SBN Doug

Whole-heartedly agree. Just another tool in the box.

I'd have to agree. I haven't begun the sectional staff, but have been training in staff and jool bong (nunchaku) for a few years. When I see someone wielding a sectional staff, I see more staff technique in it than jool bong. However, if you have the time, they do not conflict and you could do a 70/30 split where you train in chucks just enough to get a feel for the spinning techniques required.

Very nice. I've been training with wooden and aluminum swords for about 8 yrs now. Finally, I have purchsed a hand made "live" sword to begin my cutting training. I'm phsyched! And even though you did use the word "Features"..... and Double short sword Double long sword Jool Bong (nunchakus) Spear Fan Sectional Staff Throwing Knives Archery Rope........................... Sorry, I just had to throw in some more.

Thank you all very much.

Excellent job. I'm pleased (but not thrilled) with my outcome. I could have prepared a little harder. Staff Sparring - 1st Breaking - 2nd Techniques - 3rd (lost tie break for 2nd) Open hand form - 3rd Short staff form - 3rd Sparring - 3rd Reverse sword form - 4th (Mental lapse or I would have been higher) I medaled in everything, but should have been higher on a couple. However, it may be one of the last I enter. I squeaked under the wire as I will be promoting to 3rd degree next month.

Thanks, All the black belts will be competing on Sunday.

For anyone in the Houston area this weekend ( 10/7-10/8 ) the World Kuk Sool Won Chamionship and Masters Demo will be at the Kingwood College. The juniors will compete in Sat. morning, follwed by the Masters demo at 1:00. If you happen to stop by, you will catch me and some of my school mates doing a sword sparring demo (wooden of course).

I'm sorry to hear of your hardships in maintaining your MA discipline, but was happy to ready that you did not give up. Unfortunately, high schoolers are not always mature enough to understand that opening a door is a show of respect, not an attempt at dominance. No one said it would be easy, and you shouldn't expect thanks from everyone. But you will be 10 times more invigorated when they are. Stay true to yourself, that's the most important thing. Also, think about moving to Texas.

"Chivalry does have it's place among warriors - among the dead and the soon to die, the ineffective and the overzealous." Well, I guess I don't fall under the category of "Warrior" then, too bad for me. Still, I'd rather die with honor than to live in the manner you describe.

An excellent quote, thank you. patusai, those people are all the more reason to NOT allow yourself to be swain. It's all mental attitude and dissapline.

I had one years ago. It did help a lot, but I never got to splits. After a couple years, the hydrolic mechanism gave out. So, I'm back to just sitting in a split stretch while I watch T.V.

HA! I'm farrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr from perfect.

I am honored, thank you.

Thank you very much. For information on my art, you can read my other article. http://www.karateforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=5250 I just noticed that all three of the most recently active articles are mine.

That'll get us too far off topic. I'll send you a PM.

This post was originally published as an article in a dedicated KarateForums.com Articles section, which is no longer online. After the section was closed, this article was most to the most appropriate forum in our community. It’s a weird feeling returning to the dojang where I started. I was so involved before leaving, I knew most all the students (by face at least, if not by name). All sorts of silly thoughts went through my head. Will I know anyone there? Will I be an outsider now that’s I’ve been gone? Will I be looked down on because I have fallen behind in my training? For those who haven’t seen any of my history, here’s a condensed version. I received my first degree from the Kuk Sool Won dojang in Clear Lake (a suburb of Houston), under the direction of Master Barry Harmon (the highest ranking non-oriental KSW Master in the world). The best way I can describe the focus of his teaching is he emphasizes the “soft” side of the KSW system. Shortly after promotion, I had a professional opportunity in Connecticut and left for what I thought was for good. Being that there are no KSW schools in CT, I had to drive just across the border to New York, in order to continue in Kuk Sool Won. Now, the only schools close enough for me to visit even on a weekly basis were under the direction of Master Marlin Sims. The best way I can describe his focus on teaching is that it’s the exact opposite of Master Harmon. Master Sims’ training focuses on the hard side of KSW. He is the most physically impressive martial artist I have known and trains himself and his students in a manner that reflects this. I count myself a very lucky individual to have had the opportunity to study under two of the most talented Masters in KSW. However, on the downside, Master Sims moved South not long after my move and we were only able to benefit from his teaching when he came up a few times a year for weekend seminars. Additionally, black belt testing can only be conducted in the presence of a Master and bb promotions are done by the Grandmaster personally. Therefore, you either have to travel to Houston for the quarterly testing or wait to test the one time a year the Grandmaster comes around for his seminars. This immediately put me nine months behind the next time I was due to test for second degree. Just this past Summer, I had the opportunity to move back to Houston. However, because I was so busy with moving arrangements, I was not able to be ready to begin my testing for third degree before leaving CT (testing was every Summer). Then I came home to Houston, but situating the family, the new job and everything else kept me from getting back to class in time to start testing in October. Now, the guys I was promoted to first degree with have been promoted to third and I have not even started testing, yet. I don’t find myself jealous of them, but more embarrassed to have fallen so far behind. Well, I finally got the time and the courage to go into class. What will happen here? All those questions are turning my stomach and I’m wondering if this is even going to work. Well, needless to say, I AM STUPID!!! Master Harmon is one of the most likable people you will ever meet. He is encouraging and supportive. He enthusiastically welcomed me back and he reminded me of why I was so depressed about leaving in the first place. He told me how we never really fall behind, unless we stop training. Our training will ebb and flow and we need to be aware of this. I may not have promoted with my former classmates, but they are oblivious to that. Other than an extra bow to them I need to make, there is no difference between us, from either point of view. We reminisced about our promotion together and they brought me up to date with where everyone was. The biggest change I found was the short, young teenager who was an up and coming protégé of Master Harmon was now a towering man. Oh well, age catches us all. Where I had one (at best) person at my level to train with in N.Y., I now have twenty. Where it was a quiet and serious workout, I’ve now returned to the loud and enthusiastic type. I’ve returned to the climate that addicted me to KSW in the first place and I just can’t wait for each class to start. At the end of my first class back, I had to look at the clock to believe it was over. It had passed much too fast, as have all the subsequent classes thereafter. Finally, I have the renewed perspective that the only way I will fail, in my eyes or anyone else’s, is if I ever stop training at all.

