The history of Gentle East Martial Arts

Grand Master Bernard Robinson and Grand Master Barbara Robinson started their Taekwondo journey under the tutelage of Master John Holloway at Gentle East in Bethesda, Maryland in the mid 1980’s. When they relocated to Midlothian, Virginia they couldn’t find a school that duplicated the quality of instruction and the culture that they had experienced under Master Holloway so they commuted to Maryland several times a month to continue their training.

In 1987 the Robinson’s decided to open and operate a school and Woodlake Martial Arts was born. As the school grew the name was later changed to Gentle East Martial Arts of Virginia. 

In December 2016 the Grand Masters Robinson sold the majority share of the business to Master Eric Rangel-Ribeiro and Master Joshua Fracker and Resilient Taekwondo LLC / Gentle East Martial Arts was formed. Master Rangel-Ribeiro and Master Fracker, who have been students at Gentle East since 2004 are responsible for all aspects of the business and hope to continue building on the Gentle East legacy started by the Robinson’s.

What is Taekwondo?

Taekwondo literally means Foot (Tae) Fist (Kwon) Way (Do) and is a Korean martial art with ancient origins and most often tied to the Japanese occupation of Korea.  During the occupation the Japanese tried to erase any traces of Korean culture, including the native forms of Korean martial arts and forbade the Korean people from practicing any martial arts. At the end of the Japanese occupation, “modern Taekwondo” was born by combining the remnants of the native arts with Japanese techniques. General Choi-Hong-hi is considered to be the father of modern Taekwondo and was the head the International Taekwondo Federation (I.T.F.). He was was instrumental in spreading Taekwondo globally.

Up until 1973 Taekwondo was primarily taught to adults. In an effort to spread the art to a broader population  the World Taekwondo Federation was formed and new curriculum was developed. Several Masters from Korea arrived in the U.S. shortly afterwards to start teaching the new art to children and adults and the popularity of the art exploded. It is estimated that more than 30 million people in 144 Countries now practice Taekwondo.

Taekwondo curriculum is split into four areas of study:

1. Forms (Poomse): a pattern of kicks, blocks and hand techniques used by students to spar (fight) against imaginary opponents. The practice of forms helps students develop their concentration, balance, speed, power, and agility. It is the foundation upon which the other three areas are built.
2.  Sparring (Kyeo Ru Gee):  the practical application of techniques learned in forms against an opponent. Students wearing protective gear try to score points on each other. This area further develops concentration, speed, self-control and respect for your partner and yourself.
3.  Breaking (Kyeok-pa): Students use a variety of techniques to break boards in a demonstration of power, precision and mental concentration.
4. Self Defense (Ho-shin-sul): using the techniques to protect one’s self from an attacker.

Tenets of Taekwondo

There are five tenets, or underlying principles in the philosophy of Taekwondo. All Students should know the tenets, be able to recite them and explain them in their own words. During classes and testing the tenets will be recited:

1. Courtesy: To respect myself and others.
2. Integrity: To be honest at all times with myself and with others.
3. Perseverance: To be patient and to never ever give up before the task is completed.
4. Self-Control: To control my thoughts, actions and words.
5. Indomitable Spirit: To develop the strength and courage to overcome every obstacle I encounter during my lifetime.

Student Oath

Students are required to memorize the student oath and be able to recite it during classes and testing.

1. I will embrace Honesty and Integrity as core values.
2. I will be Polite and show Respect to my Family and Friends.
3. I will only use my skills to Defend myself or loved ones and Never be a Bully.
4. I will show Compassion to all living things.
5. I will be Courageous and overcome my fears.

Taekwondo Dojang Etiquette

In Taekwondo, respect, is an integral part of the Art.The primary way we demonstrate respect is by Bowing and greeting higher ranking leaders in the Dojang (School). 

• Obey the Grandmasters & Masters.
• Respect each other.
• Always greet and bow to you Instructor, Master or Grand Master when you see them. 

• If the Instructor, Master or Grand Master is in the office when you enter the school, say hello and bow to them from the doorway. 
• Always bow when entering the office and the classroom you should always bow. 
• All students under the age of 18 should refer to adults of any rank as Mr., Mrs. or Miss. Sir or Ma’am are also appropriate. 
• When students are of equal rank, the older student will be lined up ahead of the younger student. Yes, age does have its privileges. 
• Shoes are not permitted on the training floor unless they are required for medical reasons. 

