How Can You Incorporate Practice in your Day to Day Life --- Chief Instructor's Blog February 2024

 

In my previous blog, I said you should practice every day.  You may think that is impossible or you do not have the time.

 

There are so many things you can do every day to incorporate your martial arts practice in your daily life, especially keeping in mind that martial arts, at its core, is a physical, mental, and energetic/spiritual practice.

Physical

Here are some examples of ways to incorporate practice the physical in your day-to-day life. 

• Practice cat stance while you are brushing teeth or in line at a store.  This does not mean have to be a deep formal cat stance, but the practicing principles of weight shifted onto one leg and little to no weight on the opposite leg.
• When moving heavy items, use horse stance and use your hips.
• Use a knife hand to push through a door or a front kick motion to push through a heavy door.
• Use a Spear hand or a knuckle punch to open boxes (at the seams).
• Sliding feet like attack stance if walking in a dark room (also lets you avoid tripping on things).
• If at the gym and running on the tread mill or riding the bike, you can practice upper body techniques (I actually do this sometimes when I am out hiking).
• Always walk grounded. Always be grounded. 

Mental

Here are some examples of ways to incorporate practicing the mental aspects in your day-to-day life.

• While watching TV shows or movies (or news clips or YouTube videos of altercations), analyze the situations on what they did well or what they could have done better.
• Instead of watching TV, mentally go through the basics, hyung, sparring.
• Instead of watching TV, mentally go through various scenarios of what you should do under what conditions (what if a family member or friend is with you? What if you are blocked in?  what if you are injured?
• Always be aware of your surroundings.  Situational awareness is the key to self-defense.

 Energetic/Spiritual

Here are some examples of ways to incorporate practicing the energetic/spiritual aspects in your day-to-day life.

• Practice deep long breathing in any physical activity you are doing (running, swimming, biking, hiking, yoga, etc.).
• Be conscious of your energy (and energy body) and consciously choose a form that is appropriate for the situation (e.g., direct or indirect; hard or soft; hot, warm, cold; normal, extended or collapsed, or combinations).

1. If needing to make a point at work or with family, you may choose direct or hard.
2. If you are trying to comfort someone or be sympathetic, you may choose warm and soft.
3. If at a crowded mall, you may choose to extend so people felt it and get out of your way.
4. If late for that meeting with executive leadership, you might choose collapsing your energy to slip in unnoticed.

The above are just examples. What have you come up with to practice every day?   If you have not, or if you have just been focused on one aspect of martial arts, I encourage you to come up with actions you can take to incorporate martial arts in every aspect of your day-to-day life.  Because in the end, the true essence of martials arts is not something you do, it is a lifestyle.

Regards,

Kelly

 

“Kung fu lives in everything we do. It lives in how we put on a jacket and how we take off a jacket. It lives in how we treat people. Everything is kung fu.” ~Mr. Han, played by Jackie Chan (1954-presnt, Hong Kong actor, filmmaker, martial artist, and stuntman) from the movie The Karate Kid (2011)

How Often Should You Practice? --- Chief Instructor's Blog January 2024

 

How often should you practice?  Answer:  Every day.  Yes, every day. 

Does that mean you need you need to go through the basics and hyung every day?  Will you lose your physical skills if you do not practice every day.  No, not necessarily.  

There are lots of studies out there on how long you can take a break before significantly losing or see a reduction in physical attributes.  Most studies are consistent in that you will lose significant physical attributes like strength and endurance if you take weeks or months off.

You may think I am talking out of both sides of my mouth, because I said you should practice every day.  Something keep in mind is that while you may not lose significant strength or endurance in weeks, there are many other attributes like balance, coordination, timing, reactions speed, etc. to consider.  Also, if you need to use your martial physical skills, most likely you will need to be ready in an instant.  This is not something that you will be able to do if you do not practice consistency.  So, unless injured or ill, I would suggest you include the physical practice every other day at a minimum. 

