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Sip Su = Bear Jinto (aka Jin Do) = Crane Chil Sung (aka Chil Song) [A whole form Set] = No animal,... Seven Stars Rohia (aka Lo Hi) = Heron (yeah, another crane...) Kong San Kong (aka Kong Sang Koon) = Eagle Sei Shan = Praying Mantis Wong Shu = Little Bird Jion = Mountain Goat Yuk Ro [a whole form Set] = No animal. Each form had a prior name such as Du Mon (great gate), etc. Forms are based on techniques rediscovered by Grandmaster Hwang Kee through reading the Muye Dobo Tongji, similar to the Chil song forms. The Okinawan form set (all the forms but the Giecho, Chil Song, and Yuk Ro forms) were borrowed from Okinawan karate in an effort to make Tang Soo Do more popular. The Tang Soo Do name was chosen (as opposed to Hwa Soo Do, or later Soo Bahk Do) for the same reason. It was more familiar to the Korean populace that had Japanse martial arts exposure.

Naw, we are mostly picking on the NHB guys now for spouting off at the mouth about how they have "discovered something new" and "innovative," in the last few years, all after 10,000 years of systematic development of "traditional" martial arts... Most of us in Tang Soo Do have realized that the majority of TKD practitioners have more in common with us than a lot of the made up stuff you see spouting up in the strip malls. The big arguments are mostly over, since they were about 35-40 years old anyway...

Not all the forms,... but most... Which forms were you wondering about???

Treat your Dan test like it was just an extra-special class. By now, stressing about it won't help. You should already know your forms and other requrements. Just attend class regularly until you test.

First Korean,... repeated by the students,... Then English,... followed by a "Yes Sir/Yes Maam!!!" The actual counting is done by a string of kiaps. The students only count in Korean when doing calasthenics.

The only way people get to have 4-5 9th Dan rankings is a combination of self-promotion and through "honorary" ranks being awarded. Personally, if another style gave me rank in their style, I might display the pretty certificate, but it would be in a frame that clearly said "Honorary" on it. It's the same kind of deal with people who are awarded Honorary Doctorates by colleges for coming in to speak... It doesn't mean their are a doctor in that philosophical discipline. After 25 years, the guy probably knows his stuff in one style... After 23 years, I wouldn't hazzard to either promote myself or try certificate collecting... Sounds like the guy is trying to pump himself up in MA circles to inflate his rep,... If I were him I'd just be a Master in ONE style and join a lot of civic organizations...

For Instructors: DON'T DATE YOUR STUDENTS!!! It's different if you BRING a significant other INTO the martial arts. But your school is not your dating service. If you start this, your school will forever suffer. My Instructor has this as a rule. If he finds out that you are dating your student, the student will be barred from training (ever) at the school. For Students: Your instructor's school is his/her livelihood. By treating the school like a place to meet and pick up chicks or guys, then you jeopardize the ability to keep the school running and your training to continue. That said, you cannot stop human nature, I met my own wife training under my instructor. This year, almost 14 years later, she tests for HER Master's belt. She helps me teach MY students. However, I was up teaching in my home town, while she was working in the office at the school, 90 mile apart. Seeing her actually helped me get down to the school more, and probably helped inspire her to make not just Black Belt a goal, but making Master a goal... Still, that is the exception, not the rule,... a true relationship, respectful of the school's environment. If it's just dating tomfoolery, then it can only hurt the school...

6 years old?!?!? That's just absurd!!! I don't even TAKE students younger than 6. My instructor doesn't take them younger than 4... At 6, in our federation, he would have needed to start at 2 years old to even possibly be a black belt at 6... My problem is that you get situations like that,... that deflate the argument that there shouldn't be an age limitation... But then that's an example of the exception running the rule. My guess is that whoever was the kid's instructor compromised the standards for the child, and I don't mean just breaks... I can't picture a 6 year old having had enough TIME to become proficient in all the testing requirements for black belt. That said,... an eight or ten year old MAY have had enough time if they started at 4 or 6... But I certainly wouldn't push them...

Me too!!! I've Never met a woman who anted to weigh more... Anyway, do not try to gain more weight than your frame should carry. At 5' 4" and 105 lbs,... I'd say you are at ideal weight,... perhaps 2-4 lbs under,... but not enough to make a difference. Don't attempt to gain more. You could put your metabolism into a spiral...

