bushido_man96

Yes, and I have found that it allows for more momentum. I have long limbs, and allowing these extremities to work for me, instead of making them do it, has been really great. I have found that I no longer look "stiff," I am getting more power from my techniques, and I am less worn out after doing a number of kata in a row. That's really great. Right now, I'm fighting with an injured left shoulder, and it really prevents me from putting a lot of power into much of anything, especially any blocks that go overhead. So, I still stay loose, but have to throw my techniques much slower than usual. But I try to really lock out at the moment of completion, really get that kime, I guess. I could try to do the left handed techniques more slowly and throw the right hand with full power, but that feels really wonky, as one side of my body doesn't want to move faster than the other all that much. I don't know if that would be worth trying or not. 11/5 and 11/6/2022 It's not much, but the wife and I had a nice walk with the dogs these two days. On the 5th, we walked a little over a mile and a half, and on the 6th, we walked just under a mile.

A big congrats to Dusty Baker, who has been at this for a long time. He really deserves to finally win one, locking him into Cooperstown for sure.

Song Moo Kwan: "Pine Tree School" One of the original Kwans founded after WWII and before the Korean War. The Song Moo Kwan (originally called the Song Do Kwan from what I’ve read) was initially founded in 1944 by Byung Jik Ro in Kaesung, at the Kwan Duck Jung archery school. Song Moo Kwan was the first of the original Kwans to open. He was forced to close the school three to four months later, as the Japanese were still occupying Korea at the time. Byung reopened the school in Dong Hung Dong in 1946. It closed again during the Korean War and reopened in 1953. Byung referred to his art as Kong Soo Do, as well. Martial Heritage According to Taekwondo Wiki, Byung became interested in the Martial Arts at the age of 12, when he observed techniques being practiced in local temples. Byung traveled to Japan and attended Chuo University as a young man, as many Koreans did during the occupation. The website states that Byung sought out Funakoshi, and studied Shotokan Karate under Funakoshi, along with Chung Do Kwan founder Won Kyuk Lee, earning his black belt. It goes on to state that Byung returned home to Kaesung in February 1944, “where he continued to create additional hand and foot techniques of his own.” If he was studying Shotokan that entire time period, then that’s around 8 years of Karate training prior to opening his own Kwan back in Korea. He then opened his school, which closed, and reopened again in 1946. Taekwondo Wiki mentioned on it’s timeline that Byung also studied Kung Fu of some form, but I have not seen any other information on this. Several accounts I’ve read stated that Byung’s classes started early, with an hour of warm-ups consisting of weightlifting and makiwara striking. One of Byung’s original students, Young Sup Lee (or Lee Young Sup), gives an account of what his early gradings were like: "Every six months, there was testing for promotion. Mainly one step sparring, three step sparring, free sparring and forms were used to decide promotions. But free sparring was for 4th Guep and higher, and 1st Dan required breaking a board. If these rules were broken, the Kwan Jang was very upset." (quoted from Taekwondo Wiki). In July 1946, Byung Jik Ro, met with Won Kuk Lee of the Chung Do Kwan, Sang Sup Chun of the Yun Moo Kwan, and Byung In Yoon of the Chang Moo Kwan to discuss possible unification of these Kwans, but nothing came of the meeting. Hwang Kee of the Moo Duk Kwan was not at the meeting. Unknown if he wasn’t invited, or if he was invited but did not show up. According to songmookwan.com, on May 25, 1953, Byung met with one delegate from each of the founding Kwans and seven representatives, held a conference, and established the Korean Kong Soo Do Association. Byung was elected is executive director, and interestingly, a Yudo (Judo) instructor, Young-Chu Cho, was elected as vice president. No president was elected. Songmookwan.com states that dissention set in, and the association dissolved. I found this rather interesting: in the 1960’s, Byung’s son and future successor, Hee Sang Ro, began studying various Martial Arts. In 1963, Hee studied Hapkdio, and in 1967 he began studying Northern Shaolin Kung Fu. Taekwondo Wiki also mentions that he studied Karate and Kumdo. Hee moved to the US in 1976, and eventually became the second grandmaster of the Song Moo Kwan, which had been in the States since 1965. Hee included the study of all of the above arts in Song Moo Kwan, along with "Hosinsul," which I believe is just "self-defense" (at least, that is what we refer to it as in our school). It appears that Byung was active throughout the history of the Kwans in unification efforts, first with the Korean Kong Soo Do Association, and later with the Korean Tae Soo Do Association on September 19, 1961. Byung eventually became the 4th president of the Korea Taekwondo Association. According to “A Modern History of Taekwondo,” written by Kang Won Sik (Song Moo Kwan) and Lee Kyong Myong, it states that Byung "…tried hard to promote Taekwondo such as creating the President’s Championships. He ran the Seoul Song Moo Kwan Central Dojang and taught Taekwondo to police officers. However, Ro Byung Jik still had a strong love of his own Kwan and he felt that Dan certification must not be issued by the KTA, but instead by the Kwans. The irony was that Ro Byung Jik was President of the KTA, but he loved his Song Moo Kwan more than the KTA." I’m guessing that Byung probably stayed with his own thoughts on teaching and promotion, and perhaps didn’t cobble onto the idea of standardization that the Kukkiwon and WTF would push. The same source states that Byung resigned his position as president a year later. From that same source, it appears that on August 7, 1978, 10 Kwans finally compromised and closed the Kwan system, and Proclamation was signed that finalized "Kwan unification." For the Song Moo Kwan, this was signed by Chun Jung Woong. But by this time, Byung’s original Song Moo Kwan was living on in the US, amongst other areas. I haven’t been able to really find information in regards to a "split" like that which occurred with the Moo Duk Kwan. It appears that the Song Moo Kwan has evolved quite a bit from Byung’s beginnings in Korea. It seemed like he didn’t shy away from his Karate origins, and his son really upped the ante by studying the other styles he did, and I’d be really interested in seeing what classes are like at the current Song Moo Kwan. I don’t know that I’d refer to it as “Korean Karate” like I do with Moo Duk Kwan/TSD, but it definitely appears to have gone beyond TKD. It seemed difficult to find as much information on the Song Moo Kwan, so I appreciate anything others can offer on this subject matter. I don’t know of any books authored by any Song Moo Kwan stylists, but if anyone else knows of some, I’ll add them to my collection.

