Date: Thu, 11 Apr 2002 15:17:29 -0700 (PDT) From: the_dojang-request@martialartsresource.net Subject: The_Dojang digest, Vol 9 #202 - 6 msgs X-Mailer: Mailman v2.0.8 MIME-version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain To: the_dojang@martialartsresource.net Sender: the_dojang-admin@martialartsresource.net Errors-To: the_dojang-admin@martialartsresource.net X-BeenThere: the_dojang@martialartsresource.net X-Mailman-Version: 2.0.8 Precedence: bulk Reply-To: the_dojang@martialartsresource.net X-Reply-To: the_dojang@martialartsresource.net List-Help: List-Post: X-Subscribed-Address: rterry@idiom.com List-Subscribe: List-Id: The Internet's premier discussion forum on Korean Martial Arts. List-Unsubscribe: Status: OR Send The_Dojang mailing list submissions to the_dojang@martialartsresource.net To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit http://martialartsresource.net/mailman/listinfo/the_dojang or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to the_dojang-request@martialartsresource.net You can reach the person managing the list at the_dojang-admin@martialartsresource.net When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific than "Re: Contents of The_Dojang digest..." <<------------------ The_Dojang mailing list ------------------>> Serving the Internet since June 1994. Copyright 1994-2002: Ray Terry and Martial Arts Resource The Internet's premier discussion forum devoted to Korean Martial Arts. See the Korean Martial Arts (KMA) FAQ and the online search engine for back issues of The_Dojang at http://MartialArtsResource.com Pil Seung! Today's Topics: 1. Re: Deadly Force stuff (Bruce Sims) 2. re use of lethal force (Donnla Nic Gearailt) 3. Dr. Kimm, GM Ji; Japanese - Korean influences (Don Frick) 4. Re: referee certification (ChunjiDo@aol.com) 5. TKD in Spain (TNTcombatives@aol.com) 6. Ornamental Patterns (Ray Terry) --__--__-- Message: 1 Date: Thu, 11 Apr 2002 07:44:15 -0500 From: "Bruce Sims" To: Subject: [The_Dojang] Re: Deadly Force stuff Reply-To: the_dojang@martialartsresource.net Dear Folks: ".....CDT gives us a legal level of force option. If it's a black or white/cut and dry scenario (maniac with a weapon with lots of witnesses) then your chances of success are very good. If it's not cut and dry/black or white scenario then you may be rolling the dice and gambling with your future by not knowing the legalities involved......" I am probably the last person to try to play God on the motives and variables associated with the use of deadly force in a social context. I'm not a lawyer, and I am not a police officer and compared to quite a few people on the DD I probably have a lesser chance of having to defend my life and property than most folks. That said, I would like to make two observations concerning a couple of themes that I watch pop-up routinely in discussions of this sort. The first observation is that I don't read where anyone has clearly defined the nature of military-type action and its place in civil disturbances. By this I mean that when we start discussing the history of KMA there seems an inevitable connection with military training and military actions such as references to battlefield valor, warriors of old and ancient training manuals. I can see where there would be a lot of confusion trying to fit techniques borne of battlefield conditions to civil situations despite the superficial similarities wrought by simple fighting. The second observation springs from the first. As you have heard me say a number of times, the worst offense a person can commit in the US is to be held accountable for something and I submit this extends to criminal elements as well. Certainly most muggings or assaults bear a similarity to para-military action. But no self-respecting criminal is going to admit that he was acting in an uncivized way in a civilized society. No, after they get done playing the ass, and being caught at it, they will run for the cover of civil law.(As I write this I am thinking back to the incursions of VC and NVA forces into Vietnam which, when out-gunned, beat-feet back to their sanctuaries in Cambodia.) IMVHO if we are to begin to reconcile the "deadly force" aspect of KMA training with the purported peaceful goals of a civil society we may need to describe a special class of action perhaps not unlike what "concealed carry" laws are for weapons ownership, or what militias (Does anyone remember that group called the Guadian Angels from a few years back?) are to the military and civilian life. Otherwise, I think that KMA in civilian society will always have a kind of "vigilante" aspect to it. Thoughts? Best Wishes, Bruce --__--__-- Message: 2 To: the_dojang@martialartsresource.net Date: Thu, 11 Apr 2002 15:12:52 +0100 From: Donnla Nic Gearailt Subject: [The_Dojang] re use of lethal force Reply-To: the_dojang@martialartsresource.net >Message: 1 >From: Creed71963@aol.com >Date: Wed, 10 Apr 2002 02:17:09 EDT >To: the_dojang@martialartsresource.net >Subject: [The_Dojang] Too much emphasis on the use of lethal or crippling for >ce in > self defense?? >Reply-To: the_dojang@martialartsresource.net > >What I am saying is that one level of force does not fit all situations, and >there seems (to me) that there are a few arts in which the first option that >comes to mind is the "high-end" force response, to use lethal and crippling >force. To me, admittedly what little I've seen of it, Krav Maga is an example > >of an art that is designed purely for that high-end force response. It's >designed to hit an opponent hard and quickly, overwhelming his defenses as >fast as possible, like an avalanche. > Indeed, regarding Krav Maga, the Israeli army has never been known for its subtlety :-). (this folks is a JOKE please hold off on flames). Maybe people would be better off combining Krav Maga training with the type of course bar doorkeepers do - where they learn "pain compliance" techniques which according to one article I read "don't cause tissue damage". Most people who attack doormen are annoyed drunk customers who don't present a serious threat, but you do get the occasional psycho with a knife apparently. Then when attacked the person could use their Krav Maga or their "doorman" techniques as appropriate. Of course, a quick course is no replacement for lots and lots of training and mat time, which I suspect is what you're getting at. Donnla. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Donnla Nic Gearailt Language Technology Group, Division of Informatics Research Assistant 2 Buccleuch Place, Edinburgh EH8 9LW, Scotland. tel: +44-131-6504656 http://www.iccs.informatics.ed.ac.uk/~donnlan/ --__--__-- Message: 3 From: "Don Frick" To: Date: Thu, 11 Apr 2002 17:19:10 +0200 Subject: [The_Dojang] Dr. Kimm, GM Ji; Japanese - Korean influences Reply-To: the_dojang@martialartsresource.net Bruce Sims said: > > I caught a little heat off-line for citing Dr. Kimm and the seminar that > > was published TKD TIMES for this month, and I want to go on record as > > saying that my intent was to show no disrespect to Dr. Kimm. The same goes > > for GM Ji and Sin Mu Hapkido. I want to draw a very clear line between who > > these folks are and what they do ----and ------the MANNER in which they do > > it. With electronic communications being what they are, and the popularity > > of Korean arts around the world, men of the stature of Dr. Kimm and GM Ji > > have the ability to influence tens of thousands. To which Ray Terry replied: > How so? Most KMAers have never heard of Dr. Kimm or GM Ji. Most KMAers > don't know the diff between the WTF or the ITF, nor do they care. Most > just want to train and learn and get a workout. The only folks to influence > are the relative handful that pay attention to such things. Yes, many of > us here pay attention to same and know Dr. Kimm from Gm Ji, but we are just > a small drop in a big ocean. So, how about you drops tell us unwashed masses about these two people? I'm sure I'm not the only one scratching my head here, and it would be nice to know what Bruce means next time he mentions GM whatshisname in one of his posts. I'd go and find out for myself, but let's face it: Doing a search for a Korean called Kim is like looking for a straw in a haystack ;) Later on, Bruce said: >Its bad enough that the Korean culture had Japanese arts pushed down their throat >at the expense of their own nationalized traditions. That was part and parcel of the >Occupation. But how about after The Second World War? How about after the >Korean War? How about in the 50 years since then? I'm giving you that during an >Occupation people don't have much of a choice; but how about afterwards? It *is* strange that Koreans would keep something forced onto them during the Japanese occupation. But when you think about it, what choice do they have? Should they go "Okay, the stuff we've all been practicing for the last 50 years isn't Korean, it's actually Japanese. We're going to unlearn it and start with our real traditions tomorrow"? Nobody likes to admit mistakes, and when national pride and years of training are involved, it gets even harder.. Back to lurking, Don --__--__-- Message: 4 From: ChunjiDo@aol.com Date: Thu, 11 Apr 2002 11:29:04 EDT To: the_dojang@martialartsresource.net Subject: [The_Dojang] Re: referee certification Reply-To: the_dojang@martialartsresource.net "Hey, we are having a tournament and we need 30 referees to volunteer their time. It will only cost you $45 to get certified. Of course don't forget to purchase a shirt for $18 and a booklet for $10." hi gary, for the USTU referee seminar in KC, its just a flat $45. book included. no fee to master gautreax, the tournament organizer. no shirt to buy. they'd like you to dress in USTU ref attire if at all possible, however. actually, i suppose i dont need to recertify. could have just gone to one seminar, become a D3 referee, then ref for the rest of my life, perhaps, on those minimal standards. honestly, i dont know if they allow that :) yes, it does stink that we have to pay a fee to help out. however, refereeing is an art in and of itself with its own ranking structure and time in service. i dont expect to get knowledge for free anymore from any organization. that ended with high