United States
News:
West Coast:
Two Teen Teuk Gong Team Members Exemplify the Hwarang ‘Scholar
Warrior’
Larry Pershing and Luke Kiefer who are outstanding
teen members of our elite team of assistant instructors (Teuk Gong
Team) and role models of our school once again demonstrated excellence
not only in their martial skills, but in academics. On March 15, 2008,
they competed in the prestigious Notre Dame Academic Decathlon with
over 100 schools participating. They each earned 3 medals –
Overall Team 6th place, Team Competition in Logic 4th place, and one
for their individual subjects.
Here are the results:
• The team took 6th place overall (the total of the eight individual
tests, the team logic competition, and the team Super Quiz score)
• The team won 4th place for the logic competition (a group
event)
• Larry's individual subject was Current Events and he placed
10th.
• Luke's individual subject was Math and he placed 5th.
• Luke was the team co-captain.
• Mrs. Pershing was their logic coach.
Needless to say it was quite an awesome, highly competitive
day with over 100 schools competing! We are very proud of our outstanding
Teen Teuk Gong Team Members Larry and Luke. Way to go guys!
If you want to know more about the event in general, here's a link
to their website:
http://www.ajhd.org/event.htm
Midwest:
Hwa Rang Do World Tour 2008: Minneapolis Seminar
On March 8th and 9th, the Hwa Rang Do World Tour
returned to the Minneapolis dojang for the fifth consecutive year.
Susuk Kwan Jang Nim Taejoon Lee, 7th Dan black sash and Do Joo Nim’s
eldest son, joined over 70 students in two days of intensive seminars
exploring a wide range of topics in both word and action. This year’s
curriculum was focused on basics of sparring and grappling, and though
students in attendance ranged from TSD beginner belt through HRD advanced
sash, seminar materials were presented in a way that was accessible
to all. Students ranged from five to fifty-five in age, with some
traveling from as far away as Wisconsin, Illinois, and California.
Dr Rick Mackenzie, a HRD Purple Sash and long distance student, flew
in especially for the seminars from Alabama. Chances to train with
Chief Master Lee are rare, and students from all over the Midwest
leapt at the opportunity to do so.
Sparring: Setups to Points
The first of the two sessions on basic sparring
techniques began with a re-introduction to the purpose of sparring
(teaching timing, distance, and precision), as well as emphasizing
the importance of movement as the basis of all technique. The class
was led through a series of drills using two fundamental techniques
for advance and retreat: the step-slide for short movement, and the
slide-step for covering more ground. Throughout the instruction and
drilling, more and more combinations of techniques, from simple hand
and foot strikes, to diagonal and retreating motions, were added to
the basic foundation. This tiered progression gave advanced students
a challenge, and provided beginners with a solid look at the types
of combinations at which they will need to become proficient.
One of the key points covered repeatedly was the
need for catching your opponent unprepared. Of course, since your
partner is standing there waiting for you to do something, it is obvious
that you need to seize the initiative yourself, and force the issue.
Head and body fakes, or an initial hand strike not only to make the
opponent react, but also obscure his vision by covering part of his
field of view. Chief Master Lee emphasized the need, in point sparring,
to provide a constant background of motion so that your opponent cannot
judge when you will be throwing the “real” strike. The
folly of merely standing still and tall and only going for a one-move
point became obvious as we practiced the moves with partners –
if the only time a person moves is when a strike is thrown, the defender
always have maximum time to react.
Sparring: Counter-Fighting
The lessons on movement and distraction led naturally
into the second seminar of the day, on counter-fighting. Simply put,
Master Lee pointed out that any attack must result in an opening being
exposed on the attacker. Counter-fighting is the art of either seeing
those openings, or even better, causing your opponent to react to
you in a way that creates them. From there, we learned about using
defensive blocks and movement to set up for both strikes and takedowns
for TSD Advanced and HRD students.