I'm glad you liked it, Bob. Article number two is coming right up!

Generally the test board will discuss and tally scores, and after a few minutes will announce the pass/fail list. I like that, and I think that is how it should be. For some reason, in any TKD school I've been a part of, the testing results have to be sent to the headquarters school, and then rank certificates are printed and sent out from there.

Yep, that's a wrap! Congrats to the Astros and their fans on another World Championship!

This is my first posting in what I aim to be 9 (or 10, depending on how I end up counting these out) articles on the 9 original Kwans that birthed the modern Korean Martial Arts. I've always been intrigued by the history of the Kwans, but only ever caught snippets here and there about this one or that one; I could never find anything all in one place. So, this is my attempt to put it all in one place. I plan to keep it all compiled in a folder once I have it finished, but will post individual articles on each of the Kwans here in the Korean Style section of KF, for your viewing pleasure! I hope everyone finds them enjoyable, and I hope it can strike up some conversation amongst the Korean stylists, as well as anyone else with thoughts and input. What I mainly want to look into is what the founders of each Kwan studied themselves prior to opening their Kwan, and how it may have influenced what their style would have looked like, and speculate on what may have been lost by the unification of the Kwans after the Korean War. Caveat Emptor here: I did my best in looking things up and trying to get good dates and a timeline for each Kwan. I MAY BE WRONG AT TIMES! If you think I am, please, please, PLEASE comment and let me know what I may have missed, what needs cleaned up, etc. And I thank you in advance! With all that said, here's my first submission on the Moo Duk Kwan: Moo Duk Kwan: "School of Martial Virtue" and also known as "The Railroad Dojang." The Moo Duk Kwan is one of the 5 Original Kwans founded after WWII but before the Korean War. Founded November 9, 1945 by Hwang Kee in the Yong San Railway station in Seoul, Korea, hence it’s nickname as “The Railroad Dojang.” Moo Duk Kwan is known for it’s Taoist philosophy and the use of a midnight blue belt as opposed to a black belt. Martial Heritage From what I’ve been able to gather, Hwang Kee supposedly was exposed to Taekkyon at the age of 7 in 1921. Wikipedia stated he witnessed a man defend himself against a large group using the art, and it “inspired him to create his own art.” On the website moodukwanhistory.com, it stated he observed Sip Pal Ki doing Taekkyon at a festival. There is confusion as to whether this man actually taught Hwang Kee Taekkyon or not. On the tka.cc website of the Tang Soo Do Karate Association, it mentions that Hwang observed this Sip Pal Ki get into an altercation with 7 or 8 men, and he used the Taekkyon kicking techniques to subdue the individuals. The site stated Hwang was interested in this man, and followed him home at a distance. Apparently, he would wander back to this man’s house and watch him as he practiced Taekkyon with a partner, and eventually approached the man about learning it. The site states Sip Pal Ki stated Hwang was too young and refused to teach him, but Hwang would still go to watch the man train, and would then supposedly copy and mimic what the instructor did. According to Taekwondo Wiki, Hwang Kee studied Taekkyon and Shotokan as a teenager. I have not found any other information as to his ties to Shotokan, or who he learned from. According to the tka.cc website, Hwang started work at the Cho Sun Railway Bureau in 1939, and reportedly had access to a library in which he discovered some books on Okinawan Karate. Supposedly, Hwang learned the Pyung Ahn Hyungs, Passai Hyungs, and Kong Sang Kun Hyungs from these Okinawan Karate texts, although he changed a few things here and there in his practice in regards to hip movement, and likely kicking. Perhaps Hwang Kee was a good visual learner, and was capable of attaining competent levels of skill in this manner? In 