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USKF NEWSLETTERFall 2014 • Volume 2 • Issue 3
a publIcatIon oF the unIted states KIdo FederatIon
14205 U St., Omaha, NE 68137 • Tel: (402) 215-6003 • E-mail: [email protected]
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presIdent’s note
Over the last two years our organization has had steady organized growth. It is directly related to the quality of our members and partners. Along with the World Tae-Sool Association and the International Jun Tong Tae-Kwon-Do Federation we are working to create a net-work of likeminded martial artists whose primary goal is the support of their respective memberships. We are hopeful to announce a partnership with two more orga-nizations before the end of the year. As we continue to grow, I challenge our membership to be the wind within our sails and to keep our group growing. Quality begets quality. The best example of who we want to represent our association is you. Help us to continue to expand through referrals and sugges-tions. The USKF is here to support you. We can do that best through your input. As we have said time and time again, our mission is to support the growth and development of Korean her-itage arts in the United States. Networking is a key component to this process. We encourage the posting of discussions, events, tournaments, and seminars on our social media sites. Chartered school owners and instructors can submit events to the USKF for posting in the newsletters and on our website.
upcomIng tournaments
When: September 27, 2014, doors at 8:00 AMWhere: 2100 Willowcreek Rd, Portage, INHost: Achievement Martial ArtsContact Aaron Johnson, 219-763-6000 [email protected]
When: October 4, 2014, doors at 8:00 AMWhere: 937 9th Ave, Comanche, IAHost: Mellennia Martial ArtsContact Evan Nixon, 563-593-5094 [email protected]
When: October 25, 2014, doors at 8:00 AMWhere: 1875 Simonton Road, Statesville, NCHost: Youn Wha Ryu Tae Sool Martial Arts AcademyContact Steve DiFiore at 704-775-2740
When: April 25, 2015 (tentative)Where: Omaha, NEHost: Omaha Blue Waves (USKF event!)
When: August 1, 2015 (tentative)Where: Hoffman Estates, ILHost: SDY TaeKwon-Do (USKF event!)Includes 2015 USKF Hall of Fame Awards
Don’t forget to plan for another USKF retreat in May 2015 as well!
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hIstory oF the martIal arts: part IBy: Grandmaster Robert DunnThe purpose of examining the roots of the martial arts is to al-low the black belt level student a better understanding of the how and why the martial arts have evolved into its present forms today. There are many countries that have made a contribution to the development of the martial arts; in this five part series, we will examine ten of them.
There are many factors that may determine the evolu-tion of a particular martial art, such as: military superi-ority, religion, social and economic factors, world trade, secret societies, political rebellion, recreation, compe-tition, war, etc. The last section of this research on the history of the martial arts is called Observations and it reflects a Grandmaster’s opinion on the evolution of the martial arts.
egypt
The oldest known records concerning combat tech-niques are found in the Egyptian tombs on hieroglyphic scrolls. They date back as far as 4000 BCE and they describe pre-arranged fighting matches that used pro-tective leather padding on the hands and feet. It is known that the Egyptians engaged in combat and pre-pared armies very early in their history, subsequently developing the most powerful military force on earth between 1500 BCE and 700 BCE. Unarmed styles de-veloped in Egypt, but failed to mature into distinct forms. It is quite significant that Egypt, like China developed a civilization independent of one another, with Egypt be-ing a political nation and China being a religious nation. Egypt developed and prospered in direct relationship to the strength and proficiency of their military superiority. China developed and prospered in direct relationship to the growth of Buddhism, Taoism and Shintoism.
