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A New Place, a New Way

Lately, I have been reflecting on "new ways of being." As some of you may

know, I am an instructor in Tae Kwon Do. My husband and I have a Tae Kwon

Do Club at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. We teach our

students many different kicking, punching, jumping, and blocking techniques.

However, being able to master these techniques is only one aspect of being a

martial artist. Equally important is the students self-reflection, attitude

towards self and others, and personal growth. Through high energy,

physically demanding classes, I strive to create a challenging environment

that motivates and inspires students. Testing ones endurance and pushing

beyond ones limits together with others is a great experience. Physical

exhaustion is readily replaced by a great sense of empowerment, satisfaction,

and belonging. In an atmosphere of unconditional acceptance, students

learn to try without fear of judgment. Beginner students often feel pressured

to perform in Tae Kwon Do because they assume that performing a perfect

technique is the yardstick by which they are judged by the Sah-Bum-Nim

(teacher) and fellow students. However, they gradually become to realize that

the Toe-Chang (practice room) is a caring environment where relationships

are build on acceptance and respect for the uniqueness of each person, not

judgment, expectations or demands.

As instructors, we respect that each student walks in the Toe-Chang with a

unique life story that has been influenced by a matrix of past events and

interactions with self and others. Some students have been scarred by

rejection or trauma, or struggle with low self-esteem and poor self-image;

others present as overly confident yet struggle with many hiddeninsecurities. Peoples life stories are ever evolving yet sometimes get stuck in

certain plots. New contexts, new encounters offer opportunities for revising

ones narrative. Tae Kwon Do certainly presents such opportunities. As a

group we create energy and strength. As stated before, through an intensive

work-out in synchronized movement and non-abating perseverance, we

experience communal strength, indomitable spirit (a major aim to achieve in

Tae Kwon Do) and empowerment. As a music therapist, I am acutely aware of

the power of rhythm as I lead the class through repetitive movements

accentuated by kiaps (Spirit Breath) in unison.

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In this atmosphere of communal strength, the individual student is challenged

to be with self and others in new ways. For example, a student may need to

practice a certain kick hundreds of times before it becomes accurate and

effective. This requires a great amount of patience with oneself and a trust

that others will respect you for trying rather than judge you. As we spar (fight)

with each other, perform mental discipline exercises, practice blind-folded

techniques, students are asked to trust other peoples integrity and control.

Whereas for outsiders, a sparring match may appear as an act of aggression,

for martial artists it is an interactive dance of movement of two people acting

and reacting to each other in mutual respect. But a sparring match can only

become this dance once both parties trust. These new ways of relating to

others and ones self in this very physical environment often brings about

important mental and spiritual growth in students.

As my husband and I reflect on our students and our Toe-Chang, I recently

found myself bringing in examples of music therapy. We were discussing

students growth in Tae Kwon Do and how to address students

emotional/mental issues in Tae Kwon Do. I shared my belief that many of

these issues may resolve as students experience these new ways of being as

described above. I shared how this is a crucial part of the work I do in musictherapy. Being in music with others provides new ways of experiences oneself

in relationship to others as well as new ways of relating to self.

The narrative perspective has been important in my work with people with

chronic illness and chronic pain. Socially constructed stigmas and stereotypes

contribute to negative illness narratives full of judgmental stances towards

self and others (e.g. "I am a bad mother, I cant even take care of my own

children"; "doctors cant find anything wrong with my body so maybe this is

indeed all in my head"; "my family and friends tell me I should try to be

stronger but I cant do anything with this darn body"). All too often, the body

is viewed as the enemy, as something they need to escape from. As a result,

clients experience a fragmented self.

Through music experiences, especially the use of voice, they gradually learn

new ways of relating to their bodies. As they learn to enter their bodies

through supportive, aesthetic experiences, they begin to dialogue with their

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bodies in new ways. They are able to listen to their entire body - not just the

pain messages - , and discover strengths rather than just limitations. This, in

turn, brings new meaning, purpose and hope. As they sing/vocalize in

harmony with others, they experience the intense beauty of being together.

In vocal harmony, they experience communal strength. Often patients

comment on how important this aspect of music therapy is for them: being

together in beauty, without being judged. Just like my Tae Kwon Do students

focus initially on performing well so are my clients concerned about

singing well. But here too, the fear of being judged yet again soon makes

place for just being together in music, in total acceptance. Through these

experiences, my clients illness narratives are gradually altered. This is

noticeable in their vocal improvisations, in the songs they write, but most

importantly, in the new energy and strength they radiate.

And so I am reminded of the meaning of my highest Tae Kwon Do form

"Juche":

Juche is the philosophical idea that man is master of everything, the world

and his own destiny. It is said, this idea is rooted in the Baekdu Mountain and

symbolizes the spirit of the Korean people.

Whether we fully agree with this philosophical idea is food for another column

but it certainly represents the idea of perseverance and indomitable spirit and

of being active participants in the stories we write.

How to cite this page

Bradt, Joke (2011). A New Place, a New Way. Voices: A World Forum for Music

Therapy. Retrieved April 04, 2012, from http://testvoices.uib.no/?

q=fortnightly-columns/2011-new-place-new-way