Also, remember martial arts is a way of life and it is not just about the physical.  The mental and spiritual side of the martial arts should definitely be part of your day-to-day life.

Gichin Funakoshi said it very well in his eleventh precept “Karate is like boiling water: without heat, it returns to its tepid state.” from his book, The Twenty Guiding Principles of Karate.  Master Funakoshi states: “Only in continual training will you be able to obtain, in mind and body, the fruits of the Way.”

And, if you also think about it, it actually takes less energy to keep water boiling once already boiling or already hot compared to starting from warm or cold water.  So, a little every day is easier to maintain then starting and stopping after days or weeks.

As we enter 2024, I encourage you to find a way to include some aspect of your training (physical, mental, spiritual) daily.

Regards,

Kelly

“Learning through practice is like pushing a cart up a hill: if you slack off, it will slip backwards.” ~ Japanese proverb

Why Should You Continue to Practice The Kibon Series --- Chief Instructor's Blog December 2023

 

It is nice to learn something new.  And sometimes we think if we are learning something new (e.g., technique, concept, principle, hyung, etc.) we have mastered a technique or hyung and are ready to just move on.  This is most likely not the case.  You should not sacrifice practicing the details and gaining more depth of skill of known techniques for something new.

In fact, the basics are not as basic as you might think they are.  It can take years to become effective even with what appears to be the most basic of our techniques or hyung and even longer to master it. 

As an example, to master any one hyung, you will need to be able to do the following every time:

1.      Perform each technique and transition mechanically precise

2.      Perform each technique and transition linearly

3.   Maintain ground throughout the form, including during the transition of stances

4.   Focus your energy and movements in one direction at all times

5.      Perform each technique (including transitions) such that each micromovement has a purpose and can cause damage

In addition, for each hyung there are specific, unique challenges to master.  The below table lists those challenges in the kibon series.

Hyung	Challenges to Master
Kibon Hyung	Effectively turn in Attack Stance Make use of a turn in an Attack Stance
Kibon One	Effectively rotate and turn in cat stance Make use of a turn in a cat stance Linear transition from Cat Stance to Attack Stance Lower the Cat Stance to match the height of the Attack Stance
Kibon Two	Linear transition from Cat Stance to Attack Stance Staying level in the transition from Cat Stance to Attack Stance
Kibon Three	Make use of a turn in a cat stance Maintain set in Cat Stance Keep shoulders and hips square Control and manage the power of the kicks outward and retracting
Kibon Four	Control the rear leg kick and set it into attack stance

As you can imagine, the items above can take quite a bit of time to master.

So, am I suggesting not learning anything new until you have mastered the previous techniques or hyung you have been taught?  Not at all.  What I am suggesting is there is still a lot to master even with what appears to be simple like kibon hyung.  You should always continue to practice what you have already learned and not just move on to new techniques or hyung.

Regards,

Kelly

 

“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.” ~ Gichin Funakoshi (1868-1957), founder of Shotokan Karate

 

 

 

Making your Techniques “Lean” --- Chief Instructor's Blog November 2023

 

More is not always better.  Sometimes, less is better.  I am sure most of you are aware of the Lean Principles of the Toyota Production System (TPS) that were created to eliminate waste and be as efficient as possible. So, one might wonder, how these same principles could be applied to make our martial arts techniques as efficient as possible.  

The three terms associated that are used in the TPS to describe wasteful practices to be eliminated are Muda, Mura, Muri [Ref. 1].  Let’s looks at each of these and how they may apply to martial arts techniques.

Muda is any activity that consumes resources without creating value [Ref. 1].  So, you have “muda” in executing your techniques if you have any additional movements or actions that are taking away from the speed or force of your technique or even putting yourself more at risk.   Some examples include:

• Slight backwards hitch before throwing your forward punch. That slight backward is taking more time and expending energy in the wrong direction.
• Moving your front foot first in jump kicks.  This is taking time to plant the foot and puts that front foot at risk.
• Tensing your shoulders or raising your shoulders in high block or knife hand.
• Any technique that is not linear.  As, we have discussed many times, liner techniques are the shortest path to your target, so takes less time and results in most forceful.

