Identifying Korean Karate by sight?

[Kagerou]

Hi, all.

I'm just beginning martial arts.

I'm twenty-four and have attended all of two classes.

I pay dues at the beginning of the month--worked this out with head instructor; so officially become a White Belt then I suppose.

But I have some questions that I'm not getting completely straight answers out of my instructors.

Officially, the style is being called "United Karate."

Main site located http://www.southeastmartialarts.net/index.html <--There.

The "dojang" I'm attending doesn't have a site, or is even listed as a sister dojang. Which is something I'm considering doing to help--at least getting a geocities site or something.

The head master at the home base lists his styles as the following:

Chang Moo Kwan

Han Mu Do

With instructors and practitioners in:

Chang Moo Kwan Tae Kwon Do, kick boxing, American open tournament point fighting, and Han Mu Do grappling arts.

I've asked if there was a particular style to look at when going to train--

I'm very sight-oriented, and learn better when shown up close or by pictures than when given a list of degrees and descriptions.

I was told that for Basic 1, I could look to pretty much any Karate style on YouTube to practice.

I tried looking around after lesson 1 as was waay off base guessing at the style.

I know now what the background is....but I still feel in the dark.

This is compounded when I go to look at Korean Martial Arts history online and see lots of things characterized simply as Tang Soo do or Taekwondo.

I now have a feel of Basic set 1.

Have a beginning feel for a few basic kicks and blocks.

Would it be safe to assume that most of what I'll learn is Chang Moo Kwan?

Or will this vary by instructor?

While everything looks geared toward the Korean stylings, would it be safe to call this a "Mixed" Korean Karate?

I wish I could find some YouTube videos to show their Hyung to you guys for identification purposes.

I watched a few Black Belts go through some Hyung today...but it was too detailed and complicated for be to begin to remember what it looked like.

But there was a good focus on breathing throughout the routine.

Any of you guys familiar with this South Eastern United States Karate chain?

I don't mean to imply this as a "McDojo." Because that isn't the vibe I get at all.

I guess I just feel confused, is all.....

Thanks for hearing this "newbie" out.[/url]

[NewEnglands_KyoSa]

Uhm, that's very lengthy and confusing. Usually, when you don't get straight answers of your instructor...it's not a good thing. I'd be a little wary of what you're doing and what this school is all about. Just the fact that i am a black belt and instructor of multiple styles and can't really follow what your instructors are telling you sets off bells and whistles with me too. I'd just be very careful, that's all.

[Kagerou]

Uhm, that's very lengthy and confusing. Usually, when you don't get straight answers of your instructor...it's not a good thing. I'd be a little wary of what you're doing and what this school is all about. Just the fact that i am a black belt and instructor of multiple styles and can't really follow what your instructors are telling you sets off bells and whistles with me too. I'd just be very careful, that's all.

I can't help but wonder if the explanation is, "It would take so long to explain the branches and splintering of the Korean Arts that it's simpler to just call it 'Karate' and be done with it."

The school consists of like-minded individuals by faith.

No problems there.

Everything looks sound, and the lead instructor does turn up in a Google search as being accredited. As does the head instructor at the home base.

I just wish I knew the official name of the style, you know?

I've asked a Black Belt who was a friend of mine over the phone.

The answer I heard was indistinguishable. Probably just the cell connection I had.

Something about a local governing body.

I'll ask again when returning on Tuesday.

Don't get me wrong. I enjoy this, I do.

And it appears to be the best of what's available to me locally--both in price and fundamentals.

I'll be sure to explain that I would like a better understanding to the lead instructor (Sah Bum Nim? Even though they don't enforce that term.)

I find it a tad frustrating.

There is a contract stating that you shall not go to learn a form that has not been presented to you and not to skip ahead.

And while I'm not out to be skipping ahead at all, I would like to know the name of my style so that I can research the forms that are presented to me to help practice.

Or do you find in your teaching that it's best to only present in-class and regurgitate the next class through merely practice and memory?

