From: the_dojang-owner@hpwsrt.cup.hp.com To: the_dojang-digest@hpwsrt.cup.hp.com Subject: The_Dojang-Digest V7 #349 Reply-To: the_dojang@hpwsrt.cup.hp.com Errors-To: the_dojang-owner@hpwsrt.cup.hp.com Precedence: The_Dojang-Digest Thur, 18 May 2000 Vol 07 : Num 349 In this issue: the_dojang: Re: Meditation the_dojang: Re: The_Dojang-Digest V7 #344 the_dojang: Re: The_Dojang-Digest V7 #348 the_dojang: RE: The_Dojang-Digest V7 #345 the_dojang: Chun Kuk Do the_dojang: RE: Chuck Norris [none] ========================================================================= The_Dojang, serving the Internet since June 1994. 945 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: dbuehrer@denver.carl.org Date: Thu, 18 May 2000 07:50:52 -0600 Subject: the_dojang: Re: Meditation >From: Ray Terry > >I'm curious who out there uses meditation as part of their training/life? >What type? How long each session? Sessions per day? Where did you learn >it? Has it made a difference in your life? I don't use meditation as often as I should ;) I learned the meditation technique I use from a book called "Budhism Without Beliefs". Get comfortable. Close your eyes. Take deep, smooth, breaths. Feel the air as it enters and exits your mouth/nose, throat, and lungs. Do not try to picture the air as it moves in and out of your lungs. Just feel it. Feel your body. Feel the movement of your chest and shoulders as you breath. Feel the pressures against it, and the absence of pressure. Feel the temperature of the surfaces in contact with your body, and the temperature of the air around you. Do not try to picture what is causing the pressure. Do not try to picture the world around you. Feel it. Listen to the noises around you. Don't try to identify them. Hear them. If thoughts enter your mind, let them happen, and then let them go. Watch them from a distance as they wander about on their own. Continue to experience the sensations that you are feeling, hearing. Breath. To Life, - -David Buehrer 6th Gup, Hapkido http://www.users.uswest.net/~abaker3 - -- "Today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday ... and all is well." ------------------------------ From: samiller@Bix.Com Date: Thu, 18 May 2000 10:13:35 -0400 (EDT) Subject: the_dojang: Re: The_Dojang-Digest V7 #344 Hmmm. If the Korean-American kid had sensed what the bully was up to and preemptively ran him down with his car, would we be saying that he was "pretty smart"? Lessons? There seems to be a fairly strong consensus among m-a practitioners, at least those on this list, that any fight that can be avoided, should be. I can't think of a more avoidable fight than one that is staged by prior arrangement at a mutually agreed upon venue. Jesse wrote: >Lessons? Obviously, don't get into stupid fights, especially if you don't >have to. But also, the bad boy was pretty smart. By surprising the kid >and getting him down fast (and using his greater weight to keep him down), >he never gave the Taekwondo stylist a chance to use his skills. === Tang Soo! Scott ------------------------------ From: "Carl W" Date: Thu, 18 May 2000 09:43:20 MDT Subject: the_dojang: Re: The_Dojang-Digest V7 #348 >From: TKDSCRIBE@aol.com >Date: Wed, 17 May 2000 21:49:31 EDT >Subject: the_dojang: Re: The_Dojang-Digest V7 #343 > > The way I was raised in taekwondo, however, makes room for other >criteria >that are difficult to demonstrate or judge on exam day. One's long-term >attitude and dedication, not just to one's own training, but to the dojang, >master and art are looked at as well. > I was taught that this is because we were learning martial art, not >martial sport. In sports, technical prowess is often the only thing that >matters. Look at Dennis Rodman, for example. While in the martial arts >there >are the ethical, emotional and mental aspects to be learned and mastered >along with the physical skills. > I wonder how most Americans of the 21 century feel about this? >SESilz > >------------------------------ On a related, but slightly different note, does anybody have an idea of how many "wheel chair" black belts there are? Surfing the other day, I came across a brief story of an ITF black belt being awarded to a person confined to a wheel chair. If anybody is interested, the address is http://www.kick.nf.net/indomitablespiritprofiles.htm I am awed by the inner strength that this MA practitioner must have. He certainly faced, and overcome, many challenges in the pursuit of his goal. As well, his instructor, and fellow classmates, must have jumped many hurdles. Kudos to them all! While I wonder about how techniques were modified, how tests were structured, how testing requirements were changed, etc etc etc, so that this student could participate in class, and all the activites that implies, as well as to achieve black belt, things other than 'technical prowess', are, and should be, equally important. (NOTE: this is not, in any way, meant to imply that standards were, or should be, lowered for a physically-challenged person, only that there must have been some modifications to them, in terms of the way they are typically taught and learned, so that a person, confined to a wheel chair, could perform and master them. 