DLopez

Red J, glad to hear you weren't flooded out either, even if you missed the brunt of the storm. It was amazing how quickly Charley intensified. It looks brutal on all the weather channel reports! All North/South Carolineans now in Charley's path, stay safe! (And enjoy a hurricane party!)

No, mine is a '98, but only the body. Everything else is so totally not stock anymore, it can barely be called a Pontiac! I think it was someone else in General Chat that mentioned they had a 2002 model, but no biggie! KSNDoug, I will be attending my first black belt test up at Kingwood College next week. Maybe we'll bump into each other if you're going to be there. kswbrown, don't fret over Akima's opinions too much. They're not based on any real experience with KSW at all. Akima's just trying to get under the skin of anyone associated with KSW.

My jalapenos don't seem to make it into the chilli, they always end up straight on the grill wrapped in bacon and stuffed with cheese! I've never been so unfortunate to rub my face or eyes after cutting up peppers, it's always been after I used Tabasco sauce or something where it somehow gets in my eyes.

Normally, my favorite food to cook (I have to many 'eat' favorites!), is Shrimp Creole, but I decided one day to learn how to make Ceviche, and it's so incredibly easy, I can't believe I never bothered to make it before. If you don't know what Ceviche is, a google search will turn up tons of links that describe it, but basically it's raw fish (plus scallops and shrimp if you like) that is marinated in lime juice, and the citric acid cooks the fish in the refrigerator. Combine some chopped tomatos, chopped onions, and cilantro, and serve with tortilla chips. Yum! I think I'll make some again this weekend!

Yes, I do. I'm not sure I know the solution, as all it would take is for another student to not know when to ease up and injure my arm or neck, and there goes my training for a while. Plus, everyone's threshold for pain is different. I can't imagine letting the kids go at each other full speed! (Okay, well maybe I'd like to apply a technique or two full speed on some of the kids myself!!) ((Oops, did I just type that out loud?)) I guess the decision was made to just err on the safe side.

I think I understand your concerns better! I only have one comment on your last post... While I will agree that some scenarios seem more unlikely than others, I believe it's entirely possible that in a fluid conflict, say, as I try to escape a particular hold and manuever around, I may find myself in position to apply the technique that ordinarily would seem least likely to present itself. And I will be ready. I don't hold any illusions that an attacker will wait for me to get into a horse-riding stance and yell out "Dee Eue Bahk Soo #5, sir!". Going slow and methodical during training simply helps you to identify and correct mistakes, that's all. Sorry if I sounded gruff in my earlier post. In going round and round with another poster in a different thread, who doesn't understand KSW and was trying to denigrate it, I think I let some emotion it spill over into this thread. I apologize if so. BTW - the set of techniques you are referring to are the Joo Muhk Maga Ki Bohn Soo - the advanced version of the Ki Bohn Soo (the first set of techniques you ever learn in KSW, for those not familiar).

As a brown belt, you should know that every KSW form has far more hand strikes and blocks than kicks. To say differently makes me question if you're being genuine in relating your KSW experience. You should also have realized at the brown belt level, just how impractical applying the techniques in sparring would be. They must be practiced under controlled conditions or else serious injury can result, and that's precisely why the techniques get their own dedicated practice time and are not a part of sparring. Yes, the idea is to equip you to handle practically any situation. Some may find having to learn literally hundreds of techniques overhwhelming, and prefer to only have to learn a few general techniques, which may or may not be applicable in different situations. So far, I have learned only 114 techniques (up through Dee Eue Bohk Soo), and still feel the desire to learn yet even more. Now, if you believe that you can think your way through a fight, relying on the "underlying core" principles to try and apply a joint lock, you will fail, and lose the fight. In a conflict, you must react quickly to a very fluid, dynamic situation, and the only way to react quickly enough is to practice the specific movements of the different techniques over and over and over. There's just no way around that. That is probably true until you reach about red belt level. By then, you should be practiced enough to be able to effectively use them up through at least Joo Muhk Maga Ki Bohn Soo. If you didn't learn them well enough by red belt to apply them effectively, I'm sorry, but that is a reflection on you, not on KSW's techniques' effectiveness. Why did you expect it to? The forms are a singular exercise, designed to develop balance, stamina, leg strength, and drill in the proper punching and kicking techniques and hand/footwork. The joint lock/throwing techniques require a partner to train with to know whether you are doing them correctly or not. How then could doing forms reinforce a joint technique? Sparring in KSW is an optional activity, and is not even required to advance in rank. Using the KSW techniques in sparring would be sadistic. As it is, they are practiced under control in their own alotted time slot, because as I'm sure you know, they are designed to generate much pain using the pressure points. Sparring in KSW is simply point sparing, nothing more. If you feel like you need to get beat up to feel like you are learning, then KSW is probably not for you, but to imply that KSW isn't teaching you how to be effective is far from accurate. However, I understand where your question is coming from. The question of "How do you know you've learned the techniques?" is often brought up by beginning students. It is the constant practice and drilling that is ensuring that you will be able to apply the techniques on demand. Like in anything else, if you doubt your abilities, then that doubt is probably justified. I've heard of too many examples where a KSW student is placed in a "real life" situation and is able to react and apply a technique on demand to doubt KSW's effectiveness. I've never heard anyone say KSW techniques are easy to learn, but they are definitely worth the effort it takes to learn them. It's all up to the student's dedication and commitment to learning that makes them proficient with them.

