Modern-day Tang Soo Do Compared to HMK (Part I of II) - Chief Instructor's Blog June 2026

 

Note:  This is Part I of a two-part series to discuss the similarities and differences of Modern-day (post kwans unification) Tang Soo Do (specifically World Tang Soo Do Association) to Han Moo Kwan Tae Kwon Do.  In this first part the comparison will be on the history, focus, and techniques.  All the information contained here is based on the author’s own research of the history of Modern-day Tang Soo Do using sources believed to be reliable; however, absolute accuracy cannot be guaranteed.  This author has done her best to state facts and where there are opinions or educated guesses, the author has noted as such.  If the author misinterpreted information from the sources, it was not done intentionally.

 

In this two-part blog, I will explore the similarities and differences of Modern-day Tang Soo Do to Han Moo Kwan.  Since Modern-day Tang Soo Do retained much of its original style from Moo Duk Kwan it has a lot of similarities to Han Moo Kwan.  In addition, Modern-day Tang Soo Do is fairly well known as a martial art primarily due to one of most famous practitioners, Chuck Norris.  So, in my opinion, it is worth understanding more about this art form, especially for advanced students, since one can gleam and extract context and some understanding of our Han Moo Kwan techniques and forms from Modern-day Tang Soo Do.

In the first part of this blog, I will provide a brief overview of how Modern-day Tang Soo Do came to be and discuss some similarities and differences in the first two of the following five areas. 

1. Focus
2. Techniques
3. Sparring
4. Forms (Hyung)
5. Ranking

Brief History of Modern-day Tang Soo Do

For nearly twenty years following World War II, the common Korean terms for karate were tangsoodo and kongsoodo.  Tangsoodo was the Korean pronunciation of the Japanese karate-do, represented by kanji characters meaning “China/Tang hand way”, and alluding to the art’s Chinese roots [Ref. 3, 4, 6, and 7].

Modern-day Tang Soo Do is an offshoot of one of the original five kwans, Moo Duk Kwan.  Moo Duk Kwan (military virtue training hall) was founded on November 9, 1945, by Grandmaster Hwang Kee where he taught Hwasoodo [Ref. 3, 5, 6, and 7].  In 1947, Hwang Kee reformed his art form and began teaching Tang Soo Do.  Other kwans, Chung Do Kwan (one of the first five kwans and originally called Chungdohwe), and Oh Do Kwan (which was started by students and Instructors from Chung Do Kwan) also identified their martial art as Tang Soo Do.  In the mid-1950s Oh Do Kwan, then led under General Choi, referred to their style as Taekwondo.  The successful kwans unification  occurred in 1965, after many years of attempts, under the Korea Taekwondo Association (KTA) which was founded in 1961 (originally called the Korea Tae Soo Do Association until 1965).  This unification standardized the art form (inclusive of techniques, hyung and promotions).  Hwang Kee did not want to join the KTA since he did not agree with where it was heading and wanted to retain the traditional aspect of the art form.  So he retained the Moo Duk Kwan style (sometimes referred to today as Tang Soo Do Moo Duk Kwan or Soo Bahk Do Moo Duk Kwan) and led the kwan until his death under the Korean Soo Bahk Do Association.  Moo Duk Kwan incorporates more fluid "soft" movements reminiscent of certain traditional Chinese martial arts [Ref. 3 and 5]. 

Jae-chul Shin started studying Tang Soo Do under Grandmaster Hwang in 1948 and studied Tang Soo Do while attending university.  In 1958, Shin was drafted into the Korean War and taught martial arts to soldiers including American soldiers stationed in Korea.  It was during this time that he trained Chuck Norris who later established his own organizations to teach a style of Tang Soo Do.  In 1968, Shin moved to the United States to continue his education and extend the instruction of Tang Soo Do to Americans where he established the U.S. Tang Soo Do Federation which was sanctioned by Hwang’s Korean Soo Bahk Do Association.  In 1982, Chin was not satisfied with the direction of the U.S. Tang Soo Do Federation which seemed to be heading towards more sports style and competition, resigned from its board and established the World Tang Soo Do Association (WTSDA) where he remained the leader until his death in 2012 [Ref. 8 and 9].

