At Hikaru Dojo, the martial art we practice is Traditional Taekwondo. This system came to us through the A-KaTO, which is in turn linked to Grand Master Jhoon Rhee, a South Korean who brought Taekwondo to America in the early 1960s. What does Taekwondo Founder Choi Hong Hi (pictured left) have to say about training?

"Power and accuracy must be developed to such a high degree that only one single blow is needed to stop an opponent, so that the student can shift stance and block or attack another opponent. Each pattern is different from the other in order to develop reaction against changing circumstances." General Choi Hong Hi, Taekwon-Do Encyclopedia Vol1 p236

Martial arts and Taekwondo training isn’t measured by how fit you get or how beautiful your techniques are, though these are all qualities you get from a good martial art school. Martial arts training is measured by your ability to stop your opponent.

Karate, Taekwondo, Kung Fu, and other martial arts don't make you superhuman. Beware any school which claims such benefits. The fact is that any martial arts only starts and ends with a normal person - YOU.

To get the benefits of martial arts: the confidence, the strength, the knowledge, and the combative skill, you must be prepared to endure the tests, your fears, and sometimes the tears.

Our training as such combines traditional drills and modern day exercises and works toward reasonable and achievable goals. What we expect from our students is the following:
1. Come to class ready to physically train.
2. Come to class ready to be mentally challenged.
3. Practice regularly unless you are told not to for specific techniques just learned.
4. Upkeep your health and fitness in conjunction with your martial arts training.
5. Don’t be overly critical of your own performance; if anyone is to criticize your technique, let it be the instructors. Your role is to focus on learning how to do things right, rather than dwelling on all manner of beginning mistakes.
6. Pace and challenge yourself appropriately – you should neither coast in the class nor faint from exhaustion.
7. Lastly, high-level sporting advice – ‘Train as you compete. Compete as you train.’ Meaning you should optimise your training to emulate performance you need when you face danger, consequently you should face danger with a modicum of mental clarity and relaxedness.