isshinryu5toforever

Haha, I agree.

The muye is much more readable in Korean, because it's a mixed character book. It contains hanja and Korean characters, but it takes a serious historian to read it in context. Even then, you can't take enough out of it to recreate an entire system. As far as the revisionist history goes, there's a reason for that. The occupation was extremely brutal. The Koreans were basically forced into slave labor, and the Japanese weren't very benevolent masters: forced sexual slavery, executions, etc. They basically attempted a cultural genocide by forcing Koreans to learn to speak and write Japanese only. They forced to some to change their names. There are a lot of stories from the colonial period. Very few of them are good. There's a reason we don't teach young children that Christopher Columbus cut off the hands of natives who wouldn't bring him gold or that the entire Thanksgiving meal between the Pilgrims and Native Americans is a giant myth. It doesn't jive well with our sense of national identity. Korea has done the same thing, but with much more recent history, so it has been dubbed less forgivable.

Sarcasm doesn't translate well through text. That's especially true when the entire first half of the post, which I've italicized, doesn't sound like sarcasm. I took more issue with the line I underlined than the rest, which was obviously offering up a bit of sarcastic humor. Not everyone is going to read your posts with the same intention you write them.

I think they're on the track of getting 95% of everything wrong and maybe 5% right. There is no way to decipher the book. It's a rudimentary primer, not a complete system. That's the main problem. They fill in the huge holes with speculation. I just don't think there is a single link to ancient Korean MAs. Taekkyon comes the closest, but it is a folk game at heart. Same with ssireum. I think they should embrace what came out of the post-occupation period and stop worrying about the past.

The muye dobo tongji movement today is ridiculous. They're basically trying to figure things out from an old handbook. That's actually why I suggested reading up on Korean history during the occupation and directly after. It explains the why for a lot of the revisionist history. Everyone revises history. Paul Revere, Thanksgiving, people believing the world was flat when Columbus was around (they didn't), etc. It's all done to make things sound more magnificent than they truly are.

Hopefully I'll be doing it here. I want to study North Korea. This is the best place to do that. Government grants here are a little easier to come by as well. It will ease the burden a bit. As far as what the police and military do, I'm sure they do TKD, but I think the police also practice Judo to a much larger extent. I'm not positive before. I could ask around I suppose, but it's not that big a deal. I don't plan on getting arrested haha.

Tang Soo Do is the pronunciation of the old kanji for Karate. The newer kanji (by newer, I mean early 1900s newer) mean "empty hand." Tang Soo Do means Tang (dynasty) hand way. It used to be the same in Japan, but has been changed to empty, which is pronounced Kong in Korean. Kong Soo Do is the modern Korean pronunciation of Karate-do "Empty hand way." Kanji in Japanese are Korean Hanja Tang Soo Do hanja: 唐手道 Karate-do (old kanji): 唐手道 Karate as written in kanji now: 空手 So, Tang Soo Do is the Korean pronunciation of Karate-do, but not the modern Karate it was based off of. The claims to have links all the way back to the early Korean dynasties are dubious at best. Like I said, Korean MA history prior to the Japanese Colonial period is not necessarily difficult to track down, but sifting through the claims of modern Korean MAs being linked directly to ancient ones is much more difficult.

Taekwondo isn't dead, but they have evolved a system for producing champions. You're tracked into it as a middle school student. If you excel at Taekwondo, you compete as a high school student. Win there, and you move up the ladder. You're constantly being thrown in competitions. Those that stay healthy and hungry for victory end up Olympic champions or fight a lot internationally. Korea keeps with the East Asian idea of specialization. You're either smart or you're athletic. You aren't usually both. I did Kyokushin here for a while, but had to quit because of time constraints. I'm going to apply to grad schools soon, so I need to prepare. My instructor here was shocked that I went to NYU, played for the university TKD team, graduated with honors in something that wasn't TKD, and hold a high rank in Isshinryu Karate. It's something that just isn't done much in Korea. If you're a sportsman and you get a PhD, it's in sports medicine. It isn't in East Asian Studies or history. Once you're into the martial arts culture, you can see that there are a ton of people that do it, but they're not normal citizens. It's all they do. Very few businessmen practice martial arts. They don't work 9-6, they work more like 8 or 9AM-10PM, because they're expected to go out with their colleagues after work. It's difficult to keep the work balance as a martial artist.