While there are many Modern-day Tang Soo Do organizations out there (usually based on offshoots as students branched off and created their own experience / interpretations of Tang Soo Do (like Chuck Norris did)), for the sake of this blog, I will compare Han Moo Kwan against World Tang Soo Do Association (WTSDA), which is one of the largest in the United States and has a clear direct lineage to Grandmaster Hwang Kee.  

Therefore World Tang Soo Do Association (WTSDA) has a similar history to the Han Moo Kwan style that we practice since Mr. Kim decided not to join WT.  It is mainly based in the United States and sticks to the traditional art form that was influenced by Okinawan and Shotokan Karate.

1.     Focus

Since WTSDA retained much of its original style to retain the traditional aspect of the art form, in general, WTSDA schools have a similar focus to Han Moo Kwan.

From the World Tang Soo Do Association Website [Ref. 1], the purpose of Tang Soo Do Training is not only to learn self-defense skills, but also “… the betterment of your mind, body and spirit and the development of individual character and respect for others”.

While the focus is very similar (for self-defense and to better oneself), a key difference is many WTSDA schools participate in tournaments and competitions.  How much a school focuses on tournaments or competitions is dependent on the school.  Tournaments and competitions could include forms (hyung), team forms, board breaking, weapons, and/ or sparring (see Ref. 2 for WTSDA competition rules). 

So, the major areas of focus that are different are:

• Team forms where the focus is on not just technique, accuracy, and focus (intensity), but also presentation, synchronicity, and artistic quality.  While we do practice class pace to improve awareness of surroundings, the concept here for synchronicity is different than performing exactly the same way precisely in unison.
• Practicing with weapons (knives, swords, bos, staffs, etc.) since Han Moo Kwan is strictly an empty hand combat style.  While this does not mean we do not practice against weapons, we do not practice fighting with a weapon.
• Some differences in sparring due to the rules, which I will go over in the Sparring section in Part II of this blog.

In addition based on the review of the various Tang Soo Do and San Bahk Do websites and videos of World Tang Soo Do Association (WTSDA); I could not find any explicit discussions of grounding.  There was some that noted Weh Gung (external power) which was defined as proper use of hips to maximize power, but they did not use the term grounding.  I did find mention of  Energy (Ki) on some of them which they referred to as Neh Gung (internal power).  In addition, review of some videos of hyung from one school showed that some students/ practitioners performed hyung and one step sparring drills, and self-defense from a grounded state [see Ref. 10 and 11].  This does not mean it is taught or expected from every school that practices Tang Soo Do.  So, my educated guess is it depends from school to school whether it is taught (and if taught explicitly or not) and / or expected.

2.     Techniques

WTSDA and Han Moo Kwan practice similar techniques and stances, but there are differences.  WTSDA does seem to focus on both hand strikes and kicks versus almost strictly kicks which is typical of World Taek Kwon Do (WT) (formally known as World Taek Kwon Do Federation (WTF)).  Some of these differences may lie in interpretation or in the fact the Grandmaster Hwang Kee was influenced by and / or studied either directly or self-study through books and videos (depending on the reference) Korean martial arts of Subak and Taekkyon, Chung Oh Kwan, early Shotokan and/ or Okinawan Karate, Kung Fu, Yang-style Taijiquan and in 1957 a 300 year-old Korean manuscript called the “Moo Yei Do Bo Tong Ji” that documented Korean martial techniques known as Soo Bahk [primarily Ref. 4, 6 and 8].  If was after reviewing this manuscript, Hwang started referring to this artform as both tang soo do and subakdo [Ref. 5]. 

Majority of the statements below under stances, hand techniques, and kicks are based on reviewing websites and articles and studying WTSDA Hyung DVD [Ref. 10] and WTSDA One Step DVD [Ref. 11].

Stances

WTSDA schools also have a back stance which looks like our Fighting Cat Stance but there is weight on the front foot and it is longer.  Some of the details of front stance (which is longer and tends to lean into the attack) versus our Attack Stance are different. 

Hand Techniques

Hand techniques practiced appear similar to Han Moo Kwan based on the research I conducted.  With that said, the prep for techniques tend to be different (for example higher and gaps between arms), techniques are higher such as medium block fist is higher than shoulder height, reciprocals  are above the belt, and techniques are not necessarily linear or short. 