Yeah, if you really look at the sites that he was referring to, you see he is talking about simple vinyl-dipped foam. The alternative to that is the cloth covered pads. A ho gu is a whole other universe... That's really for competitive olympic rules fighting. And isshinryu5toforever is right in that they can get pricey. For simple use, the foam covered stuff is fine. My students don't even wear that... Using gear encourages heavier contact and then you are in a whole different insurance coverage realm (the instructor, anyway). All the dipped stuff is equivalent, as I said before. Go with what is on sale.

They are all about the same anymore. If you asked the question 20 years ago, it might be different, but all manufacturers these days use the same proceedure to make their stuff. All the vinyl stuff will rip eventually. The cloth pads will experience a "crush" effect eventually. Most people I know get at least 5 years out of a set of protective gear. I don't wear mine very often any more,... so I might get 10-15 years out of them...

I think the problem people have with young black belts comes from a misplaced understanding of what black belts means. Earning a black belt simply means that you aren't a beginner any more... Anyone under 1st Dan is simply at the beginning stages of martial arts learning. After 1st Dan, we can start teaching the more advanced stuff. Too many people have this erroneous belief that Black Belt = Master. I agree that master ranks should have an age based component (there CAN'T be such a thing as a 15 year old Master). But I disagree that Black Belt should be age restricted. If you think it should, I think you have a misunderstanding of what the rank is about.

Some Tang Soo Do schools would fit well, depending on your style of Tae Kwon Do. Some styles of Tae Kwon Do are very close to Tang Soo Do (particularly Tae Kwon Do Moo Duk Kwan). Others are as different as night and day. Hapkido is often a good augmentation of Tae Kwon Do and wouldn't require you to switch styles...

Part of your enthusiasm can be maintained by delving into the different aspects of your art,... its history, its philosophy, and learning how to dissect technique and put it back together for perfect finish (speed, power, application). Bordom comes with complacency. Many times new Black Belts expect some sort of epiphany when they make black belt. I make sure to tell mine that Black Belt is really the beginning,... that now, I can REALLY start to show them things... as long as they keep their training up. That way,... Black Belt doesn't become bleak belt...

The Horse/Side stance is also a very powerful transition stance when shifting power to and from other stances. Higher forms in Tang Soo Do, Sei Shan for example, require a shift to and from front to side stance and back again. When applying those principles in self defense, the seemingly useless stance actually becomes very useful, same for front stance,... although not for more than a half second or so.

Slow Kicks - slow, isometric kicks for proper technique as you gradually increase the length of time held at full extension, and the height as well. This will strengthen the muscles that support the kick from chamber to final extension and back.

I don't have any "prefered" or "favorite" sparring techniques, but here are a few that I have found effective over the years,... assuming point fighting of course... 1) a retreating back kick, where the opponent thinks you are just turning tail and running out of the ring,... and you stick `em with back kick as they chase. 2) spinning hook kick off of any back leg kick of your opponent. 3) turning just slightly to hide the point area (showing more of your back). 4) liberal use of axe and hook kicks off the front leg. 5) kicking simultaneously with your opponent to creat a "clash" situation. 6) "overblocking" to avoid hook and axe kicks that arc past normal blocks. 7) (In head hunting, permitted tournaments) front hand backfist-back hand ridgehand combo. 8 ) side kicks to the hip to keep the opponent at range. Those are just a few.

As for throwing,... it has been said that many times the third sai was attached to a long leather lanyard so that it could be retreived after being thrown... This I read in George Parulski's Art of Kobudo Weapons, something like 20 years ago...

Too keep it in perspective,... in the Korean arts prior to the late 60s, there were generally only 4 belts in the traditional korean arts,... White Green Red (or Brown) Black (or Midnight Blue) Dan rankings were given full trim, green and red partial trim. Yellow and orange belts were add-ons to white belt...

The script used in the graphics for the Mi Guk Kwan are a little "rough". Prented Korean tends to be a little more clean. If you want it to be less "stylized" then make sure the characters are a little more "square", excepting the oval under the "D" and "A", representing the "ng" sound, in the first character.

