From: the_dojang-owner@hpwsrt.cup.hp.com To: the_dojang-digest@hpwsrt.cup.hp.com Subject: The_Dojang-Digest V8 #349 Reply-To: the_dojang@hpwsrt.cup.hp.com Errors-To: the_dojang-owner@hpwsrt.cup.hp.com Precedence: The_Dojang-Digest Tues, 19 June 2001 Vol 08 : Num 349 In this issue: the_dojang: Re: The_Dojang-Digest V8 #338 the_dojang: Mountains the_dojang: Animal in Australia the_dojang: Military Presence in Philippines the_dojang: and yet another story ? the_dojang: RE: Ship Pal Ki the_dojang: Re: The_Dojang-Digest V8 #345 the_dojang: 18 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: ICyrus8528@aol.com Date: Mon, 18 Jun 2001 20:27:21 EDT Subject: the_dojang: Re: The_Dojang-Digest V8 #338 I hope that this post makes it through. I have been watching the debate over Kuk Sool Won (KSW) with some interest. Having studied KSW, two chinese martial arts (Chen TaiJi Chuan and Yin Fu Ba Gua Zhang), and Korean Martial arts of Choson Kwon Bup (CSKB), Hapkido, and Taekwondo, I can, in my opinion (and I underscore my opinion) say that KSW uniquely Korean even though there may be some Chinese influence. I can say that CSKB has a strong Chinese influence and it was presented to me in that way. Bear in mind that a martial art not only defined by its physical skills. It is also defined by the cultural influences and the general attitude of that nation. A brief look at the early history of Korea would show that the borders of China and Korea was essentially blurred. Think for one minute what the implications of this are... Ian A. Cyrus, Headmaster Choson Kwon Bup ------------------------------ From: Ray Terry Date: Mon, 18 Jun 2001 19:58:16 PDT Subject: the_dojang: Mountains Mountain Spirits Loom Large in Korea's Psyche June 18, 2001 About one-third of the Korean peninsula is composed of mountains, jagged peaks of gray granite splashed by waterfalls and dotted with gnarled pines. This basic geographic feature has influenced the Korean people in ways not even they are completely aware of, according to David A. Mason, author of Spirit of the Mountains (Hollym, 1999). Mason recently spoke to The Korea Times about the ubiquitous sansin or mountain spirit he said has long informed the sense of national identity here, and reported on his latest pursuits in the study of sansin. Mason came to Korea, serendipitously, about 17 years ago. 'I was fascinated by Chinese culture back in high school', he said, 'back when China was all closed up and nobody could get in'. So in lieu of visiting that country, Mason nibbled around it, as it were, traveling to Hong Kong, Taiwan and the Philippines and hearing tales of a mysterious place called Korea. Actually, I didn't know anything about Korea except the Korean War, he admitted. But once here, Mason became infatuated with Koreas architecture and general mood, and was particularly intrigued by its history, which he said borrowed elements from China but stood on its own. Mason settled in and began touring around the country and discovered a unique and largely unknown heritage, the animistic concept of sansin. With a background as a philosophy major, Mason was fascinated by the way Korea blends Taoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism in temple iconography, and above all else by the animism of mountain spirit worship. The first time that I visited a Korean Buddhist temple, I remember looking at this thing and thinking 'this isn't Buddhist', he said, referring to a painting of a venerable old man, which is how the mountain spirit is usually represented. And I wondered, why is this in a Buddhist temple? 'This would not happen in China or some other such place', he said. Because I've always loved mountains, I love mountain climbing, Mason was sparked by the connection between the sansin paintings, the animist and shamanic beliefs behind them, and of course the mountains themselves, and set out to catalog the paintings and related objects. He was encouraged to turn his project into a book by Dr. Zo Za-yong, a well-known collector of folk art. According to Masons book, sansin is as ancient as anything else that we know about early Korean civilization. The oldest stone pillar found in Korea, he noted, has an inscription on it dedicated to a sansin. While no one is certain when sansin paintings began to be made, the oldest found in Korea date back to the 17th century, and Mason speculated that they didn't predate that period by much, because painting materials were then restricted to the upper classes, who could afford them and had the time to paint. Sansin manifested themselves not only as elderly men but as young women and tigers as well. According to Mason, most sansin in ancient times were regarded as female, only to be replaced later by a grandfatherly male, probably from the influence of a patriarchal Confucianism. Occasionally real persons become sansin, such as the twin brothers who were monks at a temple on Mt. Seonunsan, or Seok Tal-hae Isageum, the fourth king of the Silla dynasty. Sansin play various roles in the lives of mountain inhabitants, Mason noted. They provide benevolent protection, and grant fertility and good fortune, as well as dispensing advice. A sansin is also a god of ecological protection. You couldn't cut wood or do any construction without his permission. 