Kicks

Roundhouse is more a staple kick as well as a hook kick.  WTSDA practices jump and flying kicks which focus on height and actually have two feet flying through the air at once whereas Han Moo Kwan does not practice or believe flying kicks should be practiced for self-defense since based on our philosophy they are too easy to see coming, too easy to get out of the way, and if performing a kick you can be very vulnerable in the air.  An interesting note:  flying kicks are part of the official WTSDA emblem which illustrates the importance WTSDA places on flying kicks.

Spin kicks are also something that is more of a staple in WTSDA versus Mr. Kim’s philosophy of “Practice but never use” since spin kicks are only effective in very select situations even though they can support improvement in balance and controlling one’s center of gravity.   

In Part II to be posted next month, I will compare sparring, hyung, and ranking.

 

Regards,

Kelly

 

"Always remember that your success begins inside you: If you can't see it first, no one else ever will." ~ Carlos Ray "Chuck" Norris (1940 –2026,) an American martial artist with Black Belts in multiple styles, founder of the Chuck Norris System (previously called Chun Kuk Do) which is based on his Tang Soo Do training, actor, screenwriter, and author.

 

References:

1.     https://worldtangsoodo.com/about/,  Retrieved 5/3/2026

2.     2022WTSDARulebook.pdf, Retrieved 5/4/2026

3.     Tang Soo Do - Wikipedia, Retrieved 5/3/2026

4.     Storming the Fortress: A History of Taekwondo - Part One - Christopher Caile's Fighting Arts, Retrieved 5/4/2026

5.     Storming the Fortress: A History of Taekwondo - Part Four - Christopher Caile's Fighting Arts, Retrieved 5/4/2026

6.     A Modern History of Taekwondo.doc, retrieved, Retrieved 5/4/2026

7.     History of Tae Kwon Do from Han Moo Kwan website, Retrieved 5/4/2026

8.     Buttitta, Bob (March 1984). The World Tang Soo Do Association: The Last Bastion For Traditional Korean Martial Arts?. Black Belt Magazine, Pages 28–32, Retrieved 5/4/2026.

9.     Vandehey, Tim (October 1989). A House Divided: The Broken Family of Tang Soo Do. Black Belt Magazine, Pages 24–28, Retrieved 5/4/2026.

10.  WTSDA Hyung DVD, Retrieved 5/4/2026

11.  WTSDA One Step DVD, Retrieved 5/4/2026

12.  Han Moo Kwan Association About Us webpage, www.hanmookwan.org/about_us.htm

Various Types / Forms of Energy --- Chief Instructor's Blog May 2026

 

In last month’s blog I wrote about other terms that sometimes get confused with being grounded.  In this month’s blog, I will discuss some different forms of energy to help clarify what we mean by directing / projecting Energy in our classes.

As a reminder for what we expect as progress in the art form and use of Energy, I refer you to the April 2009 blog, What Is Energy?

First off, Chi, Qi, Ki, and Energy are all synonymous.  However, there can be confusion on what these terms mean, and people have different understandings of these meanings since there are different types / forms of Chi, Qi, Ki, Energy.  Similarly, thermal energy and mechanical energy are both energy, but they take on different forms.  Below describes the three most basic forms of Energy martial artists and energy workers (healers, yogis, etc.) are familiar with: Universal Energy, Earth Energy, and Internal Energy.

Universal Energy

For some healing modalities like Reiki, practitioners tap in and use Universal Energy which is subtle and used to attract the body to wellness and alignment.  Or in meditation, folks tap into and use Universal Energy to open their intuition.

Earth Energy

Earth Energy is very powerful, abundant and not subtle.  When grounded, one can tap into Earth Energy which gathers at one’s Center and then one can focus the Energy channeling / directing it through the body.  In the Club, this Energy is sometimes referred to as External Energy.

It is this directing of Earth Energy with intent, combined with good mechanics, and focus creating mind-body-spirit connection that can make one extremely effective and increase power (i.e., Power = Energy/Time).   This will make techniques much more powerful without the use of muscular force or strain.  This is how small stature martial artists can move and knock down attackers much larger than them or penetrate a target that ends an altercation quickly.

In addition, Earth Energy has no intelligence and is neutral in nature, therefore one can add intention (sometimes referred to tinting) when focusing and directing it.  It is when one adds intention, Earth Energy can then take different forms (hot or cold, hard or soft, linear or circular, large and massive or be a thread, etc.), can be directed in different directions, and can be used for different purposes (to damage to end an altercation quickly, to heal, to guide, to teach). 

