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1.  Defensive Driving - See and Be Seen!

2.  Training as Part of a Security Awareness Program
      
What does this article have to do with road safety? Pls read the note.

3.  The Benefits of Taekwon-Do

4.  Teaching Very Young Taekwon-Do Students

5.  Taekwon-Do Free-Sparring
       Notes from a seminar taught by Master Tran Trieu Quan, 8th Dan, ITF

         
         
1.  Defensive Driving - See and Be Seen!
The Canada Safety Council advocates that "defensive drivers prevent collisions in spite of the actions of others and the conditions around them." The article discusses visibility, one of six elements that can affect safety. We depend on vision to keep us safe and to provide us with the information needed to make competent decisions. We must also be visible to other drivers to help them make valid decisions. It reviews how mental and physical readiness and appropriate actions helps everyone.
2.  Training as Part of a Security Awareness Program
This paper discusses the security awareness problem faced by industry and government in the early 1990s. It discusses ways in which employee resistance to change can be overcome. The three major security awareness problems were: (i) overcoming the inertia reinforced by the tendency of an employee to resist a change in habit, (ii) the tendency to resist new information that indicates the necessity for a change in actions, and (iii) the tendency to resist change unless distributed by an external force. Inertia can be broken by drastic means or by an awareness program that focuses on action and change. Too often training is the only solution undertaken by management. It needs to be supported by an effective awareness program that combines two techniques, promotion and interaction. It describes the elements that must be present in both and discuss the considerations that help adults learn.
What does this article have to do with road safety? In the beginning 90s, the general public considered information security was someone else's job, not really all that important, and the problems were caused by the "unknown, bad guys" who would be searching out the truly weathy and important organizations. A lot has happened since then. Mid-size companies were attacked and have ceased to function and individuals have suffered identity theft - these stories have been reported by the media. Some organizations implemented security awareness programs; those that were well thought out had excellent effect. However, for the most part it took a drastic event (9-11) to jolt the majority of the public to recognize the need for information security. In the road safety industry, drastic events such as collisions, death, injury, and law suits are very damaging, but they do not always motivate future improvement. It is fair to say, that the current thinking is that "I am a pretty good driver", that road safety is the responsibility of the police, and it is not really such a big issue because collision rates are decreasing. It is hard to get all drivers (including those who use their vehicles on behalf of their employers) to take responsibility for the safety of those around them and for themselves. A road safety awareness program would apply many of the principles discussed in this article. Considering the concepts is a good first step towards managing the risks.
3.  The Benefits of Taekwon-Do
This is a very personal article written in 1998 describing my coloured belt journey to the first degree Black Belt examination. It discusses the learning process under the following titles: (i) the potency of colour, (ii) evaluation by others, (iii) physical compromise, and (iv) confidence builders. Sharing this may help other women continue on this very worthwhile journey. Please tell me a little about yourself when requesting this paper.
4.  Teaching Very Young Taekwon-Do Students
This introductory paper would be of interest to instructors and assistant instructors charged with teaching martial arts to the very young (i.e. four to six year olds). It was written because as Tony Gummerson says "One of the problems when one studies the teaching of many martial arts is that by and large they were developed by men for men at the peak of their physical condition for the battlefield or combat situation." This paper addresses the question, "What differences in the teaching and learning environment affect the very young Taekwon-Do student?." It was written as part of the second degree testing requirements in 2000. Let me know your instructor status and location when you request this paper.
5.  Taekwon-Do Free-Sparring
      Notes from a seminar taught by Master Tran Trieu Quan, 8th Dan, ITF
 
These notes where made when Master Tran visited Master Lu's school in Ottawa in 2001. I observed the children's class, the adult coloured belt class and participated in the Black Belt class on sparring. It was an amazing learning experience. I made many notes both on the rationale and the format of numerous exercises. This paper would be of interest to anyone who wants to understand more about the challenges of the sport of sparring in a martial arts environment. Please introduce yourself when requesting this paper.