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Q: How long does it take to get to black
belt?
A: It cannot usually be done in less than 2 years, due to
time-in-rank requirements: you must have one belt for a certain time
period before you can test for the next. A typical time to get a black
belt is 3 years, but this assumes coming to almost every practice for
that time.
Q: How much
does it cost to join? (include dobok price in answer)
A: Club dues are $80/semester, and the uniform costs $35. The
ISU class has a materials fee of $10-15, but you are not required to
pay dues just to take the class.
Q: Do I have
to attend every practice?
A: You will need to attend every practice for an initial time
period of about 3-4 weeks, since you will learn so many new techniques
each class that you will get behind if you aren't there. After that, it
is okay to miss class occasionally, but as with any other pursuit, you
won't be getting as much for your $80. Put another way, once you pay
the $80, almost everything we offer -- regular practice, sparring
practice, weekend workouts, social events -- are free, so it's wise to
take advantage of them.
Q: What are
the differences between Taekwondo, Hapkido, Judo, and other martial
arts?
A: Taekwondo, Hapkido, and Judo are the 3 martial arts that
our instructor Grand Master Pak teaches at Iowa State. Taekwondo, which
translates to "the way of the hand and the foot", is an offensive art,
concentrating primarily on kicking and hand techniques such as
punching. Taekwondo is also a competitive sport, and our club holds and
attends tournaments. Hapkido, which translates to "the way of
coordinated power", is a defensive art, concentrating on throws, joint
locks, chokes, holds, and safe falling. Every technique in Hapkido is
taught as a response to an attack. Judo, which translates to "the
gentle way", is similar to Hapkido in its techniques, and similar to
Taekwondo in that it is competitive. Judo is much like American
wrestling in that the goal is to throw and pin your opponent using
techniques constrained in such a way as to reduce injuries.
Q: Who is
Grand Master Pak?
A: Grand Master Pak is our master instructor. He holds a 7th
degree black belt in Taekwondo, and 6th degree black belts in Hapkido
and Judo. He is also president of the National Collegiate Taekwondo
Association, and he is one of the most prominent and respected
Taekwondo experts in the country. A biography of Grand Master Pak can
be found here: http://www.public.iastate.edu/~ycpak/about.html.
Q: Could you
beat a Kung Fu expert/a Navy SEAL/my strong friend/my black belt
friend/me in a fight?
A: We practice self-defense. Part of this means avoiding
fights. In fact, if we found out that any member had gone out and
started a fight, they would likely not be members much longer. We spend
a lot of time talking about and practicing respect for other people,
and as a result, the members of our club are the most non-violent
people you will ever meet. If bar fights interest you, then our club
will not.
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