school. plus, the person who's traveling all the way to teach us should be compensated, in my opinion. if its not something you enjoy doing and you think the structure is awful...work for change or dont do it. the idea of paying for volunteering isnt new. heck, yesterday on the local talk radio, they were asking folks to come volunteer to have themselves tested for bone marrow compatability. t'would only costcha $15 (normally $45), thanks to those who've donated money to help defray the costs of volunteering :). that's the big issue with volunteering...at what level does one begin and end? it's definitely much harder to volunteer money than time...believe me, i can relate. if one cant afford to give time and money comfortably....suck it up and do it anyway. if one cant afford to give it and it'll throw his entire world and finances into the john....then say "maybe next time" or find another way to help out. take with a grain of salt and take care, melinda Chajonshim Martial Arts Academy http://www.cjmaa.com Chajonshim Martial Arts Supply http://www.cjmas.com Toll Free: 1-877-847-4072 Proud Sponsor of the 2001 10th Annual US Open TKD Championships --__--__-- Message: 5 From: TNTcombatives@aol.com Date: Thu, 11 Apr 2002 15:06:10 EDT To: the_dojang@martialartsresource.net Subject: [The_Dojang] TKD in Spain Reply-To: the_dojang@martialartsresource.net Contact Mr. Emilio Bolea-Lopez at tdpe@airtel.net He is a police trainer there at: Tacticas Defensivas Policiales y Escolta Av. Frederic Rahola 16, 1-3 08023, Barcelona, Spain He is also a Hapkido guy, so he might be able to get you info on local KMA stuff. His English is decent, but use simple language. Mark Gajdostik. --__--__-- Message: 6 From: Ray Terry To: the_dojang@martialartsresource.net Date: Thu, 11 Apr 2002 15:53:32 PDT Subject: [The_Dojang] Ornamental Patterns Reply-To: the_dojang@martialartsresource.net Korean Ornamental Patterns Historical Sketch Some remnants of primitive ornamental patterns in Korea are considered to date back to the Paleolithic period. It was during the Neolithic period that designs of artistic quality began to be developed. Neolithic patterns are traced on earthenware, stoneware, and bone and horn tools. The pervasive types were repetitive geometrical patterns including comb, droplet, wave, and sawtooth patterns. From the early Bronze Age emerged new patterns like concentric circles and radial lines, which were incised on bronze sheaths and hilts, bronze objects in the shape of shields, palduryeong (bronze ritual implements having eight bells around flat lanceolate octagons), and danyusemungyeong (bronze mirrors adorned with delicate incised lines). Petroglyphs and rock-cut graffiti also appeared at this time. Many petroglyphs are exposed along the hillside rockface in Daegong-ri, Eenyang-myCon, Ulsan, mostly of prey, including deer, wild boars, bears, whales, and fish. Concentric circles and quadrilateral forms which are superposed in many layers and other stylized geometric patterns were discovered on boulders in Yangjeon-dong, Goryeong-gun, Gyeongsangbuk-do province. A variety of highly sophisticated derivative patterns in paintings and artifacts proliferated from the Three Kingdoms era. Fine linework and colors are applied together with handicraft techniques in works of intricate carving, gold and silver incising, or reverse inlaying. Artists found value in blending a main motif and subordinate elements in a layout. Many new patterns emerged in the Three Kingdoms era. Popular ones were floral motifs including vignettes, lotus flowers, and trees, as well as legendary animals, including the four guardian deities, the dragon, phoenix, white tiger, and black tortoise, which can be seen in the murals of Goguryeo tombs and on roof tiles of that period. Stylized designs of birds, feathers, deer, and antlers were often applied in gold crowns and diadems. They were used to represent the royal sovereignty of kings as well as cosmic principles. Clouds patterns were often used to express religious trances or enlightened states of mind. As clouds float high above the earth, they seem to have been regarded as a proper expression of rapture. The Unified Silla period (668-935) enriched the tradition of the previous three kingdoms while creating flourishing patterns in the arts by adopting Buddhism and the culture of Tang China. A bodhisattva ascending on wisps of cloud embossed on a temple bell, arabesque-style vignettes, and such filigree as appears on the gold crown excavated from the Geumgwanchong tomb, demostrates the refined skills of Shilla's craftsmen. Inlay design is one of the most impressive accomplishments in the arts of the Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392). Applying the motifs of landscape painting added poetic flavor to handicraft work. Patterns used on Goryeo celadon, which is one of the landmark achievements of Korean art, are indigenous motifs of Korean fauna and flora, as well as such natural phenomena as clouds. They include chrysanthemums, lotus flowers, peonies, willow trees, reeds, waterfowl, cranes, and various other birds. In