• Your Uniform (Dobok) should be clean. This is very important on Test Dates 
• Your Belt should be tied before you stand in front of the Dojang doors. 
• Fingernails and Toenails should be clean and clipped short. 
• If you are late to a class, walk up the left side of the classroom, bow and ask the instructor for permission to join the class. 
• If you need to leave the class for any reason, raise your hand and ask the instructor for permission to do so. 

• Inform the Instructor of all injuries that could affect your training prior to the start of class.  
• If during class you sustain an injury, let the instructor know. 
• Address all Black Belts and Poomes (Black and Red Belts) as Mr., Mrs., Miss, Sir or Ma’am. 
• Do not enter the classroom chewing gum or eating candy. 
• Limit conversation with other students during classes. 

• Avoid horseplay. 
• No full contact sparring without all sparring gear. 
• Don’t wear any jewelry. 
• Free Sparring is not permitted unless instructed to do so by an instructor. 
• Please avoid smoking near the entrance to the school. 

• If you bring food or drink into the school be mindful that some students have nut and or dairy allergies and clean up any spills. 

Taekwondo Parent/Family/Guest Dojang Etiquette

For parents who have not studied martial arts and aren’t aware of how to conduct themselves we are providing these guidelines. 

• You are always welcome to stay and watch your child, but we ask that you don’t address your child while they are in class or on a water break. 
• If you are in the main lobby area, please remain seated as children are easily distracted or will be looking for your approval instead of giving the instructor and their classmate 100% of their attention. 
• Please address the Instructor by their formal title inside the Dojang (Mr., Mrs., Miss, Master or Grand Master) when you interact with them. 
• Be a model of good sportsmanship and self-control. 

• Please pick up your student(s) shortly after the end of class. If they need to stay longer please let the Instructor know. 
• Please let us know who else is authorized to pick up your student(s) and make sure to introduce them to the staff. 

Testing Overview

In general the criteria we use to determine which students are ready to test are:

• Consistent attendance
• Knowledge and performance of curriculum
• Input from all instructors who interact with the student to gauge their readiness

During the test we focus more on the effort being put forth by the candidate and less on their achieving a “perfect performance”. Each student has different physical capabilities, learning abilities. They also deal with the stress of testing in their own way so we take that into consideration when grading their performance. We have found that by encouraging them to give their “best effort” students will improve their performance over time. We have also seen students who have performed flawlessly in class struggle during a test, so class performance is sometimes weighted heavier than the performance during testing.

During the belt awards ceremony, White through Blue Belt students under the age of 12 will receive 4 stripes on their belts, whilst students above 12 will receive 2 Stripes, the purpose of the stripes helps the Master evaluate performance during testing and classes based on the students age and level of maturity. 

White Belt through 2nd Gup Red Belt Tests are conducted every month and students who attend at least 2 classes per week consistently and learn the required material, will generally test every 2 months.

For 2nd Gup Red Belts when they are promoted to 1st Gup they will receive a black stripe on the left side of their belts signifying that they will now test during the Quarterly Black Belt Test. 1st Gup Red Belts and Black Belts test every quarter as their curriculum is a bit more complex.

Once a student achieves the rank of 1st Gup Red Belt they will need to successfully pass a minimum of 4 exams to earn 4 black stripes on the right side of their belt and one that is accomplished, they will be given a date to test for their Black or Poome (under 15 yrs. old) Belt.  The Red and Black Poome Belt is issued to students under the age of 15 yrs. old and for all intents and purposes the same as a Black Belt but signifies that the students is not quite ready to fulfill the responsibilities associated with a black belt.

Testing generally takes place the 2nd week of every month.

Once a student has received their Testing Recommendation Letter:

• Test registration is to be completed and payment if required, is due 10 days prior to the exam date via the Gentle East App so that we can ensure that we have the appropriate Belt Sizes on Hand. 
• Students Testing for Yellow Belt and above a required to write a paper which is due 1 week prior to the test so that we can read them. For young children a drawing will be accepted as a submission. The Topic for the paper will be assigned by one of the Masters. 

