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TAEKWONDO & KOREAN MARTIAL A RTS MAGAZINE VOLUME 14 | ISSUE 04 JULY 2009

TANG SOO DO What’s in a Name?

BROTHERHOOD TKD FOUNDATION A Successful Start to 2009

TKD in Korea & the UK Same Name, Different Rules Visit the TKD-KMA magazine website at www.taekwondomag.co.uk

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KUKKIWON Certification Available Now! Kukkiwon grades are cited around the world as one of the most credible qualifications available to the martial arts community.

Now you can apply for certification, regardless of style. ● Independent 8th Dan instructor BASED IN THE UK! ● Seminars and course in the UK and abroad ● All gradings certification direct from Kukkiwon Korea. ● Groups or individuals catered for.

Call today to find out more!

● Any and All grades up to 7th Dan catered for. ● Full certification from Kukkiwon HQ supplied. ● Check yours or anyones credentials on the Kukkiwon website. ● WTF or ITF or Independent stylists welcomed. ● No Politics - Just good practitioners invited. ● Kukkiwon gradings are open to any practitioner. ● Pre-grading tuition is also offered. ● Group visits to Kukkiwon in Korea can be arranged.

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

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

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Same Name, Different Rules Taekwondo in Korea and the UK Martial arts competitions have been ritual on the Korean peninsula long before the peninsula actually had a name. Techniques were learned and developed from observing both the offensive and defensive techniques of the beasts that dwelled there. These forms evolved over time and can be traced back to murals on the tombs of warriors. The name may have changed but whether it is called subak, taekkyon, takyyon or taekwondo one thing is true of all, followers of these forms devoted themselves to the art and to preserving their country, through altruistic means, and their way of life.

Being British and living in Korea I am often left wondering how Korea is perceived at home and as all of my taekwondo training has been undertaken in Korea I am left wondering how taekwondo, as practised in Korea differs, if at all, from taekwondo in the UK? How does the Korean terminology sound with a Scouse accent or a Welsh one? How is the philosophy interpreted in a country that has escalating rates of violent crime?

Taekwondo is undoubtedly and wholeheartedly Korean but it also a global sport and THE global martial

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art. Practitioners respect these origins every time the step into the dojang, greeting their master as ‘Kwan Jang Nim’ and observing codes of behaviour and etiquette that may well not exist in the world outside the gym window.

Modern taekwondo has become the single most popular martial art in the world, afforded the prestigious status of Olympic event. It is however constantly changing and will continue to do so. Forms, or poomse, change from one year to the next, with subtle changes being continually introduced. There are, however

more drastic changes happening everyday, in all the hundreds of countries that taekwondo is practised in. Like a giant Chinese whisper, taekwondo is interpreted and reorganised to fit in with the user’s needs and desires. Some prefer poomse, some prefer sparring and yet others crave the self defence aspects that are sometimes under utilised but there none the less.

Master Peter Hankin has been studying taekwondo for 23 years and runs a WTF club in Liverpool. He started by wandering into a community centre after hearing screams coming from inside. The instructor that day told him that observing the class wasn’t an option. 23 years later and with the support of a sympathetic bank manager he runs his club in Tuebrook, Liverpool and takes his students to competitions all over world.

The sounds that drew Master Hankin to his first class can be heard all over Korea, on almost every street, on almost everyday. The situation in the UK was, and still is, very different and this is why Master Hankin opened his own school. “I’d been teaching taekwondo in and around Liverpool for a number of years but I thought that we needed somewhere where people could come regularly, a fixed venue. So

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about 10 years ago I took a loan and rented this gym for the soul use of taekwondo.” In many towns in the UK there are no taekwondo dojangs at all, but in Korea they are as prevalent as banks and post offices, maybe more so. Master Hankin adds “Taekwondo is their [Koreans] national sport and so a lot of people do it” and maybe these opportunities are crucial to understanding the differences between Korea and the UK. The Olympics of 1988 in Seoul provided a showcase opportunity for taekwondo to promote itself and the huge, synchronised performance that graced the opening ceremony seems to have injected the sport with a new generation of practitioners who would take this sport all the way to becoming a medal event. The Olympics have given the sport its public image, that of kicking and kicking and more kicking. The spar-

ring, or kyorugi, aspect of taekwondo has become the single most noticeable feature about the martial art and seems to offer another major difference between Korea and the rest of the world. Sparring provides an opportunity to become a medal winner on an international stage.

