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MESSAGES FROM MASTER RICHARDS/COVID ARCHIVE

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PLAN FOR RESTARTING TRAINING

June 19, 2020

To PTSD students and family,
I hope all of you are well and ready to get back to training. Because of the seriousness of the current pandemic  situation we want to take all the steps necessary to safeguard the health and  well being of our students.
On Monday June 8th at 6:30 pm our adult black belt instructors met to develop a plan for resuming classes,
On Monday June 22, members of the black belt club will meet at the regular time to test out the procedures we have put in place and then determine what changes if any need to be made. At this point our classes will be conducted outside in the grass or on the parking lot.
Students should wear masks  and proper footwear. Please bring your own water, as we will not have total access to the building.
Later on we will add color belts,white belts and Little Dragons to our class schedule..
Remember that training at this point is voluntary, those who do not feel comfortable and safe at this time can stay home until they feel it is safe to return to training.
All updates will be posted here or you can call me at home, 570-629-1773. I will be glad to answer your questions..
TANG SOO !
Master Richards

A RETURN TO TRAINING

7-Jun-2020

Some of you may be anxious about getting back to training. That is normal. Our strength and cardio aren't what it was. We have forgotten parts of our forms and our one steps. This is all normal.
We will slowly build up our fitness. We don't want to get injured. We will also work on our flexibility..
Our forms and one steps will come back as well.
So relax and do what you can.
We want everyone to be safe and glad to be training again.
Don't forget. I'm only working with one eye for the time being so I will be missing a lot of our mistakes.
TANG SOO !
Master Richards

OUTDOOR CHALLENGE

22-May-2020

To PTSD family and friends,

I hope all of you are well. You'll remember that GM Shin taught us to be one with nature.. With the warmer weather we can do just that,

Training in the dojang with a  flat level floor is what most of us are used to. It has become our comfort zone.

Time to take it outside. Find a place with grass and you will find doing your forms and one steps more challenging because the ground is not as level.

Now go to an area which has an incline to do your forms and one steps.

You will notice that your balance, speed and timing will be effected.

Those of you who train with weapons will really find this challenging so BE CAREFUL!!!!


On this Memorial Day weekend be sure to think about the true heroes who sacrificed their lives to keep us free. We must never forget that " we live in the land of the free because of the brave"

If you can check out a new song by a singer whose last name is.

 Atkins entitled Arlington which pays tribute to the generations of our fallen American heroes.

Train hard and we will be together soon.

Master Richards

SEE IT THEN DO IT!

June 10, 2025

Hello Pocono TSD family and friends,
I hope all of you are healthy and safe. It's been two months since we have been together.
For this week's lesson we will draw on the world of sports.
Coaches and sports psychologists have long encouraged the use of visualization.
Here is how it works. A basketball player will visualize various shots with them picturing themselves going through the entire motion shooting the ball and seeing it go through the basket.  Baseball players, golfers and horseshoe players can do the same exercise.
Now find a quiet place with few if any distractions.
The next step is to do your forms one at a time in your mind. After each form actually perform the form. When you visualize your forms take time to see each movement in your mind.
Once you have done this exercise with your forms move on to your one step, hand, kick, and self defense techniques.
This works for sports and it can work for Tang Soo Do.
Good Luck!
TANG SOO !
Master Richards

7-MAY-2020

August 20, 2025

I hope all of you are healthy and looking forward to regular training  Let's work on our cardio.


Stage 1

Fighting stance with right leg back.

Left hand jab.

Right hand reverse punch..

Left hand hook punch.

Right hand uppercut.


Jump change your legs and jab with the right hand.

Reverse punch with your left hand.

Hook with Right hand followed by left hand uppercut.

Do 10 sets each side.


Stage 2

Same hand combination.

Now add rear leg front kick.

Do ten sets each side.

Now continue with all your kicks.


Stage 3

Use the same hand combinations and do kicks off the front and rear legs.


Stage 4

Do your forms.


Remember it is easier to stay in shape than to have to get back in shape. Strong body .Strong mind. Strong spirit.


Thought for the week

People are like teabags.  You don't know how strong they are until they are in hot water!


I look forward to us being together again.

Master Richards

1-MAY-2020

February 4, 2025

Greetings PTSD family and friends
If we are doing our forms correctly we should end up at the same spot we begin. Makes sense right? But it's harder than we think. Variations in our stances can leave us  in a different place than where we began.
Take a coin and place it between your feet while in choo be jah se.
Now perform each of your hyungs.
If you are really out of alignment do your form again and be more careful with your stances.
Warning!!! Those of you who perform Sip Soo will find this form to be the  most challenging.
Remember   While we can never attain perfection we can achieve excellence. See you soon.
Master Richards

22-APRIL-2020

June 10, 2025

Good morning PTSD students and friends,

Today is Earth Day.. We know that one of the goals of our TSD training is to be "one with nature". So go outside to go for a walk, do your Ki Kong or train.

​

This week's lesson will have two sections. One for color belt students and one for Black Belts. Both groups should begin with stretching and KI Kong.

FOR COLOR BELT STUDENTS

From fighting stance and using you front  leg do all your kicks that you know. Now jump change your legs and do the same with your opposite leg.

Do all of your Sae Kae Hyungs.

Now from fighting stance do all of your kicks off the back leg then jump change your legs and repeat. Now do all of the remaining forms that you have been taught.

​

Black Belt Training

As Black Belts we remember that we are descendants of the the Silla Dynasty's Hwa Rang Do  warriors. We are called to be scholars, model citizens, and elite warriors. We are to be smart, dedicated and ready to meet any and every challenge. We  are the role models that junior students hope to one day become.

We will need to use our imaginations for this drill. This will help us from getting too bored.

