Taekwondo v14i01

Combat0309

18/2/09 19:46

Page 107

TAEKWONDO & KOREAN MARTIAL ARTS MAGAZINE

TANG SOO DO

VOLUME 14 | ISSUE 01 MARCH 2009

A Brief History

KIM DOO MAN A Champion of Two Countries & One Art

REGAN

LAWRENCE Going For ITF Gold!

Visit the TKD-KMA magazine website at www.taekwondomag.co.uk

Combat0309

18/2/09 19:46

Page 108

Kim Doo Man A Champion of Two Countries and One Art Kim Doo Man is no stranger to Taekwondo in Turkey, as you will see from the following article. His association dates back to 2005, when he taught senior Turkish taekwondo practitioners at the Kukkiwon Instructor course of that year. It is through his coaching since then that Turkish students have made it into the top levels of this Olympic combat sport.

Just look at their performance at the 7th WTF World Junior Taekwondo Championships held on May 6 last year in Izmir, Turkey! Or coming more up to date, results of the 3rd WTF World Taekwondo Poomsae Championships held over December 16-18, 2008 in Ankara, Turkey. This was the first time this prestigious event was held outside of South Korea and the choice of Turkey may well have something to do with the subject of this article - Kim Doo Man, who was appointed to serve as an International Advisory Member of the Kukkiwon.

Greatness obviously runs in the family because it was there in Ankara, that Grandmaster Kim Doo Man’s own daughter, Rabia Kim, together with team-mates Ozlem Tumay and Elif Aybuke Yilmaz won gold medals in the 14-35 year female team. In the men’s individual junior division (14-18 years), Turkey’s Ali Kemal Ustabas won the silver medal while Mustafa Yilmaz shared bronze in the men’s individual 1st master division (between 41 and 50 years). Yet more medals for Turkey’s came through the stellar performances of Nesime Altun and Zeynel Celik who won silver medals in the 2nd pair category (over 36 years).

108 COMBAT WWW.COMBATMAG.CO.UK

For a relatively small nation, to place fourth in the medal tally of a world event with one gold, six silvers and three bronzes means that Turkey either has some pretty extraordinary athletes and/or a pretty extraordinary coach. We think both - but let’s take a look at the coach!

Kim Doo Man was born a Korean citizen but that was 58 years ago, he’s now a naturalised Turk, living in Izmir, Turkey.

Here’s what he had to say by way of introducing himself: I was born in South Korea and began training in taekwondo when I was just 6 years old. I’ve been training for 51 years and gained my black belt from Grandmaster Jongu Woo Lee (9th dan), the first ever President of the WTF. Grandmaster Lee is also founder of the Jidokan tradition. In my early days as a fighter I was twice the Korean Champion and many times won silver and bronze medals.

I was awarded my 4th dan during 1975 and shortly afterwards, was accredited as both a licensed teacher and referee. To date I have participated in 15 instructor and 19 referee courses and hold both international instructor and international referee licences. I also have a degree in physical education from Wooseak university.

During my stint in the army I taught taekwondo to soldiers as part of their training and after I left the army, I taught taekwondo at a number of special schools such as Hoonul, Honson and Hanguk. I also taught the Police Academy in association with Grandmaster Yongyin (9th dan), a co-founder of the Jidokan. As an aside: all Jidokan masters are now living in the USA! Internationally I taught taekwondo for a year in Thailand. That was back in 1978. Then between 19811983 I taught in Saudi Arabia. I’ve been living in Turkey since 1985 and married my Turkish wife in 1987. We now have a daughter and I changed my nationality in 1995 to become a Turkish citizen.

I resumed my competition career in Turkey and fought numerous times in the Turkish Poomsae national team. I’ve been Europe Champion 4 times over, placed 3rd in the 1997 US open in 1997 and won my division in the Hanmadang and Hwarang Festival.