The first drills were simple block and counter-strikes,
defending against one of the most common strikes in sparring, the
chop kick. Building on the first session, the importance of not just
retreating directly away from the oncoming strike, but using timing
and diagonal motion to set up a more successful defense as well as
an oblique counter-strike. Striking from an angle, as you move quickly
past your opponent, from one place of relative safety to another,
was shown.
Following that introduction, the class moved rapidly
into leg catches and take-downs, both in staged drills and more free-form,
with the class rapidly gaining appreciation for how quickly one can
be trapped and taken-down if a leg is left extended for too long.
One seminar attendee was from a Hudson Tae Kwon Do class. TKD sparring,
especially Olympic-style, maintains a near-total focus on kicking
due to their scoring rules. The student was impressed with the revelation
on how exposed one can be to hand strikes, as well as the vulnerability
to leg-catches and take-downs that are permitted in our rules (and
certainly on the street. When he returned to his own class the next
week, his chief instructor (a TKD 4th Dan) overheard, and stopped
the class to point out the importance of keeping an even defense and
quickly retracting kicks, echoing Chief Master Lee’s lessons.
One final thread ran through the entire seminar:
the extreme utility of “conditioning” your opponent. This
practice creates expectations in the mind of your opponent by repeatedly
presenting a series of moves (such as a lead mid-level chop kick followed
by a lead ridge-hand to the head). Obviously one must do these as
a “credible threat,” such that the opponent must react
to them. Then begin that same series of moves, but change something
– perhaps the chop kick feints to mid level, but then darts
up to head level, or you fake a lead ridge-hand, but lunge in with
one of the diagonal reverse punches practiced in the first session.
Another important deceptive tactic was constantly changing the line
of attack, quickly switching between high, mid, and low-line attacks
to force the defender to make large motions which expose scoring areas.
The key to “conditioning” is to create an opening by appearing
predictable, and then recognizing that your opponent’s anticipation
of your motions creates the opening you are seeking in order to score.
This conditioning should be constant, throughout the match –
not only will he potentially fail to respond to a change-up, but once
he has seen what might be coming his way (the altered combination),
he may hesitate when presented with the first set of moves, providing
another opportunity to score.
At the end of nearly three hours sparring, all students
from beginner TSD to advanced HRD were exposed to the foundations
of sparring upon which you can build a successful game plan. Fast
and constant deception. Unceasing motion to remain unpredictable.
Conditioning of the opponent to expect one set of moves, creating
openings for others. Finally, utilizing the advanced rules to exploit
the opponent’s kicks to enter in for leg-catches and takedowns.
With all that under our belts, the last lesson on
sparring was also the most spectacular. After the class had warmed
up on some basic leg catches and takedowns, Chief Master Lee presented
the class with the body-scissors. This is a spectacular takedown,
worth three points, where the attacker seizes his opponent, then leaps
in, with the lead leg at chest level, the rear leg shooting behind
his opponents knees to sweep him from his feet. This is an advanced
move, only allowed in certain sparring situations (proper mats and
advanced TSD or HRD practitioners), but everybody, beginner and advanced,
got to try it out on the well-padded floor of the Minneapolis dojang.
One student, five year-old Hayden Wege, had the
honor of pairing up with Chief Master Lee for the body scissors practice.
In an unforgettable scene, after being taught the move, he then had
the opportunity to take down a 7th degree black sash. Hayden and his
mother reflect on their experience, …
Hayden: I took him down! He is cool! He is the
coolest guy in the world, and is a very true guy. I need to thank
him because he is an inspiration to me and he cares about me. Hayden
drew a picture and wrote a story, based off of a conversation that
CM Lee and he had; when Hayden grows up, he said he wanted to be like
CM Lee; he wanted to be where CM Lee was that day, teaching. When
we left the Dojang on Saturday, CM Lee stopped the class and told
everyone to wait a minute; he walked over to Hayden after CM Lee dismissed
him, and said, come here buddy, give me a hug; Hayden gave him a hug,
and CM Lee see, I love you, and Hayden said I love you back. He then
asked Hayden to tell everyone what he wanted to be when he grew up:
Hayden was shy, and quietly answered CM Lee, stating he wanted to
be just like him some day. CM Lee told the entire class what Hayden
said, and the class started laugh; "SILENCE! HE will make it
happen someday!" CM Lee then asked Hayden why he would make it
happen?
