tenshinka

To end an altercation, as quickly as possible, with as little effort as possible... Does not necessarily refer to the killing of your opponent, but rather the killing of the attack, or the spirit to continue fighting...

To me, it is unclear, exactly what you are asking...It is pretty much considered that the "legit" ninjutsu styles of today come from Takamitsu Sensei, of which Dr. Hatsumi's Bujinkan, and the Genbukan are the largest.

Either way trains bad habits...When someone attacks you, do you take a stance??? No! You should practice the same way....Stand naturally (hands at your side, feet one shoulder width apart), and execute technique that way...Makes for better timing, and understanding of body movement... A true "fight" looks nothing like kumite... fwiw, --josh

Yeah, it was... Sounds like a typical commercial school tactic...They want you there to see what they do, so they can try to hook you at the school, versus over the line (which is a good sales tactic in any field actually, I used to do the same thing in Car sales....Talking to someone over the phone, or via email is different then having them IN the vehicle, driving it [trying it out in regards to MA] and falling in love with it, so you can make the sale)... Keep and open mind, remember, even old dusty books can make good reads...It may be the case at the YMCA that they just lack people skills, or are not concerned with the sale...When you get in their group, things may or may not be different...Dont be afraid to try things out (but avoid contracts lol) happy hunting!! --josh

Kuk Sool with the WON is a trademarked name, property of GM Suh, In Hyuk. As such, you need to have a TM license from him (WKSA) to use it in any advertising. Kuk Sool WON is not the name of the art, is the Korean name of GM Suh, In Hyuk's brand of KUK SOOl (Won means association, in Korean)... Thus, anyone NOT affiliated with GM Suh, In Hyuk (and there are many) will not show up under a search for "KUK SOOL WON"...Try searching KUK SOOl, KUK SUL, KUK SOOL HAPKIDO, KUK SOOL KWAN, KUK SOOL HWE, KIDO Hae, etc. etc. etc. happy hunting!! --josh

Rohai? Just out of interest, what is different about the breathing in Rohai compared to any other Wado Kata? Curious, caus I have never looked at it like that. Rohai has many dynamic jumps, and one leg stances that call to for special breathing in alignment with posture and balance... In TSD we have a saying that is "Control the Soo Ki, and Sink the Hwa Ki"...Basically the upper body is referred to as Soo Ki" or "Water Energy"...the upper body (Water Energy) can easily get out of control, and cause sloppy technique when we don't focus on "Heem Cho Chung" (Power Control)...I.E. When putting "too much" power into hand techniques (soo sool), we tend to overcompensate with the upper half of our bodies, which cases leaning (sloppy posture). The lower half of the body is referred to here as "hwa ki" or "Fire Energy"...Sinking your "Fire Energy" is basically dropping your center, focusing on your tan tien (dan jun), thus rooting yourself the ground. Controlling your Soo ki, and Sinking your hwa ki, will allow you to have VERY solid, and controlled technique (even from one leg)... The other factor is "Ho Hup Cho Chung" (control of breathing)...When you go up on one leg (crane stance), you breathe in, which focuses your attention on your "myung chi" (your solar-plexus), which allows you to keep your center easily, and as you execute a technique, you breath out (sinking your hwa ki, by dropping your weight, and attention, and relaxing your body in a "dead weight" state). My Aikido teacher used to say when you breathe in your energy spirals upward, when you breath our, your energy goes spirals downward, this is natural control of the "Soo Ki and Hwa Ki" principle. Just a few things we learn from Rohai in TSD/TKD...

Its unfortunate, but it has been the trend of many 1st generation KMA masters (after the occupations ending) to take that route...Can't say I blame them, the Japanese did some pretty bad things to Korea, and Korean culture in general...So there is/was some bitterness to that end. This just makes it MUCH harder to do good, coherent research though...

Hmmm...Usually places have different schedules than that, often starting around 6 pm. Have you checked your local YMCA, rec centers, etc. Sometime the BEST places are not in the yellow pages, and dont do much advertising...You could have something that suits you right under your nose.... Private lesson costs always vary, I have paid $75+ dollars an hour in the past...But they can be MUCH lower also...Just depends. best wishes, --josh p.s. what area are you looking for a school/instructor in??

Yes, Buddhism.

