Steve_K

Scottnshelly The supposed oom yung do cult would basically fit all of those descriptions, especially the first, with perhaps a little less emphasis on religion. Extremist? Most would agree. False? Possibly. A charismatic leader? Check. This is not necessarily my belief, but the reflection of several persons' accounts. If you have until black belt training oomyungdoeperson, then you should be fine for a while, and just be careful.

Wow, great stories guys. Unique and respectable. Here's mine My black belt test was on May 31 2003 and I was 17 years old. The test was about six and a half hours long non stop with 5min breaks every hour, from 9am to 3:30pm on a saturday. One of the things that really stuck with me was how serious all of my instructors were during the two or three weeks leading up to the test. We would be practicing in class and while discussing the upcoming test, I asked my teacher, "You wouldn't be testing us if you thought we might fail right?" and all he said was "Not necessarily. You all had six months (since the date was set) to prepare for the test, and I hope you're ready." They were also telling us what we should eat for the two or three days before the test, how much water or gatorade would should bring etc. We went through a lot of psychological testing before the actual test date. Finally, during the last class before our test they told us that we weren't allowed to approach the black belts before the test, attempt to engage in any conversation with them, and to be completely serious during the entire proceeding. That was a little unnerving, because for the five years prior, they were always comical, friendly and very relaxed people even during class. The day of the test arrived, we bowed in and the test officially started. There were four of us testing by the way. Right after we bowed in, I think there was a moment of silence, and then one of the black belts (there were four of them as well) said, go up to the track and run half a mile. So we did, we came back down and then they immediately started us off on the first of our ten previous test requirement sheets. We did those, stood in front of them, and then one of them asked me "how many push ups can you do?" I figured there was no use in being clever and gave an honest answer which was, at least eighty. They asked that to the other three candidates, and then said "Do them" so we did, we stood back up, they barraged us with questions about Korean history and such, and then another similar question about sit ups, with the same consequence, I said 100. We jumped from one thing to the next and then back, including katas, technique, self defense etc. We each had our own area of an entire gymnasium to do our katas, each facing a different direction so as not to be able to watch one another. I knew all mine, but some of the other got flustered and stalled and the black belts would tell him/her to start over, while the rest of us had to hold our final position (like a deep horse stance with an arm extended), which can get pretty tiring. It went like that for about five hours, and every now and then, one of them would ask us "do you guys want to leave? It's okay if you leave. This is really tough and we won't hold it against you if you want to quit" Which none of us did. That went on for about five and a half hours. The point came where they realized that we hand't broken anything yet, so they busted out the boards and asked us what technique we wanted to do. I said punch because it's simple, so I punched the board, but it didn't break, boards were never a problem for me, so this was a little perturbing, so I struck it again, no good, and again and again, finally my knuckles started to bleed and they told me to kick it, I kicked it once, no good and then twice, it finally broke. I was later told by someone who picked up my board that it was sopping wet with sap, which if any of you know, makes the board infinitely harder to break. After doing another kata with blood dripping off my hand, the black belts finally told me to go get it cleaned up by my dad, who was one of the two doctors on hand to treat injuries. I came back from the bathroom and the other three just finished doing their own devised kata, and it was my turn, I did it, and then we took a break. The rest of us knew what was next, because everything else was done with, the sparring. The sparring at my class ranges from light to a little less than full contact, and in the case of our test, we knew it was going to be pretty rough. So we started, and we each had to fight each instructor one by one for about three minutes each. We were already pretty well worked over after that, and actually thought we might be done, but we weren't. That's when one of the instructors called the first person who sparred up again, and then he had to fight three of the instructors simultaneously, with very little control. They would throw us to the ground and kick us and get on top of us and pummel us, but they would use control in those situations since that would be verey dangerous if they didn't, force us back up and keep going. My turn came and I fought them all without letting myself go to the ground. Finally the last of us to spar was up, he fought well until he allowed himself to get cornered against the wall, and tripped. He fell back and cracked his head on a steel support beem that ran up the wall. My dad and the other doctor on hand rushed to him and made sure he was okay, which he was after a moment of unconsciousness and laying on the ground. The instructors decided that was the end of the test, and excluded concrete breaking and our weapon forms. They told us that we could sit down and take our gi tops off and relax. They each had their own words to speak to each of us, all very good, encouraging and heartfelt. During this moment all of the candidates started to become very emotional and began tearing up, I was able to fight it back, but decided it best to not try to speak. Finally they asked us the same question they ask after every test, which was "If you were in our position, would you pass yourself?" We all answered yes and gave our respective reasons. At this point my mother, grandmother and about every other female watching were already in tears. They stood us up, bowed us out, and told us we were finished, but due to tradition we had to wait a month before we were actually promoted. After that, we all conversed and enjoyed eachother's company for a short time and left. During the test I consumed two large jugs of gatorade, and did not have to use the bathroom once, in over six hours. It was the most mentally and physically and fulfilling thing I have done yet in my life. Thank you all for your responses and (if you took the time) for reading my story, and keep yours coming.

