Value of Practicing Outside the Dojang -- Chief Instructor's Blog May 2020

As the shelter in place or social distancing continues to extend through May (at least in the Bay Area), many of you may be getting discouraged about not having classes to go to and believe your skill may be degrading. 

First, I want to encourage you all the continue to practice the physical aspects of martial arts by practicing solo.  As I noted in an email a couple weeks ago, practicing at home can add some unique value to your practice.  While we practice standards for basics and hyung, when it comes to moving for self-defense purposes, you cannot choose how big the space is…and in many cases it might be in very confined places. So, you need to be able to adjust the length and width of your stances to fit your space and circumstance when defending yourself.

I want to extend on that thinking,  because it is not just about confined spaces.  Maybe the surface you have to work on is not smooth or flat.  To be able to adjust to these conditions is critical if you need to use these skills against an assailant.  So, I actually want to encourage you to go out and find a place to practice that is not flat, not smooth.  Maybe it even has some obstacles in the way or you create obstacles so you have to adjust the length of your movements.   You might also practice in the dark or with very low light.   Practice when it is cold, practice when it is hot.   Practice in the full sun, when the light may blind you from time to time.  Practice with shoes on, in your jeans, in sweatshirts, in your business clothes.

Continue to keep in mind that practicing basics and hyung is not the goal at all.  These are tools, but learning a new technique or hyung is not the goal.  The basics and hyung provide methods to practice balance, grounding, alignment, breathing, work on flexibility, coordination, power, speed, etc. 

The goal is to learn skills you can use to defend yourself if that is your only option.  And you will be able to do so more effectively if you spend time practicing in non-ideal spaces, non-ideal conditions.   If you can effectively move, stay grounded, balanced with powerful techniques in the various conditions above, I guarantee you will be better equipped if you ever had to use your skills to defend yourself on the street.  

Stay safe, stay heathy and look forward to the time we get to practice together again.

Regards,

Kelly

"Tomorrow's battle is won during today's practice." ~ Samurai Maxim

Ultimate Goal of HMK – To Know Ourselves, To Better Ourselves -- Chief Instructor's Blog April 2020

If you asked Mr. Kim why we practice martial arts, his response was “To Know Ourselves, To Better Ourselves”.

 

I have discussed in several blogs how a martial art at its true essence trains the mind, body, and spirit.  It supports your mental, emotional, physical and spiritual growth.  At its true essence it trains us To Know Ourselves, To Better Ourselves.

There are many activities out there that can help you improve physically and when adding in focused intention can help you improve both physically and mentally (running, weight lifting, cycling, motorcycle riding etc.).  There are activities that can help you spiritually like meditation.  There are activities that can help physically mentally, emotionally and mentally like yoga but even this is not provide the same benefits as martial arts training.   

Don’t get me wrong - I am not advocating that other activities are not beneficial to you or you should not bother to take part in enjoying them.  I, along with many of you partake in many of these activities and recommend you continue to do so.

But I contend, no activity is better than martial arts when it is taught and practiced for its true essence To Know Ourselves, To Better Ourselves.

Why do I believe this?  A self-defense based martial art like Han Moo Kwan trains you to perform under the most stressful times…when you are potentially in fear (getting hot, injured), when someone may be emotional and yelling at you trying to push your buttons, when there is chaos around you.  At these times, you must be in control of yourself.    You must stay grounded and balanced at these times.  You must stay focused and be able to be at your best physically.  At these times, you must be able to get past the emotions and fears.  No other activity trains you for this – to learn about ourselves and to better ourselves not just through our own internal convictions but while there is external opposition.

 

When you are in control mentally, emotionally, physically, spiritually, you have the power to make better choices and have clarity in those choices.  With that clarity of mind body and spirt can come wisdom and the ultimate of knowing ourselves and bettering ourselves.

 

While this may sound simple and easy when written as a one-page blog, I am not saying that at all.  In fact, there are days when you feel in complete control, and then you have an emotional trigger you were not aware of, and you realize you need more training.…and hence why practicing a martial art is a lifelong journey.

 

Regards,

Kelly

"Fear comes from uncertainty; we can eliminate the fear within us when we know ourselves better." Bruce Lee (1940 –1973) American-born Chinese Hong Kong martial

Why Do We Practice That Technique? -- Chief Instructor's Blog March 2020

Some of you might be wondering why we spend time working on some techniques (especially if the technique is considered part of the basics we practice the start of every class), if the utility of it does not seem that extensive.  Some examples that come to mind are spear hand and high kick.