In 1700 BCE the Arabs established trade routes with Egypt, Persia, India, and China. It is known that their trade caravans had armed guards to protect them against bandit raids and these guards were experts in both armed and unarmed combat techniques. It is safe to assume that these caravans left a legacy of combat techniques in the countries with which they traded with.
chIna
China was the well-spring of oriental culture, social systems, and the development of the Martial Arts. Chi-na had a highly developed civilization by 1100 BCE and
gm KauFFman’s tKd 7th dan recognIzed
Massillon, OH - GM Rodney Kauffman received his 7th Dan certificate in TaeKwon-Do from USKF Presi-dent Jeffrey Helaney during a recent visit to Ohio. GM Kauffman holds multiple black belts in variuos styles of martial arts. He is the owner of Kauffman’s Self-De-fense Academy in Massillon, Ohio and a USKF Charter School owner. GM Kauffman is the former President of the Ne-Du-U-Kon-Tae Federation. His highest rank held is an 8th Dan.
Continued on next page
Counterclockwise from left:
1) GM Helaney presents GM Kauffman with a USKF certification for 7th Dan in TaeKwon-Do.
2) USKF Flag and 3) USKF Instructor Flashes are now available.
new For Instructors and schools
Omaha, NE - Chartered School and Certified Instruc-tors can now order instructor flashes for only $10 per pair (plus S&H) and USKF flags for on $35 (plus S&H). One set of flashes come free with each renewal or aproved instructor application. Chartered schools with more than two active instructors and 30 members will receive a free flag. Order your extras today by writing [email protected]
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tribal communications were in existence in the Yellow River Valley as early as 2000 BCE. The beginnings of systemized Martial Arts is questionable, but can be es-tablished to some degree in the early Chou Dynasty. The first written records were recorded in the Book of Rites, the Spring and Autumn Annals, and later in that same dynasty, in the literature of the Warring States. These works mention displays of fencing, archery and wrestling. Chinese Boxing began around 330 BCE during the Han Dynasty. The Han Book of Arts has six chapters describing hand-fighting techniques.
Buddhism entered China from India during this period and with it, came refinements to the Chinese Boxing techniques. This was a transition marking the end of feudalism, and the fighting arts ceased to be the ex-clusive profession of nobleman. Buddhist monks em-phasized physical exercise for health, the most famous being Budhidharma (Daruma) who traveled through-out China before settling in a Shaolin temple in Honan Province. There he introduced a set of physical drills called the Eighteen Hands of the Lo-Han which was part of Indian Vajramushtri training, involving bare hand fighting techniques. These drills were later expanded to 72 techniques and eventually to 108 with distinctive categories: the Tiger, the Snake, the Praying Mantis, the Crane and the Dragon, thus providing the basis for Shaolin Boxing (Ch’ uan-fa) with over 400 distinct styles in either internal or external categories. The significance of Budhidharma and the other Buddhist monks is that the techniques that they developed were maintained secretly through the tenets of the Buddhist religion. This association caused Chinese Boxing and other forms to flourish in direct proportion to the growth of Buddhism, Taoism, and Shintoism throughout the orient. The final development of Ch’ uan-fa, however was largely the product of the exertions of military men seeking a means by which they could stand up to the authority of an oppressive government. Ch’ uan-fa be-came a symbol of self-expression, as well as a sign of internal unrest.
During the Tang Dynasty, three Shaolin monks - Chih Ts-ao, Hui-Yang and T’ Tsung - established the already famous Shaolin temple as the center of Chinese Box-ing. During this period, Liu-Ho Boxing was invented by Ch’ en His-I in Shansi Province. Many of the moves in this style are still seen in the various styles of Korean karate. Most martial art systems in use today were de-veloped during the Ming and Ch’ ing Dynasties. Many secret societies arose during these periods in the at-tempt to overthrow the Manchu. In 1900 the Boxer Re-bellion marked the peak of Chinese secret societies and the end of the Manchu Dynasty in 1912.
History, continued from page 2
the essence oF teachIng:recognItIon oF IndIVIdualIty
By: Grandmaster Robert DunnFrom: The Jun Tong TaeKwon-Do Federation Instructor Develop-ment Course
Every individual has a different way of perceiving and understanding the world around him. Because you are teaching a group of individuals, you must consider each person individually and as a part of the whole. Each individual learns at his own pace and to the best of his ability. Inherent to being a good instructor is the aptitude for teaching the class as a unified whole, while giving each individual the specific instruction he needs to improve.