There is a difference between a meditative mind, and an open mind...During training, and learning, you don't want a meditative mind (Krishnamurti is a Yoga/spiritual/meditation teacher, so in context:). In Korean, we actually use "Cho Shim" which means "beginner's mind", someone eager to learn, and open to the teachings. IMHO true meditation (and the meditative mind) is MUCH harder to attain, then the simple act of focusing on your training (emptying your mind).

No, GM Suh, In Hyuk would surely not give you a story resembling anything I said...He is the founder of Kuk Sool Won and that's, what he talks about...He is the founder, etc. etc. His nationalism sometimes gets in the way of the *truth*. Interestingly enough, his brother, GM Seo In Sun would tell you a similar story (read his stuff on the Kido Hae page)... I see. That's interesting. Do you think he started training there? Yes, Mas Oyama was indeed a Korean (born during the Japanese occupation), his Korean name was Choi Yong Eui...But if I remember right, he started training in Shotokan, and in Japan at that...The reason the sets of exercises are similar is the simple fact that they are done on most every place there are people, to some extent (everyone stretches). Putting them all together into one exercise is simple coincidence, and has been done by football coaches, and individual athletes as well, as part of their normal work out...There is no lost connection to Kuk Sool with Mas Oyama...He was simply a Korean man, who moved to Japan, later gaining citizenship, who trained and taught Japanese martial arts...

Its not so much empty, as it is free from attachment, in my experience. Your mind will always have thoughts, and action...consciously, and subconsciously. The trick is, just letting them pass, so as Krishnamurti says, you can move into "unknown" depths. The nature of the world is illusory, and always changing. This type of mind set, is to allow things to happen, and not hold on to them...These have been defined in such things as the Reiki precepts (Just For Today...) Also, in the Buddha's 4 noble truths, the first of which is "There Is Suffering", not there is suffering in____ or there is suffering because ____...simply enough it exists, with not attachment.... Intriguing stuff, but as you said, a hard state of mind, even with years of practice to truly attain, and even begin to understand...

I seek the highest level of achievement that I can, in my life time...

That was not what I was referring to Joe, but that is a valid point also, especially with the Chunga Ryu forms of Soo Bahk Do...

I have spoken with many of the seniors on both sides (HRD, KSW, KSHKD etc) I just made it a personal hobby for a while...The resources are around, you just have to search for them

Yes, he was...Until the group split, and came out as different factions... In anycase, done right, Kuk Sool is one of the most effective training systems I have been exposed to...

A friend of mine who studied Isshinryu years ago told me then, Josh, that the Japanese word "kiai" was the word for scream. "Scream" or "shout," it's the same thing; we're just using a non-English word as a battle cry. I remember reading that martial artists from a good dojang will not be startled by a kihap, because they've heard it--and bellowed it--repeatedly. It's a suitable way to startle an attacker in a real-life situation, especially if you sound, well, insane. Who wants to fight someone that they think is crazy? Screaming and attacking your opponent(s) has a better shot at driving off the enemy than fighting back alone. Hi Joe, The person, where my source material comes from, happens to be a Japanese national ...No offense to anyone, but being as he has a strong fluency in Japanese (being a national), and English (having a Masters degree), I trust his translations...A *loose* interpretation may refer to the action normally associated with Ki Ai (Ki Hap), but kanji/hanja remain constant. As I am currently learning, Joe, there are some sub-conscious reactions that go on to "move the mind"...To that effect, one does not need to sound like a crazy person, but rather a simple focused (and even disciplined) shout works well... take care, --josh

http://hwarang.org/Photojournal.html It appears to me, then, that Kuk Sool is a derivative of Hapkido, which has its roots in Daito Ryu. Well, there more to the story...The photo journal is from the time of KUK SOOL HAPKIDO...Kuk Sool Hapkido was an attempt to blend Kuk Sool and Hapkido into one art, that group later split...Before that there was Kuk Sool (and in particular Kuk Sool Kwan of Kim Woo Tak, as well as the various material the comprised Kuk Sool before it was organized as Kuk Sool)...After Kuk Sool Hapkido, the Kuk Sool Won was founded... Its a long puzzle, but Kuk Sool is not a derivative of Hapkido...If anything, its sources are much more Chinese influenced.

