Karate Concepts from Choki Motobu --- Chief Instructor's Blog December 2022

 

Choki Motobu, founder of Motobu-ryū, was one of Okinawa's greatest early twentieth century karate masters.  Choki Motobu students documented in Japanese a 1978 essay "Motobu Choki Sensei Goroku" (that was translated by Joe Swift) which focuses on some of his concepts relating to karate.  I will expand on a few of the items discussed in the essay that resonated the most with me and align with Han Moo Kwan principles and concepts.

“Kamae is in the heart, not a physical manifestation.”

Kamae is Japanese for “stance” or “posture”.   While we practice it is important that your stances are solid and correct.  I believe what Choki Motobu was referring to is that your attitude and intent is more important.  Your stances and techniques can be technically perfect but if your attitude and intent is not correct, your techniques will not be effective.

“One must develop the ability to read how much striking power any person has in one glance.”

Learning to read your attacker and understand their strengths and weaknesses quickly is an essential skill.  We practice this skill as part of learning the energy side of martial arts.

“One does not have to take care to block every single attack by an opponent with weak striking power.”

If the strike is not going to do you harm or out of range, etc., then you should not waste time and energy to block it or chase it.    In this case, you should just attack the opponent, but ensure you are protecting any vulnerable spots (e.g., your head).

“One must develop the ability to deflect attack even from behind.”

All attacks are not going to be directly in front of you.  So, first you need to be aware of what is going on behind you and to the side of you as well.  And if the attack is from behind, you need to be able to move and throw techniques that are effective.

“In a real confrontation, more than anything else strike to the face first, as this is most effective.”

By striking the face (or head), first you are attacking the body’s “control system” (i.e.  the brain), and if can stun the brain, the body will shut down. I will expand this to attack vulnerable spots first (knees, groin, etc.).  The idea is to finish a fight quickly, so the most vulnerable spots are best to attack first.

“Kicks are not all that effective in a real confrontation.”

I believe this statement is more about full kicks.  Most fights are close in, so you will not necessarily be able to execute a full kick, but knee strikes, stamping side kicks to the shin or foot could be very effective.

“One must try and block the attack at its source (Block not the attacking hand but deeper on the arm).”

To me, this concept aligns with not focusing on the actual part of the body the assailant is attacking.  If you focus on just the attack, you may miss other things going on (use of other weapons). And if you attack the body or the source, you are more likely to do more damage and end the altercation quickly.  Or this concept may also be indicating to block a strike or kick at the position where it exerts the least amount of power.  (e.g., haymaker punch is easiest to stop if you block the upper arm just a few inches down from the shoulder.)

“The blocking hand must be able to become the attacking hand in an instant. Blocking with one hand and then countering with the other is not true bujutsu. Real bujutsu presses forward and blocks and counters in the same motion.”

This also combines a few concepts for me.  One is blocks are attacks (“block to break”), so in essence you should be always attacking.  In addition, this concept for me also emphasizes the need to continually attack until you feel safe and not stop until then.  In addition, this emphasizes the use of both hands simultaneously versus one technique then the other.

“When punching to the face one must thrust as if punching through the head.”

For every technique you throw you should be thinking of going through the target.  When we practice against one another you must use control to not cause bodily harm to your fellow student, but against bags, shields and definitely against an attacker, you should always be thinking of going through their body (head, spine, etc.)

“When blocking kicks, one must block as if trying to break the opponent’s shin.”

As stated in class over and over, with every “blocking technique” your intent should be block to break.  Our art form is for self-defense with the goals to end the altercation quickly.  To do so you must disable your attacker quickly, which means causing damage with every technique and to do that you must block to break. 

As you study or read about the masters of traditional martial arts, you will find Han Moo Kwan is very much aligned with their concepts. And given these concepts have survived hundreds of years, for me, it validates what we are studying and practicing.

 

Regards,

Kelly

“The more understanding you have about Karate, the less you need to change or modify it.” ~ Tsuguo Sakumoto (1947 – present), former World Karate Champion and 9^th degree in Ryuei-ryu Karate

 

 

Some Key Non-Physical Self-Defense Strategies and Tactics --- Chief Instructor's Blog November 2022

 

While it has been said and written many times, it is worth stating again.

Han Moo Kwan philosophy and its strategies are based on an honorable fighter art with its origins dating back hundreds of years.  This fighting art is used strictly for self-defense and for improving oneself physically and spiritually.  Therefore, if options do not exist to avoid confrontation and conflict, we teach members how to physically defend themselves using the Han Moo Kwan Tae Kwon Do philosophy and its strategies and tactics.

So, with that said, what options are there to avoid confrontation and conflict?