Yeah I read that. That's what made me think of starting this topic. Thanks orion82698, and Drivr.

What version of TKD is it that kicks from the ground? In the version of TKD that I do, most of the kicks involve picking up the knee first, then performing the kick... Yeah. To my knowledge, most styles will teach you to pick up (chamber) your knee. That's why you need to check the school out before you start. Trust me, a good TKD school will not disappoint, but I'm not trying to push TKD on you, it is just one of many very fine options. Also be aware that, if there is something fishy going on with your school, your teacher will probably not be very forthright with you, but if you ask him, listen carefully to what he has to say, and make sure that what he is telling you isn't just hot air. Just on a side note, assuming that they were and still are a cult, and with all of the (supposed) publicity it may have had in the martial arts community, they would surely take this into consideration, and change their methods. I wouldn't be surprised if they waited to try to coax students, after they've been there a while, letting them get comfortable with their instructors and fellow students. I'm not suggesting this is true, just a mere logical possiblity. *(edit) Oh, and as for the flying kick; on the web site, I believe, it even said that it had to do with the master's phenomenal near magical powers, not necessarily shifting his weight, and even if it was a matter of shifting weight, the kicking technique would be irrelevant. I believe strongly in science, but am open enough to not just dismiss things, but I'm not even close to believing in most, if not all of master kim's abilities. Please remember oomyungdoeperson, I'm not attacking you, in case it sounds like it.

Yes, I agree. I wish I could see this document in full, or at least the part discussing any kind of release from the contract, to see if everything is clearly stated and all possible circumstances are accounted for.

Wow, I did a little bit of quick research on that style, and some of the things I read were kind of scary. Supposedly the kicking technique master kim uses is supposed to slow down his descent, so he may land without harm. Interestingly enough, the photographer must have been doing that very technique while taking the picture, because they are just as far off the edge of the building as he is. Aside from the frightening accounts described on a cult resource page, as an experienced martial artist, I found some of the information and pictures on their web sites to be peculiar, nonsensical and impractical. Most of the pictures on the site with the caption "you can achieve this" are of people doing either, simple jumping kicks, techniques in impractical stances, or stances commonly seen in any kung fu magazine. If half of the "great achievements" performed by this master were true, everyone in the martial arts community would know about them and him. Also, Chung Mu/Moo was the given birth name of a Korean naval admiral who was known as Yi Sun Shin, and was said to have created the first armored battle ship. I don't know what your knowledge is of the meaning of Chung Moo, the alternate name for oom yung doe, but it is a name. But to play devil's advocate, the art could have that name because of it's meaning, as names usually have a meaning to them. I am very sorry oomyundoeperson, it's great that you have gotten positive results from your practice, but you should be very, very careful in choosing to stay. If I were you, I would seriously consider another school. Do not let your impression of one school dictate your opinion of "other martial arts". Since oom yung do is a Korean martial art, I would suggest a traditional, not sport/olympic, but a traditional tae kwon do school, or tang soo do. A traditional Okinawan Shorin Ryu, or Shotokan Karate school would also be very good, as they are very similar to traditional Chung Do Kwan TKD. But please, do not dismiss all other schools because you weren't impressed with one, there are plenty of "ho hum" schools out there, but also some very good ones. I would be very wary of a style that glorifies it's grand master with being able to jump off a high building. You should though, by all means, continue your martial arts training, but at a good school that teaches a well known style with strong roots. With that said, I wish you good luck with whatever choice you make.

Similar to what AngelaG said. I usually look at my opponent's lower chest or upper abdomen which gives me a good overview of the whole body, it also breaks eye contact with your opponent eliminating their ability to predict moves given by your eyes and face, and keeps you from relying on that same skill of watching your opponent's face, because a skilled fighter can restrain facial telegraphing and may even be able to falsly telegraph moves to throw you off. As for blocking, just like pineapple said, lots of practice to commit those blocks to your muscle memory, as well as block/counters and entire bodily evasion, which requires good balance, upper body agility and good footwork.

Sorry for the second post, my internet was acting up. *But while it's up here. No, nobody twisted his arm to sign up, but he shouldn't be punished for assuming he would be reasonably financially secure, and unable to predict that too much of his spare finances would be needed for other pressing matters.

Try this "online expert" link, supposedly an expert on business/small business contracts http://www.allexperts.com/getExpert.asp?Category=910 Forgive me if any of this was earlier stated. Remember that a contract outlines the terms of the agreement, and must clearly state all possible aspects concerning the agreement. This means that if your contract doesn't say "You may not be released from financial obligation under ANY CIRCUMSTANCES other than personal medical issues, or relocation beyond a reasonable distance (x miles)" or something along those lines, then you can raise the issue of the contract's validity. But if it does mention no other circumstances other than health and location, then that makes it more difficult, but not necessarily hopeless. If you find it too difficult to handle personally you should also consider contacting the local "Better Business Bureau" for their assistance, or to file a complaint, and if all else fails you can of course talk to your/a lawyer. The situation you are in is really bad, not by any real fault of your own. When you get out of this, and if the owner gives you a lot of grief, you should definitely consider reporting him to the Better Business Bureau, because that is truly unfair and very bad business to make you commit to such an absolute and long term obligation.