1936, Hwang Kee traveled to China and met a Quan Fa master, Yang Kuk Jin, who he learned Quan Fa from. He apparently worked for a railway company and stayed in China until 1937, when he returned to Seoul. He returned to Manchuria in 1941 to train with Master Yang, but I have not found any information in regards to how long he stayed and trained. By 1946, China had become a Communist country, and Hwang could no longer travel to train with Master Yang. From what I have gathered on the internet, Master Yang was a master of Northern Kung Fu, particularly Tai Chi and Tan Tui. I’m not sure how substantiated this is. However, it does make for an interesting aspect of what TSD is. August 15, 1945, WWII ends. Korea is no longer under Japanese rule. Hwang founds his Moo Duk Kwan in the same year, November 9. It is one of the 5 original Kwans established prior to the Korean War. In 1947, there was an attempt to unify the 5 major Kwans: Moo Duk Kwan, Chung Do Kwan, Yun Moo Kwan, Song Moo Kwan, and the YMCA Kwon Bop Bu. Korean War began June 25, 1950, and suspended teaching for 17 months. In 1953, he returned to Seoul to re-establish the Moo Duk Kwan, after Korean War ends. In 1953, Hwang established the Korean Tang Soo Do Association. I guess this is the same KTA founded by the 9 Kwans in 1953? Hwang also applied for membership to the Korean Athletic Association, but I believe there were attempts to block this by General Choi, hence I believe Hwang’s lack of willingness to cooperate with Choi began. In July of 1954, according to moodukkwanhistory.com, Hwang attempted to unify the Korean Tang Soo Do Association and the Korean Kong Soo Do Association (Chong Do Kwan, Jido Kwan, Chang Moo Kwan, Song Moo Kwan). In August of 1955, the Ministry of Education banned the teaching of Tang Soo Do in middle and high schools throughout Korea. Again, I believe Choi had a hand in this, and his strong desire for every art in Korea to be called TKD. In 1955, the 9 Kwans agreed to combine the arts and rename the Korean Martial Art Tae Soo Do. In 1958, Hwang removes Moo Duk Kwan from the umbrella of TKD, and forms the Korean Martial Art Tang Soo Do. After this break, in March of 1965, Kim Young Taek and Hong Chong Soo stayed and ran a branch of the Moo Duk Kwan under the Taekwondo umbrella, hence the existence of MDK TKD and Hwang’s MDK TSD. In 1977, MDK TKD agreed to recognize the Kukkiwon and WTF as the promotional body of TKD, and agreed to the black belt certification process and black belt certificates from these organizations. I’m trying to find more information on who ran things where after the split. I have several TKD books by Richard Chun, and one of them is titled "Moo Duk Kwan Taekwondo," which I find interesting. In June 1960, Hwang had discovered the Muye Dobo Tongji at a library, which inspired him to begin incorporating elements in it into his teachings. He renames his MA Soo Bahk Do, from the ancient style Soo Bahk he read about in the Muye Dobo Tongji. On June 30, 1960, Moo Duk Kwan and Ji Do Kwan were joined as the Korean Soo Bahk Do Association, with Hwang Kee as the head. I find this interesting in regards to the Ji Do Kwan. I’ll look into this history more, too. Chuck Norris was one of the many US military service members that trained in one of Hwang’s TSD schools, and Norris opened his school in Torrance, CA, USA, in 1962. Moo Duk Kwan TKD So now, I branch into TKD branch of MDK, at least somewhat. In Rhin Moon "Richard" Chun’s 1975 book Moo Duk Kwan Tae Kwon Do, The Korean Art of Self-Defense, there is a preface written by Chong Soo Hong, who was the president of the TKD branch of MDK after Hwang Kee left. He speaks about "dwindling respect for authority and for recognized qualified teachers," and how "many must learn and some must re-learn to respect the teacher, especially the Master teacher and his teachings." When I read this again, knowing what I know now of the history of TKD, it sounded to me like a slight towards the direction Master Kee went with his original MDK. In the "About the Author" section, it is stated that Richard Chun began studying TKD at "a very