The number one rule of self-defense is “Do not get chosen”.  There are a few major concepts this encompasses.  One concept is being aware of your surroundings and avoid situations that put you at risk, such as walking alone in a dark area or entering the subway car that is completely packed versus one that is less crowded.  Or the flip side, entering a subway car with only one other person that makes you uncomfortable versus riding one with a few other people.  Another one is simply do not visibly carry anything of interest to an attacker. For example, if you are carrying a $1400 iPhone down the street visibly in your hand, you are more at risk to be robbed.  If you are carrying a $2000 purse and it is dangling down your side, you are at risk of being robbed.  If you are wearing expensive jewelry out in public especially crowded streets or public transit, you are at risk.  When my husband and I travel, we do not wear our more expensive wedding rings but wear an inexpensive, plain band. 

Another simple tactic of not getting chosen is to ensure your home is well lit at night, whether you have interior and or exterior lights on timers or sensors.  An intruder will most likely break into a dark home then one that has lights on.  Or place a large dog bowl with water in the backyard that looks scuffed up and well used.  An intruder will most likely avoid a house with a dog. 

Also, those that appear to have more confidence are less likely to be chosen.  This means walking with your head up and with confidence.

It also means being aware of your surroundings.  By looking around and not staring and/or texting on your phone, for example, in public places you are less likely to be the target.

Another concept is keeping safe distances or avoid being in a disadvantaged position.  Again, this may mean avoiding crowded areas, if possible.  Or if in a more crowded place, position yourself to limit an attacker’s angles of attack.  As an example, if in a crowded subway, you have your back to a wall so you can see what’s in front of you and therefore do not have to worry about what’s behind you and limit someone’s opportunities to rob or attack you.

Another important concept is to trust your instincts.  This does not mean to be paranoid, but if your gut tells you the situation does not feel right, trust it.  If you are walking down the street and there is a person coming towards you that makes you feel uneasy, cross the street or go into the nearest store.  If you are going into an elevator that has another person or people and the you feel uneasy, take the next elevator or take the stairs.  This does not mean you are being a coward or afraid…this is simply avoiding a potential bad situation.  In Gavin de Becker’s book “The Gift of Fear: And Other Survival Signals That Protect Us from Violence” he provides many examples of reading signs and testing your instinct.

Other means to avoid confrontation can take the form of verbal tactics.  A few simple tactics include, if someone is confronting you simply state the police have been called and are coming, even if this is not true.  Do not say you will call the police, but say the police have already been called.  An attacker is less likely to stick around if they think the police are on their way.   Another verbal tactic if feeling unsafe is to state, “I do not know you”, even if this is not true.  Most bystanders will not want to get involve in a domestic dispute but are willing to help someone against a stranger.

This is not a complete list, but illustrates there are many tactics and techniques besides the physical to keep yourself safe.  And while we spend time practicing the physical techniques, if you are truly interested in self-defense, you should also study and learn the non-physical tactics as well.

Regards,

Kelly

“The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.” ~ Sun Tzu (6th Century BC), Chinese General, military strategist, and author of The Art of War

 

References:

1.      The Gift of Fear: And Other Survival Signals That Protect Us from Violence by Gavin de Becker

2.      The Art of War by Sun Tzu

Evolution of Performing Hyung ---- Chief Instructor Blog October 2022

 

 As you learn and get more adept at techniques, the techniques will evolve.  What your techniques look and feel like as a belt will be different than when you are a green belt and definitely different as a black belt. 

I talked about a few specific techniques and how they evolve over time in previous blogs:  Attack Punch in the July 2012 blog, Cat Stance in the August 2012 blog, Front Kick in the September 2012 blog, and Knife Hand in the September 2013 blog.

The same is true for Hyung and not just the evolution of the techniques themselves and it is not just that you know more Hyung, but how you perform the Hyung will actually evolve.  And while it may not look much different for someone just observing, you will be able to tell a difference in how it feels.  Specifically, what should be different is the timing and the intent.  I will look at each of these in more detail.

Timing

In the beginning, we teach belts to keep the timing of each technique consistent as if you were performing to a metronome.  In fact, we had a black belt many years ago that actually used to bring to class a metronome for students to practice to.  We also have belts perform hyung by breaking down each piece: prep, move, set, execute, prep, move, set, execute.

As a blue belt you should be performing that “Prep” technique as you start to move versus one then the other.  And the timing between the set and execute should be fractions of a second from what it was as a belt.  By performing the hyung this way, the time to perform the hyung should be almost half the time as before.

In addition, as you continue to advance, the timing should vary.  For example, you may have two very fast techniques then slower for the third technique and fourth technique.  Or you may accelerate the techniques as you perform a sequence of 3 to 4 techniques.  In the beginning you may just be playing with the timing to determine what feels right to go fast, fast, slow, or accelerate through multiple techniques.  Eventually, the variation in timing is aligned with the “self-defense story” you are envisioning while you are going through the hyung.   

Intent

As part of the “self-defense story”, you are performing techniques with application and intent that may be different than what you were originally taught even though the techniques look the same.  What does this mean?   It is easier to describe when discussing specific techniques.  Let’s start with hook punch.     

A hook punch can be performed where you are focused on those first two knuckles to punch an assailant’s lower ribs or kidneys, or the forearm is used to strike an assailant’s sternum, or throat, or it could be used as part of a hip throw.  Each of these three variations are a different intent although they all look the same to someone observing.  Now let’s look at high block. 

