From: the_dojang-owner@hpwsrt.cup.hp.com To: the_dojang-digest@hpwsrt.cup.hp.com Subject: The_Dojang-Digest V7 #288 Reply-To: the_dojang@hpwsrt.cup.hp.com Errors-To: the_dojang-owner@hpwsrt.cup.hp.com Precedence: The_Dojang-Digest Thur, 27 April 2000 Vol 07 : Num 288 In this issue: the_dojang: Congrats the_dojang: Re: Hapkido Question the_dojang: Right and left handed weapons the_dojang: re: Master Titles the_dojang: New Hapkido 4th Dans the_dojang: re: WTF Masters Re: the_dojang: re: WTF Masters the_dojang: Re: ITF vs. WTF [none] ========================================================================= The_Dojang, serving the Internet since June 1994. 900 members strong! Copyright 1994-2000: Ray Terry and Martial Arts Resource Replying to this message will NOT unsubscribe you. To unsubscribe, send "unsubscribe the_dojang-digest" (no quotes) in the body (top line, left justified) of a plain text e-mail addressed to majordomo@hpwsrt.cup.hp.com. To send e-mail to this list use the_dojang@hpwsrt.cup.hp.com See the Korean Martial Arts (KMA) FAQ and online search the last five years worth of digest issues at http://www.MartialArtsResource.com Pil Seung! ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: HKDTodd@aol.com Date: Thu, 27 Apr 2000 14:38:49 EDT Subject: the_dojang: Congrats Congradulations Master Tomlinson on your 4th dan promotion. Todd ------------------------------ From: d.d.parker@juno.com Date: Thu, 27 Apr 2000 13:22:24 -0600 Subject: the_dojang: Re: Hapkido Question To Anyone Who May Know the Answer, The local Hapkido school has the term "Moo Lim Do" in its title and I am curious as to what this means. I don't recall seeing this term mentioned in any of the various Hapkido threads since I have been a list member and I was wondering what organization this style is affiliated with, etc. Does anyone know? Thanks, Daniel ------------------------------ From: "J. R. West" Date: Thu, 27 Apr 2000 15:07:09 -0500 Subject: the_dojang: Right and left handed weapons Back in my early years, I always wondered why all of the weapon techniques were performed with the right hand as well as some advanced striking techniques. When I asked one of the instructors, I was told that HapKiDo is a "right handed art" due to the idea of ki flow exiting the right hand and returning via the left hand (side) of the body. I pushed the question again, asking what they did when encountering the occasional left-handed student. The response was "make them right handed". As I have stated before, I defer to my seniors in all instances, so I teach as I was taught. J. R. West www.hapkido.com ------------------------------ From: HwarangTSD@aol.com Date: Thu, 27 Apr 2000 17:21:46 EDT Subject: the_dojang: re: Master Titles I appreciate the prompt replys to my post. I was afraid that it would be taken as a flame, but it was a genuine request for information. I will ask the USTU about their policy, just to satisfy my curiosity, because some of the information I was provided was by USTU members. Now I'm wondering if perhaps they, my sources in the USTU, are going by an older standard. As far as the Tang Soo Do posts thanks. I had always heard SAbomnim, and never kodanja. I have, and still do, used the terms yuldanja and yulgupja. Once again, thanks. Master Frank Clay ------------------------------ From: RDNHJMS@aol.com Date: Thu, 27 Apr 2000 17:24:48 EDT Subject: the_dojang: New Hapkido 4th Dans I have neglected my obligations, my apologies. I would like to recognize and congratulate Mike Tomlinson and Javier Agosto on their recent testing and promotion to 4th Dan. Mike explained a little about my philosophy on 4th Dan tests. It's worth noting that the tests I do for 1st Dan's are more physically demanding. But even in those tests, students are required to do the following for each technique: - - Name - - Explanation - - Action Testing for 4th Dan is different in that it requires the student to explain the mechanics of the technique and not just how to perform it, and also why each body action is required. We talk about this a lot in the Hapkido world, because we see so many people that have such poor basics. It really is not difficult for even a beginner to recognize bad basics. For one thing, look to see if the person performing the technique is off balance or stumbling through the technique, or how far away from his center of balance is the technique. I've seen a lot of video tapes of so called "Hapkido Masters" performing techniques where they are obviously off balance, some to the point that they fall themselves or stumble through the technique like a circus clown. My goal is to someday master the basics, and that's about as far as I will get in this lifetime. Once again, congratulations to Mike and Javier on a good job and a truly well deserved