Combat0309

18/2/09 19:46

Page 109

On the administrative side, I’ve been Technical Director for the Turkish Poomsae National Team since 2005. During that time, the team has twice been European Champions and twice bronze medallists at the World level!

Now - do you have any questions you would like me to answer?

Yes! Tell our readers why you happened to take up taekwondo rather than one of the other physical activities practised in your country?

KIM DOO MAN: Taekwondo is a very popular sport in Korea and is actually taught as part of the curriculum in schools. In fact, taekwondo is regarded as a way of life in Korea!

The status of taekwondo in Korea can be seen through the activity of the The Korean Goverment in establishing the Taekwondo Park. This will be finished in 2013 and the names of all Taekwondo Grandmasters and their work will be recorded there. This will function as a resource for all practitioners.

My first teacher was the founder of WTF and he inspired and motivated me to train and excel in taekwondo. Two more masters who contributed in a major way to my early development in taekwondo are Kim Ill Seok and Il Young Gun. Il Young Gun currently lives in America.

Apart from the inspiration provided by your teachers, what did YOU do to contribute to your and your team’s successes?

KIM DOO MAN: I attribute any success I may have achieved to a number of things, which include following the right training method, working constantly to develop my techniques, working steadily from grade to grade and

always keeping my mind open to new information. I want to stress that success in taekwondo is built on a firm foundation. This foundation provides the basis for development to an advanced stage. Combination techniques, for example, can only be properly executed when you can properly perform their individual elements. Discipline is essential during training and above all of these, a serious and strong commitment must be made to train.

I use the Korean system in my club and for the national team. How much you work at taekwondo and how much you develop by yourself is important.

Nowadays I stay in touch with what’s happening in Korea. This is very important and as soon as techniques or rules are modified, I pass those changes on to my

WWW.COMBATMAG.CO.UK COMBAT 109

Combat0309

18/2/09 19:46

Page 110

SAM DO T R A D I N G

L I M I T E D

速

adidas

WE ARE THE SOLE UK DISTRIBUTORS OF adidas TKD UNIFORMS, TKD SHOES & EQUIPMENT. 速

557 Chester Road, Old Trafford, Manchester, M16 0QW, England

Tel: 0161-848 7426 Fax: 0161-848 0436 E-Mail: twshin@btinternet.com Website: www.samdo.co.uk Show room open Mon-Fri (10 am - 4 pm)

SAM001/02

Footware Uniforms Protection Kick Targets and more!

Combat0309

18/2/09 19:46

Page 111

team right away! I believe this contributes to the success of the national team. Take last year - every team member save one won a medal in the European Championships!

What do you think are the main physical requirements for success in taekwondo?

KIM DOO MAN: The requirements vary according to whether you aim to succeed in kyorugi or poomsae but everyone will need a lot of power and a lot of flexibility!

I believe that if we want to succeed in taekwondo, then we need to play our part in team work and contribute to the team spirit. These are very important for success!

Moving on - how do you measure achievement in taekwondo practice?

KIM DOO MAN: This is a very important subject!

Everyone is different and has their own personal range of abilities; abilities that vary between individuals. So overall I’d say that achievement consists in developing your personal ability as far as it can be taken through your efforts and determination.

What parts of taekwondo do you most enjoy?

KIM DOO MAN: I enjoy teaching the most - and I’d very much like to more teach more people! We need to increase the number of people training and we must continue to produce serious, honest and knowledgeable taekwondo practitioners.

The philosophy of the Do philosophy is very important for me. It encompases all life and can be expressed through the 8 principles of my Jidokan philosophy. These require me to look correctly, talk correctly, listen correctly, think correctly, move correctly, give directions correctly, take directions correctly and administer correctly.

Final comment?

KIM DOO MAN: I believe that we have to continue to learn something every day!

Thank you Grandmaster Kim!

