The Lesson of the Bench, the Bike, and the Patterns
The Lesson of the Bench, the Bike, and the Patterns
By Roy Rolstad
In a quiet dojang of Oslo East Taekwon-Do club, the rhythmic sounds of students practicing their patterns filled the air. Amidst the focused movements, Melvin, an eager student approached the instructor with a question. “Sabubnim, how can I improve my balance and stability in both sparring and patterns?”
The instructor smiled and motioned for the student to sit. “Let me tell you a story,” he began. “Think of your stance like a bench.”
The student tilted his head, curious. “A bench?”
“Yes,” the instructor replied. “A strong stance in Taekwon-Do is like a bench with sturdy legs. Each leg represents something vital—correct posture, proper weight distribution, and alignment. Just like a bench needs all its legs firmly planted to support weight, your stance must be grounded to give you stability. This stability is what makes your blocks strong and your strikes powerful. Without a solid foundation, everything else falls apart.”
The student nodded, visualizing the bench. “I see. But what about in sparring? I feel like I lose balance when I move.”
“Ah,” the instructor continued, “that’s where the bike comes in.”
“The bike?” the student echoed.
“In sparring, balance is like riding a bike,” the instructor explained. “A bike is stable when it’s in motion, not when it’s standing still. In the same way, in sparring, you maintain balance through continuous movement. Your footwork, the shifts in your weight, and how you respond to your opponent—all of that keeps you balanced. Like a bike, your momentum keeps you upright and agile.”
The student smiled. “So, in sparring, I have to keep moving to stay balanced?”
“Exactly,” the instructor affirmed. “But there’s more. Let’s talk about patterns.”
The student leaned in, eager to hear more. “Patterns?”
“Yes,” the instructor said. “Patterns are a mixture of stability and balance. Each movement in a pattern starts with the stability of a strong stance, like the bench. But as you transition from one movement to the next, you need the fluidity of the bike, maintaining balance as you flow. In patterns, you merge the groundedness of stability with the continuous motion of balance.”
The student’s eyes lit up with understanding. “And for each strike or block in a pattern?”
“For every point of impact,” the instructor explained, “you need momentum. That’s where the sine wave comes in. As you rise and fall with the sine wave, you generate the energy needed for each technique. It’s like a wave starting from a stable foundation and building momentum as it moves. This allows your strikes and blocks to be both powerful and fluid.”
The student stood, practicing a few movements, feeling the rise and fall, the balance and stability working together. “I think I get it now,” he said. “The bench gives me stability, the bike keeps me balanced in motion, and the patterns combine both, with the sine wave adding power.”
The instructor nodded, pleased. “Exactly. Mastering these concepts will make you a more complete Taekwon-Do practitioner. Remember, balance and stability are not separate—they work together. Now, go practice, and let the bench, the bike, and the patterns guide you.”
With a bow, the student returned to the mat, more determined than ever to integrate the lessons into his practice.
In the dojang, the instructor watched his son with pride, knowing that the student was on the path to mastering the art, not just in movement, but in understanding.
Stay balanced, stable, and dynamic,
Roy Rolstad
ITF Radix