frightmaster, you are of course correct. But it is another thing to get it accross to 'some' teens. ocdavis, I lived in Southington, CT for 7 years until I moved back to Houston 2 yrs ago. I feel your pain. What part of the state are you in? You might be commutable to my old dojang just past Danbury.

We do loose the occational BB right after promotion. These are typically the teens that were just looking to get to that title, and now they can boast while they go visit the mall with their fiends every day. Most of our adults, and many teens, stick with it because in our system there is a defined set of criteria for you to learn at each level. You know that at 1st degree you have almost the same amount of techniques to learn for 2nd as there was for 1st. You also know that you start learning staff sparring, sword form, etc. Everyone can see that there is a lot more defined material awaiting them, if they decide to stick with it. With the question of "what else is there" already answered, most don't give quitting a second thought and stick with it.

Take what you like, because it's important for keeping you motivated. Take the BJJ now and work in the standing art when (if) you have time at school. You'll be able to pick up enough BJJ in 6 months to actually utilize it if neccessary (but certainly not become expert at it). I'm not sure you could say the same for TKD. I wouldn't say it about KSW. WHo knows, you may feel comfortable enough with what you've been taught in 6 months that you can switch completely to a standing art at school.

My pleasure.

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To answer your question on Kenpo, I will say AGAIN to rent The Perfect Weapon with Jeff Speakman. MMA is an interesting topic. Esspecially considering the site you linked to. It seems as though they are teaching a well diversed set of MAs. My only concern is that typically a MMA school will be taught by a guy that has taken the quick battle effective portions of different MAs and combined them together so that they compliment each other. Very little tradition or focus on the aspects of the MAs that are not directly related to hands on combat. The school I see in your link has a different instructor teaching each different martial art. So, it's no different than taking all those different MAs from different schools at the same time. If that is the case, then I advise against it. IMHO, you should go with one and get the basics down before you consider mixing them. Unless I'm wrong and they teach you how to mix them as part of the training.

I could have sworn I have seen that statement somewhere before.

Okay, you are quoting individual techniques within Nak beop (Spelled it wrong before). Your cartwheels and dive rolls are just that. However, you could group them as acrobatics if you like. Your Duk Bob is a "Front fall". Here's our trminology: Ap Nak Beop ; Front Fall Hoe Jeon Nak Beop ; Rolling Fall Dwi Nak Beop ; Back Fall Go Yang I Nak Beop ; Cat Roll (dive roll) Yeop Nak Beop ; Side Fall Du Son Pung Cha ; 2-Hand Cartwheel Ah Yeop Nak Beop ; Twisting Fall (Sideways Front Fall) Han Son Pung Cha ; 1-Hand Cartwheel Pung Cha ; Windmill (Cartwheel) Pal Kkum Chi Pung Cha ; Elbow Cartwheel Gong Jung Nak Beop ; High Fall (in Mid-Air) Gong Jung Pung Cha ; Aerial Cartwheel