early age," under the instruction of Chong Soo Hong, as well as Ki Whang Kim. He graduated from the University of Yon Sei in 1957…but the MDK break happened in 1958. If he started "at an early age," then I’m guessing he had some time under Hwang Kee or his instructors. In the TKD history section of the book, Chun mentions Taekkyon and it’s development early on, and actually says it’s "an ancient name for Tae Kwon Do." He then claims the origin of TKD in Korea is traced back to the Koguryo Dynasty, which was founded in 37 BC. He goes on to perpetuate what I’ve come to call the "typical" TKD origin story, through the Hwarang-Do of the Silla Dynasty, and Soo Bahk of the Koryo Dynasty, and some interesting information form the Yi Dynasty, in which a book was supposedly written to teach TKD as Martial Art as opposed to a game (I guess referencing Taekkyon?), which gave TKD to the public. Anywho, this forms the rhetoric of what has come to be the now-debunked "history" of TKD. I found his "History of Moo Duk Kwan" section to be a bit more informative. He mentions the founding if the original Kwan by Hwang Kee on 11/6/1945; Kee formed the Korea Tang Soo Do Association in September of 1953, and Moo Duk Kwan became a member; unsuccessful attempt to join Korean Athletic Association in December 1953; formation of Korean Soo Bohk Do Association to replace Korea Tang Soo Do Association (which he says was then liquidated) in June 1960. Then it gets interesting to me. He says in March of 1965, the Soo Bahk Do Association attempted to unite with the Korea Tae Kwon Do Association, but the effort was unsuccessful. From what I can tell on moodukwanhistory.com, it was more like the KTA tried to dissolve the Moo Duk Kwan TSD and unify with TKD, led by then Lt. Gen. Choi, but those efforts didn’t pan out. According to Chun’s book, a "majority" of members left the Soo Bahk Do Association and joined the Korea TKD Association (KTA). Chun then writes that in April of 1965 MDK officially became a member of the KTA. On November 20, 1965, Master Kang Ik Lee was elected by the Board of Directors of the MDK as the president of MKD-KTA. On July 27, 1971, Master Chong Soo Hong was elected as the third president of MDK-KTA. Chun goes on to state that Hong tried to unify both branches of MDK, but was unsuccessful. I’m guessing that was because Hwang Kee wanted nothing to do with the KTA in any way, shape, or form. In this book, Chun covers three Kicho forms and three Pal-Gwe forms. He mentions the Tae-Guek forms, too. So by this time, any "Karate Connection" has been severed. In his later books, he covers the Pal-Gwe, Tae-Guek, and WTF black belt forms. I also own a book written by Chun Sik Kim, titled Authentic Tang Soo Do. I found Chun Sik Kim listed on the moodukkwanhistory.com website. In the book there is a photo from 1971 of Chun Sik Kim posing with GM Hwang Kee, Kang Uk Lee, and others. In his history section, he gives the familiar "cultural links" of TSD to the old arts recorded to have been studied during Korea’s "Three Kingdoms" era. He does not mention Hwang Kee’s connection to Master Yang and Quan Fa, nor is Japanese Karate mentioned anywhere. CS Kim founded the International Tang Soo Do Federation in 1984. In the forms section of his book, he lists the three Kicho hyungs, but also a slurry of Pyong Ahn forms, which all bear a likeness to Pinan/Heian katas of Karate. Tang Soo Do truly is "Korean Karate." I didn’t plan on doing the Moo Duk Kwan first in this series, but I kind of fell into it, mainly because I was intrigued by the existence of two separate MDK branches, and wanted to see if I could learn when, how, and why the divergence took place. I’m especially intrigued by the Japanese roots of MDK-TSD and the forms. I would like to know more about Hwang Kee’s experience with Quan Fa and Shotokan. I find it very interesting that Quan Fa has some connections to it, and I love how TSD has really stuck to it’s roots, and how Hwang Kee was opposed to getting pulled under the KTA-TKD umbrella of unification. Of all the Kwans, I think TSD probably did the best job of retaining it’s roots.