"Because I am the center of the universe" replied Hayden.
Then they hugged again. Hayden plans on visiting CM Lee one day at
his Dojang in CA, and is adamant about going tomorrow! CM Lee took
special care to work with Hayden one-on-one during the take-down tactics;
I was not only impressed with the Minneapolis HRD instructors who
allowed Hayden to spar with them, but also in the fact that CM Lee
then taught Hayden how to take him down, which he did four times.
Hayden still talks about CM Lee today, and about how much respect
he has for him, and CM Lee has for Hayden - "...he has inspired
me to be the best that I can be, because the power lies within me
to do so.", says Hayden.
I came away, as a parent, from the seminar, just
from watching and listening, totally exhausted! I felt like I, as
a parent, learned as much as the students. The words that Chief Master
Lee communicated, were not just for the students, but for the parents
to apply in their parenting tactics as well as their daily life practices.
One of the things that made an impact on both Hayden and I, that we
talk about often, is the discussion CM Lee made about the center of
the universe; close your eyes, and what do you see? Nothing. Open
them and what do you see? The universe. Therefore, where is the center
of the universe? Within YOU! You are the center of the universe. What
does this mean? You can achieve anything you want, be anything you
want to be, and do anything you want to do. Also, stupid? Only stupid
actions, stupid words, not stupid people! You are not stupid! His
story of penance, discipline, etc. were all very powerful.
Kristen Wege | Seagate Technology
Knife Tactics
After removing sparring gear and arming ourselves
with an assortment of fairly blunt rubber training knives, the participants
lined up for what was, judging by the poorly concealed grins, the
most anticipated session of the day, featuring knife fighting. Naturally,
Chief Master Lee injected a dose of reality immediately, commenting
that while nearly everyone who wants to be thought to be some sort
of ‘bad hombre’ wants to learn and study knife fighting,
that a knife vs. knife fight is incredibly rare (and thankfully so).
The most likely situation is that someone, likely a stranger intent
on robbery or other violence, is threatening you with a knife. In
this situation, it is highly unlikely that you will have a knife of
your own, much less a high quality fighting knife with an eight inch
blade, unless possibly you’re serving in an active war zone
and are presently out of ammunition and can’t call in an appropriately
timed air strike. His point, of course, was well taken: while as Hwarang
we are expected to be well versed in all aspects of fighting, what
we were about to study was not terribly likely to occur. The more
likely scenario of defending yourself against knife attacks is of
course introduced with an entire set of techniques once you achieve
HRD Half-black sash.
With that in mind, he immediately began by introducing
the class to the two grips used with a fighting knife, the ‘regular’
grip, with the blade extended in front of you, and the ‘reverse,’
or ‘ice-pick’ grip. While he expressed the opinion that
in a knife vs. knife fight, the regular grip was preferred, he also
offered scenarios where the reverse grip would be useful, even favored.
Chief Master Lee then led the seminar through basic
strikes and combinations. Building from the movement drills in the
first seminar, we added stabs and diagonal slashes to form the core
of our attack options. Once again, showing how the fundamentals of
HRD apply no matter what is being taught, the importance of distraction,
distance, and direction were emphasized. Breaking the expected eye-line
for a slashing knee strike was one of the more dynamic and memorable
moves, but all of the techniques had a few things in common. All showed
tremendous respect for the danger of the blade, the assumption being
that a single cut or thrust to a vital area was an effective fight-ender.
Further, few of the moves were purely defensive or offensive; parrying
an attack with a side-step and a slash to the opponent’s knife
arm showed how your defense could be a devastating offensive action
as well.