A high block can be performed to break an overhead strike, or performed as an upper hammer fist to strike an assailant’s cheek bone, or even performed using the knuckles as an upper punch to strike an assailant’s face.  Again, while the intent may be different, the technique itself should look the same regardless of what part of the arm you are using to strike or what target you are aiming for.

So, as you can imagine there now can be hundreds if not thousands of variations of performing one hyung as you vary timing and intent.  You can now better understand why Gichin Funakoshi, the founder of Shotokan Karate has said, “In the past, it was expected that about three years were required to learn a single kata, and usually even an expert of considerable skill would only know three, or at most five, kata.”

If this is all new to you, I would start at the beginning with Kibon Hyung and focus on the timing to perform the technique with the original intent you were taught.  And then when you are comfortable with that, you should start performing the hyung with different intents for each technique sticking with one variation at a time until you are comfortable then moving on to another variation.  You will never get bored with practicing hyung if you do this.

Regards,

Kelly

 

“Karate is a lifetime study.” ~ Kenwa Mabuni (1889-1952), Founder of Shitō-ryū Karate.

 

The Twelve Rules of the Sword (Part 2) --- Chief Instructor's Blog September 2022

 

Note: In these two two-part series, I discuss 12 rules (teachings) from sword fighting principles from the 16^th century. This first part discussed the first six rules and this second part discusses the other six rules.

As stated in part one of this two-part blog, the principles the masters taught and conveyed to their students even hundreds of years ago are still very relevant today.  An example of that is The Twelve Rules of the Sword taught at the Itto School in the 16^th century. The remaining six rules are discussed below.

7.  The Heart of a Fox

This rule is to “not allow yourself to doubt.”  If an assailant attacks you, any doubt, hesitation, or being cautious can lead to severe injury or worse.  So, you must train so you are confident in your techniques mechanically and you should always have an attitude and intent that your techniques are effective.  I discussed training with attitude and intent in my October 2017 blog, Training The Mind Through Attitude/Intent.

8.  Pine Tree in the Wind

This rule is “to not get trapped by the opponent’s rhythm”.    We discuss this a lot when practicing sparring to not match an opponent’s timing but to be the one controlling the timing and to not make it predictable.  We use drills like Mr. Kim’s Timing Drill to accelerate timing to throw an opponent off or practice variable timing while practicing hyung so timing is not predictable.  

9.  The Ground Beneath Your Feet

This rule states “Depending on the situation or the strategy, you may be employing, retreating or advancing .., despite its negative connotations, may be the best way to respond to an opponent.”   We practice moving forward and backwards.  What is key when “retreating” is continuously enforcing that forward energy and intent, so while it may appear to be you are at a disadvantage, you are not.

10.  Focus/Preventing Extraneous Thoughts

This rule is “to not allow distracting thoughts to plague your mind”.  Being completely present in the moment is a critical principle of self-defense. This principle is the same as the martial arts mindset known as Fudoshin - the immovable mind.  I discuss how to train your Fudoshin mind in my January 2020 blog, Training the Martial Artist's Four Mindsets.

11.[Physical] Interval Between You and Your Opponent

This rule is to study and learn the distance relative to your opponent and apply it.  For me this also means understanding your strengths or disadvantages against an opponent.  For example, if I am sparring against a taller person, I will tend to move in closer where I can still effectively use my legs and arms, but they are unable to use their legs.  It also means paying attention to any timing or tells they have that you can take advantage of.  I have seen some students slightly tap the ground before launch a kick.  This was a tell that could be taken advantage of if I move in right as I saw the tap the on floor and jammed the kick

12.  Lingering Mind

This rule is “to strike without any lingering thoughts or doubts”.   The rule concludes “If you entered a hundred battles and struck this point a hundred times, never doubt you will achieve victory a hundred times.”  This rule is very much related to the Heart of a Fox and Focus/Preventing Extraneous Thoughts rule.  Being confident (not arrogant) but confident with no doubts is also a critical concept in self-defense.  The minute you start doubting yourself is the minute you can go from beating your assailant to losing.   When we teach board breaks, one of the things we ask is if you think you can break the board.  If there is a lot of hesitancy, then we waited for another day to try to break the board.  Mindset is critical including the attitude/intent to do damage with each strike.  This principle is the same as the martial arts mindset known as Zanshin - the remaining mind.  I discuss how to train your Zanshin mind in my January 2020 blog, Training the Martial Artist's Four Mindsets.

Regards,

Kelly

“Once you understand the way broadly, you can see it in all things.” ~ Miyamoto Musashi (c. 1584 –1645) - famous Japanese swordsman, the author of The Book of Five Rings

 

References:

The Twelve Rules of the Sword by Ito Ittosai, Translated by Eric Shahan, 2018

The Twelve Rules of the Sword (Part 1) --- Chief Instructor's Blog August 2022

 

Note: In this two-part series, I discuss 12 rules (teachings) from sword fighting principles from the 16^th century. This first part discusses the first six rules and the second part discusses the other six rules.