Spear Hand:
Martial arts masters used to practice spear hand in a bucket of sand or gravel to strengthen their spear hand.  It is also said that some masters filed the tips of the first three fingers, so they were all the same length to make a more effective, stronger spear hand.

So, one may ask, if we are not training in this manner to make an effective Spear Hand, why do we practice the Spear Hand at all.

At a beginner level, the benefits to practicing Spear Hand include a simpler motion technique to enforce keeping arms close to the body during the strike, introduction to close in strikes, introduction to another open hand technique which in of itself helps strength the hands differently than fists.

At the intermediates level, the Spear Hand is another technique to train the body to throw techniques linearly, more practice with shorts strikes and utilizing the body versus just the arm, to continue to strengthen the hands, and an open hand technique that is usually easier at the beginning for students to practice flowing energy.

At an advanced level, the Spear Hand is an excellent technique for refining and practicing extending through the target physically, linear techniques, practicing throwing techniques energetically to be as effective as closed hand techniques without filing off the tips of the fingers.

High Kick:
At a beginner level, the benefits to practicing High Kick include improve flexibility in the legs, balance practice, understand the importance of a lock leg in a simpler motion, and preparation for learning Turnaway Kick.

At the intermediates level, the High Kick is excellent technique to practice focus and intent downward as well as upward, and to practice some basic leg sweeps.

At an advanced level, the High Kick is excellent technique to practice flowing energy in kicks and directing the flow in various directions (upward, downward, plus inside out and outside in) as well as refining sweeps techniques.

Everything we practice in our club has utility.  Some of it may not seem obvious or may take time to master in such a way that the utility and effectiveness is understood, but all of it has value.  The Spin Kick, for example, has selected uses - as a counterattack or a secondary move when the opponent has forced you to start a turn.  However, the value of practicing includes improving balance, regaining your focus/intent quickly, and targeting, to name a few.  This is why Mr. Kim would say about the spin kick: “Practice.  Never use”.

So, even if the technique is limited or will take years to be effective in its use in a self-defense scenario, one should practice with the same focus and intent as every other technique.

Regards,
Kelly

"Do not place hope in finding a secret technique. Polish the mind through ceaseless training; that is the key to effective techniques." Kyuzo Mifune (1883 –1965),  one of the greatest exponents of the art of judo after the founder, Kanō Jigorō and the author of  The Canon of Judo

Are Nerve Points Effective For Self Defense - - Chief Instructor's Blog February 2020

You may have heard of pressure points, nerve points or vital points.  The theory of these points is typically associated with meridians and energy lines in the Eastern cultures to nerve clusters in Western cultures.   Whichever names you have heard have been part of martial arts for at least the last century and most likely even longer.  Vital points are discussed in the Bubishi [Ref. 1], a classic Chinese work handed down from master to student in Okinawa for generations describing the philosophy, strategy, medicine, and techniques used to master the art of karate-do.

These points in the body can cause various reactions when force is applied:  pain, numbness or weakness in a muscle, fixed reaction, paralysis, and even death.


In Vital Point Strikes by Sang H. Kim [Ref. 2], a vital point is described as “a pressure sensitive point on or near the surface of the human body.  Vital points function like gateways to the nervous system, the main controller of the body, allowing you to use pain to influence the actions and reactions of an opponent.  Even a single strike can cause serious damage, unconsciousness or, in rare cases, death.”


The Dim Mak or touch of death technique in martial arts is a vital point strike technique. Some have speculated the Dim Mak technique was the reason for Bruce Lee’s death.


In our Club, we do discuss and from time to time practice against nerve points.  However, we do not focus on them or practice them as an effective technique for self-defense. 


The problem with nerve points as a means for self-defense is you must be extremely precise and to be precise you must practice these techniques a lot.  In addition, not everyone has the same pain threshold or reaction to nerve points.  Some people have zero reaction to certain nerve points while others are very sensitive.  Some people have higher thresholds of pain and therefore do not react the same to nerve points as others.  And if people are on drugs, they may have no reaction at all to force applied against these nerve points.   And those nerve points that are really dangerous and could cause death, from a practicality standpoint we don’t believe we cannot really practice them safely.