Finally, after working with partners for a while,
the class was broken into two groups, to allow for more space, and
we faced off against each other in mock combat. Only one of the two
partners was allowed to act aggressively at any one time, for safety,
but the group walked away from the experience with an appreciation
of how dangerous and fast a knife-fight would be.
Grappling: Arm Bars
Where the first day emphasized stand-up fighting,
day two was to focus on ground work. Once again, the curriculum was
geared to the beginning students, and the first session was dedicated
to the arm bar. In beginning, Chief Master Lee gave an overview of
some basic human anatomy, from the grappler’s perspective. Primarily,
we would be attacking either hinge-joints, like the elbow or knee,
or ball-and socket joints, like the shoulder and (sometimes) the hip.
The human body is built to function as a collection of moving parts,
and we were told that the most important part of any lock was to isolate
the joint that you would be attacking, otherwise the opponent would
be able to relieve the pressure and escape the lock.
The session on arm bars began with a rapid exposure
to the basic arm bar from mount position. For those who had never
grappled before, the basic set of motions required to execute an arm
bar from mount were presented. At each step, from capture of the arm,
containing the head, the rotation that puts the arm into the proper
position, to the submission itself, the necessity to keep tight to
the opponent and maintain minimum distance was emphasized.
After the basics were taught, the seminar moved
from basic drills to the assumption that your opponent was unlikely
to just lie there and let you tap him out! Logical counters to the
arm bar were shown, turning into the technique as always. The necessity
to have initiated, or even completed, the escape move before the attacker
re-established control after his weight shift was obvious to all participants.
The goal of HRD grappling is to not attempt one
submission, and then disengage and try something new. Rather, it is
to move seamlessly from submission to submission, with each counter
from the opponent opening new opportunities. This was how we practiced
our drills during this first session on arm bars as well: first a
submission was attempted, then the defender countered, perhaps by
rolling in and stacking up on the attacker. Then, the attacker would
respond to the counter, smoothly obtaining a variation on the original
arm bar.
Grappling: Shoulder Locks
After the first session on working a hinge-joint
(and of course, the principles applied to the elbow-hinge will all
work on the knee as well), the seminar shifted to working the ball-and-socket
joint, using the shoulder lock as the example.
Once again, the beginners were given the chance
to learn the basic moves, and the advanced practitioners received
a critique of the finer points of the locks, as Master Lee led the
class through the basics of inside and outside shoulder locks from
the basic positions, with focus on the mount and side mount. Building
from there, and emphasizing the importance of hip movement and involving
the whole body in the techniques, the class was led through acquiring
shoulder locks from the guard position. The students were exposed
to a wide variety of methods to apply a shoulder lock from different
advantaged and disadvantaged positions, culminating in a rolling combination
of outside shoulder lock, to elbow compression, and then back to shoulder
lock as the opponent responds.
Through the day’s grappling seminars, we learned
that nearly any part of your body could be used to apply the various
locks. We were able to use both our arms and legs to apply a submission
in both the arm bar and shoulder lock. In both cases, the class was
exposed to natural counters to those moves, and shown ways, some simple,
some more difficult, to respond effectively to the attempted counters.
Hwarang Kumsul: History in the making
After trading grappling uniforms for hakama and jukdo, the seminar
participants sat and knelt to watch a demonstration match. Perceptive
observers might have noticed that Sa Bum Nim Sirny’s protective
leg armor had been reinforced with strips of bamboo. While seemingly
a small change, the audience was then treated to a demonstration of
what this revolutionary protective gear allowed. In observing Master
Lee perform kneeling leg strikes from a distance, from the clinch,
and alternating between a spinning kneeling leg strike, followed by
a standing one-handed belly-cut (“houri”) as he darted
in and out of range of his opponent, seminar attendees saw something
now unique only to Hwa Rang Do. As a subset of our Moo Gi Dae Ryun
(weapon fighting), this new style is called Hwarang Kumsul, or Hwarang
Sword Technique.
