Mark in South Korea - Part 3 - End of first week

It has been over a week since I arrived in South Korea on my first leg of Training 2017. It has been such a fantastic experience so far. I have met some wonderful people who have gone out of their way to make me feel welcome (and teach me some Korean drinking customs) and have shown me some wonderful sights I may not have seen on my own.

In this first week I found and started Taekyun training. I travelled south from Seoul to Jeonja for Haidong Gumdo training and even went on a 3 hour drive to Muju, which is the town where the Taekwondowon centre is for some seminars. I am getting such opportunities to see new things, even if it is cold and things aren’t as green as they would be in Spring or Summer (the people I meet keep telling me how much prettier things are when it warmer).

This week my plan is to keep training in Gumdo and Taekyun but also to find a few Taekwondo schools I can visit to learn some new drills and techniques. I also get to continue my Gongkwon Yusul (Korean MMA) training which I started on a previous visit to Korea and have done in Sydney. I was training a lot last week but my training schedule doubles this week and I am looking forward to it.

I am missing the family though and I am very thankful for video calls with Penny and Beth. Beth keeps asking what I am doing and Penny keeps asking me why Beth won’t go to sleep at nights J I hope everyone in the ZMAX family is training hard and I miss you all as well and can’t wait to get back and teach you some cool stuff.

U.N.T

Mark

Mark in South Korea - Part 2 - Taekyun

I am so nervous. It’s been over a decade since I first heard about the traditional Korean martial art of Taekyun. Some say it is the origin of modern Taekwondo and others say it is something completely different in its own right. The art nearly disappeared during the Japanese occupation of Korea but was maintained primarily through a single master who continued practising during this time.

For me, training in Taekyun has been a dream I was never sure I would be able to fulfil. In 2014, I visited Korea and spent many hours searching the backstreets for the location of the Taekyun headquarters in Insadong I had read about. I was unsuccessful. When I returned in 2015 I tried again to find the Taekyun club but still with no success. This time though I found it and was able to contact them about training.

So here I am, about to start a new martial art, one I have been dreaming about for years and I was nervous. I have been doing martial arts for years and this is not the first time I have stepped out of my comfort zone to try something new but it is the first time I have done it in a different country in a language I am not fluent in.

I walk down the little alley and garden to the training hall. There is a man outside hitting a tree with the back of his hand. To me it looks like he is conditioning his hand but it could just be a cultural thing I haven’t experienced. I open the door and step inside but no one is there. I call out in English and Korean but nothing. So I step back out. The man who was hitting the tree comes over and asks if he can help me. He introduces himself as Chan Jae but quickly tells me to call him Charlie. I am not sure if that’s a nickname he already has though or if he doesn’t want to hear me butcher the pronunciation of his actual name. Charlie is a student of Taekyun himself and quickly helps me get ready for my first class.

Taekyun is very fluid and movement based and it’s a bit like dancing and that has never been my strong suit. We go through a warm up and I just following along as best I can. No single person seems to be running anything though. We line up because it’s time to start and someone starts the music which your movements are timed to.

After the warm up though the Grandmaster arrives and he singles me out straight away. His name is Master Ki-hyun Do. Grandmaster Do asks about my martial arts history and looks excited that I am keen to train in Taekyun. He tells me he will teach me three things tonight.

Triangle Stepping (Pum Balgi).

The footwork in Taekyun is based on a triangle system. You start with your feet shoulder width apart and the bottom two points of the triangle and then one at a time you step a foot onto the top triangle point and then back to its starting spot. You move your arms back and forth in time with your steps. I feel very awkward at first and the Grandmaster tells me to do this one hundred times and leaves me to practise.

Bend the Knees

After I reach about forty on my count Grandmaster Do takes some pity on me and comes over to improve my technique. He tells me the second thing he will teach me is to bend my knees. Every time I step, whether forward or backwards I must bend my knee noticeably. He leaves me to continue my one hundred movements and to be honest, now that I am bending my knees it feels much better.