Talk about first grader logic. You just posted a link about Choi. What does that have to do with KSW? Nothing. Sure, Kuk Sa Nim (In Hyuk Suh) may have studied under Choi, but he does not acknowledge any of his teachings as going into KSW. Hello, let me repeat that. He does not acknowledge any of Choi's teachings as going into KSW. The fact is, Kuk Sa Nim studied under many masters. However, quite conveniently, you've decided the sources I've posted to support that fact, are lies. The "I really don't need to post more" line is a cop out. The simple fact is, you just don't have any more than that, and it really hasn't proven what you want it to. Unreal!! Yes you did. You just said all Korean martial are derived from Japan, in other words, they are Japanese. You said it's fact! Here is your most recent quote (you've actually said it many times): Hey, I'm just going on what you said. If you didn't say what you really meant, sorry, but I can't help if it you're illiterate. I'm not resorting to lies. I provided a legitimate link, a "source of evidence". A completely new link that I had not seen before, but one that says the same thing other Koreans say about Korean martial arts. The fact that you can't accept it because it would mean you are just flat wrong in your beliefs, and decide to call it a lie is quite juvenile and the sign of someone that's too lazy to dig up the proper proof to refute it. It's a lie just because you say so? Well then, if your such an authority on the subject, show us the proof. Sorry, but what you posted about Choi doesn't refute anything about all Korean martial arts, and it doesn't even touch on what KSW is. You're making a connection that isn't there. All it proves is what Choi practiced was influenced by Japanese martial arts. Your ability to draw any other conclusion than that based on your links is mind boggling! Hapkido is hardly representative of "all Korean martial arts", and KSW is not Hapkido, nor is it TKD. Can I make that any clearer to you for the umpteenth time? You know, revisionists always take the approach that you have. They think that if they keep repeating their version of history over and over, ad nauseum, someone will eventually believe it. You're preaching revisionist history, as if you know better than the Koreans that lived through it. Ah.. Resorting to calling me names eh? Tsk, tsk. That's pretty immature, which explains why you're too lazy to do your own research and see what KSW is for yourself, but instead try to equate it to Hapkido and TKD for some inane reason.

Whatever Akima. You're letting your anti-KSW sentiments cloud your reasoning. You are the first person I've ever heard say such a thing about websites = McDojos, and I'll bet if it wasn't a Kuk Sool Won website, you'd probably feel differently about it. Your anti-KSW feelings are well documented in the other thread. No need to plaster them everywhere else. Glad I could return the favor. I've been laughing at your posts in the other thread the whole time. You come up with some funny stuff!

Hey, I agree with you, Akima! How about that?! In fact, I believe that is why "cat" is here asking about KSW, because they wanted more information on KSW than what was on that website. I would never trust a website to give me all the information I needed to make a decision on which martial art to take, or which school to go to.

Yes, thank you Akima! I've already suggested that to "cat". BTW, is there any martial art out there that you would decide to take just by browsing their web site?

Akima, that was probably your weakest post in this entire thread. Korean propaganda and lies?!?! That's the best you can reply with? You're so heck-bent on believing all Korean martial arts are really Japanese, but the one thing you've failed to do this entire time, is support your position with any proof of that. Not once! You keep talking about Choi as if he was the only one that knew and taught martial arts in Korea after the Japanese occupation. Do you not realize how ridiculous that is? Hey, at least I provided a source that corroborated my statements. There are many many more sources if you'd bother to look, but no, you leave it up to me to find it for you, and then call it propaganda and lies!! If indeed it's a fact that Kuk Sool Won is Japanese, then it should be easy to prove. Like you once said so eloquently, Put up or shut up! Show me the money!!