That's what I was starting to think....

Very cool, thank you. Do you and your fellow students learn of whether you passed or failed right after the test, or do you have to wait some time?

Not watched it yet, but I think I will be soon.

Those "restricted" sparring sessions can be quite valuable, can't they?

Hoping for the best out of these scans, Bob! Please keep us updated!

Thanks! They are feeling better and better. Are you using the approach where you stay loose and flexible while throwing the technique, and then tightening at the moment of impact? I've been approaching forms like this for some time, and it really helps me out. I'm a bigger guy, but I feel like I don't look as "stiff" when doing forms as some of the other black belts in the school. Thanks, Bob! Really appreciated! 11/4/2022 Strength Training Safety Squats: 60x5x2, 110x5, 130x3, 150x1, 190x5, 190x5, 190x5. Snatch Grip Deadlifts: 155x3, 205x2, 235x5, 235x5. Stretch: quads, hams, glutes. Squat is coming along well. Not feeling the pull on the adductor right now. I'm focusing on keeping my knees out, but not shoving them outside of where my feet are, instead making sure they track with my feet. Seems to be working for now. I really like how the snatch-deads are coming along, too. It's a really long pull for me, but I think it may help me off the bottom of my standard deadlifts. I think it's helping my lats more, too.

Each section is worth a different number of points - I used 8/10 as an example. The key takeaway is that you want to maximize your score in every section, because if you get one of those "Can I see that again", you know you didn't quite pass that section. There are sections that if you don't pass, members of the test board may recommend a fail regardless of your overall score (Sanchin is one of these sections. It's worth 25 or 30 points). However by maximizing your score in other sections, you can pass even if you marginally fail one section. Also, the score you receive on each section is the average score from all of the examiners on the testing board. And no, you generally don't get to know what your score is after your test. If these numbers get put on the testing sheet, and the students get to know what they scored, do they get to ask the instructors what they can do to improve their score? I'm a firm believer that the perfect is the enemy of the good. Striving for perfection can be rather exhausting, but striving to be better is achievable.

Awesome!

11/2/2022 Strength Training Safety Squats: 60x5x2, 110x5, 130x3, 150x1, 180x5, 180x5, 180x5. RDLs: 45x5, 100x5, 140x5, 185x3, 205x8, 205x8, 205x8. Barbell Rows: 155x8, 155x8, 155x8. Stretch: spent about 5 minutes stretching/reading in The Rack. Conditioning: TKD forms work again, in the same 2 at a time pattern. Chon Ji/Choong Jang, Dan Gun/Choong Jang, Bo Chung/Choong Jang, Do San/Choong Jang. Struggled with balance today, especially when turning into techniques. There's a side kick in Choong Jang that is done from kind of an awkward position, so I worked on getting my base foot pivoted and my body lined up to fix it. There are also two low ridgehand blocks that I focused on getting the technique lined up correctly upon completion. It's a really weird position to get the arm into, blocking low and getting it completely turned over.

With your time constraints, it sounds like you're doing the best you can right now! Keep up the good work!