Natural

Grandmaster Do returns again just as I am nearing one hundred. I think he was counting as well to test me and make sure I was dedicated enough to do the one hundred. Frankly if he hadn’t come back at one hundred I would have kept going. It felt really good to move this way. It was then that he told me the third thing he wanted me to learn. Natural. He said Taekyun is a martial art that works on people moving naturally. It should feel natural. By this point I understood. At first it was awkward but now it felt natural.

He did teach me a few more things this lesson. Some great breathing techniques which really showed me just how much further I have to go in training my breath for martial arts. There is an art itself in this which I have been keen to learn and I am hoping he will teach me more. Overall my first Taekyun lesson was fantastic and I am looking forward to a lot more training in this traditional art. Maybe I might get to kick something soon.

U.N.T

Mark

Mark Underwood holds the rank of Master in three martial arts, 5th Dan Black Belt in Taekwondo. 4th Dan Black Belt in Haidong Gumdo (Korean swords) and 1st Dan Black Belt in Gongkwon Yusul (Korean MMA). He has also trained in a number of other martial arts styles. He is currently the owner and head instructor for Zone Martial Arts servicing the Sutherland Shire area from the Taren Point location 

Mark in South Korea - Part 1 - Arrival

My South Korea trip has begun and boy is it cold here. It was such a big shock leaving the Sydney heatwave to arrive in a country with the temperature a top of 2 degrees. I had planned on the cold though so it wasn’t a problem.

I arrived at 6pm and it took over two hours to get out of the airport and begin my train journey to Seoul and then onto the hotel.

The room is small with white walls and a wooden floor. There is colour as well with bright blue curtains and a red chair for the small table. The bathroom scenario is strange.  There is no shower stall. At first glance, it looks like a normal bathroom. Toilet, western style thank god, and a sink but then you look for the shower area. You soon realise you are standing in the shower area. There is one of those snake shower heads that attach to the sink but you actually shower in the middle of the bathroom. It makes everything very wet but they do provide some rubber shoes.

On my first day out I head to Insadong. This isn’t my first visit to this famous shopping street. It is one of the areas in Seoul that is recommended to tourists. It can be really crowded to walk down and becomes even worse when a random car uses the street as well.

One of my first stops is the Knife Gallery. I am fascinated with this shop/museum. You can purchase knives of course but there is also a lot of military equipment you can purchase as well. My favourite is the rear room that has so many swords on display. From areas that show how a sword is forged to areas devoted each to Chinese, Japanese and Korean swords it is so easy to lose track of time. There is also a section for movie replica weapons with Lord of The Rings to anime swords on display and for sale. I resist the urge to purchase and leave.

Further down Insadong Street I search again for the elusive Taekyun headquarters. Taekyun is a very traditional Korean martial art that nearly died out during Japanese occupation as it was a part of Korean culture that was banned. You can see some videos at http://www.taekyun.org/yui/ but prepare to use Google translate. I have searched for the Taekyun headquarters on each of my visits to Seoul with no luck. Time and frustration have got the better of me in the past as Google maps really doesn’t work well in Seoul. On this visit though I am solo so can spend more time wandering and it pays off. I finally find it hidden behind some street food vendors and buildings. I have the details and hope to get an opportunity to practise while I am here.

My morning was spent in a warm Starbucks writing and my afternoon spent wandering in the cold, icy weather of Seoul in winter. I did learn two things though that I previously didn’t know if it was real or a myth.

1. Teeth ache in the cold. I had heard this before but thought it was someone pulling my leg. Nope. They ache.
2. If your nose is running and a droplet forms on the end of your nose, it can freeze solid.

So I am learning really useful stuff so far.

U.N.T. (Until Next Time)
Mark

Mark Underwood holds the rank of Master in three martial arts, 5th Dan Black Belt in Taekwondo. 4th Dan Black Belt in Haidong Gumdo (Korean swords) and 1st Dan Black Belt in Gongkwon Yusul (Korean MMA). He has also trained in a number of other martial arts styles. He is currently the owner and head instructor for Zone Martial Arts servicing the Sutherland Shire area from the Taren Point location 

The importance of passing on knowledge to colour belts.