Mura is an unevenness in an operation [Ref.1]. So, you have “mura” in your techniques (1) if you are not moving from one technique to another in a smooth, even way or (2) if you are not keeping your energy constant versus going up and down.  Going up and down is inefficient and does not ensure all your energy is being able to be focused in a singular way and forces you to constantly redirect it which expends energy that does not go towards your technique. In addition, you may have “mura” in your techniques if you are not balanced or have improper posture.  Some examples include:

• Uneven weight between your feet in horse stance.  Horse stance is most effective when have weight evenly on both feet.
• Shoulders not over hips in attack stance. 

Muri is overburdening the equipment or operator [Ref. 1]. So, you have “muri” in your techniques (1) if you ae going faster than your physical body can handle at this time and you are not in control, (2) if you are throwing more force than your body can handle at this time and you are off-balance, (3) if you are trying to blend techniques and not performing them one then the other, or (4) you are only using internal energy and not external energy.

To make your techniques leaner, think about each of these principles and systematically apply them one by one to each of your techniques, incorporating them into your hyung, sparring, and self-defense.  Making your techniques lean will result in more effective techniques, and more effective techniques will keep you safe.   

Regards,

Kelly

“It’s not the daily increase but daily decrease. Hack away at the unessential.” ~ Bruce Lee (1940 –1973), American-born Chinese Hong Kong martial artist, actor, and founder of Jeet Kune Do

 

Reference:

1. Muda, Mura, Muri - Get a Quick Introduction | Lean Enterprise Institute, retrieved 10/21/23

 

Value of Training with Variety of Partners --- Chief Instructor's Blog October 2023

In my last blog, I described key concepts to embrace in order to walk away from and survive any attack.  Embracing the concepts are one thing, but you also need to ensure your training provides an environment that allows you to practice these concepts as much as possible. 

One of the best ways to do this is to ensure you are practicing and training with a variety of partners with different strengths, heights, sizes, technical skill levels, and different intensity levels.

Every person attacks differently, so by practicing with a variety of partners it will help you experience the randomness nature of attacks.

By practicing with different partners, you really learn how to apply techniques, so they are effective.  Good techniques should be effective against almost anyone.  If you only practice with the same people with the same skill levels, you may not learn what really makes the technique work well.  And while you are learning this, if a technique is not working, you get the opportunity to practice not stopping and trying something else until it is effective.   

Training with partners of different heights will allow you to train at multiple ranges (close in, kicking range, weapons range, etc.).  This will also teach what techniques are more effective against taller people or shorter people. Training with partners of different heights and sizes also provides another opportunity to experience randomness since fighters tend to take advantage of height or size and fight differently than say smaller or shorter people.

Training with partners with lower technical skill will train you to stay focused and not underestimate an opponent.

Training with more skilled partners may provide the opportunity to practice not stopping and trying something else if at first the technique was not effective.

Training with partners with higher technical skill can provide an experience to practice deep breathing.  Sometimes when people train with higher technical skill, they get nervous or anxious and their heart rate goes up.  When this happens, this is an opportunity to practice that deep breathing to stay focused and in control.  Similarly, by training at high intensity levels you have the opportunity to practice deep breathing.   

It may not always be possible to train with a variety of partners but take advantage when you can.   

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 

Some Key Concepts to Surviving an Attack --- Chief Instructor's Blog September 2023

 

Han Moo Kwon Tae Kwon Do is a close-in fighting martial art whose sole purpose is protection when options to avoid confrontation and conflict do not exist.  In the event, you must defend yourself there are some key concepts that everyone should embrace to walk away from and survive any attack. 