The Masters of the past really understood the very basic principles of self-defense.  Every time I come across literature from a hundred or hundreds of years ago, the principles the masters taught and conveyed to their students then is still very relevant today.  My latest discovery is The Twelve Rules of the Sword.  The Twelve Rules of the Sword were 12 rules taught at the Itto School of Sword Fighting that was founded by Ito Ittosai, a master swordsman in the 16^th century.   

1.   The Two Places To Watch Your Opponent

This rule states that “though you are keeping all of your opponents in your field of vision, there are two points you should focus on.”  Since this was sword fighting, the two points mentioned are the tip of the sword and the hands sine it moves the sword.   So, from an HMK perspective, this principle still applies – you should never focus on just one thing.  You need to ensure you see with your peripheral vision around you and should not just focus on the weapons of your assailant (whether that is a weapon they have or their hands/legs).  You should also focus elsewhere.  If your assailant is not holding a weapon, I would say their eyes are also a good place to focus as well as center of the body, since those areas are probably the best tell of their next move.  If they are holding a weapon, their hands are a good place to look, but so are their eyes as well.

2.  Cutting Down

This rules as translated, is all about split second timing and how that timing is critical. This is true then as it is today.  Being able to react instantly and with a timing to disrupt or to land a strike before an opponent does is a critical aspect of self-defense.  

3.  The Strategy Near and Far

This rule as translated is “Creating a situation where the enemy feels their striking distance is far while your own striking distance feels near.”  The intent of this rule is to ensure you are at a position of advantage relative to our opponent.  From an HMK perspective these would be concepts such as never be directly between two assailants or be forced in to a position against a wall or corner. 

4. Horizontal, Vertical, Above, and Below

The essence of this is to strike or counter from opposite directions.  For example, “If attack comes from above, respond to it from below”.  From an HMK perspective this is aligned with the Get Off the Line concept we teach.  When we get off the line, we are taking a different angle of attack versus straight on.

In addition, this rule is also about being centered in thought and “senses free to detect attack from anywhere”.   This is a similar concept we teach in HMK to being grounded, not overcommitted, and not assume where the attack is coming from and being able to quickly react and move.

5. The Color Of Things

This rule has a couple principles.  One is to avoid labeling your assailant, meaning not to assume anything about your assailant or try to analyze them in anyway.  You should assume they have skill and are dangerous if they are attacking you.  Also, the rule states that if an assailant shouts or calls something out to you, do not try to figure out its meaning – it is a distraction and “you are putting yourself in danger”.

6. The Eyes of the Heart

This rule states that “you should not look at the opponent with your eyes, but view them with your spirit.  If you look with your eyes, you may get distracted, however, by looking with your mind you remain focused”.  We teach similar principles in HMK that you should not stare or be focused just with your eyes.  In HMK we also, at an advanced level, teach reading an assailant’s energy which I believe is the same intent meant here when stating you should view with the spirit or mind.

In Part 2, I will discuss the other six rules.

Regards,

Kelly

“Perceive that which cannot be seen with the eye.” ~ Miyamoto Musashi (c. 1584 –1645) - famous Japanese swordsman, the author of The Book of Five Rings 

References:

The Twelve Rules of the Sword by Ito Ittosai, Translated by Eric Shahan, 2018

Stick To The Fundamentals ---- Chief Instructor July 2022

I had a basketball coach in high school that was a stickler for the fundamentals, the building blocks.  Without the basics, not only could you not perform well, but trying to do the fancy moves more likely just ended up making you look silly or actually get yourself injured.

This concept applies to martial arts as well.  The fundamentals, the basics, are core to everything we do.  Without a strong foundation in the basics, you cannot move on to more advanced techniques, and if you tried, you will probably just end up hurting yourself.   And the fact of the matter is advanced techniques are just extensions of the basics.

And while some may think basics are just the basics techniques you were taught the first six months of training; the fundamentals include the attributes of those basics themselves.  Since that may not be clear, let’s discuss a few.

 

1.      Formal Cat Stance key attributes include

• Hips and shoulders square; back straight
• Head up, chin level
• Front knee points in the forward direction, knee above ankle
• Stance locked into hip
• All body weight will be on rear leg; no weight on the leading foot

 

2.       Forward punch fundamentals include a strong horse stance with a proper front punch. 

The key attributes of a strong horse stance include: 

• Feet approximately twice shoulder width; parallel to each other,
• Knees bent approximately 45 degrees from horizontal,
• Knees over the ankle pointing straight ahead,
• Body weight evenly distributed on both feet,
• Hips and shoulders square; back straight,
• Head up, chin level

 

The key attributes of a front punch include: 

• Proper closed fist
• Arm stays in contact with side of body throughout motion; driving from the elbow
• Punching arm elbow remains slightly bent at impact
• Wrists flat at impact; first two knuckles pointed at target

 