My (hockey) St Louis Blues went 24 straight years of making the playoffs without even getting to the Stanley Cup Finals. It took them 51 years from their inception before they won their first Stanley Cup. I feel your pain. thats true though i will see your 24 years and raise you the Marv Levy Bills reaching 4 superbowls and not winning one! For that period of time there were three certainties in life : Death, Taxes and the Bills losing in the Superbowl! I was going to ask if you were a fan during those years. I remember those Super Bowls. I also remember the Bills beating my Chiefs in the AFC title game, losing Joe Montana to injury. Oh, Marty-Ball, I remember those days....

I enjoyed it as well, and am looking forward to the following seasons. I've heard a few complaints from others about supposedly messing up the story, basically throwing Tolkein's appendices aside? But I haven't spent the time to read them, so don't know for sure on that.

Front squatting is really hard on my knees. They don't like it. That's why I prefer the low bar squat variation. That, and low bar squat allows for heavier weight to be lifted, and involves more muscle groups. More bang for the buck, so to speak. I'd really like to have a Marrs Bar to squat with. Better design than the safety squat bar, allowing for better balance, and also puts the bar more into a low-bar position. 10/31/2022 Strength Training Safety Squats: 60x5x2, 150x3, 170x5, 170x5, 170x5. Deadlifts: 225x3, 275x2, 320x5.

Is there any way you can get more than 2 days per week in? I'm not sure of your age, but if you are younger, 2 days per week may not be delivering enough stress for you. But, you got to do what you can. Could you get away with more days at the gym doing 1 lift per day? I believe there are a few 5/3/1 templates out there like that. Could that work for you?

I agree with DarthPenguin, 100%. I would only add a few things. One, that control is paramount in keeping you and your partners safe, but at the same time, someone getting hit doesn't always indicate a lack of control, but could indicate a failure to apply a technique or block correctly, which becomes a learning experience in and of itself. The other thing I would add is that it is a contact sport/activity, so at times, things like this will happen, and it's important for the students to be able to accept that and move forward with their training. Now, the student that came to you about the excessive contact, and what also sounds like inappropriate contact, is a different matter entirely. It sounds like you are doing a good job dealing with that, and please let us know how that works out going forward.

10/27/2022 Strength Training Safety Bar Squat: 60x5x2, 150x5, 150x5, 150x5, 170x5, 170x5. RDLs: 45x5, 100x5, 140x5, 185x2, 200x8, 200x8, 200x8. Barbell Rows: 150x8, 150x8, 150x8. I decided to give the safety squat bar a try today. I didn't like it that much, but I liked it better than not squatting, so I'm going to be moving forward with it for the foreseeable future. I definitely noticed the difference in my trunk working to stabilize the load than I did with the combination of hacks and leg presses. I took some playing around to figure out how I should secure the bar, and waiting for it to "balance" when I take it out of the rack, but I think I've got a working solution going forward. 10/28/2022 Strength Training Snatch Grip Deadlifts: 105x5, 115x5, 155x3, 205x1, 230x5, 230x5. Conditioning: TKD forms. I did two forms, back to back, then rested briefly, then did two more forms, back to back. I did Chon Ji/Choong Jang, Dan Gun/Choong Jang, and Bo Chung/Choong Jang. So, I ended up doing my 4th dan form 3 times, which was good practice. Had a nice stretch in the rack prior to forms. Legs were pretty fatigued afterwards. I spent about 10 minutes on the forms, including the brief rest periods. Starting the next week, my work schedule shifts. With that happening, I'm going to try to switch my lifting schedule to Monday/Wednesday/Friday. I'm going to squat with the safety bar 3 times per week on a linear progression, while sticking with the Heavy/Light/Medium program for my pulls.

Attitude effects leadership; truer words have not been spoken. I think it can become a challenge at times, when you spend day after day at the dojo, teaching what may seem like the same stuff you've taught for years. An instructor must make sure that they keep things fresh for themselves, and realize that what is old for them, is new for many.

Those are interesting observations, Bob. I think the conventional wisdom would be to not move such a student up, as it could be seen as rewarding the student for their behavior, when in fact it helps to curb the behavior. It's a very astute observation. Thank you for sharing this!