For practicing Han Moo Kwan, we expect First Degree Black Belts and above to add the intention to Earth Energy that matches the Han Moo Kwan philosophy (Han Moo Kwan is a direct, offensive, linear, harsh style); therefore, the intention added to Earth Energy should be direct, offensive, linear, and harsh. 

A side note, Martial Arts Masters for centuries have used this same powerful Earth Energy if students get injured to accelerate their healing by adding different intentions (soothing, warm, knitting bones, etc.).  If you are familiar with the original Karate Kid movies, Mr. Miyagi used healing techniques on Daniel, most notable was to help his leg so he could continue to compete in the championship in the first movie.

Internal Energy

The Energy that is produced by and, radiates through one’s body (and is required for us to live) we refer to in class as Internal Energy.  Internal Energy can be used in martial arts along with intentional movement and timing to direct Earth Energy.  One’s Internal Energy is a limited resource and can get depleted quickly.  Therefore, to maintain a powerful flow of energy, one must be grounded and leverage Earth Energy.

As a side note, in Chinese medicine, when discussing Energy (Chi), they are usually referring to Internal Energy of the body versus Universal or Earth Energy.  And in some martial arts like Qigong or Tai Chi, their focus is also primarily on Internal Energy and maybe Universal Energy, especially if the training is focused on health and wellness.

As an unrelated topic, some Instructors in the Club also have used the phrase “be more energized” with students from time to time.  What is meant by this is to “be more energetic” that is, an adjective: demonstrating an attitude of being ready, perform techniques with vigor and intensity, etc. 

Hopefully this information is useful to understand the different forms of energy and what we mean when we discuss energy in the Club.

 

Regards,

Kelly

"Form follows ki and ki follows the mind." ~ The quote is associated with Nitobe Inazō (1862-1933), a Japanese scholar, diplomat, and writer (most notably "Bushido: The Soul of Japan," published in 1900).

 

What is Being Grounded vs Being Rooted or Heavy? --- Chief Instructor's Blog April 2026

 

As noted last month, being grounded is one of the concepts as martial artists we strive for all the time and in everything we do.

If you are not sure or confused, you are not alone.  This confusion is because you may hear that when you are grounded you feel rooted to Earth, you may read or hear an Instructor say to be rooted, and in some literature being rooted is used synonymously with being grounded.

As a reminder for what grounding is, I refer you to the March 2009 blog, What Is Grounding?.

And while they can be synergistic, being rooted and being grounded are not the same.  You can be rooted and not grounded, and you can be grounded but not rooted.   Being rooted is more a physical, structural connection to the surface of the Earth.  In some literature, people recommend being more rooted to go barefoot and feel the dirt.  It has also been described as literally as if roots are growing from one’s feet into the Earth and the deeper the roots, the more stable and balanced one can be (especially if one also has proper alignment).  Whereas when you are grounded you are connected deep to the core of the Earth.

In a static situation, adding being rooted on top of being grounded can be useful.  Imagining being rooted is a good aid/ tool because it can mentally help move your consciousness to your lower body, reduce or eliminate muscular tension in your upper body which will improve your ground state.  But if you are too rooted through your feet, you may not be very mobile and feel stuck when you need to move.  You might also come off as too rigid.  And when you try to get unstuck, you may even unground to move again. 

In addition, being rooted will not automatically allow you to tap into and flow Earth Energy.  As a reminder for what energy is when we talk about it in the Club , I refer you to the April 2009 blog, What Is Energy?.

Similarly, sometimes we use the visual of getting heavy or filling lower body with lead. In fact, this is part of the Light & Heavy exercises we introduce to students (sometimes as early as Belts) to aid students to get grounded or tell them in their stances they should feel heavy to invoke significant focus on the lower body. 

By focusing on the lower body this sometimes physically makes you consciously or subconsciously lower your stances (therefore lower your center of gravity) and/or reduce or eliminate muscular tension in your upper body which can aid you in being more grounded.  But being heavy is not the same as being grounded.

In addition, to effectively use one’s grounded state, proper alignment is critical.  If you do not have proper alignment, then you will be using more of your focus to staying upright and move easily versus focusing on powerful techniques.  Sometimes a visual of a rod through your spine through your Center is a good aid to maintain proper alignment.  Imagining a rod is very useful, but this rod image does not mean you are grounded and is not required to be grounded.