3.      Knife Hand fundamentals include a strong attack stance with a proper froward open hand inward strike. 

The key attributes of a strong attack stance attack include:

• Hips and shoulders square; back straight
• Knees and feet point straight ahead
• Front knee bent approximately 35 degrees from horizontal and above the ankle
• Body weight evenly distributed on both feet
• Rear leg is locked
• Stance is approximately twice as wide as it is long

 

The key attributes of the forward, open hand inward strike include:

• Palm is flat; tips of the fingers slightly bent; thumb tucked in 
• Elbow remains close to the body and downward throughout the striking muton
• Palm is forward and rotates upward just before impact
• Elbow remains bent at contact

 

For example, without a proper cat stance, you will not be able to throw a jump kick with any force, turns will be wobbly, sparring ineffective, you will not be able perform more advanced techniques like a sweeping attack stance.  And the list goes on and on and on.

So, it is not enough to just practice hundreds or thousands of techniques in cat stance if you are not focused on and ensuring the fundamentals, those key attributes are part of the practice. 

So, if it has been a while since you focused on the fundamentals of techniques, why not start today?  Make it a priority to commit to mastering the fundamentals.

Regards,

Kelly

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

Lessons From Bruce Lee ---- Chief Instructor Blog June 2022

I ran across an article from Black Belt Magazine on-line, Learn the Most Important Martial Arts Lessons Bruce Lee Taught — From His Top Disciples! [Ref. 1].  The article describes lessons (concepts/principles) from Bruce Lee as described by several of his students. 

 I will expand on a few of the items discussed in the article that resonated the most with me and align with Han Moo Kwan principles and concepts.

 Off the bat in the article is the lesson:  self-expression through self-discovery.  If you have done any research on Bruce Lee and his philosophies, you will know he was a believer in expressing the art form, and that expression comes from self-discovery. An instructor can state concepts, ideas and be explicit in what one could or should do, but a martial artist must really take those concepts and expand on them through self-study to truly discovery how to apply the techniques in ways that are most effective for them (which can be situational dependent or even change as you age). In Han Moo Kwan we describe this as an aspect of “Making It Your Own”.  I described this concept in more detail in my September 2014 blog, titled “Making it Your Own”. 

 Another lesson described in the article is to “Take what is offered to you”.  For me, the message here is, is you should not have a preconceived notion on techniques to use but take advantage of the opening or the vulnerability created by your assailant.  A great example from the article is “If your opponent steps toward you, he's “offering" you his front leg to attack”. 

 As I have discussed in several blogs, Han Moo Kwan is to be used for self-defense only and therefore one should avoid physical altercation if one can.  And if you feel you have no other choice than use physical techniques you should go all out until you feel safe.  Bruce Lee described this as “pre-emption.”  As described in the article, “Basically, Lee’s assertion that you should intercept aggression in stages (mentally, vocally and physically) is analogous to the combatives approach of first, being avoidant by using situational awareness; second, warning off by taking some type of early physical action to avoid an altercation; and finally, in the most threatening circumstances, launching your attack before your adversary’s attack is fully manifested.” 

 The last piece I think is extremely important and leads to another concept that Bruce Lee called “interception”.  A key to interception is to “interfere with the assailant’s attack”.  In Han Moo Kwan, we refer to this concept as blocking to break.  Blocking to break will disrupt and interfere with the assailant’s attack. 

 As described in the article, Lee also stressed the importance of a method he called “alive training.”  Basically, one must train in situations to stress yourself that align with more realistic situations.  This is why we include sparring and more dynamic self-defense to our training.  As described in the article, “Particular moves and strategies are very important, but the most difficult and immediate obstacle to overcome in a real fight is the pressure and resistance offered by the attacker. If you don’t practice dealing with them, you won’t develop the ability to automatically adjust to the myriad of obstacles that a real opponent will present.”  I also discussed in two separate blogs how to better prepare yourself for these pressured situation in two blogs from April and May 2018, titled “ How To Physically Prepare For Being Under Stress “ and “How To Mentally Prepare For Being Under Stress”.

 Bruce Lee is considered one of the greatest martial artists of all time. For me this is not just because of his physical ability but because of his depth of understanding of the true essence of martial arts.  His lessons are not applicable to just his style but traditional martial arts in general and lessons for all those who strive to understand martial arts.

Regards,

Kelly

“Be self aware, rather than a repetitious robot.”  ~  Bruce Lee, (1940 –1973) American-born Chinese Hong Kong martial artist, actor, and founder of Jeet Kune Do

References:

1. Learn the Most Important Martial Arts Lessons Bruce Lee Taught — From His Top Disciples! - Black Belt Magazine

Self-defense Based Martial Arts Principles ---- Chief Instructor Blog May 2022

Traditional self-defense based martial arts may have very different techniques but their principles are quite similar.   To explore this, I will describe some key principles of Wing Chun Kung Fu (whom Ip Man and his most famous student Bruce Lee were practitioners) and how they are similar to Han Moo Kwan’s principles.