particular, apricot, orchid, chrysanthemum, and bamboo motifs, called "the four gentlemen," were adored by literati in the olden days, for they were believed to symbolize the noble and loyal spirit of a man of virtue. During the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910), the dignified styles of the landscape paintings of literati artists had broad appeal to the yangban(schloar bureaucrat). During the mid-dynasty portrait paintings also gained popularity, as did natural motifs like quails, crabs, flowers, plants, insects, grapes, apricots, and bamboo which were all drawn in ink. Folk paintings were in fashion among the common people in the late Joseon Dynasty, when living conditions were improving. In line with this trend, patterns symbolizing fortune, longevity, and procreation, the basic desires of the common people, were pervasive in all types of arts and crafts. The favorite patterns used in furniture, costume, and daily utensils were flowers, fruits, plants, insects, animals, fish, Chinese characters, and ideograms. Looking closer at the floral patterns, we see that peonies and lotus flowers gained great popularity, followed by chrysanthemums and apricots. As for fruits and trees, well-ripened pomegranates, peaches, grapes, and persimmons and bamboo, pine, and paulownia trees were often seen. Dragonflies and beetles were friendly motifs, but butterflies were considered the most popular subject among insects. As for animals, dragons, phoenixes, cranes, tortoises, deer, and tigers were favored, and as for fish and carp. Chinese characters considered felicitous signs, particular those for longevity, fortune, health, peace, and happiness were also widely used. Popular ideograms were taegeuk (meaning the Great Ultimate, representing the great cosmic principles) and palgwae (hexagrams, the eight signs for divination). Throughout Korea's long history, a great variety of Korean patterns evolved. They were the motifs used to depict prayers for happiness and peace, as well as Confucian, Buddhist, and Taoist ideals. However, in recent days, Koreans seem to be pushing these traditional patterns to the sidelines, or, at least, no longer finding visual delight in them. Symbolism in Traditional Patterns Koreans interpreted natural phenomena in a way that became expressed in their traditional patterns. They imbued these natural objects with special symbolism and shaped them into symbolic patterns in hopes of achieving their earthly wishes. For instance, birds, butterflies, and insects always appeared in pairs. This reflected the cosmic principle of eum (yin) and yang, or the harmony between the male and female elements, at the same time expressing the desire for everlasting conjugality. Fruits with many seeds such as pomegranates, grapes, or watermelons symbolized fertility. Pine trees and cranes stood for longevity and creeping vines for perpetuity, while depictions of tigers were often used for warding off evil spirits. The attributes of natural objects were all deeply involved with people's lives. A good example is the "four gentlemen" motif-the apricot, orchid, chrysanthemum, and bamboo. These items' natural properties were considered to embody the cardinal principles of a virtuous life. Other motifs like water and rock were no exception. Korea's ancestors observed not only the pellucid quality of water but also the perpetuity of its flowing. They also they also perceived rocks as being immortal. Another important thought behind such traditional patterns is the philosophy of resigning oneself to one's fate. In ancient Korean society, people interpreted natural phenomena as precursory signs or the agency of Heaven governing present and future human affairs. The geometrical petroglyphs and rock-cut graffiti are deeply involved with their reverence for natural phenomena and immutable cosmic laws. Reification of the cosmic order in ornaments is seen in the crown decorations of the Three Kingdoms era and of the Unified Silla period. A bird feather symbolized heaven; a deer antler, earth; and a tree, the link between heaven and earth. From these elements, we can glimpse ancient cosmic principles which divided the world into three seperate strata. Taegeuk, which was regarded as the essential entity of the cosmos, was represented by interlocking eum and yang as comma-shaped elements. It can be seen on the Korean national flag. Taegeuk connotes the harmonious balance of eum (female, negative) and yang (male, positive) elements. Another favorite pattern associated with cosmology was palgwae, or hexagram. Palgwae stands for the eight primary elements in nature: heaven, earth, metal, fire, earthquake, wind, water, and mountain. The palgwae was a fool for divining the affairs of the world, praying for happiness and preventing bad luck. Composition of Traditional Patterns Traditional patterns are mostly symmetrical. This is seen especially in the arrangements of floral and animal patterns, which are most common. Some patterns appear in identical pairs or mirror images. Such balanced patterns won wide acceptance. The superposing of components is avoided. Even in a repetitive