I began my ITF Taekwon-Do training twenty years ago, at fifteen years of age.  My first experience was that of a commercialised atmosphere.  As was standard at the time, and mostly true today, students must pay fees to learn and train. Indeed, five years later I found myself with my own similarly structured school: membership fees were required so I could pay my overheads.  I remember vividly, however, that many parents interested in registering their children often left instead, uttering the familiar phrase, "We don't think we can afford to enrol our child/children because we don't have much money."  Two more years passed as I attempted to spread Taekwon-Do in a very low income area.  Single parents and welfare assisted families were common in the community.  It was in this environment that I began to develop my own strategy for teaching these people.

I realised one very important idea: if money will decide whether one can learn Taekwon-Do, then in this community and others like it in a large city, there must be an alternative way to introduce the ITF Art to under-privileged children.  It occurred to me that these children, perhaps most of all, would benefit from Taekwon-Do. Aside from the physical benefits, or the self-defence aspect that might attract students initially, many of these children needed more: the sense of moral justice, being taught right from wrong, how to set goals and achieve them, discipline - in short, to live a life guided by the tenets of Taekwon-Do - Courtesy, Integrity, Perseverance, Self-Control and Indomitable Spirit.  I believe that this ideology or way of life helps build a better society and world.  I asked myself: "How can I achieve my goal of extending the opportunity to learn Taekwon-Do without depriving those who need its benefits most?"

The solution I discovered was to offer the ITF Art to the community, through their own system. I began by approaching a Toronto Parks and Recreation department in the inner city. They agreed to allow me to use their space free of charge in exchange for volunteering my time to make Taekwon-Do instruction available to everyone, regardless of race, gender or social status with no training fees. I began my programme with approximately fifty to sixty students, consisting of those brought with me from my previous commercial school, and the other half students from the community who could not afford to train. It was a liberating experience to be freed from the financial burdens of a private club and to focus solely on communicating the Art to others. This positive experience was compounded by seeing the numbers of students grow to over one hundred in a relatively short period of time.

It was around this time that I attended my first General Choi seminar in 1985. During discussion time, I remember General  Choi saying, "I have seen many instructors get caught up in commercialised schools. When you mix money with Taekwon-Do, you lose the Art (The Do) ." I have never forgotten the Founder's words. His words inspired me to further expand and develop my system of promoting the ITF Art.

I decided to approach other communities within the Greater Toronto Area with my programme. Although initially I met some resistance, with perseverance and recommendations from the City of Toronto I was able to convince the co-ordinator in North York to agree to a three month trial programme. The conditions were as follows: I would promote the programme myself with posters. I would volunteer my time two nights a week. There would be no training fees. The students' only initial expense would be a uniform. (Intermittent testing fees could not be eliminated, but safety equipment could be borrowed in situations of extreme need as required.) I, as the head instructor, also had the right to approve students after one or two trial classes in order to maintain the dignity, discipline and quality of the teaching and learning environment. The determining factor for access to Taekwon-Do for my students, therefore, was based on the seriousness and respect of the students, not finances.

I also discovered that in this environment Taekwon-Do spreads like wildfire. From personal experience, I know that it is like an addiction. Once children and adults had the opportunity to try it, they spread the word. Not only did student enrolment expand, but Community Centre Co-ordinators began to start similar programmes in other centres. They were impressed not only with the numbers of participants but with their dedication and continued attendance.

The other factors contributing to the demand for my programme are the positive response of parents, teachers and others in the community to changed attitudes in both children and adults. In fact, teachers have contacted me to ask what I was teaching their young students that so positively influenced their behaviour, concentration and patience. On the other hand, I have also had parents and teachers consult with me, or ask for my assistance with students who display unacceptable behaviour at home or at school. I make it very clear to my students that respect and discipline must be extended to all figures of authority inside and outside of Taekwon-Do and my presence. In fact, this attitude is a condition of continued attendance in the programme. I make my students aware that I may be in contact with their teachers, community police (appropriate in some locals more than others) and definitely with their parents. Love of the Art is their motivation to continue.

I believe that one of the most important components of my programme is my focus on the extension of Taekwon-Do principles outside of the Do-Jang. I do not only rely on lectures or community feedback to ensure that I achieve this. In addition to training my students, I have arranged many social activities like camping trips, Halloween and Christmas parties, summer picnics, etc. Although these situation are less formal than in-class training, they provide an opportunity to observe that Taekwon-Do traditions are maintained. Students still bow and show respect to higher ranking students and Black Belts. School spirit is enhanced as well. In addition, planning and attending these events are rewarding and enjoyable. Although planning extra-curricular activities may seem time consuming, eventually the students begin to take on these responsibility themselves. Often now, I am simply consulted for approval and invited to events set up by my black belts!