'He would not approve of golf courses', Mason said. Mason has visited more than 600 Buddhist temples and shamanic shrines, from popular well-known places to very obscure hermitages several hours up some mountain trail. 'It's impossible to know exactly how many there are in the country', he said, 'because accurate surveys have not been made'. Asked whether the animism of sansin and shamanism were synonymous, Mason said 'No', its a little bit different idea. Shamanism really refers to the Northeast Asian style of going into a trance and contacting spirits. It doesn't necessarily say what kind of spirits you're contacting. Animism of course refers to the natural world and animating spirits. He added that Koreans have tended to believe that natural objects are manifestations of spirits, and they have always worshiped mountains, always believed in some kind of sansin, as far as we know. However, shamans often invoke the sansin. For many shamans, the mountain spirit is a primary spirit. 'When they go into a trance, the mountain spirit inhabits them, and they can sort of speak with his voice, or they can travel to a mountain spirit and make deals with him for good fortune for people', Mason said. I've met women who are up 1,500 meters up on the peaks of Mt. Taebaeksan, at stone shrines, and they set up a tent, and they live there for three solid years, praying incessantly, every day, and people bring them supplies. They believe after three years they can be fully inhabited by that spirit, Mason noted. And Koreas particular blend of religious beliefs extends to the shamans who inhabit Buddhist-looking temples, but are not seunim (Buddhist monks) and who play mediator to the sansin while surrounded by Buddhist paraphernalia. Even today, sansin are worshiped by the average Korean, and surprisingly are even given a stamp of approval by the government. 'Just two weeks ago I found a county government-built sansin statue and plaza in Mt. Jirisan', Mason said. And he went on to add that one of the unifying threads between North and South Korea is governmental acceptance of sansin, along with Dangun, the mythical founder of Korea. Mason has most recently been readying a shorter paperback version of his book to be published in Korean, and has set up a Web site, www.san-shin.org. He's also working as a travel consultant for the Ministry of Culture & Tourism's Visit Korea Year 2001 project team, no doubt spreading the word on sansin to vacationers everywhere. ------------------------------ From: Ken McDonough Date: Tue, 19 Jun 2001 04:19:05 -0700 (PDT) Subject: the_dojang: Animal in Australia Marc "The Animal" writes: Date: Tue, 19 Jun 2001 04:37:09 -0700 (PDT) Subject: the_dojang: Military Presence in Philippines I forward this story in Stars and Stripes. I do not condone or promote the contents of this partial article. Just passing along an interesting story. McD... < Monday, June 18, 2001 With or without visiting U.S. troops, sex trade is thriving in Philippines By Carlos Bongioanni and Kendra Helmer, Stars and Stripes Carlos Bongioanni / Stars and Stripes This Internet Cafe in Angeles City, Philippines, offers customers a chance to pull up a list of local girls who have nude pictures of themselves. The customer can select a girl, send her an email, and arranges to meet her at the computer center or some other location. (Second in a three-part series on the sex trade in the Philippines.) ANGELES CITY, Philippines — The sex trade has long been a part of life in the Philippines, but some groups warn prostitution is on the rise since the Philippines government has allowed U.S. troops to resume military training and exercises here, said a Philippines government official. "While we’re concerned about that perception, there is no evidence that the U.S. military’s presence is responsible for the prostitution problem," said the official, who didn’t want to be identified. "Even without the military exercises, we have tourists from Australia, Japan and elsewhere who come here for the entertainment industry." Many of the men strolling along Fields Avenue, known as "Sin City," are retired GIs. The bar district outside the former Clark Air Base is "still rocking and rolling, except it’s filled with all these guys who are 50 on up," said Robert Blume, 61, an investment promotion manager with the American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines. "All these old guys spend their life on Fields Avenue." On any given day, there are about 50 former military men in the Visiting Forces Agreement post near Clark, "quite often with a lot of younger girls in there," he said. "Often they’re caretakers, holding them up. Most of them have their nursemaid, I guess you would say." A U.S. military presence in the Philippines may not cause prostitution, but it aggravates the problem, said Madonna Carlos, an official for the IMA foundation, a women’s rights