So, if you are trying to end an altercation quickly, you can not rely that a nerve point will be accomplish this goal.

So, if this is the case, why do we even bother discussing practicing nerve points?  For one, self-defense is more effective when you go after vulnerable parts of the body.  Therefore, I believe an understanding of anatomy, the human body and its vulnerable points (and nerve points can be vulnerable) is fundamental to a self-defense based martial art like Han Moo Kwan.  When we do practice nerve points, you will hear me say, I think of them as icing on the cake – if I strike a vulnerable point that is also a nerve point and the person has more of a reaction because it causes more pain or numbness in the muscles, etc. then it is just a bonus.

Regards,
Kelly



References:

1.      The Bible of Karate: Bubishi, by Patrick McCarthy (Translator)\

2.      by Patrick McCarthy Vital Point Strikes by Sang H. Kim

“It is not possible to become a great martial artist without an education.  The serious Karateka should study anatomy and physiology, grappling, swordsmanship, archery and strategic tactics, etc.  Cross training and study must balance your training in order to understand the way.”  ~ Gichin Funakoshi (1868-1957), founder of Shotokan Karate

Training the Martial Artist's Four Mindsets - - Chief Instructor's Blog January 2020

In my last blog, I discussed four important martial artist mindsets: Shoshin, Fudoshin, Zanshin, and Mushin. I also stated you must consciously train these mindsets as well, just like consciously physically practicing a form or a technique.  Some of you may be wondering how you would go about training a mindset.  So, in this blog, I will describe some ways to train these mindsets.


Shoshin: Beginner’s Mind

I discuss some of the concepts of a beginner’s mind in my August 2018 blog, More Tips On Improving (http://hanmookwan-svl-chiefinstructor.blogspot.com/2018/08/).  In summary, if something does not make sense or you are uncertain,

1. Trust the instructor – it can sometimes take years to grasp a concept. 

2. Ask for clarification in class to ensure you understand the why of a concept or principle.

Remember, martial arts take a lifetime to learn- I have stated this in class and included it in several blogs, so keeping this in mind will also help keep your attitude/mind open– whether it is a new concept or some subtly.\

I also suggest that as you bow into the dojang and bow into class, you repeat some phrase or mantra to remind you to keep an open mind/attitude such as “I am open to all the new information I will receive today” or “I am excited for the new techniques/ information I will learn today”.  

Fudoshin: Immovable Mind

To train your Fudoshin mind you must work on keeping your focus on the task at hand and not be distracted.  I discuss focus and concentration in my August 2010 blog, Focus and Concentration (http://hanmookwan-svl-chiefinstructor.blogspot.com/2010/08/) and in my September 2017 blog, Training The Mind by Staying Focused (http://hanmookwan-svl-chiefinstructor.blogspot.com/2017/09/).   As a summary to those two blogs, some ways to practice this are:

1.      Keep one thought through basics/hyung.

Some examples are:  focus on your breathing and making it smooth, during the attack stance techniques focus on keeping back leg locked, focus on powerful penetrating techniques.  Notice if you become distracted and immediately get back to your focus item.

2.      Meditate

In addition to the above, in all you do you must remain positive and confident.  In Gichin Funakoshi’s, The Twenty Guiding Principles of Karate [1], his fifth principle is “Mentality over Technique”.  Funakoshi states, “….in martial arts mental faculties are more important than technique.  The former must rise above the latter.”



So, if you start to doubt something or have a negative response, think of two positive experiences of where you performed a technique well or were successful to help overcome the negative thoughts. \


Zanshin: Remaining Mind

To train your Zanshin mind you must work on your intent and attitude while practicing.  I discuss this topic in my October 2017 blog, Training The Mind Through Attitude/Intent (http://hanmookwan-svl-chiefinstructor.blogspot.com/2017/10/).   In summary you must practice all your techniques, hyung, sparring and self-defense with an attitude that your life depends on it.  You must practice all your techniques with the intention to do damage. 



In addition, you need to practice being aware.  I discuss this in a couple blogs including my August 2009 blog, More Awareness  (http://hanmookwan-svl-chiefinstructor.blogspot.com/2009/08/) and my March 2014 blog, Awareness Revisited (http://hanmookwan-svl-chiefinstructor.blogspot.com/2014/03/).    For me, Gichin Funakoshi states it best in his 16th principle in The Twenty Guiding Principles of Karate [1], when he states “Consequently we should adopt the attitude that when leaving our gate we are entering into the midst of many potential enemies and should stay mentally alert.”  