As another note, advanced students can also leverage energy-based connections to one’s Center.  While these energy-based connections to one’s Center are very effective in being more stable, grounded, powerful, the energy-based connections themselves are not considered to be grounded and are not required to be grounded.

Hopefully this information is useful to understand what grounding is versus other terminology you may hear related to being grounded or practicing being grounded.

 

Regards,

Kelly

 

“Move like a beam of light: fly like lightning, strike like thunder, whirl in circles around a stable center.” ~ Morihei Ueshiba (1883-1969), founder of Aikido, author of the book The Art of Peace

 

Martial Arts As A Lifestyle --- Chief Instructor's Blog March 2026

 

I have mentioned in class that martial arts (at least traditional martial arts like Han Moo Kwan) are not something you do a few hours a month, but it is a lifestyle; it is the way you live your life and grow through it. 

So, what does it look like when it is a lifestyle?  Before I start listing many examples, I will preface that as a lifestyle, it does not mean you are perfect in all the items below all the time.  Martial arts, even as a lifestyle, is a practice, which means you continually strive to do these things and note when you may have fallen short and work to do better next time. 

Be Grounded

You are grounded and move from your center in everything you do.  You move through / from your center as part of how you move in the world, whether it is walking, running, sitting, standing, hiking, lifting weights, etc. 

Be Focused

You remain focused on the task at hand versus being distracted, and laser focused in situations that are critical (examples: a critical conversation at work that could be the difference between an employee quitting or staying; critical conversation with your child or spouse, or driving a car where distractions can cause a collision resulting in injury or worse).

In Control and Self-Aware

You control the situation.  You are not reactive to aggressive behavior whether it is an angry friend, co-worker, manager, customer, or aggressive driver.  You are not over sympathetic to people who are being manipulative.  You are not reacting to someone’s behavior that you are not happy with.  You are able to be in control of yourself and not be controlled and stay calm under emotional or mental stress.  You are aware of your triggers and practice staying in control through mental exercises or actions like deep breathing.

Be Disciplined and Demonstrate Commitment

You practice discipline in your everyday life.  You work to meet your commitments on time.  You continue to push through one step at a time and be persistent to achieve your goals, complete projects, learn a new skill, etc.

Be Balanced

You practice being balanced in your everyday life.  This means being physically balanced in your other physical activities but also encompassing the concepts to other aspects of your life.  To be physically balanced you are not overextending or pushing too hard or trying to muscle through things, such that you are overexerted and get injured or cannot sustain the activity.  This can apply to mental and emotional balance as well, not pushing too hard and overextending yourself such that you cannot sustain or are easily exhausted. 

Positive Mindset

You maintain a positive mindset in everything you do, especially in the most challenging times.  This means continuing to work on it and persevere and not just give up because it appears to be difficult at first or you are not succeeding in the beginning.  A great quote by the legendary 16^th Century samurai Miyamoto Musashi is "It may seem difficult at first, but everything is difficult at first".  This can apply to learning a new physical skill; a new task or role at work; meeting a challenging deadline or customer demand, etc.

Practice Continuous Learning and Self-Improvement

You are open to learning and continue to learn whether that is learning more about subjects you are familiar with already or learning something totally new.  You are open to learning and do not let new things stop you from trying.  You practice self-improvement and strive to always be /get better in everything in your life (examples: your hobbies; communication with a spouse / partner or a manager / co-worker). 

These are several examples of what it means instilling what you learn in the dojang as part of your everyday life and therefore becoming part of your lifestyle and who you are; not just what you do 1-2 hours a week.

 

Regards,

Kelly

 

After asked why we practice the reply was “To better ourselves.” ~ Mr. Ui Jung Kim, 6th Degree Black Belt, Founder of the Han Moo Kwan Club, Sunnyvale, CA

Do You Know What You Should Be Working On? --- Chief Instructor's Blog February 2026

Becoming proficient in martial arts encompasses many attributes: mechanics inclusive of flexibility, agility, balance; body awareness; accuracy and targeting; speed and reaction time; timing; endurance; foot work; grounding; focus and intent among other things depending on your rank. 

With so many things to work on, how do you know if you are working on the right things and not potentially spending too much time on some things while ignoring other items important for your continual improvement in the art form. 