You never did say that was all someone should practice. Someone else said that it penalizes everyone from their school to not include those in competition, which tells me that they rely heavily on things like eye gouges and groin strikes. Like I said, I'd rather train for other things that are more broadly applicable. If I can poke them in the eye, I'm certain there are other more broadly applicable things I can do that are just as effective.

Ok, this is going to be long haha. Yes, I am living in Seoul right now. There are only a handful of instructors here I would deem worth going to, because the top instructors are all coaches and most of the ones that coach don't teach anyone over the age of 16. It's not that you can't learn from anyone that has a 6th dan, but would you rather learn from someone you've never heard of or someone that has coached a few former gold medalists or that judges at the Olympics? You would only be with kids if the instructor allowed it. Some don't even take adults period. If you're going to be in Wonju, I would say there are fewer options. I have visited there before, because it's technically my hometown. I was adopted, so I don't consider it such, but Koreans do. If you want to learn a Korean martial art, I would consider Taekkyon or Kong Gwon Yusul. Taekkyon is an old Korean folk game that has been dubbed a martial art. It has a revisionist history that says it was used to fight the Japanese, but that's a bunch of crap. It doesn't make it any less fun though. It's a "game" in the same sense that boxing is a game. If you know anything about the history of Korean village folk games, they're pretty violent. That would be another post though. Gong Gwon Yusul is a brand spanking new martial art (founded in 1996). It's kind of Korea's answer to MMA. The founder of the style combined Thai boxing, boxing, Hapkido, and Jujitsu to create something very interesting. They train hard and produce some decent fighters. It looks fun, but I haven't had a chance to give it a shot. As far as the testing process at the Kukkiwon goes, as far as I know they only do black belt tests there. 1st dan and up. Poom for kids of course. The black belt test is easy, it takes a grand total of about 10 minutes. You do a few basic punches and a few basic kicks. Then, you do one of the Taeguk poomse 1-4 and then one of the Taeguk poomse 5-8. After that you break a board or two, spar for 30 seconds, and boom, you're finished. They really expect your instructor to test you beforehand. Your rank is more verified by them than actually tested. First dan isn't exactly difficult to get here, and no one would care if you got it in a few months because you'd trained before. It's not really impressive these days. If you're a 4th dan, that's when eyebrows start to get raised.

Wow, a lot happened while I was asleep haha. I'm glad you're getting a new view on how many kata you absolutely need. For self-defense, it's generally one. Naihanchi (Tekki in Shotokan) is picked by a lot of people. You said you wanted to learn more and more about what you do (hobbies etc.). You can learn more and more about a single kata. Naihanchi is only about 28 techniques long, but there are hundreds of combinations of techniques for self defense in that one kata. I don't remember the number that Master Young (Isshinryu) came up with, but it was well over 400. That's the depth you can learn by studying a much smaller number of kata. The reason I wanted to know what rank your sensei was lies simply in the body of knowledge that's been given to him. You have a few years to get to black belt yet haha. He'll have learned quite a bit by then I'm sure. I was with my instructor when he was a 3rd dan. He is now a 7th dan. He hasn't learned a lot more kata, there are only 8 for us, but he has learned a lot more depth. That's something I've picked up. He has also been able to learn the tonfa, which was something we didn't have originally, and is in the process of learning the eku. That's all taken 20 years. Karate is a slow process most of the time. As far as TKD in Korea, you're better off learning it in the US anyways. At least there the best coaches still take in regular students. Here, the best coaches just coach. They teach kids classes and coach high school and university students. They don't teach adults, because the interest isn't high enough.