design, each component appears in full, perhaps in a radial manner around a central figure. In folk paintings, a fish breaking the surface of the water is shown not as half in the water and half in the air but as exposing its complete body to the air. Patterns do not have volume and perspective representation is often ignored. This is because the depiction of real figures and backgrounds has little importance, while two-dimensional depiction is emphasized. As the superposing of figures is avoided, something in the distance is often depicted as being above the main object in the foreground. Another common characteristic in composition is its unrealistic sense of coloring. No matter what the original color of objects, they are always shown in one of the five cardinal colors: blue, yellow, black, white, and red. In East Asian cosmology, these correspond to the five elements: metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. This color usage was almost always used in Korean traditional patterns. Korean patterns are usually simpler than Chinese or Japanese patterns. This was not due to the lack of skill of Korea's craftsmen, but because elaborate and superficial representations were deemed vulgar. In this way, Korean artists focused on expressing the essential core properties of their subject-matter which went beyond the depiction of appearances. Beauty in simplicity was their motto. Representative Korean Patterns The Taegeuk Pattern The taegeuk pattern is the central component in the Korean national flag. It is also often seen on residential and temple gates, memorial red arches at royal tombs and shrines, the gates of Confucian academies and schools, and the lattice doors of Buddhist lecture halls, as well as on handicrafts. The basic characteristics of the taegeuk pattern are the red comma shape, the male element, and beneath it the blue comma shape, the female element, both of which interlock in a circle to express infinite movement. As mentioned above, taegeuk is a symbol incorporating cosmic dual entities-that is, heaven and earth, the positive and the negative, and the male and the female. It is the Great Ultimate, the law of cause and effect, where things begin and end. These dual forces of the cosmos, it was believed, were the fountains of human life. As it circles endlessly, the taegeuk was an image of immortality as well. The scholar Zhou Dunyi (1017-1073) of the Song Dynasty has been credited with introducing the taegeuk (taiji in Chinese) symbol in his book Taijitushuo (An Explication of the Taiji Symbol). But a Korean taegeuk design has been found from much earlier, the seventh century. There is a stone carved with the taegeuk in the compound of Gameunsa temple, built in the 50th year (628) of King Jinpyeong of the Silla Kingdom. The eum and yang in taegeuk represent the two extreme elements in harmonious relations. Their interlocking symbolizes the perfect union and interaction of the polar extremes of male and female. The red on top symbolized heaven, or male, and the blue underneath symbolized earth, or female. Taegeuk principles were believed to govern the everyday affairs of life. The combination of altruistic communal cooperation with pursuit of self-perfection is rooted in those principles, perfection: through the harmony of extremes. The Five Cardinal Colors of Traditional Patterns Korean traditional art relied upon five cardinal colors, blue, red, and yellow, plus white and black. These colors should not, of course, be confused with the seven hues of the color spectrum. In Korean, even the rainbow is described as "five-colored." These colors were considered to be closely related to the five cardinal elements of eum and yang: blue with wood, red with fire, yellow with earth, white with metal, and black with water. The arrangement of colors in traditional costumes also applied the concept of these five cosmic elements. The five-color stripe on children's sleeves is a typical example, although colors may be added or excluded. It was hoped that the use of the cardinal elements would protect children from evil spirits. The five color stripe in the sleeves of the full court dress of queens and on the wedding garments of commoners throughout the Goryeo and Joseon dynasties is another example. Regardless of personal taste, the five cardinal elements played a significant role in traditional Korean culture and deeply penetrated peoples' lives and thoughts. Dancheong Generally speaking dancheong connotes the patterns painted on the exposed frames of the eaves or doors of traditional wooden buildings and is also used on wooden sculptures and handicrafts. Dancheong was used not only for decorative purposes but also for preservation, by concealing flaws of exposed naked wooden frames. It was widely used as a decorative motif in palatial and temple buildings. It was also often found on T-shape shrines in royal tombs, in filial sons' and faithful wives' memorial shrines, and on Confucian shrines. Another of the key components of the Dancheong pattern is the five cardinal colors. The Chinese have patterns similar to Korean dancheong, but