Center Line Principle

If you draw a line down the center of your body from forehead to groin, it passes through the vulnerable spots in the body.  So, it is critical to protect those parts of your body.  In Han Moo Kwan, we accomplish this by using a fighting cat stance (not squaring off to an assailant so they do not have a direct line to all of our most vulnerable spots, keeping one hand high and one hand low at all times, and using cat stance for more mobility).

In addition, this principle indicates we should be attacking those “center line” targets on our assailant.   In Han Moo Kwan, we do teach attacking those vulnerable targets are the most effective techniques.

Simultaneous Attack and Defense Principle

This can be thought of in two different ways, and each way we apply in Han Moo Kwan.   One way, is that when we defend, we are offensive, we “block to break”.  In addition, we employ two hand techniques where one hand “defends” while the second one attacks.  For example, it can be techniques like the opening move to Pyung Ahn 4, where in one application the “blocking arm” is defending and protecting the head, while the striking hand is attacking the assailant’s neck/throat.   Or, in techniques like Extended Spear Hand, where one the one hand traps the assailant, while the spear hand attacks.

Shortest and Most Direct Path Principle

In Han Moo Kwan we teach linear techniques because they are the shortest and most direct path.  For example, our front kick uses a piston action to be linear.  There are also other advantages to linear techniques.  For more information on why linear and how that principle is applied to various techniques, see my February 2017 blog “Why Linear?”.   

Economy of Movement Principle

This principle can also be thought of in a couple different ways as applied to Han Moo Kwan.  One way is short strikes.  In Han Moo Kwan, one of our goals is to use the shortest strikes possible while also generating the maximum amount of power.  In Han Moo Kwan, we also do not go force against force.  Instead, we take advantage of the direction of an assailant’s power.  For example, if our assailant is pulling us, we do not pull back, we go in the direction they are pulling and attack them.

Minimum Use of Brute Strength Principle

In Han Moo Kwan, we accomplish this by using energy and not muscle to be effective and efficient in our techniques.  By doing so, we can be effective against assailants that are much larger and physically stronger than we are.  

Based on the above, while there are different ways / techniques to accomplish the principles above, these principles are foundational to any self-defense based martial art.  I recommend thinking of these principles as you practice and explore techniques.

Regards,

Kelly

“If size mattered, the elephant would be the king of the jungle.”  ~ Ip Man (1893-1972), A Grandmaster of the martial art Wing Chun Kung Fu

References

1.      1. Core Concepts | International Wing Chun Academy, retrieved 5/1/2022

2.      2. Five Principles | International Wing Chun Academy, retrieved 5/1/2022

Why Bunkai is Important ---- Chief Instructor Blog April 2022

While there are many other benefits for practicing and studying Han Moo Kwan Tae Kwan Do, its main purpose is to be used strictly for self-defense.

Therefore, the functional applications of the techniques - the why, the meaning - are very important to be effective in self-defense.  Understanding why that technique and for what purpose a technique can be used is a big part of learning Han Moo Kwan.  If you do not understand the functional application of a technique, how effective can you be if you were attacked?  In fact, if you do not know the best and most effective target or application of a technique, then if you use it, you may damage yourself and worse case you will be greatly harmed by the assailant you are defending yourself from because it was not effective.

The concept of learning the applications was actually part of the letter of Ten Precepts written in 1908 by Anko Itosu, considered by many to be the father of modern karate.  He wrote this letter when he realized that it was time for karate to reach beyond the shores of Okinawa to the heart of Japan.  In his sixth precept, Master Itosu writes: “Practice each of the techniques of karate repeatedly, the use of which is passed by word of mouth. Learn the explanations well and decide when and in what manner to apply them when needed. Enter, counter, release is the rule of releasing hand (tori-te).”  [Ref. 1]

The process of analyzing the applications of the techniques with hyung (or kata in Japanese) is called Bunkai in Japanese. 

Many martial arts clubs and schools do discuss the why or practice Bunkai. You may ask yourself why they would not?

·        It may be because the intent of that martial art is not for self-defense and therefore it is not important to learning that style.   

·        It may be because their teaching is more of an Eastern style where you are expected to just practice and practice and experiment on your won until you figure it out yourself. 

·        Or it may be because they don’t know.  Many of the techniques, especially if not obvious, were either only explain verbally, not discussed at all and even intentionally kept hidden because of how harmful or damaging they could be. Some styles actually had rules (Kaisai no genre [Ref. 2]) to extracting the applications of the techniques and even the rules were kept hidden except to the most senior students. 

I discuss more about learning the practical applications of the techniques in my March 2013 blog, “Learn Techniques Thoroughly”.   I also describe studying practical application in the hyung in my September 2018 blog, “Studying Hyung”.  This blog also contains some very good references that describe bunkai and how to unlock the applications.

For me, studying the why adds depth to my training and provides me a visual that helps me put purpose and intent into my techniques that would not be there otherwise.  And understanding the why helps aligns with my learning style which enables me to pick up the techniques more effectively. 

I encourage you all to spend more time studying the why behind each technique.   