I would say that pressure testing your training is a way to develop the mental awareness to consider your options even under duress. You don't need to practice gouging someone in the eye while you're being attacked. You need to practice being attacked. The more you've been put in high pressure situations, the more you can act not just on instinct, but you can consider your options. Someone who has never been pressure tested will revert to only what they know without the ability to be creative. Someone who has been pressure tested many times will have the ability to respond, assess the situation, and act accordingly. That's not to say that eye gouges and the like don't have a place, but like I said, there are more useful things that you can pressure test that will put you at a greater advantage. Hitting the head with your fist is already hard, hitting just the eye with your finger is even harder. If that's all you want to practice, that's fine with me, but your time could be better spent on other things.

I don't think the point was that it needs to be trained full force. It's more that biting and eye gouging is so easy that anyone can do it. There's no real reason to train it, because it's so easy and undeniably effective. It just isn't the best solution in every situation. We've all seen it in the movies where a guy gets put in an arm bar and then bites the person applying it so they let go. I'm guessing, if a guy has you in an arm bar, and you bite him, he'll probably use that leg to give you a swift kick to the face so you don't do that again, and break your arm at the same time. Using biting, groin strikes, and eye gouging to get out of a grapple just isn't a good idea. If you do it to them, they can certainly do it to you, AND they're in a superior position. If it were a sport competition, they would just crank the submission harder. If it is a self defense situation, they're already breaking whatever they're holding. It is not that those things don't work, but more the fact that for most situations there are much better options that can be trained full force.

The part about plyometrics is very interesting. If you have an article about it, I'd like to read it. I could see how not having an appropriate strength training background would make plyometrics hard on your body.

I guess that was the point. Why Shotokan? I understand if it's the only thing you have in your area. You said that there's also TKD. Is there anything else? If not, then yes, you are very very limited, and you have to make the best of it. If I may ask, what is your instructor's rank? It has nothing to do with his ability to teach, well, it can, but it has more to do with his knowledge base. The more advanced he is, the more he'll know to a point.

If the only thing you're worried about is defending yourself, learn to box. Period. Complicated is horrible when it comes to self defense. You aren't going to counter an attack with a perfect side block reverse punch in pristine zenkutsu dachi, kiai loudly, and watch the attacker fall to the ground as you stand there in proud rigidity. Boxing has 4 basic punches, the jab, the hook, the straight, and the uppercut, and that is MORE than enough for you to defend yourself with. I take away from your post that you are a beginner. Here are a few questions: Why is 8 not enough? Isshin-ryu and Uechi-ryu both have 8 kata. They have practitioners that are just fine defending themselves. What qualifies you to decide how many katas you need to learn? Your instructor is an instructor for a reason. Here's the biggest question, why are you training with an instructor that will never give you what you want? You are a client, so naturally you should seek out what you're looking for. He provides a service. It isn't his job to tailor his services specifically to you. In fact, I'll go with the tailor reference here. You don't go to a tailor and tell him exactly what you want. A lot of people think this is how it works, but it isn't. You go to a tailor, and he shows you what his suits look like. They might be longer than normal, shorter than normal, have narrower shoulders, whatever. A great tailor, think Saville Row, will make a suit that fits you, but it is the suit he WANTS to make you. It will have his style, but it will fit you. So, you have to choose a tailor that makes suits in the style you like. Marital arts are exactly the same. Every instructor has something to offer. He will teach you in a way that fits your learning style, but he will not change the style for you. If you go to a Shotokan dojo that practices 8 kata, you will learn 8 kata over time. If you go to an ITF dojang, you will learn their multiple forms over time. I believe there are 24. You have to be an informed customer. You also have to have an open mind and trust the person teaching you. If you aren't willing to do that, then why have a teacher?