'Technical prowess' and\or 'athleticism' is certainly not limited to those that have full use of their limbs! Its just that given the great deal of emphasis placed on 'technique' in the martial arts, and that great and passionate 'debates' on seemingly minute details of technique occur frequently, that the idea of a person in a wheel chair executing them is, at least in my mind, fascinating) I think its great that the martial arts does not exclude the physically-challenged. It is something that we, as martial artists, and belt-granting organizations, such as - in this case - the ITF, can be proud of. Also, those physically-challenged individuals that follow this path must be incredible people, and truly are an inspiration (as are the instructors that encourage and guide them)! I just wonder how often it happens? Carl W. ________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ From: Chris Date: Thu, 18 May 2000 12:21:12 -0500 Subject: the_dojang: RE: The_Dojang-Digest V7 #345 < Date: Wed, 17 May 2000 12:43:13 -0500 (CDT) Subject: the_dojang: Ki finger I'd like to start a new discussion about use of the index finger in Hapkido.>> I don't know much about Hapkido, but it's definitely a big deal in HanMuDo. ------------------------------ From: "Mac" Date: Thu, 18 May 2000 13:04:16 -0500 Subject: the_dojang: Chun Kuk Do > Is Chun Kuk Do the correct name for Chuck's blend Yes it is. And his organization is UFAF, which stand for United Fighting Arts Federation. << Oh. I could be wrong in the 8th dan ranking. He is either 8th or 7th. Donna >> I heard him say once during an interview he was "10th dan, the highest". Reguards, Mac ------------------------------ From: Dave Steffen Date: Thu, 18 May 2000 12:04:53 -0600 (MDT) Subject: the_dojang: RE: Chuck Norris > From: "Joel S. Weissler" [..] > > > An interesting side note: Gen. Choi Hong Hi awared Chuck Norris > > > an 8th Dan in the ITF a couple of weeks ago. > > > > Is this true? Not that Master Norris doesn't deserve such rank, > > but this would seem to not support recent statements about the > > ITF and how they are organized, esp given that Master Norris does > > not even teach Taekwondo. Is this perhaps an honorary rank? [...] > I am quite familiar with the ITF current and older curriculms. With > the exception to changes in forms Chuck Norris's fighting system is > extremely close to ITF's older core system, his martial arts > lineage and contribution to the development of TKD are significant. However, those "changes in forms" are absolutely crucial - from a certain point of view, they changed the entire art. I'm really speaking of the "sine wave" motion - are you familiar with this? Does Chuck Norris teach it? I'm very curious. Thinking about this, my question is really this: is Master Norris's organization part of the ITF? If not, I'm not sure why A) the General would award him a rank, and B) why he'd care if the General did. > In a related matter -- Rank inflation -- My original instructor was > very traditional. I'm not sure why that's related, but OK. ;-) > I was taught that ranks through second Dan were or should be > recognition of personal skill and development. Third through fifth > recognized continuing comittment and success in teaching. > Recognition as a Master ordinarily required bringing at least ten > students through from white to black belt. Above fifth Dan > required contribution to the art. This could be through the > development of a large number of legitimate black belts, raising > the esteem of the Art in the community, regionally or nationwide, > or through development of good and useful forms or teaching > techniques. The general question of "What does a xth Dan really mean" is one that is frequently discussed in this forum, and we still haven't found a definite answer. It depends on your organization. Having said that, I mostly agree with your statement, plus or minus some quibbles about how many black belts you've produced, etc. - -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dave Steffen Wave after wave will flow with the tide Dept. of Physics And bury the world as it does Colorado State University Tide after tide will flow and recede steffend@lamar.colostate.edu Leaving life to go on as it was... - Peart / RUSH "The reason that our people suffer in this way.... is that our ancestors failed to rule wisely". -General Choi, Hong Hi ------------------------------ From: Ray Terry Date: Thu, 18 May 2000 11:34:03 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [none] ------------------------------ End of The_Dojang-Digest V7 #349 ******************************** 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. Old digest issues are available via ftp://ftp.martialartsresource.com. Copyright 1994-2000: Ray Terry and Martial Arts Resource Standard disclaimers apply.