As a Black belt or as a senior belt there are several reasons why it’s important to pass on the knowledge that you have accumulated over your own years of martial arts training to colour belts. In my opinion these are the main reasons.

• Teaching the next generation
• Different way of training and learning
• Duty to club
• A new path for your martial arts journey

Teaching the next generation
One of the best parts of being a martial artist is being able to share the experience with other people. You can share this knowledge in a few different ways such as teaching, assisting in classes or just partnering with another student to teach them a specific technique or pattern. Passing on your knowledge is a great way to open up other avenues for your own learning as well though.

Different way of training and leaning
Passing on your knowledge actually helps you with your own journey. While teaching techniques to other students is useful for the other student, it is also useful for your own learning. When you are teaching others you are having to focus on, what you are doing, how you are doing it and why you are doing it. It cements it in your own mind at the same time you are teaching someone else.
Lets for example take a look at if you were performing a Dollyo Chagi (turning kick); It’s not just, kicking with the top of your foot on a sidewards angle. We can break down what we are doing into 5 individual moves;

• Lift knee as high as you can, and on a slight angle out.
• Pivot your base foot on your toes and ball of the foot with a hip pivot.
• Extend the kicking leg, and hit your target.
• Retract the kicking leg at the knee first, and pivot hips back original position.
• Place kicking foot one ground.

While you are talking about these components with a student you may also talk about the following;

• Lift your knee high as the higher you lift your knee the higher your kick will be.
• Pivoting your base foot, allows your hips to open, and reduces the risk of knee damage.
• Pivoting your hips when kicking helps with the power of your kick.
• Retracting your foot first allows you to do a second kick if required faster.
• Placing your foot down where you want it, sets you up for the next move or kick.

When we go through the steps and talk about other details with someone else, we actually improve our own techniques and become better martial artists. So with your teaching, its not just about the other person, you are actually still training and learning, just in a different way.

Duty to club
Doing your duty to your club I feel is very important. It’s a way of thanking your club for the time, effort and resources that they have used to help get you to where you are now. Most students will hopefully find that their martial arts training has helped in other areas of their life as well. Dloing your duty is also helping your club become better as while you’re helping one student, it frees up your head instructor time to help other students on a more in depth level or allows them time to run the club better.
Doing your duty to your club also shows that you care about your club and the students in it and this will help you in becoming a better teacher. It will give you a stake in the achievements of the other students so when they achieve, it feels like you achieve as well.

A new path for your martial arts journey
As mentioned above, teaching others allows you to analyse your own techniques and improve them.  It also brings new components to your training, a new angle of focus and patience is needed as different people learn at different speed and in different ways. Being able to change and adapt to this and to different situation helps you with your own martial arts journey. Teaching others also helps with your own self-confidence and abilities. Being able to stand in front of a group of people takes a lot of guts and can be nerve wracking but you need to have faith in what you have learnt and achieved and know that you wouldn’t be asked to do it, if your head instructor didn’t think you were able to do it.

Ben Tuckfield

Ben holds the rank of 3rd Dan in Taekwondo and is part of the leadership and instruction teams at Zone Martial Arts servicing the Sutherland Shire area from the Taren Point

location.

The 3 A's of Effective Self Defence

Those who know me and my approach to martial arts will know that self defence is a huge part of why I practise martial arts and why I teach it. Violence is an ever growing concern in this day and age and no one is immune to it. Not the older person, innocently answering a knock on the door. Not the young woman out for a run in the afternoon. Not the young guy hanging out with his mates at the skate park. Not the young child walking home from school. It’s depressing and scary to think that we will all either be on the receiving end of violence or directly know someone who has been. I truly wish that was an exaggeration but it seems to be more like an alarming fact.

The prevalence of violence in our society is one of the reasons I believe martial arts are for everyone. Attackers prey on people they believe are weak and vulnerable and the simple practise of doing martial arts can mean a difference in how you carry yourself. You may walk a little taller and more confidently and this may subconsciously show a potential attacker that you are not an easy target. This isn’t a guarantee though so the practise of martial arts and self defence is becoming a more critical skill. There are some things you can do though to reduce the chance of being attacked or at least give you a fighting chance if it comes down to you and an attacker.