The best of the best can compete for gold medals, fame and prestige at the Olympics. Master Hankin himself admits “What I find in the UK is that people are driven by gain. Basically if you can get a nice trophy or a medal then people are willing to put more effort into it.”

The kicking speed, accuracy and power I saw at Master Hankin’s school were on a par with the best I have seen in Korea and I cannot commend his students highly enough. Master Lee GeunSu, a Korean who now lives and works in the UK as a Korean interpreter and

also teaches taekwondo in Liverpool was surprised at what he saw when he arrived in the UK “When I first came to the UK I was very shocked by 2 things. The sparring level is very high considering most of the students are not yet 1st dan but their foot work is poor at times. This stems from a lack of basic skills.”

Another major difference between Korea and the rest of the world is that in Korea taekwondo is an art, always has been and always will be, but this doesn’t seem to be the case in the rest of the world. Taekwondo literally means ‘Way of the hand and foot’ or, to put it another way ‘The art of the hand and foot’ and it is this word ‘Art’ that for me accurately describes what taekwondo is in Korea.

Why then if practitioners around the world favour sparring and are very good at it does Korea seem to dominate the Olympics? “Good basic

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The

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skills” is the simple answer offered

by Lee Geunsu.

What then are basic skills?

Sparring practise takes centre stage and is given priority in the UK. The often overlooked self defence techniques and more importantly the poomse, the foundation of taekwondo grading, are seemingly learned out of a necessity to progress. In Korea they are revered as being the foundation on which taekwondo is built, the training ground of good basic skills.

So why are basic skills lacking and why are brown, blue and red belts in the UK so damn good at sparring? The answer may lie in the fact that the grading system is different in different countries. In the UK it can take as long as 4 or 5 years to attain a 1st Dan. In Korea this same level can be reached in just a single year. Master Hankin explains, “In Korea they have gradings once or twice a month but in the UK and Europe it has always been standardised so that there are 3 months between gradings. You start to learn more and more about taekwondo in Korea once you are taught up to dan grade. In the UK you learn most of your taekwondo whilst on your coloured belts and when you get your dan grade you can open up a school or teach other people.”

Students in the UK tend to go to classes only once or twice a week but in Korea it is common to attend 4 or 5 classes a week, more if there is

a competition coming up. “In Korea, 1st dan means the student is ready to be a real beginner. In the UK, 1st dan level students are higher than in Korea but a Korean 4th dan is higher than a 4th dan in the UK.” A 1st dan seems to represent a greater achievement in the UK than it does in Korea. British 1st dan holders can justifiably feel like they have reached a pinnacle of sorts, where as in Korea it represents only a base camp on the way to a different pinnacle.

In Korea, taekwondo is for life and students are more likely to continue practising. In the UK people are more fickle and may move on to other things, other martial arts. In Korea, getting to 1st dan level is like

getting to the garden gate, ready to begin a journey. In the UK it represents a journey in itself and a long four year journey it is.

In 2012 the Olympic Games will arrive in the UK and British athletes will have home advantage. Master Hankin notes that although Korea has dominated Olympic taekwondo “Other nations such as Iran, Spain, Egypt, America and the UK are slowly staring to catch up.” Whilst this is true Master Lee offers a warning to anyone hoping for taekwondo gold in 2012 “Other countries are getting better but we need to remember that Korea is getting better too.”

If these masters are right then the 2012 Olympics in London may well be the best yet for taekwondo.

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TANG SOO DO

By Master David Allerton (5th Dan)

What’s in a Name?

It is important for new students to learn and appreciate the philosophy behind their chosen art. In Tang Soo Do there is much to be proud of, in particular, the application of the Sip Sam Seh (13 ancient influences) together with hyungs not found in any other style such as the Chil Sung and Yuk Ro series. We also place great emphasis on the meaning of the term “Pyung Ahn” so that constant training provides benefits not only in personal protection but also in everyday life. Therefore, development of the character requires just as much attention as the pursuit of perfect technique.

To understand something of Tang Soo Do philosophy and history it is helpful to look at the Moo Duk Kwan emblem. The one shown in this article celebrates 60 years from the founding of the school.

Laurel leaves feature prominently since they stand for achievement, often used in ancient Greek Olympiads. The 14 leaves on each side represent the 14 provinces of Korea. The 6 red berries stand for the 6 continents and the Yang element.

