[KF 500k] Member Interview: SBN Doug

[Patrick]

Member Profile

SBN Doug (View Profile)

Former KarateForums.com Sensei

Joined: November 4, 2001

Posts: 3,766

Interview

Where are you from?

I’m from Houston, TX, but I went through high school in a really small town on the coast of Texas call Palacios.

Why did you get started in the martial arts?

My first formal training was in my senior year of high school. A guy moved into our small town and opened up a karate dojo, and I wanted to join as soon as I heard about it. I had always been fascinated by the martial arts I saw them in the movies, and really wanted to learn. However, a few months into it I noticed some guys stop by to talk to my instructor. You could tell they were all friends, and I knew the guys (everyone knew everyone in that town). They were a few years older, had dropped out of school, but were able to afford a brand new Camaro. You didn’t have to be a genius to know what they were into. And because I always had a romantic vision of the Mas, and wanted honor and respect to be part of my journey, I decided to stop going. Ultimately, I was able to start again after I finished college, and it was definitely the right choice.

Why have you continued to practice them?

Physical fitness and self defense are a part, but mainly because of enlightenment. The art I’ve been in for about 20 years has so much to learn that you are never really done. Once you have the basics, you begin to learn the subtle reasons behind a particular move, its background, preferred application, and then how to apply the principles to positions and situations you may never practice.

Please briefly describe your martial art.

The art I’ve been learning for many years is Kuk Sool Won. There are longer descriptions out there, even on KF. But basically it is a traditional Korean martial art that includes a variety of striking techniques, grappling/joint techniques, forms and a range of weapons. The Grand Master took what was most effective from all the traditional arts he had learned and built a curriculum meant to be extremely comprehensive.

What is your grade or level?

I am currently a 4th degree black belt, or Sa Bum Nim in our system. Due to the comprehensive nature of KSW, it can take anywhere from 4-6 years to advance in each black belt level. And that only means you have grasped the basics of that belt's curriculum. You still spend the following years working on precision and smoothness.

Do you teach?

I do teach occasionally, but not as much as I would like due to work. It is the absolute best way to solidify your knowledge of the previous techniques you learned.

What are your first memories from training?

Due to the problems I faced with the small-town school, I did a lot of research on the different types of martial arts so I could pick the absolute best style for me before committing to a school. However, what it turned out I wanted was either an aikido or hapkido school, and of course there were none nearby. So I decided to just join this TKD school around the corner that was having a special, so I could build up my endurance and flexibility until I found the art I wanted. My favorite memory is in my second full class, after warm-ups, we were told to partner up with another person. The instructor then began showing us various wrist escape and basic throwing techniques.

After class, my partner asked how I liked it. I replied something about really liking it, but that I had no idea TKD had so much grappling in it. To which he replied, “this isn’t TKD, it’s Kuk Sool Won. I said “what the heck is Kuk Sool Won?!?!” They showed me the text book at the front desk, and I saw laid before me EXACTLY what I had been looking for. I’ve been training at schools across the globe ever since.

What has been the highlight of your training?

I think my highlight is just being able to ride out the waves of life that try to distract us from continuing our personal journey. I’ve been slowed a few times. But my Master once encouraged me that keeping up with my original promoting classmates is not the goal. Progressing at each of our paces is how most of us will be able to stick it out when life gets too hectic to train as regularly as we used to.

What do you do when you're not training?

I was recently elected to City Council where we live, so that takes up a lot of my time. I also spend much of my time with my wife/best friend going to the gym, managing our side business, and just enjoying time together. We have a condo on San Pedro, Belize we try to visit a few times a year.

What do you do for a living?

I am an IT Director, and manage groups of around 30-50 people for both enterprise wide software (SAP) and custom written applications.

Who are or were your martial arts heroes?

My all-time hero still remains Chuck Norris. A Force of One was the first mainstream MA movie I ever saw (not counting the Saturday morning kung fu movies), and is the reason I became so interested in learning martial arts. A very close second would absolutely be Bruce Lee.

