From: the_dojang-owner@hpwsrt.cup.hp.com To: the_dojang-digest@hpwsrt.cup.hp.com Subject: The_Dojang-Digest V8 #333 Reply-To: the_dojang@hpwsrt.cup.hp.com Errors-To: the_dojang-owner@hpwsrt.cup.hp.com Precedence: The_Dojang-Digest Mon, 11 June 2001 Vol 08 : Num 333 In this issue: the_dojang: Do Keumgang on Geumgang the_dojang: Korean people the_dojang: martial arts merit badge the_dojang: RE: The_Dojang-Digest V8 #323 the_dojang: RE: The_Dojang-Digest V8 #330 the_dojang: . ========================================================================= The_Dojang, serving the Internet since June 1994. ~1111 members strong! Copyright 1994-2001: Ray Terry and Martial Arts Resource The premier internet discussion forum devoted to the Korean Martial Arts. 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 the online search engine for back issues of The_Dojang at http://www.MartialArtsResource.com Pil Seung! ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Ray Terry Date: Sun, 10 Jun 2001 19:10:50 PDT Subject: the_dojang: Do Keumgang on Geumgang P'yang Allows Hyundai Land Access to Geumgang June 10, 2001 North Korea has agreed to let Hyundai Asan, the Hyundai group subsidiary in charge of its North Korean businesses, to open a land route to Mt. Geumgang. Providing a breakthrough to a stalled inter-Korean project, the reclusive North Korean regime and a Hyundai management team agreed on a package of steps covering the payment of entrance fees to the scenic mountain and designation of the Mt. Geumgang area as a special tourism promotion zone. Hyundai Asan President Kim Yoon-kyu, who has recently returned from his visit to North Korea along with Hyundai Asan chairman Chung Mong-hun, said the company and the North's Asia Pacific Peace Committee agreed to begin construction of the 13.7 km roadway linking Goseong, in the North, to Songhyeon-ri, in the South, as soon as possible. "Hyundai and the committee agreed to urge the related government authorities to begin talks sometime in June to make progress regarding the exact timetable for the launching of the construction," Kim said during a press conference Sunday (June 10) in Seoul. Concerning payment for the tourist program, Kim said Pyeongyang officials agreed to let Hyundai pay within its capacity and refrain from excessive demands until the new tourist project gets revitalized. The forecast construction, expected to cost between 60 billion and 100 billion won, would be completed before the first half of next year, enabling domestic and foreign tourists to enjoy the inland tourism project starting in the latter half of next year. "Hyundai will pay the money in accordance with the profits in consideration of the number of arrivals, for instance," he said. Hyundai is set to pay a total of $22 million to Pyeongyang as it has failed to pay fees from the end of last year due to a financial crunch at the lackluster tourist project. "We will pay the money as soon as we will be able to get assistance from creditor banks and the government," he said, expressing confidence that the firm would be able to see profits in less than one year after starting ground-route access. Kim said Hyundai Merchant Marine, which has operated cruise ships for the tourist project, will be excluded from the program, with Hyundai Asan set to entirely handling the matter. Kim disclosed that Pyeongyang has also agreed to set up a special law within two months with regard to the designation of the Mt. Geumgang area as a special tourism zone. The envisioned naming of the special tourism zone will help promote the Geumgang area as an international hub for trade, commerce, finance and culture as well as tourism, he said. "The designation would also expedite possible foreign investment into the region as it will offer a legal guarantee for potential investors in terms of safety, tax and other benefits," he said. ------------------------------ From: Ray Terry Date: Sun, 10 Jun 2001 19:20:26 PDT Subject: the_dojang: Korean people People and Population The Koreans are one ethnic family and speak one language. Sharing distinct physical characteristics, they are believed to be descendants of several Mongol tribes that migrated onto the Korean Peninsula from Central Asia. In the seventh century, the various states of the peninsula were unified for the first time under the Silla Kingdom (57 B.C.- A.D. 935). Such homogeneity has enabled Koreans to be relatively free from ethnic problems and to maintain a firm solidarity with one another. As of the end of 2000, Korea's total population was estimated at 47,275,000, with a density of 476 people per square kilometer. The population of North Korea is estimated to be 22,175,000. Korea saw its population grow by an annual rate of 3 percent during the 1960s, but this trend slowed to 2 percent over the next decade. Today, the growth rate stands at 0.89 percent, and is expected to further decline to 0 percent in 2028. A notable trend in Korea's demographics is that it is growing older with each passing year. Statistics show that 7.0 percent of the total population of Korea was 65 years or older in 1999, while this generation made up 7.1 percent of the total in 2000. In the 