I guess I didn't explain completely. You obviously don't stay there and hang out for an extended time, and your body isn't forward so much that the back of your neck is exposed. This tactic is highly aggressive which forces the opponent to back up and/or into a very defensive mode, leaving a nice window for a good combination and/or power strike. As for risks of elbow strikes to the head or neck; they are surprisingly low if your head is placed high up in the chest (mid sternum or higher), even if they can make contact, they have very little space and leverage to do any real damage, (try to hit yourself in the chest with your elbow or a punch, the most you can do is pound your chest like a gorilla) and if you are able to move in quickly, strike and move out, you should be just fine. This move does rely however on explosive advances to prevent opponent detection and couters.

You know Jhoon Rhee taught Bruce Lee kicks right? That's right.

What are some of your black belt tests like? How long, what do you do, how tough? etc Also, tell about any kind of interesting aspect unique to your personal test, or just describe some of the most interesting parts. Anything that really stuck with you relating to your test. This isn't meant to be a Brag-a-thon, just a place to reminisce and share your experience with other martial artists. I'll post mine in a bit after some of you (hopefully) have already posted yours. I look forward to reading your stories.

I like to try to practice for at least an hour every night I can. I am in college and a black belt and am no longer in a class, but if I can do it every night, I do it every night.

If it was just a "mad woman" I would just protect myself and lock her up and convince her to calm down. Now if she had a truly malicious intent and/or a weapon, depending on her ferocity and ability, I would start with less visibly damaging blows to the body to try to knock the wind out of her and get her under control, but if she was a real threat and endangering my life, I would treat her like a man, but immediately file a police report stating that she attacked me and I did all that was necessary to protect myself.

I'm a short guy, and one of the things I will do against a taller person when I am really getting into it, is I will move in really close and try to bury my forehead in the guys chest and pound his mid section, or if need be, I can easily find his head and face, since it is right above me. If this guy keeps moving in on you, use that to your advantage, (you said he is slightly bigger than you), and get low and if you want to give him the message that he needs to stay back from you, give him a good shove with your fist and knock him back, and if he does it again, make it more of a strike so he will feel more pain. You just need to get low and bring your hands up close and around your head to protect your face. If you bury your head in his chest, your midsection will be at an angle giving you some distance to generate power in your strikes, but making it difficult for him to generate any real power. This technique works really well if you can get inside, which in your case your opponent is already doing for you.

If you were fighting competetively then obviously you were overmatched. But a good black belt or senior student would know that with a beginning student, he/she would be doing more instructing than fighting, helping the student get used to moving around and using techniques.

If that is the case (above), and he was really able to put an order to the technique, then it really would only make sense that it would speed up your progress.

Can someone explain what this "blueprint" is? Is it like a detailed theory of BJJ or what?

There's nothing egotistic or arrogant about the title "Martial Artist". It's just like the title of "Musician". Do you think someone is arrogant because they say they are a musician? Granted, it can be worn arrogantly, simply because the martial arts involves fighting, and some consider those who can fight to be superior to those who can't. That's why when some people learn that you practice martial arts, even if it is from someone other than you, they immediately begin to defend themselves with statements such as "well I'm a street fighter" or "You can't beat me up, I fought a blah blah blah" even though you yourself said nothing about you involvement in martial arts. People need to realize that "martial artist" doesn't parallel the statement "I can beat you up, therefore I am superior to you", it just means that "this is something I enjoy doing and I have applied myself to it because it benefits me and makes me feel good in many aspects of my life, and it just so happens that I can protect myself if physically threatened" Because there are so many people that feel threatened to know if someone practices martial arts, I personally avoid divulging such information about myself until it is entirely relevant and I am around people I know and who will not feel threatened, because there is no threat in that fact.

If this wasn't stated earlier. Your sensei would (if he was honorable) never wish you to issue such a challenge. He would understand that some jerk's "hot air" isn't worth it.

Yes I can do it as well.

In concurrence with Fat Donkey I think you become a "martial artist" when the martial arts becomes the/a passion in your life, it doesn't matter how much you know, or how good you are at it, but how you feel about it. My brother is very good at, and loves to play music, and refers to himself as a musician, he is also very good at all kinds of art, painting, drawing etc, but he wouldn't necessarily refer to himself as an "artist" in that sense, but as a "musical artist". I myself also like to write (fictional) stories, but I don't consider myself a "writer". I believe you may adopt any title like that, once whatever you do ceases to become a pastime and hobby, and becomes a passion. As a martial artist, I can fight, but I am not a fighter.

Could the concept of plyometrics be applied to hand techniques, ie. clapping pushups, similar to jumping with the legs?

This may not be what you're looking for, but I haven't checked this site in a while and I believe it has more than just TKD forms, but at any rate someone else here may find it useful http://webpages.marshall.edu/~shroyer1/tkd/tkd0.html

Thank you tkdBill, well put.