What Makes a Hyung Good - - Chief Instructor's Blog October 2019

When a student is demonstrating a Hyung, there are up to six major elements I look for to determine whether it is good or not depending on the level of the student.

1. Mechanics

First off, for all levels, I assess the quality, efficiency, and effectiveness of the mechanics of the techniques.  I watch to see if the techniques are performed appropriately for the level of the student.  This includes the stances, the movement, where looking, and the targeting.  For example, if a student is performing an attack punch:

• Stance should be approximately twice as wide as it is long, both knees and feet pointed forward, rear leg locked, leading leg bent, with the knee not to extend past the toes of the leading foot, hips and shoulders square; back straight
• During the movement hips and shoulders remain square throughout the punch; Punching fist moves forward to sternum level, wrist flat, rotating fist 180 degrees just prior to impact; first two knuckles pointed at target; arm stays in contact with side of body throughout motion; other fist comes back in reciprocal position at the right hip (fist upward); punching arm elbow should remain slightly bent at impact
• Student is focused forward at the target, chin level
• Target is the sternum; wrist flat; first two knuckles pointed at target

At each level it is expected students’ techniques are more precise.  For example, when a student is ranked a White Belt, I am not as particular that the feet are pointed forward, but by the time a student reaches the rank of Brown Belt, I am more critical that the feet are precisely pointed forward.

2. Force/Intensity

Next, I look for the force and speed of a student’s technique.  For students ranked as White Belts, I am not looking for force and speed as the focus is on the mechanics.  But as a student reaches the higher levels, I am looking for the student to throw techniques with force/speed and with an intention to break.  The intention to do damage should be reflected not just in the technique, but in the student’s attitude. For example, there should be an intensity in the student’s eyes that they are a force to be reckoned with and people in their path should get out of their way. 

3. Grounded

I also look to see if a student is grounded while demonstrating a Hyung.  For students with ranks of White and Green Belt, I do not expect students to be grounded, but once student reach higher levels, I expect them to start demonstrating being grounded.  For Blue Belts, I would expect students to be grounded while executing some of techniques and the force is fairly consistent throughout the techniques.  By time a student reaches Black Belt, the student should be grounded at all times and the force is consistent during the execution of the techniques as well as the transitions.

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4. Application/Purpose

For students ranked Blue Belt and higher, I watch to see if the student’s techniques look as if they have an application in mind and if it would be effective as an application.  I watch to see if the motion the student is performing has a purpose.  For example, when I watch the last moves to Pyung Ahn 2, I look to see if the student is actually grabbing/crushing the target and pulling it towards oneself and punching their target or are they just going through the motion. 

5. Timing

For students ranked Brown Belt and higher, I am looking for more students to perform a Hyung with flow and continuity in its motion.  The techniques should not look mechanical in nature, but naturally move from one technique to the next while each technique is still distinctionable (i.e., the techniques are not blended).

6. Energy

For Black Belts, I look at how the student projects their energy.  Black Belt’s energy should flow from ground, and the energy is forward and linear at all times (during the techniques itself and during transitions).  I watch to see if the student is conscious of how and where they are projecting their energy and their energy is not just following their physical body.  I also watch to see if the energy matches the philosophy of Han Moo Kwan: direct, offensive, and powerful.  The techniques should look as if each movement, no matter how small, and all parts of the body move with intention to do damage: shatter, slice, destroy the target

Regards,

Kelly

"It is not the number of Kata you know, but the SUBSTANCE of the Kata you have acquired." ~ Jitsumi Gogen Yamaguch (1909-1989), Japanese martial artist and founder of the International Karate-dō Gōjū Kai Association