You must master the ability to balance the need for individuality with the need for conformity. While there are many exercises that students perform uniformly, an over-emphasis on conformity can stifle a student’s nat-ural talent. Because we are all unique individuals with unique physical and mental characteristics, we each have special strengths and weaknesses. By accurately recognizing these strengths and weaknesses, we can maximize our potential.
Yet, within the martial arts there is a special tradition and heritage that has been handed down to us. It is our duty to preserve the character of the martial arts and to pass it on to our students. Therefore, we require that students practice certain skills in a specifically de-signed way, without digression. A good example of this is the way we practice our patterns. Every white belt student in a particular style practices the same pattern, in the same way that every white belt student before him practiced it. This is an example of preserving the traditions of the martial arts.
Be sure to check future editions of this newsletter for more of The Jun Tong TaeKwon-Do Federation Instructor Development Course.
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the practIce oF power: part IIIBy: David Rossiaky III DanFrom The Practice of Power: A Deconstruction of the Theory of Power and Its Application to Patterns
The next element of the theory of power we will examine is equilibrium, or more colloquially, balance. The body is said to be in equilibrium when it is well balanced. An attack performed while out of balance draws energy away from the attack in order to maintain an upright position. Generally speaking, an off balance opponent is inviting an attack; they have neither the power to suf-ficiently block nor the momentum to dodge. When out of balance, all other functions are naturally put on hold as the body realigns over its center of gravity.
Stances are of the utmost importance in patterns, and equilibrium is of the utmost importance to stances. Each stance has a specific predefined weight distri-bution assigned to it, and if not performed precisely, the stance will fail to achieve its intended function. To control weight distribution, the body’s mass can be shifted forward and backward, left and right. When the shoulders are relaxed and the back is kept straight, the hips and knee spring are all that are necessary to keep the body properly in equilibrium. This is all assuming, of course, that the feet are in their proper positions, including the heel of the rear or weight bearing foot, which should always be flat on the ground at the mo-ment of impact.
However, maintaining balance in a standing position is only half of the balancing act that is equilibrium. It is equally necessary to maintain balance while in motion, an idea referred to as dynamic stability. While moving from one stance to another, just as in walking, one foot moves while the other bears the body’s weight. Pre-serving equilibrium while in motion is achieved through a conscious effort to transfer the body’s weight over the stationary foot while also keeping the body’s mass centered over the stationary foot. This allows you to move in a controlled fashion as opposed to falling into each stance, requiring a further readjustment of weight to align the stance.
Speed is the third element of the theory of power that we will discuss, and it can be broken down into two categories: acceleration and redirection. Acceleration is the form of speed that is most familiar to us. General Choi is quick to point out that physics states force is equal to mass multiplied by acceleration (or F=MA). Of course, we cannot change our mass in any practical sense (more on this later), so the surest method of pro-ducing force is acceleration. This means of power gen-
eration is the most intuitively understood by both mar-tial arts practitioners and non-martial artists: the faster an object is moving, the more explosive will be its force upon impact. A number of attacks in TaeKwon-Do can be performed faster than average reflexive reaction times, making them nearly impossible to block unless they are telegraphed before executed (of course, it is central to this paper that practicing patterns while uti-lizing the theory of power will substantially decrease reflexive reaction times).
Amazingly, this form of speed does not substantially increase through training: on average, a white belt can throw a punch just as fast as a black belt. The key to improving the efficiency of acceleration speed is to practice moving precisely from one technique into an-other – all the speed in the world will be of no use if you do not hit your target.
