Student Burnout

For numerous reasons, Taekwondo classes have a reputation for a high dropout rate. Often it is the fault of the instructor for not responding to the individual needs of the students. Sometimes it is the fault of the students having an unrealistic view of what Taekwondo training is all about. But what about those students who are progressing well, training hard, and then, suddenly, they just disappear. These are the students who are usually victims of "overtraining burnout."

Overtraining can take many forms such as training extra hard for an upcoming belt exam. Some students seem to eat, sleep, and live Taekwondo. Constant heavy training may stress the mind and the body to the point of injury, illness, or mental exhaustion. This in turn, may result in long layoffs, setbacks in training, and ultimately depression and drop out.

Two things instructors may do to avoid overtraining burnout are:. teaching students how to recognize and avoid the problem, and teaching them patience and the idea that training is a lifelong pursuit.