One of the things my instructors taught me and has stuck with me is the concept of The Three A’s. They taught me that it was the key to effective self defence.

AWARENESS

AVOIDANCE

ACTION

Awareness

At all times be aware of what is going on around you. Look over your shoulder and glance at what is happening behind you and to either side of you regularly. Don’t just spend the time engrossed by your mobile phone or looking only at the ground in front of you. You need to make sure you are aware of what is happening and what may potentially affect you. This goes for listening to music as well. I see a lot of people who walk around with headphones in their ears and not looking around. This means they not only won’t see what is coming towards them but they won’t hear it either. Awareness is the first step.

Avoidance

We all know of some cool shortcuts to get from point A to point B. Maybe it’s an alley that means I don’t have to go the long way around the block. Maybe it’s a park you can cut through to get home quicker. Where I live there are a number of pedestrian paths that wind around behind houses. They are lovely to go for a walk on but are not well lit and not well travelled. No matter which of the above applies, effective self defence means avoiding these sorts of areas. It might take you a bit longer, but use the path which is well lit. Use the footpath that has cars passing who may be able to stop and help you if you need it.

Avoidance is also about avoiding situations that might be dangerous. You may get invited to a party with people you don’t know or go into a room with a known bully. If you can, avoid these situations. It’s doesn’t make you a coward, it makes you smart.

Action

However if all else fails, fall back onto action and the first action if you can, is to run away. Escape whenever possible – don’t try to be a hero. Always try to escape to populated and well-lit areas and don’t be afraid to ask for help.

If you need to defend yourself though it is only self defence if the force you use is reasonable and proportionate to the attack. This means, if someone gives you a small shove and you respond by breaking their arm and punch them unconscious, you have not responded in a reasonable or proportionate way to the attack. If someone comes at you with a knife saying they are going to kill you, then breaking their arm and knocking them out is more reasonable and proportionate to the attack.

There is a lot more involved with self defence and every scenario is different. Martial arts can teach you to not only be physically capable of defending yourself but mentally capable as well. A strong mind can be just as effective in self defence as the most perfectly timed punch.

Mark Underwood

Mark is a 4th Dan Master in both Taekwondo and Haidong Gumdo (Korean swords). He has also trained in other styles of martial arts. He is currently the owner and head instructor for Zone Martial Arts in Sydney, Australia.

Fundamental Theory of Haidong Gumdo and Martial Arts - Part 4

This final entry in the series on the fundamental theory of Haidong Gumdo and martial arts is about the body.

Body
Even though this is listed as the third point in the theory of Haidong Gumdo it is just as important as Spirit and Mind as it is through training the body that we can develop the other two components. By analyzing technique, pushing our body to (and beyond) its limits we learn more about our mind and our spirit. It’s the gateway to integrating martial arts into our life.

Power (Correct posture)
In martial arts we need to control and manage our power. We need to assess the amount of power we use in training and in any real life scenario. A punch can be delivered with breaking power but if all that is required is to warn someone away then using full power is excessive. The same with the sword, if we use too much power on our cuts then our sword will travel too far and leave us exposed for a counter attack. The other side of this is posture. If we overextend ourselves by applying too much power, then we can injure ourselves trying to stop the motion. Not to mention that correct posture and stance actually will deliver more power to the technique we are doing.

Speed (Swift movements)
Speed comes over time but it is something we should all strive for. It is important to know when to strive for more speed and it is only when you have gained control of the technique. Applying speed to early will just exacerbate bad technique and will be detrimental in the long term. I encourage all students to focus on the basic technique first before striving for more speed.

Balance (Stable stances)
Balance develops over time but it starts with the correct application of stance. People always want to rush to the fun stuff like punching, kicking and cutting and try to gloss over the benefits of good stance. Stance though is the bedrock of every technique we do. It’s important to make sure our stance and our feet are in time with our techniques. When we can think about balance in the martial arts moves we make, our techniques will improve and the more we will improve.

