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Demonstrations

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  • Consider the venue at which you will be demonstrating. For example, if the demonstration is to take place on a stage, consider how many students will fit on it. A large stage with too few people will give the impression of a small unimpressive team. On the other hand, too small a stage for a large number of students will look congested and impede the natural flow of the demonstration. If the venue is outdoors, consider the terrain. A smooth surface is obviously better than a rough one and will enable the student to perform better. Also, consider the weather conditions. Few people will stand in a cold and windy environment unless they are keenly interested in what is taking place. Direct your group into the sun so that the crowd is not continually squinting or shielding their eyes. 
  • Choose a good speaker as the announcer. The announcer may make or break a good demonstration. The announcer should have a natural ability to talk to a crowd, including good voice control, and able to hold the crowd's attention. The announcer should be able to maintain an upbeat presentation even when thing are no going according to plan.  
  • Demonstration length. The length of the demonstration is very important since one that it is too long or too short will cause the crowd to lose interest. Review carefully the content of what your presentation. Patterns are interesting but they slow the tempo and may lose the crowd's interest if over done. The demonstration needs a time structure but it should be flexible. The leader should read the crowd and adapt the time spent on each area of the demonstration according to the crowd's interest. For best results, try for a 20-30 minute demonstration. The aim is to build and maintain excitement.
  • Demonstration content
    • The program should demonstrate the degree of flexibility one may attain in Taekwondo. This may be shown during the warm-up at the start of the demonstration. Have a variety of students with differing skills and ages perform this aspect of the program.
    • Patterns should be a part of the program since they are such a large part of Taekwondo, but their use should be limited so crowd excitement is not stifled. As stated earlier, the content needs to be dynamic and exciting to hold the crowd's attention. Select two or three patterns according to the ranks of the performers. Show a beginning pattern, an intermediate pattern, and an advanced pattern, but disperse them throughout the program, so that the crowd's attention is focused on something different every few minutes. Since the crowd has no appreciation of the technical aspects of Taekwondo, ensure each pattern is performed powerfully. A technically perfect but weak pattern is often worse than the opposite. Possibly, add a team pattern.
    • Ensure one-steps are well choreographed and well rehearsed since this is one area that mistakes are highly visible. Select students who can show power and focus and, especially in the case of senior black belts, good aerial techniques. Perform in slow motion first and then in fast motion.

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