bushido_man96

Here are a few of his matches so far this year: This one was the first match we had with the big kid that slammed him, after the slamming incident: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpN8VzFEAyo&list=HL1360299574 Here is one at another tourney, the following week, against same kid: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mikHsUVKMHk&list=PLon1GNgZPzV7auEhp4xObbl6WkFdGZrEQ&index=3 Will work to get some more up for you guys!

Sounds like a fun class, JCavin. I probably would have puked after the burpees. Tallgeese, sorry about the shoulder. Mine still hurts from surgery. 2/6/2013 Solo workout at home. Yoo Sin Se Jong Ge Baek x2 Po Eun x2 Kwang Gae x2 Do-Kang 1 Do-Kang 2 Repeat round kicks, mid/hi x10 (20 total kicks). Repeat round kicks, hi/mid x10 (20 total kicks). Stretch

Un Yong Kim may not have had any MA experience, but he did surround himself with some knowledgeable MAists to put together the WTF, which brought in a lot of former ITF masters, if I recall. As for all the "science" behind the moves in the Encyclopedia, I think there can be some argument there. TKD's parent art is Shotokan, and there were lots of similarities in the moves prior to sine wave usage. Choi did make a lot of changes in how to move in ITF forms, I think mainly to make it look different from Shotokan and to distance himself from that. I don't blame him for that, and I don't think its wrong that he did it. Nor do I think there is any more sound science behind the movements of ITF TKD and the movements of other styles, like Shotokan, WTF, Capoeira, or other styles.

That is the set that the ITF uses but there a lot of non-ITF groups who will also study them. This the association? http://www.world-taekwondo.com Seems to be affiliated with the Kukkiwon so WTF? Anyway good luck with your TKD journey Glad you found a good school. Seems we have a bit of a mystery here then. JCavin will have to keep us posted!

I never thought of it this way, but that is an excellent point, and one I'll remember now. Especially the 4 direction kicking. That'll work great in the basement where I practice at home. Thanks, Danielle!

I learn in sequence combinations. So for me, understanding how one technique sets up the next is important in why the form is put together the way it is.

I believe there is truth to this. I can't remember which kata it is that has the 3 backwards jumps in it to make it end on the same spot, but I fail to see any practicality involved with the maneuver, and it seems pointless to do it just to get it back to the same spot.

I found the same list in Encyclopedia of Taekwon-do, vol 1, pp 154-155. And I understand this, as well. Gen. Choi did design the forms to be such that they did start and end in the same spot. I don't know how or why the changes came around for the way we do these forms (although I have some suspicions...), but the footwork differences don't always allow for us to end on up the same spot. I've watched a lot of ITF patterns on YouTube, and I see this rhythm in the way they do it. We don't use those rhythms, but tend to make more combinations, and the forms tend to flow faster in general. But, I think that this standard can hold true for any type of rhythm, so long as it seems logical. You nailed it here. Like I said, I think I looked too far into the semantics, and you really cleared this up for me. Spot on.

Zoodles, thank you thank you for chiming in! Love the videos. This one is great at showing the finesse of longsword. This is the half-swording that I've never really seen, but read about. Thank you for this one. Lots of similar techniques that I've seen in Combat Hapkido and CQC techniques. These were great! Lots of similarities I see in Wrestling. Thanks again, Zoodles! Lastly, here's a video I stumbled across, showing some sparring between bokken and longsword. It doesn't really show one guy whipping the other. You see two guys with some pretty similar skill levels having a pretty even match. It appears to me that both guys get some good techniques in.

Being OK based, Bob, you might have some luck in finding some ARMA study groups near you. I'd do a search and look around; universities tend to be a place to check, but there are others, as well. Right. They were both well trained in great combative systems, and both types of weapons were well made. The two were more equal than most people realize.

Thanks for the thoughts, Bob.

Congrats, and well deserved!

Sounds like you did well, and its great that you come out of testing with a new rank, as well as ideas of what you want to improve on, and how to do so. Very nice job, and congrats! Thanks for sharing this experience with us.

I had never heard of Saju Jirugi, Saju Makgi or Saju Tulgi until I got the TKD Encyclopedia set by Gen. Choi. Does you school use them for teaching white belts? Do you find any advantages over using just Chon Ji for teaching the basics and turning?

That's cool to hear. I'm glad it was a good, positive experience for you. I believe the WTA is the World Taekwondo Association, and I think it may be an off-shoot of WTF stuff, but not for sure. An internet search didn't reveal much. Good luck with it and keep us posted!

Yep, good and bad. I can't believe you got actually "tossed out" like that! Nuts! I'm glad you got a good experience to balance it out. I'm the kind of guy that if I heard you did a different style, I'd be like, "cool, so we do this, how do you do it?" And just start learning....

Thanks, guys. Watching practice at times frustrates me, though. He stands up straight waaaaay too much, and at times just dances around instead of shooting a take down. But, I keep working with him. Too much instructor in me, I guess.

All good points. So, what I think we have here, as opposed to an efficiency vs effectiveness argument, is instead a rating scale of techniques in general, based on their efficiency and effectiveness.A jab is efficient, for sure; fast, straight line, recover quick for defense. But as far as effectiveness, its damage capability isn't as high as that of a hook punch, usually. So, we have a scale to put the techniques on, and we see which way the scale leans more, I guess.

