what your club is trying to achieve, being proud in the standards set by your club aswell as having pride in youself. In general terms the cohesiveness of the 'family' can be seen in their relationships, their loyalty and their unification in the pursuit of all their goals with statements like 'we' and 'our' overtaking those of 'me, myself, and I'.

References
Collins English Dictionary (1998). HarperCollins. Sugarman, K. (1998, November 9). Cohesion. [Online].

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