As my programme expanded to more and more community centres, however, it became impossible to continue without delegating more responsibilities to my Black Belts. In addition to allowing me to promote Taekwon-Do to a larger group, there is another benefit to this structure. Because I feel I have gained so much through volunteering to teach those who could not afford to train, I have made it a requirement that Black Belts must also contribute time as Assistant Instructors with a percentage of testing fees and uniform and equipment sales garnered from the students at the Centres where each teaches.

These Black Belts water the seed of ITF Taekwon-Do that I have planted. They are an important factor in explaining how this community centre programme has flourished. The critical element in maintaining the high quality of the Art is to ensure that they reflect my education and commitment just as I strive to reflect the ITF way of life as inspired by the Founder, General Choi. I believe focusing on Taekwon-Do and giving back to society, as opposed to financial gain, also helps to achieve this high quality. When critics claim, therefore, that a free programme must mean less quality, I argue the reverse.

I believe that there is potential for corruption in paid programmes. For example, some independent schools may promote students to higher belts based on training time alone. There exists a certain pressure to promote students because it is expected with the payment of fees. My students are recommended for testing because I or my Assistant Instructors know they are ready. I remember one learning-disabled student who finally earned his yellow belt after two years! - and a newfound sense of accomplishment and confidence. This to me is as rewarding an experience as discovering a student with excellent natural ability, who otherwise might not have had a chance to experience Taekwon-Do.

Some instructors, however, may claim that their students want and / or need to train more than the twice weekly structure allowed by most community centres, and that in order to finance a full time school, membership fees are required. These are valid points. Indeed for many years I have longed for a home base for my Black Belts, from which to centralise my efforts.

I recently opened my own Do-Jang. I do charge minimal training fees (for those students who can afford it), but even this income does not support the expense of operating a club.

It is, in fact, the sheer numbers of non-paying students who train at the community centres that subsidise and are able to utilize our home base. The income from uniforms, testing fees and equipment sales, even when shared with high-ranking Assistant Instructors, compounds substantially when there are two hundred or more students as opposed to a private club.

In addition, with that many students it is possible to raise funds through internal tournaments. This can even be accomplished within the community system. I have always been able to obtain permits from the Centres to hold tournaments in their facilities.

It is my hope, therefore, that other ITF Instructors, even those with private schools, will consider spending some time teaching underprivileged students through the forum of their local community centres. I am at the point now where I can no longer meet the demand of co-ordinators asking me to oversee a programme in their centre.

I recently facilitated a meeting between another ITF Instructor and the Co-ordinator of a community Centre who wanted a Taekwon-Do programme. This Instructor runs a private Do-Jang as well, but is enjoying giving something back to the community. In addition, funds from these new students' uniforms and equipment is helping support her private club, yet ITF Taekwon-Do is still being promoted and is provided to those who might not otherwise have access. Also, three other ITF Instructors have set up Community programmes in areas outside of Toronto (Pickering, Woodbridge, Oakville), after I advised them on the system and provided letters of recommendation. They all experience large increases in their beginner student base.

For anyone else interested in taking the "Community Approach", it is important to note that even some Community Centres have paid programmes. They might, for instance, charge $100 per year per student, and pay the instructor around $20 per hour. While the fees might seem minimal, even this may be a barrier for a single parent with three children.

Although I have encountered some political resistance, I find it more effective to try to convince the Co-ordinator to simply provide me a permit for the space, without wages for myself or membership fees for the students. In one such situation, the number of students tripled within weeks. Uniform sales more than made up for lost 'wages', but more importantly access was granted to those who could not previously afford it.

Programme structure aside, I would like to end with a personal story that illustrates the joy and satisfaction I feel by promoting ITF Taekwon-Do in the manner I have described. I remember one young girl who achieved her Black Belt. I asked her: "What do you remember as a white belt?" she said: "I remember the smell of my first Do-Bok when I took it out of the plastic bag." She did not think her single mom could afford to buy it for her. She was only seven years old at the time.

Imagine if a child, so dedicated to ITF Taekwon-Do that she still remembers that smell, had never had the opportunity.

Envision a society where youth from broken homes do not end up in the newspaper headlines but live their lives with courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self-control and indomitable spirit.

This is the vision to which I aspire. I believe that if quality, community-based ITF Taekwon-Do is made available to everyone, someday this vision may be achieved.

© Mr. S. Caputo, VIIth Dan ITF.

Also published in the September 1999 issue of Human Weapon magazine.