swooshfinn

rattan mid-staff (60 inches long) and a couple of throwing knives

I started KSW back in January of 2002 and have been promoted to brown belt a couple of months ago... but for Christmas my friend, a Kyo Sa Nim (second degree black belt) gave me a book titled, The Art of Peace. A very informative book on the teachings and philosophy of Morihei Ueshiba. Very interesting read, I must say. Can anyone help me with the differences between these two? I think if I was going to start Aikido, this is the point in my life to start!

My most common mistake while sparring is sparring itself! LOL I just haven't done enough sparring to be any good at it and will probably never be really good at it. That doesn't mean I don't like to spar every once in awhile!

Good luck keeping it alive during the winter... I almost lost mine to the dry indoor air, its better to let them go dormant with some cooler winter air than keep them going in the warmer indoor air. I am just getting mine to come back, and will have to watch it very carefully during the summer so that it doesn't get too dry with all the midwestern heat. I probably should trim some of the branches back a bit too. On a side note, my lucky bamboo (which in the United States turns out to be a variant of corn) will probably grow at least another foot or more this summer, which might mean that eventually I am going to have to transplant it out of the pot and into the ground (like at my parents) cause I am sure that my apartment complex would be really happy with me planting lucky bamboo on the premises!

Too old to be young.... too young to be old! 24 here

Well my avatar is the KSW logo, my martial art and as for my screen name... it is a nickname that I picked up during high school as an exchange student to Finland.

I started Kuk Sool Won back in January of 2002.... trained hard (4 nights a week) up until March of this year, when I decided to take a new job in the St. Louis area. I did my research and talked to my instructor and found out that there was a studio around St Louis. My first week of being down here I showed up to the new studio to find out that monthly dues were going to be more than my original studio and that I most probably wouldn't be able to train 4 nights a week due to my new job's schedule. So I decided to slack off and not train due to very long hours on the job and a serious finacial problem that wasnt getting better very quick. Well, I am in the process of switching jobs... this new job will be a lot more stable than my previous one, but will require me to probably give up two weeks of training in the studio a month... not something I am really up for, but if I must, I must. Although I am beginning to get some interest in some resumes I sent out... so the stability is up in the air a bit as I am not sure I will choose to do. Any advice would be welcome, as I am not sure I can talk my new instructor into lowering his price for me, and am not sure that I can live up to my own expectations and previous training... I am currently a brown belt and would like to advance to black belt to the point that I can have my own studio... but it is going to take at least two months to get back to where I was before I moved to St Louis two months ago.

Ok, which martial arts studios are over there.... I am kind of thinking of eventually moving over there and starting a Kuk Sool Won studio of my own, most probably in Helsinki, if I ever get my black belt and feel comfortable enough with it to effectively teach it to others. If anyone over in Finland or recently visiting Finland can help me, I would appreciate it.

Yet another KSW brown belt originally from KJN Zefo's studio joins the fun here on the boards... Welcome to the Pocket Ninja (although not really sure where you got the ninja from, since you only know Korean styles such as KSW and TKD). Wish I knew what was going on with my personal life here in St Louis so that I can make a commitment to KJN Harvey's studio... I guess that is a goal to shoot for! Shout out to the Knoxville, IL and St. Charles, MO KSW studios!

Straight punchs can be blocked by a Sah Mah Gwi Mahk Ki (Praying Mantis block).... as for the kicks.... I think the appropriate block for a low sweep kick is a jump... other low kicks require a little quick thinking and reflexes