It has been a long time since I’ve posted about what I’ve been doing. Yesterday I saw an old post I wrote about what I had planned for Shin Ho Kwan this year. Normally, if I write it down, I get it done. However, looking over the list I still have a lot left to do. The problem hasn’t been for a lack of trying on my part. A vast number of the items in that post were concerning eBooks available on the iPad. Well, I submitted a book months ago, I’ve been on the phone and emailed apple and still nothing.  It’s been approved but they need a file of preview images before it will be available.  I’ve sent that file to them several times and they keep loosing it. Seriously, they have told me on the phone they have it and then a week later I get an email saying I need to send it. Regardless, I still have a lot to do on the list and it will get done.

Recently, I have been working on several projects I didn’t even know I would be working on. This blog, for example, just underwent a substantial change (and it still isn’t finished). I switched it to a premium theme and got the blog its own URL. Premium themes allow for a much better user experience but they are not cheap. Well not for a group that doesn’t make any money. I also just recently released a new video web page called TaekwondoTV.org. That was a huge undertaking, but I was able to do it correctly from the very beginning. I have learned so much over the past months about blogs and how to run one successfully. A lot of what we did on this blog wasn’t correct because none of us knew what to do when we first started it. Obviously, I have learned a few things. The new TaekwondoTV.org blog is more successful in the first week then this blog was after the first six month.

Shin Ho Kwan is sending a dozen of Black Belts to MAIA’s SuperShow in Vegas on July 1st. To get ready for that event, I produced a promotional card for InsideTaekwondo.com and a limited edition T-Shirt that the black belts will wear in classes at the convention. The promotional cards will be given out to as many convention goers as possible. Hopefully, our readership will more than double after the event.

Promotional Card

Promotional T-Shirt

I finally found a publisher for the “Hana” card game. There are a couple of proof decks waiting for me in Rochester when I return to the USA. Once approved, the decks will be available in two sizes, regular and jumbo.

Hana Card Game

Master Shaffer, Mr. Walsh, Mr. Taggart and I have been putting the final touches on a new youth reward system that will be implemented in all the Shin Ho Kwan member schools this summer. Years ago we used MAIA’s Six Tasks program. The program was great but there were a couple of thing we didn’t like about it. So, we designed our own program. Every youth student will receive a Task Passport when they start. This is a professionally published book that will be available on Amazon (just in case a student loses theirs). The book is filled with 20 physical tasks and 20 mental tasks. Each task has two levels. Level one is difficult but doable by everyone. The level two is very difficult and will only be doable by approximately 20% of the students. After completing a task, the student is awarded a patch that will be place on their uniform’s lapel. The level one patches are red (physical) or blue (mental). The level two patches are black with a colored character.

Task Passport Book

Page from the Task Passport Book

Task Level 1 Patches

I started recording two video series called Video Dojang and Video Dojang Classroom.

Scan to become a HN Insider

Hagsaeng Naebu and I started “HN Insider”.  Members receive a monthly email with a link to a private martial art video.  These videos are not viewable by the general public and are of various Grandmasters and Masters of several martial art styles.  Last month members got to watch a video of Grandmaster Gallano and Master Pearson (when he was in his early 20′s) doing a small demo.  Membership is free and you can join by clicking here.

1st Tip Card – Front

1st Tip Card – Back

Shin Ho Kwan now has Tip Test Report Card for color belts. They are the size of business cards.  Click here for the full story.

And finally, on the teaching side, I started teaching Kali on a regular basis again.  In addition, Shin Ho Kwan has decided to start offering the annual 12 Hour Black Belt Class again.  This time it will be a joint venture with Aikido Kokikai’s Rochester Schools.  It will be held this year on July 28th, from 10am until 10pm.  If you are interested in attending and are a black belt in either Shin Ho Kwan Taekwondo or Aikido Kokikai, please email us at: shinhokwan@me.com for more information.

Well, I guess that is all I’ve done recently.