• Students in our Early Skillz (3 yrs. Old) and Excellent Kids (4 yrs. Old) are tested every week during classes.

Taekwondo Parent/Family/Guest Etiquette for testing

• Your attendance at your child’s belt promotion test is encouraged but not mandatory. 
• Please remove your shoes before entering the classroom and sit on the floor at the back of the training area where you are out of harm’s way. Should you require a chair for yourself or a guest please speak with an instructor. 

• Please do not address your child or other students during the exam. 
• Please do not shout instructions to your child during sparring as it will distract them and potentially lead to injury.  
• Please do not cheer during sparring. 
• Cheering is encouraged during board breaking. 

The Gentle East Flag and it’s meaning

The Gentle East Flag was designed specifically for our dojang and each section has a specific meaning:

• The School Name: Gentle East Martial Arts.
• The School Motto: Discipline the mind….the body will follow.
• The Triangle: denotes that many students begin their Taekwondo journey, but few attain the rank of Black Belt and beyond.  The base of the triangle represents the white belts  and the tip of the triangle represents those who have reached black belt and beyond.  In the corners of the triangle are the Korean symbols for Taekwondo.
• The 5 Stars: represent the Tenets of Taekwondo: Courtesy, Integrity, Perseverance, Self-Control and Indomitable Spirit.
• The colors used on the flag represent the white uniform and the colors of the belts used in our school.

Belt Colors

White: signifies innocence and the mind of a beginning student with no previous knowledge of Taekwondo.

Yellow; signifies the earth on which the foundation of Taekwondo is built and from which a plant sprouts and roots are anchored.

Green: signifies the plant’s growth as Taekwondo skills begin to develop.

Blue: signifies heaven as the plant matures and develops into a towering tree as Taekwondo training progresses.

Red: signifies danger, reminding the student to exercise control and opponents to stay away.

Black: the opposite of white, signifying the student has matured and developed a proficiency in Taekwondo and Life Skills. IT also indicates the wearer’s imperviouseness to darkness and fear.

Life Skill Badges

Every 3 weeks we provide parents and students with a handout with information on the Life Skill we are teaching during that period. At the start of each class we ask students about the material contained in the handout and if they respond with the correct answer or exhibit the behavior they will earn a Life Skill Badge.

Academic Achievement Patch

We encourage students to excel at their academic pursuits in addition to their Taekwondo Practice and students in 3rd Grade or above are eligible to earn and Academic Achievement badge.

Criteria for selection is:

The student must maintain a ‘B average’ for 2 consecutive report cards or significantly improve their academic performance.

Students who make the Honor Roll or are recognized by their school for Academic Achievement or Community service will also receive special recognition.

DEMO TEAM

The Gentle East Demo Team will represent the dojang by performing at tournaments, public school events, and community events. Students will be notified of try-out times during classes.

Membership on the Demo Team is a big responsibility and requires attendance at practices and performances.

Competition Team

The Competition team is an opportunity for students with a desire to compete in Taekwondo Tournaments. Members of the team receive more intensive training in the skills required to compete and succeed in local, regional and national competitions.

Tournaments

We encourage Gentle East students to participate in Taekwondo tournaments during the course of their training. Tournaments provide some measure of a student’s skill against students from other dojangs. Students can select which events they wish to participate in, and we will prepare them for the challenges of competition.

While we understand that some students may not wish to compete in events outside of the school we encourage them to participate in the In-house GEMA Games events held bi-annually.

To earn a Black Belt at Gentle East we require that students participate in at least 2 tournaments prior to the Black Belt Test.

Assistant Instructor / Instructor Training

Students who have been identified as potential candidates for the Assistant Instructor Course will receive and application from Master Rangel-Ribeiro or Master Fracker. Once their application has been reviewed and the have been accepted into the training program they will participate in two 6 week training modules. At the end of each module they will start to apply the lessons learned by  assisting in classes, After the completion of both modules they will be formally recognized as Assistant Instructors.

What’s included in your membership

• No testing fees for Early Skillz and Excellent Kids programs.
• No testing fees for students enrolled in the standard membership package from White Belt to Red Belt.
• Attendance for the student, siblings and friends at Parent Night Out Events which are generally held the 3rd Saturday of every month.
• Free Birthday Parties – speak to Master Rangel-Ribeiro or Master Fracker.