WWW.COMBATMAG.CO.UK COMBAT 111

Combat0309

18/2/09 19:46

Page 112

TANG SOO DO

By Master David Allerton (5th Dan)

A Brief History I would like to introduce this regular column on the art of Tang Soo Do by looking back into history. This is important for new and experienced students alike because if we understand the events which brought us to our present position we are more likely to illuminate the correct path forward. Quite often misinterpretations arise due to a lack of historical knowledge.

Sometimes we hear quite spurious accounts of how a modern martial art is inextricably linked to practices dating back many thousands of years. There may be some tenuous link but in most cases the modern art bears little resemblance to the ancient. In this account I shall attempt to present the reader with fact rather than fiction. It is undoubt-

112 COMBAT WWW.COMBATMAG.CO.UK

edly true that most cultures are steeped in military history and Korea is no exception. Worthy of note are the Hwarang warriors who helped unify the kingdoms of Korea in the Silla Dynasty (57BC - 935AD). They practised not just warfare but also cultural skills including the five point code of ethics which you may be taught during your first few lessons.

An important landmark was in 1790 when King Jingjo ordered the compilation of martial techniques into the “Moo Yei Dobo Tong Ji�. This important military manual was more than likely based on earlier Chinese works and is heavily illustrated with spear, sword and horsemanship, however, the fourth chapter deals with empty hand and stick fighting techniques. It is correct to say that in Tang Soo Do we still practise movements interpreted from this ancient book but more of this later.

One of the greatest influences was when the founder of the Moo Duk Kwan school Grand Master Hwang Kee went to Manchuria in 1935 to work for the railroad company. There in May of 1936 he met a Chinese master called Yang, Kuk Jin and learned Tae Geuk Kwon (or Tai Chi) form and combat application.

These movements later found their way into the Chil Sung (7 star) forms widely practised in many Tang Soo Do schools.

In Korea during the period 19101945 all indigenous practices were forbidden and the public were introduced to Kendo and Judo. However, books on Okinawan Karate were available and Grand Master Hwang Kee began to study them in the Seoul Railway library around 1939.

Later he was able to introduce the Okinawan Pyung Ahn, Bassai and Naihanchi forms into the Tang Soo Do syllabus.

18/2/09 19:46

Page 113

In both Okinawa and Korea the striking arts were known respectively as “tou di” (China Hand) or “tang soo”. It was Gichin Funakoshi who made the name change to “Karate” or empty hand so popular worldwide.

In Seoul, after the end of the war, Hwang Kee met with others such as Mr Lee, Won Kuk who had learned Karate in Japan and was teaching under the banner of the “Chung Do Kwan”. Grand Master Hwang Kee named his school “Moo Duk Kwan” which he established on 9th November, 1945. The very first Dan student was Mr Kim, Un Chang who later died in the Korean war. He was given the Dan Bon “one” and each successive dan grade has been consecutively numbered since that date.

As the art developed certain differences became apparent, when compared with the Okinawan style, such as extension of the hip to generate power in kicking.

The system became very popular and in 1957 was first introduced to the U.S. 8th Army in Seoul. There were also publications circulated around 1958 such as the Tang Soo Do Ho Sin Sul (Self Defence) training manual.

In 1957 GrandMaster Hwang Kee discovered the Moo Yei Dobo Tong Ji and began to translate and study it’s contents. Here he found refer-

ence to the term “Soo Bahk” and interpreted the text to reveal 6 hyung (forms) which were named Yuk Ro (6 paths). These ancient movements have been preserved to this day in the art of Tang Soo (Soo Bahk) Do. In summary, it is clear that the art adopted the Okinawan discipline in it’s early history and many schools continue to practice this to the present day. However, the introduction of Chinese arts can be seen in the Chil Sung and Yuk Ro forms incorporating Tai Chi influence. Whether it is termed Tang Soo, Soo Bahk or a combination of both the art is unique in it’s philisophical and technical pro-

‘‘

‘‘

Combat0309

The system became very popular and in 1957 was first introduced to the U.S. 8th Army in Seoul gression. Any student new to Tang Soo Do should indeed be proud of the arts development and history.