I can honestly say that I dont know Florida that well, but I can tell you that if you are near the Crestview area, Master Thomas Gordon runs a school there (Gordon Martial Arts), that is one of the nicest I have ever seen....The Gordon's are great people, and I cant recommend many better schools, or instructors, anywhere. Their website is https://www.gordonmartialarts.com

I know that the General wanted to have "One Tae Kwon-Do"...however, to be honest, I hope that they DO NOT merge...it would be a mess (sheesh, there is already what 3 ITF's), and only cause more factions, who would break away from ITF and/or WTF, and form their own groups. ITF is a great style, Kukki TKD is nice as well (when done properly), but they are different for sure...Combining the two would be like mixing coffee and tea...I like them both, but prefer them separate. fwiw, --josh

It should be noted that KI AI is not the actual sound you are making...It would be the equivalent, in English, of saying that to shout, one must say "Shout!". The characters that make up Ki Ai/Ki Hap are 気合/기합, it is no coincidence, that if you reverse them you get AiKi, and Hapki (合気 & 합기). Ki, of course refers to energy, and Ai/Hap refers to harmony, unification, coordination etc. This refers to the phenomena of "Joining Energy", unifying your body for maximum technique efficiency. The Ki Ai/Ki Hap, properly done, is performed from the diaphragm, not just a sound made in the throat. When performing a proper Ki Ai/Ki Hap you tighten your Dan Tien/Dan Jun, and straighten your back, aligning your body for proper technique. In addition, the Ki Ai/Ki Hap can provide a brief second, distraction to your opponent, that may be enough to allow you to complete your technique, without resistance (because you move their mind away from the technique you are performing)... Hmmm...technique without effort...Sound like Aikido, or Hapkido to you??? ;-D --josh p.s. To those of you who believe in "Ki", there is also the bit, about the unifying the breathing, and tightening of the dantien/danjun, which allows you to force the force (err...ki) into your techniques, from your waist into your hands, feet, arm, whatever ;-D

Hi Joesteph, Think of this as a motion, and not so much a block...In fact, in Korean you will find that the older translation rendered block (now mahk kee) was once a term called SOO, which means "To Receive", that gives you many more options. Indeed, the motion has many appropriate striking, and joint locking techniques. But, looking at it from a more basic view point, you will not the angle (usually a 45 degree angle), is so you can receive a strike slowly, and redirect it in an elliptical arc, and continue with some sort of counter, be it a strike, lock, throw etc. It is important to note that motion brushes across the entire body, it doe not jut cover above the head, this it can "receive" an attack to anywhere from the waist on up, and carry it to a higher level, to diffuse the power of the strike, and then perform your counter. Many, many applications here...There are not many "blocks" in TSD/SBD, though its not often taught...Its more often advanced covers, and parries, as well as locking, and throwing methods... fwiw, --josh

I've never heard of Makoto Ryu...Of course, I have not heard of alot of things... Anyway, as I have said over and over, it NEVER comes down to which are you choose to study, but rather how YOU choose to study it. Take what you will

http://hwarang.org/Photojournal.html See Above. When I started it was called "Korean Karate". Well, all of the Kwans were officially absorbed within the KTA, and Kukkiwon, they fully support Kukki Tae Kwon Do, and exist today, only in the form of social friendship clubs...That is with the exception of Ohdokwan (which became ITF), and no Chinese influence there. The other exception was Moo Duk Kwan which decided not to join the KTA, instead, formed the Dae Han Soo Bahk Do Hoi. There is definitely something there. This is attributed to the "can do" spirit of the Korean people (indomitable spirit), as well as their spirit of "Hongik Ingan", and sense of national pride and identity. They took a country left in ruins, and turned it into a thriving economic powerhouse. Under Japanese oppression, during the occupation (ending in 1945) they took what they had, and transformed it into something unique, and beautiful. It does not, however, change the fact that it was strongly rooted in Japanese Karate. I dont really give Tae Kyon too much credence as an influence on TKD...Choi Hong Hi claims to have studied it, but to me"it just dont add up" . Hwag Kee says he witnessed it, and secretly watched men training from afar, copying their movements, because he was refused to be a direct student, coincidentaly, Soo Bahk Do's kicks strongly resemble tae kyon as practiced by students from the Song Duk Ki lineage. I'm confused, you just attributed Korean MA to a Tae Kyon influence, and said it was not so much Karate influence (see above post), and then this? For the most part, I agree with the end of your post...But not all Korean MA fall under that lineage...Kuk Sool is definitely one of them, and their are others that were and are practiced in Buddhist temples still...Sun Moo Do, Iron Wheel Kwon Bup etc.

Okinawan? Wouldn't that make it Naihanchi???