Kuk Sool Won

[tommarker]

Since KSW came up in the other thread, I'd like to maybe take some time and have a positive discussion on the art. I'll admit, I know very little about Kuk Sool except that it seems to have a lot of very circular movements and deals with a fair amount of sword work.

 

For example, is it a striking oriented art, or more focused on locking and throwing? Or both? Is it primarily an empty hand style? Or is empty hand used more to create a foundation for weapon work?

[lonelobo]

I would actually enjoy this. I have just begun my study of Kuk Sool Won and would like to see how others that practice this art view it (i.e. what do they concentrate on in their class).

[SBN Doug]

What? You didn't read my article? And I worked so hard on it too.

 

http://www.karateforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=5250

 

This will give you some info as well. Go to the "About KSW" area.

 

http://www.kuksoolwon.com/NewLook/Main.html

 

A short answer to your questions would be:

 

On average, I'd classify it 30% striking and 70% locking & throwing.

 

It's primarily open hand, as you (normally) don't start using the staff until brown belt, and open handed techniques continue up through the black-belt levels. However, as you said, you need solid basics in open handed before the weapons should begin (in our curriculum anyway).

[tommarker]

Ahh, the articles are just like that "photo album" feature i never look at... Edited March 11, 2004 by tommarker

[tommarker]

Great article Doug!

 

As I look at the emblem for KSW, am I seeing a yawara (dan bong) wrapped inside the fist?

 

I'd be interested in hearing more about how the staff is trained in Kuk Sool Won. Do you tend to use the staff more by holding it in the middle, or is there a lot of work holding the back end? Lots of circular motion for momentum-based strikes, or more spear type thrusting motions?

 

How would you describe a sparring match between two students?

[SBN Doug]

Pretty much all the above, as far as the staff work goes.

 

We start with the 15 basic spinning techniques, where we focus on movement of the bong around our body.

 

Then comes the 3 moving techniques, where we train to move our body around the bong.

 

Last the two come together in the hyung, where typically its held with the staff in thirds, but we slide to one end or the other for stabs and spinning back strikes.

 

(I assume since the first part was about the staff, your sparring question is about staff sparring and not empty handed sparring)

 

After black belt, we learn a series of pre-arranged staff sparring routines. While they are pre-arranged, we are expected to eventually perform them at full speed. Some of us at higher levels do occationally tray some free staff sparring with some padding on, but it's way harder than I originally thought.

[tommarker]

actually, i meant empty handed sparring... I was just typing without any sense of organization.

[lonelobo]

KSN Doug,

 

Interesting. We spend about the same amount of time 70/30 on locks, throws/ strikes as well.

 

A lot of the strikes are aerobic in nature.

 

I read your article on KSW and it was informative.

 

Aaron

[DLopez]

In our school, sparring night is held once a week. It is light contact, with the face, back of the head, and below the belt area being off limits. Sparring gear is padded head, hand, and foot gear.

 

We use the point scoring format used in KSW tournaments, where a kick to the side of the head is worth 2 points, everything else (punch to top or side of head, kick/punch to torso) is 1 point.

 

All of us that partake in sparring (it isn't mandatory) really look forward to it. We get pretty lively, as it's a nice break to actually go up against a real person! It seems like each week, we all have some new combos to try out against each other as we try to counter the moves put on us the previous week, so we really push each other to improve.

 

There are about 4 of us that are pretty evenly matched, and each week one of us seems to be just quicker or more accurate and ends up winning the most round-robin matches. We make the winner keep sparring - there's no rest so whoever wins the most matches has really earned it!!

[SBN Doug]

DLopez's schedule is the norm for most KSW schools, esspecially in Texas. There are schools, perhaps isolated here in the NE, that don't spar as much. But when they do, it for 1-3 minutes non-stop, with no observation on points.

 

After you reach 1st dan, you start training in multiple attackers.