Regards,

Kelly

“Our teachers did not give us a clear explanation of the kata from old times. I must find the features and meaning of each form by my own study and effort, by repeating the exercises of form through training.” ~ Tsuyoshi Chitose (1898-1984), founder of Chito-ryu Karate

 

References:

1. Ankō Itosu - Wikipedia, retrieved 4/1/2022

2. Kaisai no genri - Wikipedia, retrieved 4/1/2022

Is Body Memory Limiting You? - Chief Instructor's Blog March 2022

 

Body memory is a very important part of martial arts and some folks might say it is the key element to its effective use, especially in a self-defense situation. 

By repeating techniques over and over again they become second nature.  When you can do techniques without thinking about it, you are able to quickly react.  This concept, where the mind gets out of the way, is the results of hundreds of hours of training and thousands of repetitions.  The state of performing without the mind being in the way and your body just flows easily from one technique to another is called Mushin.  I explain Mushin in my November 2010 blog “Free the Mind – Be Like Water”.  

This ability to move from technique to technique without thinking is especially important when you are stressed.  If you have to rely on thinking when stressed, you will probably not perform well or too late to be effective.  I talk some more about the importance of how you practice in my February 2018 blog, “You Will Fight How You Practice”.  

And while I do agree that body memory is very important, it can also be limiting you. 

So, what are the cons of body memory?  One con is if your body memory of the technique is poor.  In that case, that technique will be ineffective when you need to use it.  Over the next several months now that we are practicing in person from time to time, it is important for me to review your techniques to make sure they are still effective before we practice with a partner or with full power against bags, shields etc. so no one gets injured.   

If bad habits or ineffective techniques are now a body memory, you must re-program.  First, you need to break down the technique, go slowly, think through the movements, and relearn it.  It will take hundreds and possibly thousands of repetitions correctly to get back to the state where your techniques are effective as body memory.  And this process must be repeated through basics, hyung, self-defense, sparring, etc.  This is why it is so important to check yourself from time to time to ensure you have not introduced bad form or techniques.  And this is especially true now since over the last two years we have not been able to practice working with partners, striking bags, etc. which gives you instance feedback of the effectivity of your techniques.

The other con is if you have limited your training.  What do I mean by this?  For example, if you only practice turning one way, or you have not practiced transitioning from certain stances to another, then you may get limited or stuck when you try to move that way.  And if this happens, during a time you need to protect yourself, it may result in you being vulnerable. 

This is why it is important to expand your practice to ensure you can smoothly and easily:

• Throw all techniques from all stances in all directions (upward, downward, forward, outward). 
• Perform the hyung in a variety of ways - mirrored, in reverse order, starting from the middle, etc.  In my June 2020 blog “Adding Variety to Practicing Hyung”, I describe 22 different ways to practice hyung. 
• Transition from any stance to any stance and in any direction (side to side, forward and back, at different angles). 
• Throw open hand techniques with closed fist reciprocal and closed hand techniques with open hands reciprocals. 

Body memory may save your life in a fight. 

But body memory based on practicing precisely and correctly, moving in any direction, in any stance using any technique, and changing stances from one to another with no limitations or boundaries will save your life in a fight. 

Regards,

Kelly

“One must try, every day, to expand one's limits." ~ Masutatsu Oyama (1923-1994), karate master who founded Kyokushinkai Karate

 

 

Relearning Techniques to Maximize Effectiveness ---- Chief Instructor Blog February 2022

As noted in my previous blog Just the Hands and Feet?, the art form actually uses all parts of the body not just the hands and feet.  However, in the beginning, we do focus more on the hands and feet when learning a technique.  From a learning perspective it makes sense to focus on one weapon and master the movement using that weapon.  If start to throw too many variables it makes it harder to learn.  I remember when I played softball and coaches tried to” fix” my swing by wanting me to change three or four things at a time.  That never worked well.  If I just focused on one item at a time, then it seemed to work much better.  I believe a similar principle applies in learning a martial art technique.

So, in the beginning, when we learn techniques, we have the students focus on the movement and the strike at the final position.  This also gives the student the time needed for the brain to think about it and only focus on the strike aspect at the end of the technique.  But once you have the motion correct, the reality is you should be ready to use every aspect of your body.  For example, for low block, you should be ready to use/strike starting with the fist and then the forearm for the “prep”, then as the arm travels for the low block the elbow, forearm, then the bottom of the hand.   You can apply this concept to every technique.  A few examples are below.

·         Medium Block:  Upper arm, elbow and forearm for “prep”, followed by elbow, forward, pointy end of thumb on fist

·         High Block:  Fist and forearm for the “prep”, followed by elbow, then forearm, then the bottom of the hand to strike

·         Knife Hand: Elbow, forearm, and side of hand for “prep”, followed by forearm and side of hand for strike

·         Extended Spear Hand: Elbow, forearm, side of hand, palm for the “guard” followed by the tips of fingers, side of hand, forearm, elbow for the strike

·         Hook Punch: Elbow, forearm, bottom of the hand and knuckles

·        Front Kick:  Knee followed by ball of foot

·        Side Kick: Knee followed by side of foot

·        Stamping Side Kick: Knee followed by side of leg then side of foot

The best way to start incorporating this concept is to add one at a time then add on.  For example, for Low Block first incorporate the fist as a strike during the “prep” and get comfortable with that, then add on the forearm, until comfortable with that and so on.  Adding one element at a time will allow you to focus on one thing at a time until you have integrated in every element.