Here is a good time to remind you of our Club’s expectations for your training:

·       When you are a White Belt, the Instructor of that class takes primary responsibility to ensure you have the information to test.

·       Once you are promoted, the responsibility is primarily yours (i.e., Instructors will provide training at a level appropriate for you, based on your skill set and experience.  If you miss classes, it is your responsibly to seek that information out from a qualified Instructor of what you might have missed). 

·       If you are not sure of what you should be working on, or need extra guidance or clarity, it is your responsibly to ask the questions and seek additional training outside normal class hours if needed. 

So, with the above said, you should be getting feedback from instructors in class and have notes from a testing sheet.  This is the starting point.  If it has been a long time since you have tested (and many are in that category), test at the next available opportunity to get more recent feedback.

In addition, other things you need to be doing (if not already):

·       Share with the instructor what you are working on and get feedback about if that is the priority for you at your current rank and what is expected to progress towards the next belt level. 

·       Ask for input on a very regular basis. If you are waiting for right before a test, or waiting for what ends up on a test, that is not enough and may not necessarily be comprehensive but just stating some key or items that stand out.

And then how do you know if you are improving?

·       Keep a log.  If you are working on speed for example, maybe you time yourself every few weeks going through a set of repetitions or how many repetitions can be done in a set of time and monitor if improving.  Keep in mind that if one week you are not as good as previous week, note what other things might have prevented you from doing better that day (e.g., did you not get enough sleep night before, did you not eat well, etc.) so you are not discouraged if you are not always showing improvement week to week or have a setback.

·       Video / Record yourself.  With today’s smartphones, it is easy to video / record yourself and see for yourself.  For example, if you are trying to ensure your basic knife hand is linear or your turnaway kick you are not leading with the pinkie toe, then you can record yourself periodically and see for yourself.

·       Ask for feedback during or after class from a qualified instructor if you see any improvement or if you appear to be on track.

Martial arts is a personal journey of continuous improvement and growth, so if you are looking to improve you need to make sure you have the information, a plan to work on those items, and ways to track progress.

 

Regards,

Kelly

“There is no finish line. When you reach one goal, find a new one."  ~ Chuck Norris (1940 – present), American martial artist and actor with black belts in Karate, Taekwondo, Tang Soo Do, Brazilian jiu jitsu, and judo.

 

References:

1. Fighter's Fact Book: Over 400 Concepts, Principles, and Drills to Make You a Better Fighter by Loren W. Christensen

2. Fighter's Fact Book 2: Street Fighting by Loren W. Christensen
3. Ultimate Fitness Through Martial Arts by Sang H. Kim

 

Empathy Can Get You Killed --- Chief Instructor's Blog January 2026

 

Human nature is we react and match the intensity and speed of an opponent.

If an opponent speeds up, it is human nature to speed up.  If an opponent becomes more aggressive, it is human nature that you become more aggressive. 

Reacting to your opponent/assailant is not the goal / objective.  If you are always reacting and matching their speed or intensity, then most likely you will get injured or even killed if attacked.

The goal is to move faster than an attacker - always.  The goal is to move and project the appropriate intensity for the situation regardless of what the attacker is doing.

To practice this, you must break human nature, and it starts with each class and with the basics.  Your goal should be to move and perform each technique as fast as possible while just maintaining control and good posture/mechanics regardless of how fast or slow the instructor or the Black Belt leading basics counts.  It is ok to be waiting for the next count.  Notice next time in basics if you are (1) just keeping up with the cadence of the count or of the speed of the person next to you or ahead of you or (2) focused on your own techniques and performing as fast as possible with control and good mechanics.  As a Black Belt, this is what is expected.  For more information, and a demonstration of this, see HMK Black Belt Challenge 02, Fast Basics / Slow Count; Speed; do not match speed of opponent.

Notice next time you are free sparring, (1) are you keeping up with the pace of your sparring partner and matching their pace or intensity or (2) are you performing at the speed and intensity required to control the match? 

During open, random attack self-defense, notice if (1) you are defending at the same speed / intensity / force or (2) are you performing at the speed and intensity required to disable / damage / end the altercation quickly?  

In all cases above, the answer should be number 2.  If you are unsure about how to get faster, please refer to the August 2025 blog, Improving your Speed.