I just don't want to build sloppy form. My memory isn't great, and pictures of the Hyung step-by-step would help me improve in downtime between classes vastly.

[Kagerou]

Sorry for the back-to-back posts.

But I've kept digging.

"Big Boss" shows up under a World Chang Moo Kwan geocities page.

http://www.geocities.com/Colosseum/Arena/8129/tkdpage.html

My local Dojang shows up on the page--odd since it isn't on the "Big Boss'" main page.

To find quickly, do a Ctrl + F, and type in "Georgia."

"Chang Moo Kwan roots, Tae kwon do"

Searching YouTube for the Lead Instructor "Ben Kiker," I don't get any Hyung.

But I do get sparring from his last tournament.

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Ben+Kiker&search_type=

The practitioners in the Yellow doboks are from the United association.

There is a team of weapons users that were training Saturday had red tops and black pants.

Yet, the dobok used in the dojang is white.

Not sure of the belt promotion colors.

But, with this out of the way....

Can anyone recommend a Chang Moo Kwan resource for Hyung?

[DWx]

The problem with the Korean styles is it gets very political; everyone has split off from everyone else and there are loads of different styles and amalgamations. Within Taekwondo alone there are several different Korean form sets and some schools even use traditional Japanese or Chinese forms instead.

It might be easier to learn some of the names of the forms your school practices and then that will lead you to which Hyungs to search for. You may not find videos or pictures of exactly how you should perform the moves but you could begin roughly mapping everything out. If you could find out the names of even a few forms it should be pretty easy to go from there.

Judging by the info on that website I would guess that you do do Chang Moo Kwan, you might want to take a look here: http://www.worldchangmookwan.com/index.php . But reading some of the forum posts there it appears different people do different forms..

[NewEnglands_KyoSa]

I have no idea, im terribly confused. But it sounds like you know what you want and you sound confident, i hope it all works out for you.

[Rateh]

TBH I've attended many schools in this same type of situation. An instructor/many instructors branch out and do their own thing, sometimes create their own organization. It's not unusual to use a mixture of hyung in such a situation. Just because a school isn't following a strict tradition of a specific style doesn't mean it isn't good. Where I study is a mixture of styles with taekwondo as the base. It's a part of an organization called Omega Martial Arts. The first form is Basic 1, then theres Pyong 1-5, then it skips to the Taeguks 5-?, theres also some japanese forms done in a more korean style, and Palgwe 7. I don't know all of the forms names atm. It may very well be that there ISN'T a name for the style you are practicing. This does make it more difficult when talking to other martial artists and they ask "what style do you study", but it doesn't mean that your studies are any less valid.

[Throwdown0850]

Most Martial arts "dojos" will have a sign that says "Karate!" the reason why is cause it attracts customers... thats the only reason...most people know what the word " karate " means.. if an instructor has a sign that says " AikiJujutsu" people wont even stop because most wont have no clue what it means or even know that it is a style..

there is a dojo here that says "karate" and when you walk inside they are teaching Tang Soo Do... thats a Korean martial art!!!! not Japanese.. your going to have to watch out for that..

[NewEnglands_KyoSa]

I understand the whole "karate" thing but i think the reason for that is people who don't do MAs refer to MAs as karate. People just generally say and ask oh do you do karate? what style of karate do you take? which is wrong. now we as Martial artists know better. i know that my style is tang soo do, not karate. it is a martial art. although on flyers i refer to is as "A Korean Style Karate" which is accurate because im saying it's like karate not that of karate.

But i wouldn't say its a bad thing necessarily, it's just that people now a days have grown to refer to all martial arts as karate because of lack of knowledge thanks to movies, television, etc.

[tallgeese]

Everyone makes good points.

I'd be worried about any place that told me that I couldn't study another art while praticing theirs as much as anything. I'd also worry if they told me to look up some of their basics on youtube, if it was a primary reference. But that's just me.

As far as the name and such, I wouldn't worry much. Evryone seems to have made that point. What matters more than name recognition is the ability to walk onto someone elses floor and be on par with their people at your rank. If your school is accomplishing that you're in good shape.