How to Make Green Tea

Green Tea

Health Benefits of Green Tea

Green Tea has proven to lower
cholesterol, reduce blood pressure (lowering the risk of heart attacks), aid
digestion, fight fatigue, preserve younger-looking skin and prevent dental
cavity and gingivitis. Recent animal studies have shown that green tea extracts
protect against cancers of lung, breast, prostate, liver, skin, esophagus and
colon.  All teas contain polyphenols — naturally occurring compounds that are effective
antioxidants for disease prevention and treatment of many health-related
illnesses. But, the level of polyphenols in Green Tea is higher than Oolong Tea
and Black Tea. Because Green Tea is unoxidized, these unaltered polyphenols are
its primary active ingredients and as a result, its health benefits have been
documented by numerous scientific researches.

Varieties of Tea

While all teas are derived from
the same plant, the Camellia Sinensis, a shrub that yields two varieties of the
tea plant: sinensis and assamica, slight differences in processing methods
result in the tea varieties. Herbal teas, like peppermint or chamomile come
from different plants, not the tea plant and thus, contain no real tea
properties. Teas are grown primarily in China, India, Sri Lanka (formerly known
as Ceylon) and Japan. Teas are highly dependent on the place they are grown
because tea plants grow by absorbing the nutrients and energy from the soil of
the terrain. Tea connoisseurs often refer to the energy as "chi" and
spirit of the place, which produce good tea. Today, there are more than 3000
varieties of tea, each having its own distinct character and named for the
district or region in which it is grown. However, over 95% of those 3000
varieties fall under one of the following three major categories of tea: Green
Tea (unoxidized, unfermented), Oolong Tea (partially oxidized, fermented) and
Black Tea (fully oxidized). Besides the processing method, an important
characteristic that determines the quality of tea is whether the tea is wild
(grows naturally without cultivation), cultivated or organically cultivated.

Cultivated teas are fertilized
with chemicals and exposed to pesticides, while organically cultivated tea
plants are free from pesticides and herbicides. Although every aspect of the
organic cultivation is inspected for authenticity and certified by an
independent agency, organically cultivated teas are still inferior to wild
teas. Wild Green Tea is 100% natural green tea, which is ostensibly free from
pesticides and herbicides and left virtually untouched, until it is ready to be
picked by hand.

Korean Tea Ceremony

To prepare tea in the traditional
Korean method, we use a tea set (dagi) that consists of the following:

How to make tea

1. Teacups (chat chans)

Three to five.

2. Teapot (chuchonja)

Used to make green tea, but not
served from.

3. Lipped small bowl (sookwu)

Used to cool down hot water and
for serving tea.

4. Large bowl (twaesugi)

To discard water used for warming
pot and cups.

5. Wooden coasters (chat chan
batchim)

6.
Bamboo scoop (cha si)

7. Small tea towel (chat sukon)

Placed behind large bowl and used
to wipe any spilled or excess water around area.

8. Tea mat (dapo)

Placed under tea set.

How to make tea for more than one person using the five-person teaset
Step 1: Pour 3/4 of a pot of hot water into teapot to warm the pot. Pour same hot water from teapot into each teacup being used. (Discard water later)	Step 2: Pour hot water separately into lipped bowl. Cool down water. Put approximately one teaspoon or 2g to 3g of tea per person into teapot. Pour cooled water from lipped bowl into teapot and gently twirl. Discard initial tea water into second bowl immediately.
Step 3: Refill lipped bowl with hot water and cool it down to proper temperature -- refer to table. Pour cooled water from lipped bowl into teapot w/tea leaves inside and gently twirl three times. Immediately discard water from each teacup.	Step 4: Pour tea from teapot into lipped bowl and begin serving (tea should be served from lipped bowl).
Step 5: Pour tea alternately between cups -- i.e., each cup should be filled within three pours. (This will ensure same smooth taste.)	Step 6: Once the teacups are full, using your right hand, place coaster one at a time under each cup. The host should gently glide each cup to the respective guest and drink the cup that is closest to him/her on the right.
Step 7: Take in the fragrance of the tea while drinking slowly.	Step 8: Repeat Steps 3 through 7 four more times. Steeping time should vary: steeping time for second cup should be 30 seconds, third cup should be one minute, fourth and fifth cups should be one and a half minutes each.

Why
to follow the Teachings of Grand Master Byung Min Kim

By Edmund Ciarfella

The number one reason I follow the
teachings of Grand Master Kim is that I am his student.  I have been a student of Grand Master Byung
Min Kim for 35 years

He is my mentor, Master and Taekwondo
Father.  He has impacted my life with
positivity and empowered me to share his knowledge with others to help them
reach their full potential in life.  He
has giving me the opportunity to teach Taekwondo for a living and do what I
love for a way of life.

Grand
Master Kim's teaching can be broken up into 6 major areas

Taekwondo
Physical Training

Taekwondo training is the best
possible way to stay physically, mentally, spiritually and emotionally
healthy.  My number one goal in life and
the thing I am most grateful for is my health. 
I enjoy the fact that the physical training incorporates and
necessitates your mental, spiritual and emotional focus to enable you to
benefit 100%. 

Conversely, by focusing 100%
mentally, spiritually and emotionally your physical training  benefits. 
UM and YANG.

It's also FUN!

Taekwondo allows my family to have a
lifestyle that we all share and a common bond that brings us closer together.

We have the honor of sharing
Taekwondo with our students and making a positive difference in their lives
every day. 

Meditation

Meditation gives me the opportunity
to quiet my mind, develop peace and happiness. 
When I sit and meditate I am calm and undistracted by the outside
world.  When thoughts arise they are
limited to only what is most important and needed to be addressed

I love to meditate and have been
practicing for almost 40 years.  Grand
Master Kim has helped guide me so I can develop a deeper understanding of
meditation.  

Green
Tea

Drinking green tea gives me time to
be present with people I love and care for. 
I really enjoy the "Tahdo" experience, making the tea and
sharing it with others

I drink it because it has many health
benefits, such as cleansing my internal organs, lowering the risk of cancer and
heart disease.  I also love the way it
tastes and it makes me feel great too.

Eating
Healthy/Fasting

Eating foods that are good for you
and help you stay vital are key to a healthy lifestyle.

Fresh Fruits and vegetables and
plenty of water every day will keep your body healthy. Eliminating meats and
processed foods are the next step. 

Fasting allows the internal organs to
have a rest for the day and always gives me a deeper appreciation for the taste
of foods and their preparation.

Peaceful
mind, forever happiness and Positive mental attitude

I have met many martial arts Master
and Grand Masters in my life and I have yet to find one who is so focused on
helping others attain the most important aspects in life, Peaceful mind and
happiness by developing a positive mental attitude by using Taekwondo training
as the vehicle.

"Success is not the key to happiness,
Happiness is the key to success" 
Buddha

Leadership,
Experience, Vision. Passion, patience and Love

Finally, to become a great leader you
must be a follower and supporter.  But
you need to have someone with life experience, vision, passion and love to
follow.  I feel Grand Master Byung Min
Kim embodies these attributes and leads by being a great example. 

He lives a life where "everyday
is training" 

I know that he wants only the best
for me and my family.  I trust him.  I am loyal to him.  I  will
always be his student and I am grateful and appreciate everything he has ever
done for me and continues to do for me. 
I will always to my best to honor him and be the best  student I can be.

Deepest Appreciation to Grand
Master Byung Min Kim

Comsahomnida

 






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