It also means listening to your instincts if you feel unsafe, paying attention to the people and the events around you,  expanding your awareness when you are in areas that are unfamiliar, and noticing areas/events where you are more at risk (and avoiding them if possible).


Mushin: No Mind

Mushin comes from practicing over and over and over again such that you react without thinking.  It means being grabbed hundreds of times and focusing on that one technique to escape until it becomes second nature and then moving to another technique, then another then another.  It means being so comfortable with your arsenal of techniques you flow from one to the other without hesitation. 


So, again to be proficient in these mindsets, you must train – train the body and train the mind.   


Regards,
Kelly


“Do not place hope in finding a secret technique. Polish the mind through ceaseless training; that is the key to effective techniques.” ~ Kyuzo Mifune (1883-1965), Judo Master (10^th degree)


 References:

1.      The Twenty Guiding Principles of Karate: The Spiritual Legacy of the Master by Gichin Funakoshi

Four Important Mindsets of a Martial Artist- - Chief Instructor's Blog December 2019

Martial artists have various mindsets they use to be effective in learning and performing martial arts.  Each of these mindsets are important to learn and practice as a martial artist to maximize your learning and effectiveness.  Four of these mindsets I contend are probably the most important: Shoshin, Fudoshin, Zanshin, and Mushin.

Shoshin

Shoshin refers to a beginner’s mind.  It means coming to every class with an open mind and no preconceptions.  It means being inquisitive and maximizing your learning in every session as if you were a white belt every day.  Sometimes, the higher in rank we are the more we think we know and start to resist learning something new or a new way of thinking about something you thought you already learned and understood.  A lifetime is not long enough to understand all there is to know about a specific martial art. Martial arts is like an onion – it has many layers and while you may be well versed in one layer, you must always think there are more layers that will undercover more depth or breadth of a subject.   I have said many times in class, that by becoming a Black Belt, you have now reached a state to really learn.  By keeping a beginner’s mind throughout class and during your practice, you keep open possibilities you may have been closed to if you already thought you know all there is to know.

Fudoshin

Fudoshin refers to an immovable mind.  When I teach board breaking, I test to see if a student is ready to break a board by asking if they think they can break it.  If they are hesitant, then they are not ready, because if they do not think they can break it then most likely they well not.  For a martial artist, fudoshin is critical in self-defense where your mind must be locked in on the goal to defend yourself and stay safe.  To get out of a conflict alive, your mind must never waver, hesitate, or doubt your ability to defend yourself and remain safe.   


Zanshin

Zanshin refers to a remaining mind.  For a martial artist, this means always being ready and alert.  It means not letting your guard down and staying focused on the task at hand.  This is also critical during self-defense, where a martial artist does not stop or relax until they are safe.


Mushin

Mushin refers to no mind.  For a martial artist, mushin means reacting based on the physical training and not allowing the thinking mind or emotional mind to interfere.  A student can achieve a mushin mind only after they are proficient in their techniques and can perform them effectively without thinking as a reaction versus having to think about it.  Bruce Lee describes mushin as being like water: I also discuss Mushin in my November 2010 blog “Free the Mind – Be Like Water” (http://hanmookwan-svl-chiefinstructor.blogspot.com/2010/11/).


To be proficient in each of these mindsets, a martial artist must be aware of each of them and consciously train to achieve.  Therefore, I challenge each of you to do just that each and every class.

Regards,
Kelly

“When the swordsman stands against his opponent, he is not to think of the opponent, nor of himself, nor of his enemy's sword movements. He just stands there with his sword which, forgetful of all technique, is ready only to follow the dictates of the subconscious. The man has effaced himself as the wielder of the sword. When he strikes, it is not the man but the sword in the hand of the man's subconscious that strikes.” ~ Takuan Sōhō (1573 –1645), Legendary Zen Master

Why HMK Is the Right Martial Art For Me- - Chief Instructor's Blog November 2019

There are hundreds of martial arts to choose from.  Some of the more wide spread martial arts in the United States include:  Aikido, Jeet Kune Do, Jiujitsu, Judo, Kenpo, Kung Fu, Mixed Martial Arts, Muay Thai, Karate, Krav Maga, Tai Chi, and Tae Kwon Do.  And even with each of these there are different styles or focuses.  For example, our Han Moo Kwan (HMK) Tae Kwon Do is different than World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) or International Taekwondo Federation (ITF).