I shall continue the theme next month with a closer look at the personal history of the founder GrandMaster Hwang Kee and how Tang Soo Do first arrived in the UK. Clearly, I have given emphasis to the

Moo Duk Kwan school as this was the most successful in terms of expansion and development worldwide. However, I would be most interested to hear from students who follow a different lineage such as Chung Do Kwan, etc and how this has evolved to the present day.

Please email with your comments.

Yours in Tang Soo! Master David Allerton 5th Dan (Dan Bon: 27513) Email: allerton@cytanet.com.cy Website: www.tangsoo.co.uk

WWW.COMBATMAG.CO.UK COMBAT 113

Combat0309

18/2/09 19:46

Page 114

Regan Lawre n Going for ITF Gold!

Regan Lawrence aged 16 has recently been successful for the third year running and has been selected to represent England at the forthcoming European Championships based in Benidorm, Spain and the world championships in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He has been selected for individual -63kg sparring, individual 1st degree black belt patterns as well as all of the team events.

Regan trains with the current national team coach Tom Denis at Docklands Taekwondo on the Isle of Dogs, based in East London (Pimlico, South West London). Tom has 26 years of experience in Taekwondo, is currently a VI degree has 20 years of coaching experience with 9 of those years as coach to the national team. His coaching style is very unique, with regular visits to Eastern Europe to develop and implement new training drills, applicable to the modern day sparring world and sporting development.

Docklands Schools of Taekwondo has bred a variety of national and international standard athletes.

Previous European medallists include 2 x European Champion Dan Farrell, European Champion Guy

114 COMBAT WWW.COMBATMAG.CO.UK

Hennequin and World Champion Graham Patterson, Matt Cadle and World Power Champion Piotr Capaja, (Regan’s club now consists of seven current members of the national team). Regan himself is the only junior member and is considered as the next generation of sporting achievers to come from Docklands Taekwondo.

Regan began training in 2000, but prior to taking up Taekwondo he joined a Karate club in East London, which unfortunately closed down shortly after he joined. His Grandad then encouraged him to join Docklands Taekwondo, “My Grandad inspired me because he and his side of the family were always into boxing and had boxed for many years, so I wanted to do something similar.”

During the initial years of training, Regan never thought of competing at such a high level. “I never thought I would represent my country, I only continued studying Taekwondo because I enjoyed it, I didn’t do it to compete! After I got my black belt I realised my goals were realistic, that’s why I trained to compete and got into the national team in 2007.

My aspirations now are very different.

I study Taekwondo because I enjoy it and it keeps me fit but ultimately I want to become a World Champion” Regan attended his first international competition in 2006 and his first international call up to the national team was for the European Championships, Slovakia in 2007 and the World Championships, Canada again in 2007. During the World Cup in Italy 2008, Regan battled through to the quarter finals defeating reputable opponents from Israel and Italy but lost in extra time to his Polish Counterpart Kamil Raczynski, (who is also a member of the Polish National Team) and considered a challenger for this years European Title.

The training and preparation is crucial for success at this level of competition and is often time consuming. “Training at this level can affect my studies a lot as I travel quite a lot and I am very focussed on the sport. My school is very supportive though, they always give me time off for the competitions and training camps. They also supply me with all of the work that I’ve missed so I can catch up.” The training involves a seasonal preparation phase which is predominantly focussed on the

Combat0309

18/2/09 19:46

Page 115

e nce

WWW.COMBATMAG.CO.UK COMBAT 115

Combat0309

18/2/09 19:46

Page 116

UKT003/05

Combat0309

18/2/09 19:47

Page 117

basics and techniques, strength training (to limit the likelihood of strain and injury during the competitive season) and a lot of plyometric based drills for explosive and dynamic sports specific movements. This is then followed by a mesocycle of approximately 3 months leading up to the competition which is focussed around various pad, speed and reaction drills and of course sparring specific drills aimed at precision and timing. All drills during this mesocycle are sports specific and related to the individual to enhance their performance at the championships.