And if you do not consciously go faster and perform at the intensity required during class, it will not translate in a real altercation.  In a real altercation body memory will take over and if your body memory is always reacting to your opponent then that is what you will do.  For more information on this, see the February 2018 blog, You Will Fight How You Practice.

 

Since it is the start of a new year, this is a great time to set that intention to practice not reacting but moving faster and with the intensity required regardless of your parter on class or the count of an instructor.

 

Regards,

Kelly

 

“When your opponent is hurrying recklessly, you must act contrarily and keep calm. The opponent must not influence you.”  ~ Miyamoto Musashi (c. 1584 –1645) - famous Japanese swordsman, the author of The Book of Five Rings

Be Curious --- Chief Instructor's Blog December 2025

 

In my October 2025 blog, Kaizen Concept Applied to Martial Arts Training I talk about continuous improvement and continuous learning of martial arts, which includes continuous self-discovery. A means to self-discovery is to be curious (i.e., to be curious of how and when something works [or does not] and why it works, etc.). 

Curiosity has shown to have several brain and learning benefits:

1.      Curiosity releases dopamine and therefore becomes a motivator.

·         “Higher levels of curiosity lead to higher levels of activity in areas such as the striatum, which is involved in the release of dopamine, the neurotransmitter most associated with feelings of reward.” [Ref. 1]

·         “Dopamine plays a role in how we feel pleasure and rewards. It's a big part of our unique human ability to think and plan. It helps us focus, work towards goals, and find things interesting.” [Ref. 2]

2.      Curiosity could improve your memory.

·         “In addition, the researchers found that curious minds showed increased activity in the hippocampus, which is involved in the creation of memories. In fact, the degree to which the hippocampus and reward pathways interacted could predict an individual’s ability to remember the incidentally introduced faces. The brain’s reward system seemed to prepare the hippocampus for learning.” [Ref. 3]

Some ways to cultivate or strengthen your curiosity include:

·         Embrace a Growth Mindset [Ref. 5]

·         Martial arts is a lifetime journey and there is always something to learn if you maintain an open mind, have a beginner‘s attitude, and recognize you can always learn and that there is something to learn.

·         Stay Open to Feedback and Learning from Others [Ref. 5]

·         Hand in hand with a growth mindset is being open to feedback (do not immediately dismiss the information) and knowing you can learn from others.  You can learn not only from instructors, but also peers and even lower ranks.

·         Ask “what if” more often [Ref. 4]

·         Jeff Burgess used to do this a lot especially during self-defense practice – what if you moved more this way or that way?  What if you changed stances?  What if they grabbed you this way versus that way, how would that work?

·         Ask more questions - ask probing questions that challenge assumptions or explore different angles [Ref. 5]

·         Follow your “hmm” moments [Ref. 4]

·         When something seems interesting, find more information about and/or try it out.

·         Explore unfamiliar subjects / Develop a reading habit [Ref. 4 and 5.]

·         If you want to learn more about a subject you are not as familiar with (e.g., history of Tae Kwon Do, a different or adjacent martial arts, applications within the martial arts, use of energy, etc.) research it, read about it, watch videos, take a class.

·         Embrace ambiguity: Curiosity thrives in not knowing. Learn to be comfortable with the feeling of “I don’t know yet.” [Ref. 4]

·         Martial arts is a lifetime journey, so if something does not click yet be okay with that and know that at some point it will as long as you are open to it.

If you tend to be curious, keep it up and try some of the techniques above if you do not already use them.  If you are not a naturally curious person, take one of or two of the suggestions above and try to adopt them.  Curiosity can improve learning and actually make learning more enjoyable.

 

Regards,

Kelly

“Without Knowledge, Skill cannot be focused. Without Skill, Strength cannot be brought to bear and without Strength, Knowledge may not be applied." ~ Alexander the Great (356-323 BC), king of Macedon, an ancient Greek kingdom

References:

1.      How the Science of Curiosity Boosts Learning | Scientific American, retrieved 11/14/2025.

2.      Dopamine: What It Is, Function, Deficiency & how to boost it, retrieved 11/14/2025.

3.      Curiosity Prepares the Brain for Better Learning | Scientific American, retrieved 11/14/2025.

4.      How to Cultivate Curiosity and Never Stop Learning - Very Big Brain, retrieved 11/14/2025.

5.      Why Curiosity Is a Learnable Skill - Very Big Brain, retrieved 11/14/2025.