Adding the leg (tari) strikes not only changes the
rules of the game, it alters the entire feel of the match. The players
can now enter with high-line or low-line attacks, and spinning out
of a linear, fencing-like strip is not only legal, but useful. The
competing hwarang must now mind a 360-degree field of view and three
different levels of attack (head level for mouri/mok strikes, mid-level
for houri strikes, and low-level for tari strikes). The necessity
to defend the tari strike forces the practitioner of hwarang kumsul
to move the tip of the blade far out of the usual guard position.
It was usually possible to defend against a houri stomach-strike by
blocking with the handle, with practice. This cannot be done easily
with a leg-strike, and the competitor must be much more aware of the
potential, and actual, lines of attack. Even defending against the
strike is more challenging, as the rules for what scores a point in
hwarang kumsul still apply: the strike must be done with the top third
of the blade, to a valid target, and from a close-in tari strike,
the defender may well have to retreat significantly before achieving
the proper distance to score a point.
In drills, the seminar participants got to first
experience the motion of the tari strike, which is in essence a houri
strike with a walking lunge attached as the movement that gives distance.
The sliding and stepping defenses against the strike each give different
opportunities for both defense and attack, and require significant
blade motion to do successfully. Also added to the defensive repertoire
during the seminar are two new high-line blocks (sangdan maki) used
when defending immediately after a tari strike. The first resembles
a top-block with the jukdo; the second is a wide block using both
hands on opposite ends of the jukdo, such that one grasps the handle,
while the other braces the back of the “blade.” This was
used both defensively against incoming strikes, and offensively to
push from a clinch or create distance.
All in all, the seminar participants got a tremendous
introduction to these new revolutionary techniques. Afterwards, while
nursing overworked quadriceps (a very, very large number of walking
lunges were executed in those 90 minutes!), the most-overheard comment
from those who have experienced the “old” way of kumdo
is how much more like swordsmanship the activities felt. Rather than
the more straightforward (not simple or slow, just more linear) attack-defend
cycle of traditional kendo, the motions now felt more similar to Tae
Soo Gum Moo Hyung and Hwarang Gum Moo Hyung – circular, flowing,
and elegant. Fun!
Jung Shin
Throughout the seminar, we were treated to lectures
and anecdotes on a wide variety of topics of personal import to Chief
Master Lee, and to the world at large. One theme, repeated through
several seminars, was the need to strive always to excel in action,
as well as be mindful of your surroundings and the impact your actions
have on others.
Over and over he stated the need that not only did
you need to constantly strive to be the best that you can be, but
also not to measure such performance on a relative scale. Drawing
from popular culture, he underscored his points drawing from many
different popular movies (Star Wars being a particular favorite),
and one that might apply here is one of the signature quotes from
Mr. Holland’s Opus…”Your best isn’t good enough.”
It is not “good enough” to make a half-hearted effort
that doesn’t get the job done; most standards are external to
yourself, and the effort you put forward is either enough to do the
job well, or it is not. If you are training for a tournament, you
may lose because you did every bit of training that is possible, and
were outcompeted. That is respectable. But you may also lose because
your perception of what is “enough” training is flawed,
and your confidence in your ability is misplaced. As Hwarang, it is
vital that we hold ourselves to this higher, absolute standard. For
us, there is “excellence,” and “everything else.”
Likewise, one must not only strive for excellence
in actions and results, but awareness as well. Succinctly put, “don’t
be stupid.” Master Lee emphasized the need to think through
the consequences of all actions, be they on the battlefield –
and some of our TSD and HRD brothers and sisters have served or currently
serve on real battlefields the world over – or at work, or in
the dojang, or at home. One must always show good judgment, and be
mindful of not only the consequences of your actions in the immediate
term, but also think through what may come later.