This style of coaching is now widely used in many sports. Regan aspired not only to becoming a European and World champion but also wants to run his own school in the future.

Being a member of the National Team comes at great expense for the competitors without the help of sponsorship “I have tried to get financial help from Tower Hamlets council in the form of a sports bursary but this was rejected as they said ITF Taekwondo is not an Olympic sport. I am grateful that Elite Health and Fitness and Monster Supplements have agreed to support me this year because without the financial help, I don’t think attending both championships would be an option for me.”

ITF Taekwondo is classed as a “minor” sport along with many other sports out there. Unfortunately, sports that are not recognised by the Olympic Committee very often are not supported even at the Elite level.

This makes it difficult for any competitor and can be viewed as a barrier to sports participation at an international level for some. Quite often, ITF members of the National Team have funded their own excursions across the globe in search of their dream. Elite Health and Fitness, have recently entered the market as a fitness equipment retailer and sports nutrition specialist recognising the fact and with their recent events of community involvement they decided to financially support an elite

sporting athlete within the category of “minor sports” in the hope to create better awareness and future opportunities for funding for the ITF taekwondo National Team in the future.

“This year I really want to win medals and hopefully I can! My preparation has gone very well and I hope it continues to do so, running up to the European Championships.

I am very thankful for the coaches faith and coaching abilities that he is passing on to me and also to all my club members. I would also like to say thank you to Elite Health and Fitness and Monster Supplements for financially supporting me for these events and also for the nutritional advice and guidelines they have given me.”

WWW.COMBATMAG.CO.UK COMBAT 117

Combat0309

18/2/09 19:47

Page 118

Back to basics

Stances

By Grandmaster Tony Vohra 8th Dan with Photographs by Master Jeff Scott-Smith 5th Dan.

Over the past 2 months we have covered; attention, ready, bowing, blocking, mid, high and low as well as punching techniques. We now need to be executing these techniques whilst standing as well as when moving in different directions. In this issue I would like to cover walking stance, long stance and back stance, looking at delivery of technique.

Each Taekwondo practitioner’s stances should be tailored to their own unique shape and form. It is important when practicing stances that the trunk (body) remains upright with the back straight and that positioning feels comfortable and natural so that the joints do not feel that their movement is restricted. Also considering motion when changing positions, all movement should be direct. For example, when moving forward in walking stance, the stepping motion should feel like a natural step forward. For this reason it is important to move the feet straight from one position to the next.

Stances are used for motion in all directions, forwards and backwards, creating a stable position from which to attack and defend. Some stances require weight to be distributed evenly and some with a higher proportion of the weight on a single limb. As stances change the stability and positioning of the centre of gravity also changes. Some require the

Closed stance - Moa seogi.

trunk to be raised, creating a more elevated centre of gravity, while others require the trunk to be closer to the ground, resulting in the need for the position of the centre of gravity to be lower.

A point to remember when practicing movement in a particular stance is that the centre of gravity should remain constant. To help picture this, imagine that you are practicing in a space where the head just touches the ceiling i.e. you are unable to raise the level of the head or body. Also it is crucial when moving that you move lightly and swiftly; emphasis is on directional movement not impact, transferring force into the floor.

People practice martial arts for fitness and to give themselves knowledge of self defence. Therefore, the motions outlined in this article must be transferable to sparring and real life combat situations. Repetition of stances will achieve precision and accuracy in motion. Practice can

Parallel stance - Naranhi seogi.

118 COMBAT WWW.COMBATMAG.CO.UK

Pyonhi seogi.

make the stances and techniques your own, leading to identical positioning in each stance when moving left or right.

NOTES Closed stance - Moa seogi. Feet together, heels and toes touching Parallel stance - Naranhi seogi.

Feet pointing forward, parallel. One foot distance apart.