The way I see it, as much as any one of us try to imitate what an instructor teaches us for years and years, we can only become so much like that person, as we cannot become that person entirely. We're all a bit different, and so our experiences are a bit different than those we learn from. We all end up spicing the MAs in our own way.

I think this would be tough, without sacrificing power in the technique. Instead, I think making that hand work into a trap or as a feint for the next hand would be better.

Boy, I can try! Its been a while since I've done some reading, although I have some books I need to get through, for sure! Aside from what I can offer, the user called Zoodles who was here a while back could probably offer lots of good stuff, as he actually gets to practice it. One of the major things I've seen with Medieval Combat, are the misconceptions people have, compared to like, the Samurai of Japan. There are those who would be inclined to believe that the Japanese Samurai were such superior warriors that they would have been able to easily conquer Medieval Europe's fighting knights, but that's just not the case. The standard Medieval longsword was fairly light, not likely more than 4 lbs. The blades were well balanced and were sharp. Medieval Combat was made up of very concise systems, with renowned masters of the time doing the teaching and drilling. Empty hand tactics were a part of it, as well. Another thing not readily known by those who don't practice it or research it is that the systems usually transitioned very well across to other weapons. Quarterstaff work transitioned very well into sword work, as well as pole arm tactics. Grappling was always a popular system for hand-to-hand, and many techniques not unlike those found in Aiki-jujutsu can be found in Medieval manuals. There was a big thread that floated around a long time ago about Medieval Knights vs Japanese Samurai, and reading through it you can see how the romanticization of both the Samurai (which got the better) and the Knight (which got the worse, in my opinion) affect the answer people would give, based on story books and movies and not actual research and application. I'll try to find it and post the link here. I hope that helps sate your thirst for now. I would always recommend checking out https://www.thearma.org for any other questions. That site is a treasure trove. I look forward to the input of others! Thanks for asking, Bob!

I'm reading The Encyclopedia of Taekwon-do Patterns, vol 1, by Stuart Anslow, and before getting into the patterns themselves, he has a page where he lists the above mentioned "Standards." Some I agree with, and some I don't, but I think they all warrant some discussion, and I don't feel they are exclusive to TKD patterns, as many other styles likely feel the same way on some or all. Here they are: 1. All patterns start and finish on the same spot. I don't really agree with this one so much. When I was in the ATA, the patterns were designed to do that, and I usually got close, but never usually dead on. In the TTA now, with some of the modifications made in techniques and stepping in regards to the ITF forms we do, some of the forms just don't end in the same place they started. Won Hyo, for instance, in our org, ends up about a sitting stance length to the right of where we start. Although I think starting and ending on the same spot can be beneficial, I think the techniques are the most important aspect, and look to get the techniques down, along with the stances, with power and speed. Just my thought. 2. Each pattern should be performed in a rhythmic motion without stiffness. I pretty well agree with this. One should look comfortable when doing a form. Power should flow smoothly through speed and technique. Breathing should be a factor in this, as well. I also think its important to get the right combinations in the form together in the proper rhythm. 3. Each technique should be fully formed before moving onto the next. Again, agreed. Incomplete techniques running together is just sloppy. 4. Techniques should be performed with realism. Agreed. If you throw a punch, throw it like you would punch someone trying to hurt you. If its a block, block as if your life depends on it. If you have bunkai and know it, visualize the bunkai working as you perform the technique. 5. Correct breathing should be performed throughout each pattern. Agreed. Some people breath in on each chamber, and out on the execution of each technique. Some will work it between certain techniques. However its done, being consistent and rhythmic will keep the form rhythmic. 6. Correct posture and muscle tension should be utilized in all techniques. Agreed. We have a fellow in our school testing for 1st dan soon, and he had good power, but tends to keep everything to tensed up, and is holding his own performance back. Relaxed tension at the beginning, with good kime at the completion of the techniques. Correct posture lends to good balance, and better technical performance. 7. Each pattern should be perfected before moving onto the next. This one, I don't agree with as much. White belts aren't going to be perfect at their testing. They're white belts. I think there are good intentions in this standard by Mr. Anslow, and perhaps I am reading too much into it, and taking it too literally. I know no one can be perfect, so I won't get into that whole mess. But, I think that the early stages are going to be far from perfect, but improvements will be seen, and its up to the instructor to figure out what is acceptable and what is not for white belts, orange belts, and other beginner grades. So overall, I don't disagree much, and where I do disagree is probably more of a semantics issue than anything else. I do think these are good standards to live by for forms practice, though. I'd like to hear the thoughts of everyone else, and if there are standards you would add, let's hear them!

Thanks Brian You are welcome!

Yes, they are. It's all about location, facilities, and affiliation. I'm sure training at Extreme Couture in Las Vegas is much more expensive than training at the average, local MMA gym. I mean, really...look at his floor plan http://www.xtremecouturemma.com/GymTour.asp I'm willing to bet those are larger and better kept facilities than 90% of the gyms around the world. I agree with you. That place is like an MA mansion! There is some truth to the adage of "you get what you pay for." Not always, but at times.

I'd guess, and its just a guess, is an addition to "Hapkido" because its another offshoot of Hapkido. This happens alot when people branch off from their former school and take their own, slightly divergent path in the same art.