advancement to 4th Dan. V/R, Rick Nabors ------------------------------ From: HwarangTSD@aol.com Date: Thu, 27 Apr 2000 17:48:11 EDT Subject: the_dojang: re: WTF Masters I just spoke with Tammy Walker, USTU Dan office, in reference to the WTF master question. She said that basically it is both fourth and fifth. At certain functions it is fourth at which someone is called a master, but that in a legalistic sense, meaning published policy, it is fifth dan. In a nutshell she indicated that both are correct. That seems kinda confusing to me, so how do you guys keep it straight? Or is that why WTF 4th dans have come to refer to themselves as masters to alleviate confusion? Thanks in advance for your answer. Like I previously stated, I 'm not trying to cause any problems, I just want to know because I find it confusing. Thanks, Frank Clay ------------------------------ From: Ray Terry Date: Thu, 27 Apr 2000 15:23:24 PDT Subject: Re: the_dojang: re: WTF Masters > I just spoke with Tammy Walker, USTU Dan office, in reference to the WTF > master question. She said that basically it is both fourth and fifth. At... Thanks for the clarification. Ray Terry raymail@hpwsrt.cup.hp.com ------------------------------ From: Piotr Bernat Date: Thu, 27 Apr 2000 21:58:05 +0200 Subject: the_dojang: Re: ITF vs. WTF The recent discussion about the ITF vs. WTF is really interesting (although the topic itself seems to be so old...). Therefore, I also decided to throw my... well, not 0.02 $, Internet connections in Poland are much more expensive... :( From what I know, there is 191 Kukkiwon 9th Dan holders in the world (as in November 1999, according to the World Taekwondo News). But I also feel there is no need to compare the numbers. Take, for example, Kyokushin Karate. This art places a very strong emphasis on grades, people are training for years wearing coloured belts. Is the WTF style 1st Dan, ITF 1st Dan and Kyokushin 1st Dan something we can compare? I don`t think so. Each of these arts places different emphasis on gradings, the requirements are so different and so on. I also have experience in both ITF and WTF style. I find WTF more interesting (this is what I`m doing now), but I can also recognise ITF merits. In my country, they are simply recognised as two separate sports. I feel that the philosophy behind the two is fully different. Granted, the ITF technique is consistent troughout the world and it`s one of the strengths of this style. But I for one prefer more loose approach. I love watching different ways of performing patterns and I simply don`t like the way the ITF does it (although I did it for a couple of years). But this is valid only for me. My friend doesn`t like the WTF patterns although he is now also WTF affiliated. He prefers ITF patterns. And that`s OK, if it works for him. We train WTF style, but we also accept invitation from ITF styled groups for open competitions and my students really like it as well. I have nothing against it. On the other hand, if I`m in the ITF here and want to enter any other federation`s event, I`m expelled the next day. I don`t think it`s fair. But that`s another story. I feel personally, that the existence of two big federations (I know there is a lot of other ones - even in Poland we have three groups, but let`s concentrate on the two) is not a big problem. The problem is that the students, instructors and masters don`t really have the chance to see and experience the other TKD style, to try it on their own. There are so many rumours and misconceptions on both sides. I think it would be great if we could just recognize two systems of TKD, just like freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling, and give people a chance to compete in both of them. They are so different and so much can be learned both here and there. And by the way - ma favourite pattern for open TKD competitions is still ITF`s Ge-Baek. Looks funny when I`m sometimes the only guy in a WTF dobok doing this pattern on a tournament... Regards - -- Piotr Bernat dantaekwondo@lublin.home.pl http://www.taekwondo.prv.pl ------------------------------ From: Ray Terry Date: Thu, 27 Apr 2000 15:47:25 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [none] ------------------------------ End of The_Dojang-Digest V7 #288 ******************************** It's a great day for Taekwondo! Support the USTU by joining today. US Taekwondo Union, 1 Olympic Plaza, Ste 405, Colorado Spgs, CO 80909 719-578-4632 FAX 719-578-4642 ustutkd1@aol.com http://www.ustu.com To unsubscribe from the_dojang-digest send the command: unsubscribe the_dojang-digest -or- unsubscribe the_dojang-digest your.old@address in the BODY of an email (top line, left justified) addressed to majordomo@hpwsrt.cup.hp.com. 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