If interested in more details of how WTF and ITF compare to HMK, please see my blogs in October / November 2015 (http://hanmookwan-svl-chiefinstructor.blogspot.com/2015/10/ and http://hanmookwan-svl-chiefinstructor.blogspot.com/2015/11/) and April/ May 2016 (http://hanmookwan-svl-chiefinstructor.blogspot.com/2016/04/itf-compared-to-hmk-part-i-of-ii-chief.html and http://hanmookwan-svl-chiefinstructor.blogspot.com/2016/05/)

So, how did I know that HMK was the right martial art for me?  In the beginning I was looking for four things when I joined the HMK Club:  

1.      Self-Defense Oriented

An art form that taught me practical self-defense.  I wanted to learn skills to protect myself and possibly others and feel confident of the skills I learned.  I believe our style has very practical self-defense: we keep it simple, linear and stress every technique should cause damage, therefore making it effective.   We also practice self-defense and sparring on a regular basis where we grab and punch/kick at each other to try to simulate a real attack.   I have heard of martial arts clubs that teach self-defense but never actually grab each other, or practice sparring where they do not actually hit each other.  For me, it is important that I practice the techniques gaining confidence they will work.  

2.      Exercise

A martial art that allowed me a good workout and challenged my endurance, strength and flexibility.  Our style has allowed me to get in a good workout. When I first started out, I would drip with sweat just getting through basics.  What I did not know then, but know now, is I also want to practice a martial art I could practice for many years.  Judo, for instance, with all the throws is not necessarily a good martial art in your 40s and 50s.  With HMK, I have been able to still be effective after 25 years because (1) I have adjusted to what my body can handle and (2) the energy side of the art form has allowed me still to be effective (and even more effective) in my skill as I got older.  Bob Rainie practiced until his late 80s, so I know that I can continue into at least my 70s and still be able to practice some aspects of HMK and benefit from it.  

3.      Atmosphere/ Environment

A place to practice that was supportive and had a sense of community.  I was not looking for a boot camp that pushed one even if the body was not ready for it.  I appreciate the fact that our club stresses one should honor their body.   I was also looking for a place to meet people, so I appreciate that we get together for awards dinners and have annual club picnics to gain a sense of community among ourselves.  I appreciate the instructors are not paid, and part of what we do is teach as a means to give back to our community.

4.       Personal Enjoyment

I needed to enjoy it.   In the beginning I enjoyed the physical aspect of it (the forms, the basics, self-defense, etc.).   Twenty-five years later, I still enjoy the physical aspects, but I also enjoy studying and learning the history, philosophy, the essence of the martial arts.  

Since I started, I have realized there are two other attributes one should consider when starting and continuing with a martial art.

1.      Competition Oriented

For me, training for and performing in competitions was not and is still not important to me.  Not that I am not competitive.  I played competitive sports for most of my younger years but this was not something I was looking for in martial arts.  And if it was, then HMK would probably not be the right style for me. 

2.      Modern or Traditional

I have found that I enjoy the traditional aspects of our Club and its lineage.  I enjoy studying the history and culture associated with HMK as well as being pure to the techniques and not evolving them.  But at the same time, I also enjoy that our Club has limited the formality.   While we do bow and have some Korean terms we use, a more traditional Tae Kwon Do club would use more Korean terms during practice (including counting).  Chief Instructors would be referred to as Master or Grandmaster.  There would also be less discussion on the why and less ability to ask questions.  It would be more Master Says, Students Do sort of atmosphere.  I believe our Club provides a nice balance of preserving the traditional aspects with minimal formality which I have found I enjoy.

For me, HMK is a good martial art because it meets what I am looking for in the six attributes laid out above and believe it will continue to be what I am looking for from a martial art for decades to come.

Regards,

Kelly

“Understand that the essence of martial arts is not the art itself, but what's hidden deep within yourself.” ~ Gogen Yamaguchi (1909-1989), Grandmaster of Japanese Karate-dō and founder of the International Karate-dō Gōjū Kai Association