Redirection speed, on the other hand, tends to vary greatly between those who are new to martial arts and those who have been practicing for a substantial amount of time. While a new student and an advanced student may each throw a front snap kick at the same speed, the advanced student will throw a second con-secutive front snap kick much faster than the beginner. This is a major factor in deciding the outcome of a con-frontation, as even though one strike should be suffi-cient for victory, realistically that one strike will often be preceded by several attempts that were blocked, coun-tered, dodged, or otherwise failed to have the desired result.
Because speed is linked so inextricably to power, it would seem to follow that one should always perform their patterns as quickly as possible. This is, however, decidedly not the case. We have already determined that acceleration speed will not significantly vary through normal training, so speed applies to patterns in the form of controlled motion. A constant speed should be maintained throughout. The muscle memory that we are trying to develop through practicing forms is achieved by completing precisely the same motion many thousands of times. Patterns should be per-formed at a comfortable pace that allows you to exe-cute each technique in the exact motion it is supposed to be performed in. By moving too quickly through pat-ters, the motion from move to move is altered and your muscle memory learns the wrong motion. This sort of mistake becomes deeply entrenched and can take years to correct, so it is better to err on the side of caution, slow down your patters, and learn the proper motions the first time through. Improper pacing is per-haps the most common mistake students make when they are introduced to forms.
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the deVelopment oF tKd pro-motIonal testIngsBy: Grandmaster Robert Dunn
During the 1950’s there were about 40 newly derived Kwan’s which ushered in the age of TaeKwon-Do. Gen-eral Choi Hong Hi exercised his military authority and founded the Oh Do Kwan, comprised of civilian Kwan leaders and civilian Kwan pioneers. During this time, the five major Kwan’s formed a committee to address the various issues of promotional testing. The five ma-jor Kwan’s were: Chung Do Kwan, Ji Do Kwan, Moo Duk Kwan, Chang Moo Kwan, and Song Moo Kwan.
The Kwan founders agreed to associate and organize a unified association. Despite their eagerness and agreement to address promotional testing issues, they had conflicts of interests, differences in philosophies, and widespread misunderstanding that could not be overcome.
As a result, in less than one month after the founding of the new Association, Moo Duk Kwan President Hwang Kee withdrew from the association because he was not given a position on the Central Testing Committee. After one month following Hwang Kee’s withdrawal, Chung Do Kwan President Son Duk Sung withdrew for the same reason. Therefore, the attempt to unify all of the Kwan’s was a failure.
After the attempted unification of the Kwans failed, each Kwan concentrated on training its younger gener-ation. Unexpectedly, the Korean War broke out and the land of Korea was in a state of chaos. The TaeKwon-Do community was no exception and many leaders were separated from their Kwans and scattered north and south. This was a period of total chaos and disorder.
Later, the Korea Kong Soo Do Association took on the role of developing promotional testing requirements and issued official Dan ranks. This was the beginning of Dan ranks being justified and organized. However, the Korea Kong Soo Do Association showed signs of breakup after several months. After Hwang Kee at-tempted to create the Korea Tang Soo Do Association and then joined the Korea Amateur Sports Association, the Korea Kong Soo Do Association showed signs of rapid disruption tendencies.
The first and second promotional testings of official recognition were held in the temporary Central Dojang of the Chung Do Kwan which used the Si Chun Church
(Hope Wedding Hall) as a gym in the evenings. The third and fourth Promotional Testing’s were held at the Chae Shin Bu Dojang (next to the old Capitol Build-ing) which was run by Lee Nam Suk. Kwan Jang’s Ro Byung Jick and Yoon Kwe Byung took full charge of the promotional testing committee.
Continued on next page
General Choi Hong Hi and GM Lee Won Kuk attending a Chung Do Kwan promotional testing for Dan Certification
sdy open martIal arts champIonshIp 2014Hoffman Estates, IL - In August, SDY TaeKwon-Do held its third annual Open Martial Arts Championship, with participants from seven states competing in eight events, including continuous sparring, self-defense, and board breaking. This is a USKF sanctioned AAA rated event, preceeded by a locally held referee train-ing seminar. Thank you to all the competitors, judges, and families who attended!