1960s, Korea's population distribution formed a pyramid shape, with a high birth rate and relatively short life expectancy. However, the structure is now shaped more like a bell with a low birth rate and extended life expectancy. The young population (under the age of 15 years) will make up a decreasing portion of the total, while senior citizens (over 65 years) will account for some 19.3 percent of the total by the year 2030. The nation's rapid industrialization and urbanization in the 1960s and 1970s has been accompanied by a continuing migration of rural residents into the cities, particularly Seoul, resulting in heavily populated metropolitan areas. However, in recent years, an increasing number of people have begun moving to suburban areas of Seoul. ------------------------------ From: "elizabeth kerr" Date: Sun, 10 Jun 2001 23:02:04 -0500 Subject: the_dojang: martial arts merit badge I recall earlier in the digest a question about a martial arts merit badge in Boy Scouts. Is there a merit badge for martial arts in Boy Scouts? My son is a Boy Scout now and one of the older scouts told him that there is one. Does anyone know the status of this? Black Belt 2 Be ------------------------------ From: Bruce.Sims@med.va.gov Date: Mon, 11 Jun 2001 08:01:04 -0500 Subject: the_dojang: RE: The_Dojang-Digest V8 #323 Dear Suzanne, Dizz et al: "... With "friends" like these, you'll find no shortage of "enemies"...." I was thinking as I read the original posting of the pop favorite book of many years back called GAMES PEOPLE PLAY. One of the games is called "lets you and him fight" and I mention it because its one dynamic I have seen repeatedly in MA since nearly day one. Without getting all "counselor" on you the reason for this game and the person playing it actually has nothing to do with fighting and everything to do with seeing people as essentially bad. Suzanne has this person pegged correctly as someone whose company you can do without. On the other hand, the other person who felt the need to challenge you was doing just that--- challenging you. Its a sad commentary but human beings are still animals at heart and will identify someone who has trained in the MA as a "challenge". Personally, it is my belief that it is not possible to ever win at these challenges. If you don't respond the challenger keeps upping the aggression. If you do respond you risk things escalating into an actual combat situation. This is especially true if the enviornment includes drinking/drugging. I stopped discussing MA outside of the MA community quite a while ago simply because I didn't need the trouble of saving some non-MA person from themselves. For what its worth, Dizz I think you made a good decision and hope you stick with it. best Wishes, Bruce ------------------------------ From: Bruce.Sims@med.va.gov Date: Mon, 11 Jun 2001 08:51:22 -0500 Subject: the_dojang: RE: The_Dojang-Digest V8 #330 This brings up a question. From one of the interview that I read, master Choi has tought only DRAJ to his student because of what he has promised his master. If that is true, isn't Hapkido basically a DRAJ with kicks and other things Dear Pete: ".....This brings up a question. From one of the interview that I read, master Choi has tought only DRAJ to his student because of what he has promised his master. If that is true, isn't Hapkido basically a DRAJ with kicks and other things added on?..." Ah, no. The answer is "no" unless you are one of those folks who defines baseball as "hitting a ball into the outfield," football as "throwing the ball into the end zone", or tennis as "hitting the ball back and forth." Your statement is a pretty gross over-simplification that does not take into account the wide varieties of Daito-ryu, the many permutations of Aikido, the number of years Hapkido arts have developed in Korea since WW II and the broad spectrum of martial influences prior to WW II. What is a Hapkido art to a HWARANGDO person is not identical to a KUK SUL person is not the same as MU SOOL KWAN is not the same as SIN MU HAPKIDO. Another point to consider is that Daito-ryu may be significantly more sophisticated that your average Hapkido owing to a greater examination of of both the biomechanics and the applications. But to say that Hapkido is Daito-ryu with kicks and some other things thrown in--- no. Best Wishes, Bruce W Sims www.midwesthapkido.com ------------------------------ From: Ray Terry Date: Mon, 11 Jun 2001 8:02:16 PDT Subject: the_dojang: . ------------------------------ End of The_Dojang-Digest V8 #333 ******************************** It's a great day for Taekwondo! Support the USTU by joining today. US Taekwondo Union, 1 Olympic Plaza, Ste 104C, Colorado Spgs, CO 80909 719-578-4632 FAX 719-578-4642 ustutkd1@aol.com http://www.ustu.org To unsubscribe from the_dojang-digest send the command: unsubscribe the_dojang-digest -or- unsubscribe the_dojang-digest your.old@address in the BODY (top line, left justified) of a "plain text" e-mail addressed to majordomo@hpwsrt.cup.hp.com. Old digest issues are available via ftp://ftp.martialartsresource.com. Copyright 1994-2001: Ray Terry and Martial Arts Resource Standard disclaimers apply.