 1. Randomness

You never know how your assailant will attack or react, so do not try to predict it.  Attacks can be very random and while you may not think a person will attack or grab a certain way, you do not know, so you should not predict.  Assailants may typically react a certain way to an applied self-defense technique, but you should not assume.  For example, sometimes when you are grabbed and you perform a self-defense technique, the assailant may hang on or sometimes they will not.  So, you should always be prepared and be in the moment, ready for anything.

2. Deep, Even Breathing

In an altercation, your body naturally kicks in its fight or flight response which results in increased heart rate and more rapid breathing all controlled by the sympathetic nervous system.  During this rapid breathing, you are less clear in your thinking and in control of your thoughts and actions which are being dominated by the fight or flight response.  And if your heart rate and breathing get too far out of control, you will not be in a state to react as effectively.  By deep, even breathing in pressured situations, you will help kick in the parasympathetic nervous system which will slow down your heart rate. Deep, even breathing will provide more oxygen to your body resulting in a) clear thoughts and actions, b) muscles having the oxygen they need to perform, c) more endurance to last during the altercation, and d) the energy flow that accompanies breathing to make your techniques more effective.

3. If at first you do not succeed, do something else

The techniques we practice in class are effective (if performed correctly) but maybe not 100% of the time.  Depending on the attacker’s body type, mental state (e.g., on drugs), how they attack, a particular technique may not be as effective.  So, if your first technique to a response to an attack is not completely effective, do not keep trying the same technique.  You should try a second or third technique, but do not stop.

4. Never underestimate assailant

Do not assume your assailant is not trained or that since you are trained an assailant is easy to defeat.  Stay confident in your abilities, but do not underestimate the assailant. 

5. Do not assume anyone will come to your aid

Unfortunately, in our society today, people are more interested in videotaping and posting to social media platforms versus coming to someone's aid or even calling 9-1-1 to help.  So do not assume anyone that sees the altercation will help in any way.

6. Watch out for buddies

Do not assume there may not be more than one assailant.  Keep vigilant and aware of your surroundings.  Maybe the second assailant is not even someone the initial assailant knows but just wants to join into an attack.

7. Assume a Weapon

Assume your assailant may have a weapon but has kept it concealed.  Do not assume there may not be more than one assailant.  Keep vigilant and aware of your surroundings. 

This leads to probably the most important concept.

8. Do not stop until you feel safe

Continue to fight until you feel safe. I cannot tell you what that feels like for you (and maybe very situational dependent), but you will know.

 

Regards,

Kelly

 

“Self-defense is not just a set of techniques; it’s a state of mind, and it begins with the belief that you are worth defending.”~ Rorion Gracie  (1952 -), Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Grand Master

 

Principles Behind the Techniques --- Chief Instructor's Blog August 2023

NOTE:  This blog was updated in July 2026 and again in August 2026 to separate and clarify a principle versus a strategy, include all the principles of Han Moo Kwan versus a subset, and add additional examples. 

While being able to perform the techniques very well is important, to truly master a martial art you must also understand and master the principles behind the art form.

First let me start with the fact that Han Moo Kwan is a self-defense martial art style.  It is designed for you to stay safe and end altercations quickly during in close combat.  Therefore, its principles are all based on these premises.  For the purpose of what is stated below, the principles are the foundations to guide movement and strategies are more the tactical plans for applying techniques. 

I will discuss each of the key principles and why it is important to mastering the art form.

Close the Distance

The art form is meant to be performed in close, since it uses the body (e.g., hands and feet) as weapons.  In addition, most attackers do not know how to fight close in, so learning to defend yourself close in puts you at the advantage.  To be effective close-in we employ the strategy of short strikes.

Short Strikes

Short strikes are harder to see coming and to stop.  Short strikes put you at an advantage since most people cannot fight close in.  This advantage will keep you safe and end an altercation quickly. 