What are your favorite martial arts films and/or shows?

The Octagon with Chuck Norris, Enter the Dragon with Bruce Lee, Hard to Kill with Steven Seagal, and an obscure one would be The Perfect Weapon with Jeff Speakman.

Where do you see yourself going in your martial arts journey in the next few years?

After a tragedy in our family, I had to take a hiatus from training for a while. But I am nearly back in shape and will be getting back in the near future. My next few years will be polishing ALL the material I have learned so far and continue learning what I need for the next promotion. At 5th dan in KSW you take on the title of Kwan Ja Nim (Master), so I have quite a bit of work to do before I am qualified to take that step.

Do you remember how you found KarateForums.com? Why did you join?

My career took me from Houston to the middle of Connecticut, where no KSW schools existed. Every Friday I drove 90 minutes across to New York, where I trained at the closest KSW school for 3 hours that evening. But during the week I was missing the MA conversations I would have with classmates. The internet “thing” was getting more popular (LOL), so I was searching for somewhere I could talk with and learn from others about various other martial arts. As I said before, honor and discipline are the cornerstones of what I believe the martial arts should convey, and not one of the other discussion boards met that standard.

Why did you stay?

KF was the only online community where the moderators made you feel safe from flaming ridicule for simply having a different opinion, or not being as informed as others.

You've been a member since November 4, 2001. During this time, how has KarateForums.com changed in your eyes, if at all?

A lot more members, which brings a lot more perspectives. It is good to see it grow and thrive, as it was always a collaborative place where everyone from brand new students to decades old masters could question, converse, and even disagree without having the exchange of ideas and philosophies stifled by those too narrow minded to allow themselves the ability to be enlightened in areas they hadn’t thought of before.

How did becoming a staff member change how you viewed the site?

It was amazing to find out how much effort it takes to ensure a safe and positive community, while walking a tightrope and not driving members away by being too strict. It's so much easier to redirect an attackers strike into where you want them to go while on the dojang floor than on the computer.

How, if at all, have you used KarateForums.com in your classes or training?

My art primarily teaches in standing and kneeling positions. But while discussing various situations with jiu jitsu practitioners, I began to understand how to apply most of what I had learned while grappling on the ground. That better prepared me for our training at the higher ranks when we specifically were training in ground grappling situations.

Are there any members here who have had a particular influence or impact on you?

SaiFightsMS was an inspiration for all of us at the time. To continue fighting to reach your personal goals in the face of such challenges should be an example to not only every martial artist, but every human being.

Can you share a memorable moment within the community where you received great advice or an experience that really affected you and your martial arts journey?

I can't point to any single experience or piece of advice. It was a culmination of all the conversations, and all the advice I took (and ignored), that not only helped me continue on my journey, but also challenged me to strengthen my knowledge of the theory of my own martial art to be able to discuss rationally with all the members in the community.

[Patrick]

How did becoming a staff member change how you viewed the site?

It was amazing to find out how much effort it takes to ensure a safe and positive community, while walking a tightrope and not driving members away by being too strict. It's so much easier to redirect an attackers strike into where you want them to go while on the dojang floor than on the computer.

Many active members these days may not be familiar with Doug but during the time he was most active, he was a great moderator and a wonderful contributor. Thankfully, he still pops in from time to time. I'm grateful that we've been able to maintain contact for all of these years.

Thank you for all of your kindness and support over the years, Doug. It means a lot to me.

Patrick

[sensei8]

Great interview!!

I too have to thank you for your positive contributions and the like here at KF. I have enjoyed your posts across the board because you make me say..."AHA!!", and that's a good thing. Perspective studying is what make the MA so delicious, and it's not just the taste that excites my MA pallete, but it's the MA betterment that is achieved that fills me. Thank you!!

[bushido_man96]

Great interview. Hopefully, we'll see you pop in again soon! Thanks for sharing this with us.