As martial artists, by seeking excellence and being
mindful of consequences, we force ourselves to examine our actions
and our lives, to take control of our own destinies. By doing so,
we become agents of our own destiny, the center of our own universe.
Nowhere was this more apparent than in the many references Chief Master
Lee made to being good and proper parents. By controlling ourselves,
we may lead our children by example. By insisting on proper judgment
and the highest absolute standard from our children, we create the
building blocks of a better tomorrow. By showing bad character, our
children will mimic this and fail to learn jungshin, the right mind.
In personifying outstanding character, we then gain the moral strength
to insist on such things from our children, who will naturally respond.
By letting kids be kids, but also channeling their behavior into what
is right, we can avoid and solve many of the educational and behavioral
issues plaguing our schools and cities now. By not allowing ourselves
to take the easy way out, by not ceding control over our lives, our
families, our children to others, we build strong character in ourselves
and others.
At the end of the two days of grueling training
and mental and spiritual challenge, not one of us left the dojang
after saying goodbye to Chief Master Lee without learning something.
Some walked away with new techniques. Others left with a new appreciation
for the martial art they practice (whether it was TSD/HRD or another).
Parents and observers walked away with as many lessons as participants.
We look forward to our next learning experience with Chief Master
Taejoon Lee, and to putting his words in action.
Hwarang Forever!
Madison West Students Takes 6 First
Places at The Southern Wisconsin Open Martial Arts Tournament
On March 30, 2008 The Academy of
Hwa Rang Do West participated in an open martial arts tournament called
the Southern Wisconsin Open Martial Arts Tournament. This was a large
event with over 600 competitors and over 2,000 in attendance. I am
very proud to announce that the HRD/TSD competitors all placed in
the top 4 in all events that they competed in including 6 first places
in sparring, forms, and weapons. These competitors exuded great sportsmanship
and positive attitudes during the event which made us very proud.
Congratulations!
International
News
Demonstration
in Genoa, Italy
On March 29, 2008 the event coordinators of the Kombat
Festival K-1 championships in Genoa asked the Italian Branch of the
WHRDA to perform a demonstration before the matches. Kyosa Marco Mattiucci,
Francesco Biancuzzi, Giuseppe Catania and Diego Guardione took the
opportunity and presented our beautiful art to the many spectators,
many of whom were seeing Hwa Rang Do in action for the first time.
The demo team performed self defense against multiple armed/unarmed
attackers, some exciting and dynamic acrobatics as well as dangerous
techniques like when Francesco executed a flying back flip of the
top of the ropes of the ring. This was an unusual setting for a traditional
martial art, but everybody appreciated the demo and many people asked
info about HRD after the event. It was a great success!
Please check out the video: http://www.hwarangdo.it/2008snow&demos.php
Hwarang forever!
Italian Branch of the
World Hwa Rang Do Association
Inter Martial Arts Championships
A representative of the Italian Branch of the WHRDA
participated in a Korean martial arts championships that was held
in Rome of the 16th of March 2008. There were many other Korean martial
art groups such as Tae Kwon Do, Hwal Moo Do, and many others. Our
20 Tae Soo Do warriors got one first place, two second places, and
one third. It was very competitive and challenged our students to
excel. They honored Hwa Rang Do and Tae Soo Do with courage and power.
Hwarang forever!
Italian Branch of the
World Hwa Rang Do Association
Sulsa Training Continues…
On March 22, 2008 the Italian Sulsa Team trained
in a very cold sea. Only four of them were able to finish the training.
All the others were forced to stop due to the freezing water temperatures.
They endured 5 hours of training, running, swimming, fighting in the
sea and traversing to different targets through a very rouged environment.
It was very exciting yet truly challenging. You’re caught in
a catch-22: you cannot stop from moving or your body will freeze up,
but the cold temperature drains you of so much energy it becomes extremely
difficult to do anything. The strength of your will and concentration
are the only weapons to survive!
Hwarang forever!
Italian Branch of the
World Hwa Rang Do Association