Sweat (Continuous effort)
Hard work pays off. No matter what happens in our journey, whether it’s hitting a plateau and thinking we are not improving, a technique we feel like we just can’t conquer or any of the other obstacles we hit while training martial arts, hard work and sweat will always help us get beyond it. When things get hard, a lot of people want to quit, find an easier way or just ignore that technique altogether but it’s those times we have to suck it up and keep training. Perseverance and hard work will always help us get through the tough times. So if things are looking difficult or you are getting frustrated, put in more time because sweat and continuous effort will get you though.

Fundamental Theory of Haidong Gumdo and Martial Arts - Part 3

I am continuing my series on the fundamental theory of Haidong Gumdo by looking at the second area that is covered by Haidong Gumdo, the mind. However these theories really apply to martial arts as a whole. So if you look at this and say "I am not a Gumdo student so its not relevant" you would be missing out in my opinion.

Mind

With any martial art, comes the concept of mind. Believing in yourself, pushing yourself and character building. Mind is the second fundamental theory of Haidong Gumdo but again I put to you that it is not limited to just Gumdo but applies to martial arts as a whole. It is something we practice without thinking about it during classes but it is when you stop and reflect on these aspects, you can learn so much more about yourself and really start to integrate martial arts into your whole life.

Courage (Ability to handle fear and danger)
Courage can’t be given to you in a rolled up parchment no matter what the Wizard of Oz tells us. It has to develop. I get a lot of students who come into the club looking to train and develop self-confidence. You will definitely gain self-confidence from doing martial arts but you gained confidence just by stepping through the door. People have a desire to learn martial arts and can be easily scared away by the intensity of training or the instructors or one of a hundred other things, but when you take that leap and get onto the floor and start training, you are showing courage. Through martial arts you learn to hand fear, nervousness and anxiety and those lessons of control and courage can then be applied to other areas of your life.

Judgement (Knowing oneself)Judgement is vital with martial arts. It’s the ability in the split second moment to determine how much force you need to apply in a self defence scenario. It’s knowing that even if you could fight back, you don’t need to prove it and can walk away from a fight. It’s being able to say I did my best and not listening to other people who say you didn’t try hard enough or you failed.

The subheading here talks about knowing oneself and to me that is difficult in itself. It’s hard to look at yourself honestly and think about our faults. It can also be hard to look at ourselves and not be overly judgemental and harsh. We have to take the time to reflect on ourselves and our judgement to ensure we are being true to ourselves.

Respect (Yourself and others)
We bow to our instructors, our training area and each other all the time in martial arts to show respect. We are showing respect to the people teaching us, the area we train in and the people who train with us. We show respect by standing still when our instructors talk to us, by looking at them while they talk and not fidgeting. We show respect by showing restraint and not fighting too hard with our fellow students during sparring.

Respect is a huge part of martial arts but I also hope that these lessons of respect are going home with you and being applied in other areas of your life. That you are showing respect to your boss or teacher by listening to them, even perhaps if you don’t like them. That you are showing respect to your elders (parents, grandparents or just older people you know) as this is a large part of Korean culture that we sometimes miss in western culture.

I know respect it is something I really want my students to think about outside of the club environment. It shouldn’t be like your uniform and you just put it on at training.

Temperance (Self-control)
Temperance and self-control are the final aspects of the mind aspect of martial arts theory. We need to be rational and calm in situations where it could be easy to get angry and riled up. We need to not lash out, verbally or physically, when something or someone upsets us. It is even more important for martial artists who learn skills that can severely injure other people. We don’t have the luxury of throwing a friendly punch at someone because our punches are more technically proficient that most people. We need to control ourselves.

We also need to have self-control with how we treat our body. Our body is one of the few constants in our life and if we abuse it we can’t replace it. So while that extra drink at the pub is nice and chocolate is awesome, we need to make sure we have these things in moderation, that we have self-control so that firstly, our body is healthier but also because as martial artists, we can’t have alcohol or sugar highs control us because it is too easy for us to hurt someone accidentally.


Mark Underwood

Mark is a 4th Dan Master in both Taekwondo and Haidong Gumdo (Korean swords). He has also trained in other styles of martial arts. He is currently the owner and head instructor for Zone Martial Arts in Sydney, Australia.