Strike for damage to end it quickly / Every movement does damage

If every movement causes damage, it will end an altercation quicker.  That is why we strike and block to break. Even when blocking, it is not deflecting, the block is attacking.  This is not just how we physically perform techniques but a mindset.  And this means not only strikes, blocks, and kicks, but the transitions, turns, “in between” techniques.  If you start using “preps” as another means to do damage, that is a good start.  In addition, we employ linear strikes and proper structural alignment as strategies.  

Linear Strikes

Linear strikes are also faster and harder to stop.  Both of these attributes are important to end an altercation quickly. 

Structural Alignment

Every technique has a proper alignment such that the body’s skeletal and muscular system supports the technique to maximize force.  A few examples are (1) closed fist punching arm alignment, (2) blocking arm alignment, (3) hip rotation and leg lock in side kick, (4) leg lock in turnaway kicks, etc.

Get Off The Line

If you draw a line down the center of your body from forehead to groin, it passes through the vulnerable and vital spots in the body.  So, it is critical to protect those parts of your body.  By getting off the line, the intent is to no longer have the center of the body in a line with attacker weapons. 

Protect yourself at all times

If you are protecting yourself at all times, especially vulnerable spots, you will stay safe.  We protect ourselves when we keep elbows close to the body and protect the ribs/kidneys, or by keep weight off the front foot in cat stance to protect the knee, or arm traveling straight up first in high block to protect the head.  If any of your techniques leave you vulnerable for other than a fraction of a second, you may relook at how you are performing the technique.  In addition, a key strategy is to keep proper posture and alignment so stay balanced and use the structure of the body to maximize force, absorb the force, and reduce injuries to self.

Proper Posture / Stances

Every stance has an alignment that keeps you balanced – for the most part it is head over shoulders and shoulders over hips with your mass over your center of gravity.  If you are “out of square” in punches, knife hand, etc., you can easily be pulled off-balanced or fall forward if an attacker steps aside as you lean in to strike. 

Structural Alignment

Every technique has a proper alignment such that the body’s skeletal and muscular system supports the technique to minimize injury to self.  A few examples are (1) closed fist punching arm alignment, (2) blocking arm alignment, (3) hip rotation and leg lock in side kick, (4) leg lock in Turnaway kicks, etc.

Keep it simple

At its essence, Han Moo Kwan is simple and straightforward.  Certainly, there are some exciting and fancy moves you can practice that look flashy and fun to try and impressive to perform, but those are not always effective, require more moves which more opportunity to be stopped and slower, or keep you safe.  The goal of Han Moo Kwan is to be effective and stay safe therefore with that objective in mind, techniques are kept straightforward and simple.

Focus on the opponent, not just the weapon.  The opponent is the one that will harm you

If an assailant has a weapon, you need to be aware and control, trap, and disarm as focus on attacking vulnerable locations on the assailant.  If the assailant is injured, they may no longer be able to use said weapon. 

Fight as if your life depends on it, doing whatever it takes to defend your life

As the art form is meant for self-defense purposes, IF you have no choice but to use physical techniques, then you should continue to fight until feel safe and / or are safe.

Be grounded at all times

By being grounded at all times, you are harder to move and if you do move, you move in control and safely. By being grounded your techniques come from your Center which makes your techniques more powerful. 

Use External Energy

When we use external energy, we add even more power to our techniques.  When we add the intention of inflicting severe damage and destruction to the energy, then the techniques are near impossible to stop.  And therefore, any altercation will end quickly.

None of these principles get mastered all at once.  It takes years of practice and focus on each one, then many at once, then all at once to master the principles.  And once you master the principles, you will master the techniques, and then you will master the art form.

Regards,

Kelly

"Techniques are simple but the principle is profound.” ~ from Muye Dobo Tongji, a martial arts manual published in 1790 in Korea, written by Yi Deongmu (1741–1793), Pak Je-ga (1750–1805) and Baek Dong-soo (1743–1816)