How would you reply to this? Hmm... How can more focus be on punching, but everything is kicks? That's a contradictory statement, and doesn't really make sense. However, I would argue that this person was not learning the forms correctly, if all they were doing was focusing on their kicks. All of our forms have far more punches and chops than kicks in them, so I'm not sure how they can draw the conclusion the forms are mostly kicks. It sure brings doubts as to whether this person really learned an entire form at all. KSW forms do not just increase your physical fitness, but like all forms in every martial art are designed to do, they increase your balance, and drill in the proper punching and kicking techniques. As far as the forms seeming "made up"... All forms in every martial art were "made up" by someone. What more can I say? Now, one reason the forms do not include techniques, is because the forms are a solitary excercise, and the techniques require a partner. Our joint lock techniques get their own special attention and time for practicing those with a partner. In fact, our dojang has separate days dedicated to training in either the forms or the techniques. As far as sparring in Kuk Sool Won goes, yes it is just point sparring. We simply do not include the joint locks and throws, simply because they are pretty brutal. They're designed to cause much pain, and injury can easily happen unless performed under control. I would say that if the techniques were allowed in sparring, then only the higher level ranks would probably be allowed as they should have more control. Is that a bad thing? Some might think so, but like I mentioned before, there is not much emphasis placed on sparring, and it's competely optional if you wish to participate. But yes, with the limitations on sparring, it would look like TKD to someone just watching a sparring match. The question of "Then, how do you know you've learned the techniques?" gets asked a lot. One of my fellow student's father is a Houston Police officer, and he related a story where he asked "how would he know he's ready" to apply what he learned at the academy, because they never used their training in "real life" situations before - it was always just practice. Basically, he said when the time came, all the drilling he did made it all seem automatic, and from that experience he knew it would be the same with KSW techniques. Another student who took a break for a year to go to Iraq, came back saying the same thing. He had several instances where he had to subdue some hostile, but unarmed civilians, and his KSW techniques were quite effective. He too echoed that when the time came to use them, they felt "automatic". I'm sure there are going to always be those that say you won't "know it" until you practice it for real, but if I were to dislocate the shoulder or elbow of every fellow student just so I can practice the techniques "for real", there would eventually be no students left to "practice" on. Plus, I can't train if I'm injured either. Hope that was helpful!

Ahh youth... Please don't take this the wrong way monkeygirl, but you're just too young to be worrying about true love and Mr. Right. Slow down and enjoy life a little!

No, sorry. But I do have a good friend (Dave Wilson) that lives down in Sugarland who's a black belt TKD'er. He might know him. You never know! Small world, right?

When it's 114 F out, do you really notice that there's no humidity? Shoot, to me, 114 degrees is HOT, whether it's a "dry heat" or not!! Ack! I'm getting thirsty just thinking about it.

God bless Australia for giving us Wicked Weasel!!!

Hey Kicks, let's hear it for the Lopez's!! I like to go by **cough cough** "D-Lo" myself. (no not really!!) Nice topic aefibird! I've always liked the Olympics, despite all the controversies. I will definitely be watching the TKD events more closely than I have before. I like the boxing too! I have too many "favorites" to be able to list them all without forgetting some. But track, swimming, volleyball, basketball, baseball, gymnastics... just to name a few. I want to know why auto racing isn't an Olympic sport! Heck, I'd try out for that event!!

Chibi, really? I didn't know Japan had such hot weather, even in Summer. That's comparable to Houston's weather right now. We've been hovering in the mid- to high 90's F (mid 30's C), but with all the humidity we have (we're close to the Gulf of Mexico), the "heat index" is up around 115 F ( 46 C). Heat Index ~= how hot it feels... similar but opposite to wind chill. I would say I wouldn't mind if a few rain showers came our way, but we are now officially in Hurricane Season, and everyone is hoping the rain stays away despite how hot it is. Hurricane parties are fun though!

From what I understand the main difference with the techniques is that we use pressure point manipulations to "persuade" the attacker to comply with how you want them to move. Note: This is not the same as some other "styles" that claim to be able to hit a particular point and incapacitate you though. We use the pressure points to enhance the effectiveness of our throws and locks. Basically, when you feel the extreme pain from the pressure point, you become a very willing subject and move how the person wants you to. That said, most of the locks and throws are still pretty effective even if you don't hit the pressure point. The forms (or "Hyung" in Korean) are unique, IMO, because they are a hard-soft style. That is, they aren't totally soft like say Taichi (sp?), and they aren't totally hard like Karate Katas or Taekwondo Hyung. You will be required to learn a new hyung for each belt level, and each form up to black belt will emphasize a different aspect such as linear motion (Cho Geup Hyung - yellow belt form), or circular motion (Joon Geup Hyung - Blue belt form), etc. Interestingly, the very first form you learn (Ki Cho Hyung) will combine those motions, as it has been described as really a black belt level form. I think the anecdote was that if you learn the hard one first, the rest seem easy. The only thing I can say about that is that it was probably more of a reflection on that particular instructor, and not Kung Fu as a style. Maybe he was just having a bad day? I'd say that's a pretty good assessment of KSW. From the kicking/punching, to the joint locks/throws, forms, weapons, and if you stick with it long enough, healing arts (master level instruction only), I am finding it to be quite a satisfying journey. I hope you enjoy it. Let us know some feedback! I think that site had a few more, but I just did a google to find that one. I wish I had a web server, because I have some good ones from demos our dojang has put on.