Also, you have to watch the supporting leg as well. If you tend to straighten your supporting leg too much, you will actually cause hyperextention injuries to the knee joint. One of the best exercises for developing powerful and well executed kicks is to utilize "slow kicks". Practice your kicks for proper form and extend and hold the kick at full extention for an increasing amount of time. Gradually raise the level of the kick and the length of time holding it. Eventually you may wish to add ankle weights. However, do not use ankle weights in full speed kicks!!!

A hardwood floor is preferable to mats in most Korean martial arts practice (with the possible exception of Hapkido). Mats tend to give too much and bind the supporting foot, preventing proper rotation. The resulting injuries can include foot, ankle, knee and hip injuries, most involving the tendons or ligaments in those joints. A "solution" would be to execute a little "hop" as part of the chamber for the kicks to "unstuck" to supporting foot... I only have mats out when doing particular kinds of traning...

In response to this thread: http://www.karateforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=17786 The main differences, as many have indicated before, between Tang Soo Do and Tae Kwon Do, involve the fact that Tae Kwon Do is practiced primarily as a sport and not as a traditional martial art. Application is often different, Tae Kwon Do usually does not emphasize forms as much, and TKD practitioners generally gravitate towards the Ho Gu type Olympic rules sparring rather than point fighting in competition. Tae Kwon Do was "created" in the early 60s from the four primary Kwans (Schools,... as in schools of training less so than an actual particular Do Jang) and several other smaller Kwans. There was, shortly after WWII, a movement to unify the martial arts in Korea that was interupted by the Korean War. After the Korean War, the movement began to gain momentum with most schools signing on to the unification. There were some power struggles and personality conflicts, combined with artistic differences, that couldn't be resolved,... and the Moo Duk Kwan (Tang Soo Do/Soo Bahk Do) split in half,... with 1/2 staying Tang Soo Do, and the other half going over to become the Tae Kwon Do Moo Duk Kwan. Estimates are that the Moo Duk Kwan Tae Kwon Do practitioners made up as many as 1/3 to 1/2 of the Tae Kwon Do practitioners at the time (the original Moo Duk Kwan was spread by railroad workers who made up a large percentage of its early practitioners, and so gained a high degree of popularity). Later, the Moo Duk Kwan fractured again when Masters who came to the United States felt slighted at who was put in charge. Hence, now we have Federations like the World Tang Soo Do Federation, The international Tang Soo Do Federation, etc., etc. As for techniques, Tae Kwon Do practitioners tend to hit with edges of the foot that inflict less trauma. They tend not to emphasize punches like in Tang Soo Do. Their stances are typically higher. Blocks are emphasized to a lesser degree. In short, Tang Soo Do tends to be more self defense oriented than Tae Kwon Do.

Greendragon, Don't believe myths that people develop about what Tang Soo Do has and what it has not. Those myths come from people who haven't trained or haven't trained very long in the style, or haven't trained with a competant instructor. As a Master of that style who has trained over 21 years, I can tell you that Tang Soo Do is not lacking at any ranges. We might not emphasize all ranges at all belt levels, but there is no deficit of technique in Tang Soo Do. If you only look as far as the forms, you will see "stylized" versions of in-fighting techniques including those that are geared for defense against grapplers. It takes an experienced eye to see it though.

I don't know either personally. I'm not sure if my instructor does or not. Their pedigree is good. Kim Sr. apparently trained under GM Hwang Kee. The Jr. Kim has a pedigree just a little better than mine, just one step removed from GM Hwang Kee rather than 2. The Jr. Kim is still fairly young (about 40), and so will be around, and active, a good long time. There seems to be a strong emphasis on traditional values and solid technique, which is good. From the GIF files on their website, I can tell the school(s), and federation are small, and were likely offshoot from the Moo Duk Kwan when the politics started "hitting the fan," so to speak. All in all that is not an unusual situation. I can also tell that the execution of kicks and blocks, etc. is also very good and solid. The self-defense techniques seem a bit fancied up (probably for show) rather than practical (Jump back kick vs. a punch, for example). I doubt that the self-defense shown is standard for class, but more oriented towards showing off Master Jino Kim's ability. I'd assume there is a very practical self-defense aspect here. I think this is probably a good organization. Although they don't appear to have many Masters under their federation here in the USA, that gives those who stick with their organization room for advancement to positions of authority (serving on federation committees, testing boards, etc.), though. You certainly could do a lot worse that this organization. I have personally seen a lot worse. You'll probably be very happy training there if you like the people and the atmosphere.