Left: Keith Christian of SDY TaeKwon-Do ac-cepts the overall grand champion trophy from promoter Jason Fry-mire.
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The Korea Tae Soo Do Association structured and developed the procedures and requirements for the First National Promotional Testing. At that time, Tae-Kwon-Do used different names such as Kong Soo Do, Tang Soo Do, Soo Bahk Do, and TaeKwon-Do, and to make matters even worse, the Kwans used differ-ent patterns and had different philosophies about the system of sparring. Promotional testing was the most problematic issue at that time because each Kwan pro-moted those who were not really qualified in order to expand their Kwans and show themselves as the best.
The first Korea Tae Soo Do Association president, Choi Myung Shin, stated, “The biggest problem we had was the promotional testing system, which needed to be set and formalized. What we did was set up an in-spection team to get rid of the differences in patterns, free sparring, and breaking that existed between each of the Kwans.”
The following is the actual procedure for the first na-tional promotional testing of the Korea Tae Soo Do As-sociation on November 11, 1962:
1) Opening2) Courtesy3) Revolution Public Pledge4) Opening remarks by Promotion Test Chairman Choi Myung Shin5) Performance of test and judges consideration6) Review and Comment of Judges7) Dan Certificate award ceremony8) Manse Sam Chang (Korean version of Banzai; “Manse! Manse! Manse!”)9) Closing of the Promotion Test.
patterns (hyung)
With respect to the patterns portion of the examination, the examinees chose two patterns from the following groups:
1st Dan Patterns: Hyung from the 5 Pyong Ahn Hyung, Chul Ki Chodan Hyung (Chul Ki #1), Naebojin Chodan Hyung (Naebojin #1), Ja Won Hyung, Hwa-Rang Hyung.
2nd Dan Patterns: Balhan Hyung Dae; Chul Ki E Dan Hyung (Chul Ki #2); Naebojin E Dan Hyung (Naebo-jin #2); Kima E Dan Hyung (Kima #2); Choong-Moo Hyung.
3rd Dan Patterns: Ship Su Hyung; Pal Sae Hyung; Yon
Bi Hyung; Dan Kwon Kyung; No Pae Hyung; Ge-Baek Hyung; Ul-Ji Hyung.
General Choi Hong Hi developed the Chang-Hon pat-terns to be used by the Oh Do Kwan for promotional Testings and some of the patterns were included in the first promotional testing on November 11, 1962. The pattern Eui-Am was also included in later promotion-al testings. Choi Hong Hi is a historical figure; he was a brave young general and had a strong connection with the former ROK President Rhee Syng Man, and as a result, some of the Chang-Hon patterns were in-troduced to the first national black belt testing.
sparrIng (tae-ryun)
The Sparring portion of the Promotion Test was con-ducted under the following rules: Hogu (chest protec-tor) must be worn on the upper body, and gloves must be worn on both hands. The judges consisted of one center referee, four corner judges, and two jury mem-bers. The center referee was responsible for determin-ing the winner and was in charge of the contest. The corner judges were placed at each corner of the ring and scored points using red and blue flags. The jury’s responsibility was to tabulate the scoring of the corner judges. The size of the competition area was 8 x 8 me-ters. The length of the competition was one round of three minutes.
wrItten examInatIon (non-mun)
The first exam question was: “Explain the importance of the unification and standardization of the di f ferent Hyung.” As the question shows, the biggest problem of the Korea Tae Soo Do Association was the unifica-tion of the different Kwan’s methods. During this time period, the main focus of every Kwan was to foster the attitude of the martial artist, as well as develop the ba-sic techniques, movements, and philosophies of each Kwan. The training of patterns, sparring techniques, and other training concepts was derived from Karate and they varied depending on each Kwan’s origins.
Promotions, continued from page 5