Glad you liked the vid! That particular school is in Alameda, California. I would say there is an equal emphasis on the punching/kicking, techniques, and forms. However, the techniques (joint locks/throws/grapples) and forms are probably what differentiates KSW the most from other styles. When it's time to practice forms in KSW, you will perform it along with everyone else, not in front of everyone while they just watch. Especially if you are just learning it. You won't be expected to learn the entire form in one lesson either, it just doesn't happen. Also, competition among students is not encouraged. You are competing mostly against yourself in KSW. Now, when we spar, we have to go compete against each other, but it is understood that when the gloves come off, everyone is on the same team again and we are all trying to make each other better. Again, that is just a natural offshoot from the practice of etiquette. There will come a time when you are expected to know the forms, like when you are getting close to testing for a stripe or a belt, and then you will be expected to perform it on demand, but by then you should be confident enough that you know it and can do it. As for the price, it can vary between $70/month to over $100/month. Dojangs that have Master level (5th degree black belt and above) instructors will probably be on the higher end of the scale, while 2nd degree black belts may charge on the lower end. One thing I've become aware of though is that it is certainly worth that much considering what all is available to learn. Obviously however, you must consider how much you are capable of handling. Don't let it bother you that you might be learning from "just" a 2nd degree black belt. My instructor is "just" a 2nd degree black belt, and his instruction only allowed me to win 2 gold medals and a silver medal in the 2003 Kuk Sool Won World Championships tournament held in Houston last October. Trust me, a 2nd degree black belt knows waaaaaaaaay more than I do! Most of your learning will be up to you and how hard you apply yourself.

Rich67, you made my day with that one! I don't think I've heard of any martial art that can realistically claim to be able to teach you how to do that unless your name is Neo!

A 2002 model no less!! I've heard that some (?) of those came with the LS6 intake instead of the usual LS1 intake (more airflow!), and the cam used on them is a little more aggressive. Bottom line is about 30 more HP over the previous model years. We're talking about 330-340 rear wheel HP from a stocker! Very nice! (That's about 380 - 390 crank HP for those not familiar with RWHP) ZR, sometimes I wonder if I should have gone with some form of forced induction, either a blower or turbo... This big whopper cam I'm using to feed the big cubic inches I have is frustrating sometimes at cold startup. It likes to stall until it starts warming up. I'm still working on the tuning for that part - haven't got it quite right yet. I need to make a trip down to the track to see what kind of times she'll rip now!

Good advice, rmclain. That's what I'm basing my opinions on, the testimonials from those Koreans that actually lived through some of it at least.

I know you would enjoy your experience in Kuk Sool Won training. Kuk Sool Won is about the furthest from a McDojo as you can get! We learn the usual aspects of a Korean martial art, the punching and kicking techniques. The kicking starts off with basic standing kicks, then as you progress, you learn the more difficult jumping, spinning, and low spinning kicks, but never before you are ready for them. You will also however, start learning in your very first lesson, the basic foundational form, or Ki Cho Hyung, and the first set of joint lock techniques, Ki Bohn Soo. But probably the most important aspect of Kuk Sool Won that you will begin learning and notice right away, is the emphasis on etiquette. This is one of the biggest things that separates the quality dojangs from the McDojos. Sparring is entirely up to you, but depending on your dojang, when you are able to start participating can vary. Our dojang has the requirement of being yellow belt level at least before you can start sparring. You will find that sparring does not have a lot of emphasis placed on it in Kuk Sool Won, though. We only spar once a week, as there's just too much to learn with the forms and techniques. The techniques will take time to learn to apply them effectively, as we learn not only joint locks and throws, but how to use pressure points (accupressure) to enhance the effectiveness of the locks and throws. The forms in Kuk Sool Won are really beautiful when performed properly. They emphasize footwork as well as hand work, low stances which builds strength in your legs, and develop great balance. Check out this video link to see what the joint lock and throwing techniques, and also what Ki Cho Hyung looks like when performed correctly: Black belt promotion and demo Yes, you will learn how to fall like that too, in Kuk Sool Won. Don't worry though, you won't be expected to be that good right away! Remember, that was a black belt demo'ing those techniques. Later, once you've progressed in rank (at least red or brown belt), another entirely new aspect of martial arts will become available to you - weapons training. Weapons training will start off with the long staff and perhaps the Korean straight sword and Jool Bong (nunchakus). I really look forward to each weapons class. You should be able to contact the KSW dojang in your area and schedule a free class to experience first hand what KSW is like. Most KSW instructors are very amenable to that. I hope you decide to at least go see what it's like for yourself!