And as you are adding one element at a time you must apply it to not just to the basics but to practicing hyung self-defense, sparring etc.  You basically are relearning every technique multiple times.  It would be nice to relearn the techniques just once and it automatically becomes part of your hyung or self-defense, but because of body memory you have to break that technique down everywhere you use it until it becomes the new body memory.

So, if you have not already, start breaking down your techniques and ensure you start adding in each element so eventually every aspect of body is being used as part of the strike.  This will maximize the effectiveness of each of your techniques.

Regards,

Kelly

“You should not have a favorite weapon. To become over-familiar with one weapon is as much a fault as not knowing it sufficiently well.” ~ Miyamoto Musashi (c. 1584 –1645) - famous Japanese swordsman, the author of The Book of Five Rings

 

Just the Hands and Feet? ---- Chief Instructor Blog January 2022

 

In Korean, tae means "to strike or break with the foot"; kwon means "to strike or break with the fist"; and do means "way of life".  Thus, taekwondo may be loosely translated as "the way of the foot and the hand."[1]

So, does this mean our only weapons we use are the feet and hands as part of tae kwon do?   We know this not to be true since our basics include techniques such as high block and low block that use the outer edge of the arm as the striking surface.  We learn and practice within some of the upper forms an elbow strike, so maybe the better description with be the “way of the foot and arms”?

Well, even that would not be accurate.  Almost all hard surface parts of the body and muscular parts of the body can be used for effective techniques with training and practice.  Some of those examples are the following:

Shoulder Strikes
The shoulder strike is applied inward when very close to your opponent.  It is strong and effective when applied at close distances.  This strike is most effective against the shoulder, sternum, or collar bone.  A shoulder strike can be executed from different stances, and is often used to off-balance an opponent. 

Knee Strikes
The striking surface for a knee strike is the upper portion of the knee.  It can be delivered straight forward or in a circular motion from your side to your front.  It is effective against face, neck, chest, stomach, groin, and back (spine or kidneys).  It can be applied at close range when the distance does not allow another type of kick to be effectively thrown.  A knee strike can be executed from different stances. 

Head Strikes
Yes, using your head as a striking surface can be very effective, but must be applied to a less sensitive area to be effective.  For example, the use of a forehead against an opponent’s nose if facing each other or the upper back of the head against the opponent’s nose (if grabbed from behind) can be very effective.  Forehead to forehead, however, can cause as much damage to yourself than your opponent. 

It should also be noted that there are other effective part of the hands and feet that are less used, but again, with training and practice can be every effective.  Some of those include:

Top of the foot
The top of the foot from the side or straight up can be effective, especially against softer targets such as the groin or kidneys.  It can also be used against an opponent’s shin and if flexible, against the side of the head.

Heel of the foot
The heel of the foot can be used in a thrusting motion behind you (back kick) effectively against an opponent’s knee, groin, or abdomen.  In addition, the heel can be used in a straight down thrusting motion against an opponent’s foot or shin.

Instep of the foot
The instep of the foot can be used against an opponent’s lower legs (shins, ankles) to sweep an opponent off their feet.

Second Knuckles
Second knuckles can be used effective when using all fingers (typically called an extended knuckle punch or knuckles punch) or just the middle finger (typically called a single knuckle punch).  The extended knuckle punch is formed by rolling your fingers to the second knuckle with a slight bend at the first knuckles and striking with the edge created by the second knuckles.  The single knuckle punch is formed similar to the extended knuckle punch, but you only roll and use the middle finger.  These are effective against eyes, temple, bridge of nose, upper lip, solar plexus, throat, and kidneys.  When applied with a lot of force, these techniques can be used to separate the floating ribs.

Tips of the fingers
So, while in the beginning we do focus on only certain parts of the hands and feet as weapons, all parts of the hands and feet as well as other parts of your body can be effective with practice and training.  

While we use the tips of the fingers when reenforced in spear hands, the tips of the fingers can also be used more like a claw to crush.  This crush technique can be used against arms, throats and even the front of the skull. 

Regards,

Kelly

“When you're talking about fighting, as it is, with no rules, well then, baby you'd better train every part of your body!” ~ Bruce Lee (1940 –1973), American-born Chinese Hong Kong martial artist, actor, and founder of Jeet Kune Do

References:

1. https://taekwondo.fandom.com/wiki/Taekwondo, retrieved 12/27/2021

2. Korean Karate Free Fighting Techniques, Sihak Henry Cho

3. Karate-Do Kyohan, The Master Text by Gichin Funakoshi