Pyonhi seogi. Feet one foot distance apart, combined angle of feet up to 60o Right/Left hand stance Oreun/Wen seogi. One foot turned to side, one foot pointing forward.

Feet one foot distance apart.

Riding stance - Juchum seogi.

Two feet distance apart, feet parallel.

When sitting legs are bent so knees grip inwards as if resisting pressure on shoulders.

Right/Left hand stance Oreun/Wen seogi.

Combat0309

18/2/09 19:47

Page 119

Extended forward stance - Apkubi seogi.

Riding stance - Juchum seogi.

Forward stance (Walking stance) Ap seogi.

Forward stance (Walking stance) Ap seogi.

Forward stance (Walking stance) Ap seogi. Feet on a line, front foot pointing forward back foot aloud to turn slightly to an angle within 30o to allow for natural walking posture.

Normal step will be about one foot distance in length.

Extended forward stance - Apkubi seogi. Feet together, right foot pivots on heel to 90o then rotate on the ball of the foot up to 30 o from parallel.

Length of stance is approximately one and a half steps. Front knee should be bent. To check positioning front knee is forward. Line of vision should allow sight of tip of big toe only.

Back stance - Dwikkubi seogi.

Back stance - Dwikkubi seogi.

Feet together, one foot turns to 90o (sometimes termed “L-stance� as feet are in shape of an L). Feet sep-

arated by one step distance. Both knees bent, but open. One knee points forward, one to the side.

Weight distribution approximately 70% back foot, 30% front foot Master Tony Vohra is always pleased to advise individual students, instructors and clubs and can arrange demonstrations, courses & seminars to suit any individual or groups both at home and abroad. For further details please contact: President Grandmaster S. S. Vohra (8th Dan), International School of Martial Arts UK HQ, Nottingham School of Tae Kwon Do, Ilkeston Rd., Nottingham NG7 3FX, England. Tel: 00 44 (0)115 9780439; Fax: 00 44 (0)115 9785567 WEBSITE: www.martialartsvohra.com Emails: info@martialartsvohra.com WWW.COMBATMAG.CO.UK COMBAT 119

18/2/09 19:47

Page 120

ICT001/01

Combat0309

MBI001/02

TLP001/02

Combat0309

18/2/09 19:47

Page 121

THE FUTURE'S BRIGHT THE FUTURE'S YOURS!!!

For the first time EVER the doors of access to the UK’s most senior graded WTF Master are NOW OPEN!!! ●

Would YOU like to train with the UK’s most senior WTF graded exponent?

●

Are you looking to study WTF style Taekwondo without getting involved in politics?

●

Are you looking to grade up to Kukkiwon 7th dan kup and dan Certification?

●

Would you like to receive help and advice without losing your independence?

●

Are you looking to have your current grade acknowledged

by Kukkiwon?

●

Available for; Gradings, Courses, Seminars, Presentations, Training camps, Referees courses, Advice, Help and Support.

●

Also available; Summer school camps for the UK and abroard.

If you study WTF style Taekwondo, are sick and tired of the politics and restrictions placed on you and your development then contact me NOW!!!

Lets work together to develop WTF and Kukkiwons presence throughout the World WITH THEIR SUPPORT!!!

Please contact me on the numbers below or arrange to visit my full time school, I would be most pleased to meet you and help you in any way I can.

Grand Master Tony vohra. 8th Dan. Kukkiwon registered.

Nottigham School of Martial Arts, Ilkeston Road, Nottingham, NG7 3FX

Tel: 0115 9780439 Mob: 07980041864 E-mail: info@martialartsvohra.com Fax: 0115 9785567

Web: www.martialartsvohra.com I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU! SSV001/01

Combat0309

18/2/09 19:47

Page 122

Rayners lane Taekwon-Do Academy Syllabus: 2nd Kup to 1st Kup

By Paul Mitchell, Southwell TaeKwon Do

This is the final volume in the trilogy of DVD’s covering the Kup syllabus of the Rayner’s Lane TaeKwon Do Academy, covering material for red belts taking their black stripe and black stripes taking their black belt grading.