with red and green being dominant, so that they are less resplendent. Such patterns are seldom seen in Japan. Lotus, pomegranate, and other floral designs form the major dancheong patterns in the extant royal palaces and temples. Variations of chrysanthemum and peony were also popular subjects. The popular dancheong paintings on lintels, interior walls, beams, canopies, ceilings, and columns of palace and temple buildings all used these motifs. These included: the four auspicious animals, namely the dragon, phoenix, turtle, and girin (or qilin in Chinese, which was a kind of legendary animal); a Pegasus-like heavenly horse; a lion; a crane above the clouds; the four gentlemen, or noble plants (namely, the apricot, orchid, chrysanthemum, and bamboo); and stories from the Buddhist sutras. The oldest dancheong remnants seen on temple buildings are on Josadang, the shrine that was built for the founder of the Korean Avatamska Sect in Buseoksa temple in the Yeongpung area; Geungnakjeon, or the Hall of Paradise, in Bongjeongsa temple in the Andong area; and Daeungjeon, or the Hall of the Principal Buddha, in Sudeoksa temple in the Yesan area. The mural in Daeungjeon hall is probably the oldest among them. Dancheong decoration in wooden architecture was not applied partially but around the entire building. Patterns of Lattice Doors Intricate or simple lattice patterns were used as the final touch in the decoration of a traditional buildings. Variations of geometrical and Chinese-character grids, floral patterns, and their combinations at lattice doors and windows were all used to enhance the beauty of Korea's traditional upper-class living quarters. Korean lattice patterns, in most cases, are named after things they resemble: ttisalmun is literally the belted grid; wanjamun, ajamun, yongjamun, and jeongjamun, the Chinese-character grids; geobungmun, the tortoise shell grid; bitsalmun, the diagonal grid; kkotsalmun, the floral grid; bitkkotsalmun, the diagonal floral grid; soseulbitsalmun, the upright diagonal grid; soseulbitkkotsalmun, the up-right diagonal floral design; and their unlimited variations and combinations. The ttisalmun, the belted grid, is the prevalent pattern appearing in the doors of rural and commoners' houses. The vertical lattice strips intersect the horizontal lattice strips in the lower, middle, and uppermost parts of doors. The number of horizontal strips in the middle part of a door is generally decided by the following rule: if there are an even number of strips in the lower part than an odd number of strips must be used at the uppermost part, and visa versa. Even in the number of lattice strips, the harmony of eum (yin) and yang is emphasized. The wanjamun pattern has numerous variations based on the swastika. This symbol is believed to have appeared on the chest of Sakyamuni Buddha, so that it has been regarded as a serene religious symbol. Wanjamun variations sometimes add bat designs, or two chained circles or diamonds. Bats stand for family happiness and chains of circles and diamonds, for eternity. Another prevalent latticework is the ajamun design. As it has a neat appearance, it was the favorite door design among scholars. The yongjamun design is the simplest type of door design. It uses only two to three vertical lattice strips and three to four horizontal lattice strips. Intricate meshes of vertical and horizontal strips are called jeongjamun. This pattern was thought to ward off evil spirits as it was believed that the meshed strips guard against evil. The repetitive tortoise shell pattern, called the geobungmun, was often used to express the wish for longevity, as tortoises live much longer than other animals. Diagonal lattice patterns are called bitsalmun. Their vertical and horizontal strips intersect mostly at 450 and 1350. This dense meshing was also believed to guard against evil. When vertical strips are added to bitsalmun it is called soseulbitsalmun, the upright diagonal grid, which has a more complicated appearance than bitsalmun. It was often used for palace and temple doors. The upright diagonal grid mixed with decorative floral or geometrical designs is called soseulbitkkotsalmun. Thus there are ample possibilities of variation. This design can be seen in halls of government affairs, including Geunjeongjeon in Gyeongbokgung palace and Myeongjeongjeon in Changgyeonggung palace. But most commonly, it was used on temple doors. Each temple applies the soseulbitkkotsalmun design in its own idiosyncratic way. While the floral lattice designs of palace and aristocratic residences are rather simple, those on temple doors, on the contrary, have dazzling variety and splendor. --__--__-- _______________________________________________ The_Dojang mailing list The_Dojang@martialartsresource.net http://martialartsresource.net/mailman/listinfo/the_dojang http://the-dojang.net 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 Old digest issues are available via ftp://ftp.martialartsresource.com. Copyright 1994-2002: Ray Terry and Martial Arts Resource Standard disclaimers apply. Remember 9-11! End of The_Dojang Digest