nongovernmental organization in Angeles City. After the Philippines government ratified the Visiting Forces Agreement that allowed U.S. forces to resume training in the country, Angeles City saw a surge of registered women entertainers, Carlos said. In 1998, the city had 2,700 registered entertainers. By the end of 1999, the year the VFA was ratified, the number jumped to 4,778. That number does not include unregistered "freelancers" who walk the streets looking for business. The ratification of the VFA also prompted club owners in Angeles City to renovate their establishments, in anticipation of the arrival of U.S. troops, Carlos said. Although prostitution is illegal in the Philippines, Carlos said it is "de facto" a legalized activity in places like Angeles City. The city-sponsored hygiene clinics are there, in essence, to protect the sex industry, she said. They’re intended to prevent the spread of sexually transmitted diseases to male customers. STD briefings Before deployments to foreign countries, troops are briefed on health concerns, including the prevalence of STDs. "Our main message is to abstain from sexual activity while deployed. Period," 18th Medical Group officials on Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, said in a written statement. "However, prevention measures such as condoms are discussed because not all will choose to abstain." Some units purchase condoms to distribute to deploying troops, and the condoms are available through the government supply system, the officials said...> __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Spot the hottest trends in music, movies, and more. http://buzz.yahoo.com/ ------------------------------ From: Ken McDonough Date: Tue, 19 Jun 2001 04:55:37 -0700 (PDT) Subject: the_dojang: and yet another story ? Aftermath of previously forwarded story. Does this occur in Korea as well, or is it taboo to mention it. No moral convictions forwarded or offered. Just information. McD... < Tuesday, June 19, 2001 Many needy Amerasian children are legacies of U.S. presence in Philippines By Carlos Bongioanni, Stars and Stripes Carlos Bongioanni / Stars and Stripes Angeles Ladrillo moves away the mosquito netting that shrouds the bed in which Caroline Ladrillo, 10, lives out her life. (Last in a series of stories about the sex trade in the Philippines.) ANGELES CITY, Philippines — Caroline Ladrillo was born and abandoned in a grassy field just outside the main entrance of the former Clark Air Base ten years ago. She is the product of an American servicemember and a Filipina sex worker from an off-base go-go bar. Thousands of Amerasian children like Caroline — some with no parents, others with one — languish in the communities surrounding Clark and other installations as one of the legacies of the U.S. military’s presence in the Philippines. Caroline lives in a darkened one-room hovel, huddled on a bed encapsulated by mosquito netting. Severely crippled with what looks like cerebral palsy, she moves through life by rolling on her back. It’s not much of a life. Caroline survives by the mercy of Angeles Ladrillo, 73, who makes $3 a day as a street sweeper and who helped deliver Caroline. She’s cared for the girl for the past ten years. Many other Amerasians in the Philippines survive by the mercy of others. Carlos Bongioanni / Stripes Two children eat a free meal at the Loving Care Street Kids Foundation in Angeles City. Often orphaned, impoverished and socially ostracized because of their mixed racial/ethnic heritage, Amerasian children endure tremendous hardships, according to officials from the Pearl S. Buck International foundation. Established in 1964, the organization strives to build better lives for Amerasian children offering support for health, education and livelihood. Their support comes from grants from international aid agencies and from private donations, mostly from the United States. Buck officials estimate that 52,000 Amerasians are scattered throughout the Philippines — 5,000 in the Clark area and another 3,000 around the former Subic Bay Naval Base. Last year, Buck directly supported 2,400 Amerasian children and their families in the Philippines. "The majority of the children have been abandoned by their American fathers," said Jocelyn Bonilla, the manager of the Pearl S. Buck center in Angeles City. Most of these children, she said, live with their mothers or with relatives, but some, like Caroline, have no one. Caroline’s surrogate mother, Ladrillo, lives in a squatter’s house built of cinder blocks around two trees that offer shade. The tree trunks poke through holes in the corrugated tin roof. A jury-rigged electric line that is spliced into the electrical circuitry of a neighboring building provides enough electricity to power a single low-watt bulb hanging from the roof. Ladrillo can’t afford to keep the light on, so usually it is dark in the room where Caroline lives, and where it smells faintly of urine. Although she is now 10, Caroline weighs no more than 45 pounds and she still wears cloth diapers. Ladrillo cannot afford to purchase them.