2nd Kup The syllabus is covered in detail and with extensive use of different camera angles and slow motion footage.

Hwa-rang for example, is covered from front, both sides, and performed in slow motion. There is also extensive use of annotations on the screen, explaining important points and giving numerous tips. Key sections of the pattern are also shown separately, again with slow motion and annotations to help the student understand particular combinations and sequences.

The use of slow motion and screen notes continues through the rest of the syllabus. This covers traditional 1 Step Sparring, and Hosin Sul or Self Defence Techniques. This latter includes examples of defences against straight punch, haymaker, double push, same side and opposite side wrist grabs, twin wrist grabs, single collar grab, double collar grab, rear bear hug, front choke, rear choke and side headlock, 48 different examples of Hosin Sul defences are given in total just on this section alone!

Various forms of Sparring are then demonstrated, including Free Sparring with no protection and minimal contact, 2 vs. 1 Sparring, again without pads.

Interestingly there is then a section of 1 Step Sparring defences versus various knife attacks which is then developed into Free Sparring against a knife attacker.

The next section covers assorted destruction techniques, again demonstrated full speed and in slow motion, before the 2nd Kup material is wrapped up with a section on required theory.

1st Kup The material for 1st Kup follows the same style of presentation, with extensive use of different camera angles and slow motion footage plus screen notes.

The syllabus covers Choong Moo, 1 Step Sparring and then a variety of Free Sparring types. Free Sparring with no pads and minimal contact is followed by Free Sparring with pads and slightly heavier contact. Both allow limited groundwork.

Traditional Sparring follows on, with more time allowed on the ground. Developing on the ground based theme there is also Choke Sparring, where opponents start on 122 COMBAT WWW.COMBATMAG.CO.UK

Combat0309

18/2/09 19:47

Page 123

the floor back to back and attempt to gain a submission from their opponent with a choke, without standing or using strikes.

2 vs. 1 Sparring is also covered again, but this time its the padded version which allows greater contact.

Set Sparring covers 1 Step from both Traditional, to single attack 1 step and the Hosin Sul is more free in nature with no prescribed methods of attacks (including attacks from the front, then the rear), 1 Step against a knife and this is again developed into Free Sparring vs. a knife.

As might be expected from the author of Ch’ang Hon Hae Sul, students are also expected to explain pattern applications and demonstrate them with a partner and examples are given of this aspect.

The DVD continues with a section on destruction, performed with and without measure and including multi-

ple technique “demonstration type” breaks, before concluding with the theory required. As a final touch, some of the examples are actual black belt grading footage, showing just how some of this actually looks under the pressure of such a grading.

Overall The style of presentation of the DVD will be familiar to those who have seen either of the earlier volumes.

Unfortunately the same problems are there too. The background against which much of the filming takes place could be better, there is no marking on the floor for the pattern diagrams and the intrusive background noise of a normal class going on is there too. These factors may not detract from the DVD for some viewers, and obviously they do not inhibit using them as a reference source. They do, however, make the

finished product feel less polished, with lower production values, which in turn perhaps makes it less likely that viewers will dip back into it purely for pleasure.

I see the DVD primarily as a resource for students of Mr Anslow’s Academy and ITF students, but there is a lot of material of broader interest here too, which will interest the Taekwon-do community as a whole. It is certainly an in-depth DVD, especially when you consider that it focuses on just 2nd and 1st kup levels. In addition, the variety of Sparring and set Sparring demonstrated is interesting and illustrates the breadth and richness of TKD, without losing any of its character, and for that alone he should be applauded.

As with all the DVDs in this series, they can be previewed and purchased via www.raynerslanetkd.com

WWW.COMBATMAG.CO.UK COMBAT 123

Combat0309

18/2/09 19:46

Page 106

KUK001/03