Learning on your own can be ok if you have a background already. It's been done before. Here's the problem with what you're thinking of doing: depending on where you end up in Korea, you might not have a dojang available to you that even takes adults. A fairly large number of TKD dojan do not have adult classes, period. I had to check out several before I found one for my fiance. Also, how long will you be in Korea? If you want to test for black belt, you have to get special permission from the Kukkiwon, or reside in the country for more than one year. You can't just go, train for a month, and test. Unless you have the endorsement of an instructor. Which, without going to a dojang, you can't get. If you want to test under the WTF, then you just need to know the Taeguk poomse. The Palgwe are no longer used in the standard Kukkiwon tests. In fact, I could give you a breakdown of a black belt test, because they're held every Sunday and open to the public.

You're welcome. WKF has a few different forms of competition. The problem is that it's not as common in the US as the big point sparring games of tag. You don't get to see ippon kumite very often. Aside from the WKF, Kyokushin Karate's knockdown system works on an ippon system as well. A true knockdown is a full point, a stunning strike or a timed sweep is a waza ari.

I think we both said the same things in different ways. Basically, start at the beginning. As far as weight training not helping your martial arts, I just don't think that's true. To get a body builder's physique you need genetics, chemical assistance (legal or not), and a whole lot of calories and protein. If you eat a standard 2500 calorie a day (for men) 2000 calorie a day (for women) diet, you will not bulk. You will just get stronger, your muscles will get more dense. You might put on some weight, but it will be in lean mass, and you'll lose fat. Every world class athlete does some form of strength training, even runners. For people who don't have a lot of experience with strength training, it is important that they start on a structured program. When they have more experience, they can put together their own kind of maintenance program. Structured programs will make you stronger faster than just doing your own thing.

I don't think we'll see a big influx in the number of spinning kicks in WTF, but with the new sensors, you will see more head kicks. Also, the Palgwe forms may be included in a book on WTF forms, but they are not the official poomse required for grading. The Taeguk poomse are the only ones you are required to know by the Kukkiwon.

I'd say it's more the preference of the kjn than the kwan that you originate from. I know a few that teach the Palgwe forms to make sure people don't get bored, because the Taeguk forms are pretty easy to pick up. Are you trying to teach yourself the forms kozushi?

First off, it's great that you're a regional wrestling champ, but it does not help you at all when it comes to hitting people other than the fact that you're in great shape and you're athletic. Hitting people is an entirely different skill set. First off, what are your goals? Second, how hard do you want to hit people? If you want to hit people hard a lot: Muay Thai Boxing Kyokushin Karate, and its offshoots Those are just the most consistent. There are a large number of World Taekwondo Federation schools that focus on hard contact in preparation for Olympic style competition. You get kicked and kick extremely hard. There also exist a large number of Karate schools (not Kyokushin) that train with hard contact, but they are not as consistent as Kyokushin. Example: I did Isshinryu Karate under an instructor that used hard contact and knockdown rules. I went to an Isshinryu Karate dojo once that was non-contact. That's a very wide gulf. If you want to point spar (and THAT is your entire goal), then you can go to just about any Karate dojo, Taekwondo dojang, or Chinese chuanfa training hall and inquire about what they do. There are bound to be ones that are big into the tournament circuit. You'll run into others who don't want to do tournaments. Just pick one that does a lot of tournaments, and you're likely to be happy. Shop around, check out different schools, and you'll find one that fits.

That's a good point, but strong lifts from the VERY beginning is a good idea if you've never worked with a trainer before. Your form is bound to have some holes in it. It would almost be worth it to take one personal training session at a gym to get your form correct, and then start the program from the beginning.

Here is a good, structured, beginner's strength workout. http://stronglifts.com/stronglifts-5x5-beginner-strength-training-program/ When you get more advanced, you can seek out stuff like kettlebell training. Getting stronger can only help you. You won't get big, bulky muscle, like a body builder, just from strength training. It takes a dedicated diet to get that big. We're talking specific amounts of protein daily as well as tons of calories.

It's less about concepts and more about context. The cultural context under which Japanese swordsmanship was taught dictated that all swordsmen be right handed. As sojobo mentioned, there were a few dual sword schools, but they were the exception not the rule. The Japanese have always had very specific social rules that govern everything. That was what made Miyamoto Musashi so successful, he was willing to go against convention.