> __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Spot the hottest trends in music, movies, and more. http://buzz.yahoo.com/ ------------------------------ From: Bruce.Sims@med.va.gov Date: Tue, 19 Jun 2001 08:00:23 -0500 Subject: the_dojang: RE: Ship Pal Ki Dear Ray: "...My understanding is that Ship Pal Ki translates to 18 techniques..." . Thanks, Ray, that helps some. I had done a search through YAHOO using "shipalgi" and gotten a number of hits that related to "18 hands of Lohan" which are the ki-building ("chi kung") techniques. On the other hand, I did another search of YAHOO using "ship pal ki" and came up with a number of listings throughout the US for Chung Moo Doe (sic), ("...Ship pal gae means 18 weapons. Though there are hundreds of Chinese weapons, Ship Pal Gae incorporates the main 18 Chinese weapons..."). I was curious about this listing as it carried "Oom Yung Doe" parenthetically in the contact information. I recalled that GM Lee (HwaRangDo had made reference to UM-Yang Do as the art that he had been taught early in his MA career. There was also a listing in the Bronx, NY for a "kung fu" (sic) school which identified what it taught as "korean kung fu". For this latter listing there was no background regarding lineage or affiliation and quite a bit on sparring and competition. I also found a rather obscure listing concerning various chuan fa styles which had been mixed and matched but no real leads on their relationship to the arts practiced in Korean traditions. "...I eventually asked him about Kuk Sool. He said that Kuk Sool is, generally speaking, a combination of Hapkido and Ship Pal Ki...." Seems like I may be writing a letter to Dr. Kimm in the near future to see if he can provide any characterization for Ship Pal Ki. I'm pretty sure if anyone is going to know something about it, it will be Dr. Kimm. All the same, I hope if there are other practitioners who can shed some light here that they will not be shy, ne? Best Wishes, Bruce ------------------------------ From: "Clifford Vaught" Date: Tue, 19 Jun 2001 13:21:38 Subject: the_dojang: Re: The_Dojang-Digest V8 #345 Hello Dojang Digest - it's been a very long time for me. I had to weigh in on the recent article in BB Mag about black belts. I really appreciate Neal's response to Phil because quite frankly, I was really put out by the article. I couldn't help but feel as if there is a mindset that says if others increase, I decrease. Why else would a Kenpo master self-promote to 15th Degree? These masters are the teachers of this generation. All my life, whether it was football, the Navy, the IT industry I'm a part of now, or karate, I have heard "well, you've got it easy compared to when I came through" from some older, wiser, crony. As if our accomplishment is in some way less than theirs or that our accomplishments demean theirs. I was considering a letter to the editors of BBM. No - I don't condone the "black belt factory" approach where Dans are pumped out with 2 years of training. My son earned his Cho Dan at age 10 - and he'd been training for 6 years to get there. One thing I love about Soo Bahk Do Moo Duk Kwan is the time requirement between levels of Dan. I'm currently a 2nd Dan. If I had aspirations to someday be a 5th Dan, it will be 12 years before I'm even eligible to test, provided I don't slip up at 3rd and 4th Dan. Soo Bahk!! Cliff Vaught From: Neal Konecky Date: Sat, 16 Jun 2001 18:42:08 -0700 (PDT) Subject: the_dojang: Re: The_Dojang-Digest V8 #338 Phil The answer really depends on your definition of BB. Are we speaking of 1st dan, 8th Dan or something in the middle. For purposes of concealling my vast ignorance, I will limit my thoughts to 1st Dan. To me, getting my 1st dan was a public recognition by my Sabum of the hard work that I put in over many years. I harbor no illusions of my prowess and realize just how much more there is to learn. Being a BB means that I am no longer a beginner. I am still a student and will be to the day that I die. Simply reaching BB gives me a new appreciation for MA, and more importantly the sacrifices of my instructors. On the other hand, most non MA people I meet, think every BB is Bruce Lee. It is great fun to see the confusion on their faces when I tell them that I know nothing. Neal Konecky _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com ------------------------------ From: Ray Terry Date: Tue, 19 Jun 2001 6:53:43 PDT Subject: the_dojang: 18 Info from Andrew P., taken from an issue of the_dojang from last year... "Sip p'al gi indeed refers to '18 techniques.' My research has so far traced these techniques back to Ming Chinese military manuals. However, they are of interest to us because they appear in a later Korean military manual." That later Korean military manual being the Muyetobot'ongji. Ray Terry raymail@hpwsrt.cup.hp.com ------------------------------ From: Ray Terry Date: Tue, 19 Jun 2001 7:09:22 PDT Subject: the_dojang: . ------------------------------ End of The_Dojang-Digest V8 #349 ******************************** 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.