The Scenario! The Silla Dynasty is under attack and the king has called for all Hwa Rang Dan warriors to help.

After doing your stretching and Ki Kong you will

Do all your Sae Kae Hyungs.

Next do bong form #1 followed by the Dagger form (if you know it).

Do all you Pyung Ahn Forms followed by Bong form #2 and then perform the 1st sword form (if you know it).

Next perform all of your remaining forms followed by  Bong form #3 and the 2nd sword form if you know it.

Now reverse the process.

So how did you make out? Was the Silla Dynasty saved thanks to you or did you tell the king that you would do it later or on another day.

Remember

MOTIVATION sets our goals

DISCIPLINE keeps us on the path to reaching our goals.

DEVOTION makes our goals a reality.

I hope to be with you soon.

Master Richards

Pocono Tang Soo Do

Strong minds  Strong bodies.  Strong spirits.

14-APRIL-2020

August 20, 2025

Greetings to our Tang Soo Do family,
I hope all of you are well and are healthy.  As I reflect on our current situation I want you to know that you are very much on my mind and in my prayers.  I miss all of you..
My doctor visits are going well. 
Now for this week's training...
Very often when we do our hyungs in class I have to remind our students to slow down. Each hyung has it's own time frame Each has it's own rhythm. It is easy to go too fast and miss important pieces of a form.. This week we will do our forms in slow motion.
How slow should I do my forms? For example our Sae Kae Hyungs should take 30-35 seconds. Take 60 seconds. Double the time for each form.
As you do your forms check your stances and your hand placement, Your kicks will be more challenging as well. Feel your kicks as you make sure to use proper techniques.
This training will be physically challenging.
I hope to see you soon (with both eyes)..
Tang Soo!
Master Richards

APRIL 7 MESSAGE

7-Apr-2020

To my Pocono TSD family.

By now many of you have heard about my unfortunate accident which did major damage to my right eye I had emergency surgery at Wills eye hospital in Philadelphia, Thanks to the heroic efforts of Bill Bock, Carolyn Kloiber,  Jim Wilkins  Dr., Mark Gotchal and my wife Sandy, the damage was repaired and I am on the long road to recovery


Training must go on..

Here is this week's training suggestions.

KICKING DRILL

From fighting stance do all your kicks with one leg for 60 seconds. Then switch legs and repeat t he drill,


Forms around the clock

Very often we do our forms facing the same direction,

Do you first form and then turn to the right and do your second  form Keep turning to the right with each form until you have done all your forms.

Repeat this until you are done. Now repeat this process turning to the left.


Keep training hard and I hope to see you soon..

Tang Soo!

Master Richards

29-MAR-2020 - THIS WEEK'S TRAINING

29-Mar-2020

Week 2 Training Pocono Tang Soo Do vs, The Pandemic


1) Do warm ups, stretching and Ki Kong

2) As space allows do the basic floor exercises...blocks kicks and punches.

3) New drills to challenge you. Slide up kicks.

Good fighting stance. Slide up and kick with the FRONT foot. You are to SLIDE> If you pick your back foot off the ground you are not sliding but stepping.

Do all your basic kicks, front, round .side, etc. While it may be a little more difficult you can try spinning back kick as well.

4) now that you are getting good at these kicks, let's increases the difficulty.

Do slide up side kick to the front then turn to the rear and do a sliding kick to the rear. Again, do all your kicks.

5) Ready to increase the challenge? Okay!

Slide up and do combination kicks without putting you foot down.

eg. Slide up and do front kick/side kick ( just one step) You can make up your own combinations.

Now do the combinations front and back.

 Having fun yet? I hope so. By the way we will be doing these kicks in class so I expect every one to not only be familiar with these techniques, but to be proficient ( I don't want to see any looks on people's faces that say  "Huh! What is this?"

6) Do your forms and one steps.


Good luck! If you have ant questions please call me at  570-629-1773 or email me at masterpastor2@gmail.com.

Remember The only way to improve at anything is to push yourself beyond where you already are.

I look forward to seeing all of you soon and training together.

If you have any suggestions for training please share them with us.

27-MARCH MESSAGE

27-March-2020

To Pocono Tang Soo Do family.

There is an old Chinese curse that says, "may your children live in interesting times". These are interesting times for all of us, our Pocono TSD family, Region 8,, and the World TSD family ,as well as the world around us. These are also challenging times for all of us. This is where we can look to the Five Point Code for guidance. This is a good time for us to reflect on the code thst says "no retreat in battle".

Our training is meant to help us adapt, improvise, and overcome in times like these. While we can't be together in person, we can be together in spirit. Our association has provided us with Youtube videos to help us with our forms and one steps. (see Mr. Hatton's email for more information).

Don't forget to do your stretching and basic floor exercises as well as our Ki Kong. Just a quick note on the importance of maintaining  Ki Kong training. While this virus attacks us it is important to strengthen our immune systems. This is one of the purposes of this internal training.

Even a few minutes a day working on some aspect of you TSD training will be beneficial. This way when we do resume our regular training as a class we will not be doing a lot of reteaching..

Black Belts ,especially should remember the 14 attitude requirements.

Don't forget to work on your endurance as well. If you have a family member who trains or is willing to help you, ,you can use items like used  anti-freeze containers or gallon milk containers to use for kicking and jump kicks. This is  "old school" but it works. Be sure to wash them out before you use them (did I really have to explain that ?).

In future messages I will be sending more training suggestions. You  are in my thoughts and prayers .Be careful and be safe.

If you need anything or have any questions please email me at masterpastor2@gmail.com or call me at 570-629-1773.

Remember that adversity can make you or break you. We are Tang Soo strong. Now get to training. Don't make me come to your house (warning warning warning).

Master Richards

Messages from Master: News & Updates
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