The fist means justice, honour and strength. The blue scroll at the base is the Um element and signifies knowledge. Overall it indicates the spread of Moo Duk Kwan ethics across the globe to promote world unity.

The writing to the left reads “Soo” and to the right “Bahk”. Over the years it has been changed by different bodies and you can find examples which read “Hwa and Soo”; “Tang and Soo” ; “Tae and Kwon”. There is in fact a large following of Taekwondo students resulting from Moo Duk Kwan members who joined the unification process many years ago. Soo Bahk is the term used to describe the ancient martial art

of Korea and the Association now headed by the founders son, Grand Master Hwang, Hyun Chul.

The calligraphy in the centre represents Moo or military but can be interpreted to mean “prevent conflict”. This exemplifies the paradox of martial art in that what appears on the outside to be violent is in reality a vehicle for peace.

My own school uses the Um/Yang to symbolise harmony and balance in addition to Pyung Ahn for peace and security. I am always interested to hear more on Tang Soo Do philosophy so if there is anything particular to your school or emblem then please email me.

The belt colour system in Tang Soo Do follows the changing of the seasons from a students potential which remains hidden in winter through the emergence of new growth in spring, flourishing in summer and maturing in autumn. The midnight blue (dan belt) and Master belt have a special significance. This colour denotes respect and humility. It also refers to the fact that we must all strive to progress further in our training (black would mean the end of things). Nevertheless, I have often heard it referred to as a “black belt” which can give rise to misunderstandings. Many years ago when Grand Master Hwang Kee made a visit to the U.S. to review standards he was horrified to find that midnight blue belts had been replaced by black. He immediately ordered all dan grades to revert to the original colour. The horizontal red stripe through the centre of the Master belt refers to the element Yang or hardness while the midnight blue on the outside denotes Um or softness.

The philosophy here is to refrain from aggressive behaviour and display a calm outward appearance. The hard interior should always be kept hidden behind a humble demeanor, however, if it were ever needed then we must prevail. Midnight blue refers to knowledge and wisdom reminding us that the martial artist should also be a scholar. Another historical and unique feature is the Kwan Jeok Bu which is the register of Dan seniority starting with the very first Moo Duk Kwan cho dan, Mr Kim, Un Chang in 1947.

Grand Master Hwang Kee promoted Tang Soo Do as a “living art”.

Therefore, each students “Ryu Pa” or self development is an important progression much as we learn from our parents before venturing into the world to find our own way. KJN Hwang Kee himself studied the scientific application of power and in particular use of the hip extension in kicking. This in turn was followed by many other styles.

Tang Soo Do (Soo Bahk Do) is a traditional martial art taking many movements from the Moo Yei Do Bo Tong Ji (1790) military manual which chronicled techniques from many centuries ago. Even the Tang Soo Do uniform with the cross over trim can be seen on paintings from the 4th century Ko Ku Ryo dynasty.

If you have any comments, news or seminar information please email me the details.

Yours in Tang Soo! Email: allerton@cytanet.com.cy DA Martial Fit Ltd www.tangsoo.co.uk WWW.COMBATMAG.CO.UK COMBAT 131

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

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

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

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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

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Brotherhood

Taekwondo Foundation Enjoys Successful Start to 2009 The Brotherhood TKD Foundation has a long & distinguished history within British WTF Taekwondo, stretching back to the 1970’s & 1980’s, when the likes of Lindsay Lawrence and Chris Sawyerr graced the floor and picked up World and European medals on a regular basis and when the backbone of the GB Team were from Brotherhood clubs.

It is a history which is still being written today, with the Brotherhood being one of the very few teams that have produced medallists at every one of the BTCB’s British Poomsae Championships, since the event started in 1994.

Key amongst this success has been the fact that Brotherhood Instructors have led by example on the mat and inspired the more junior ranks to follow in their footsteps.

At the start of 2009, Brotherhood TKD Foundation Chairman, Con Halpin, set out in a message on the Foundations website, the aims and objectives for the year ahead. Chief amongst those were to re establish the Brotherhood as a major force on the competition circuit.

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It is an ambitious expectation, as there are a lot of new members within Brotherhood clubs, most of whom are in the lower ranks, but it is one that has been undertaken with relish by the members, many of whom had not competed before the start of the year.

The teams’ ambitions may take some years to come fully to fruition, but for the newer competitors, the chance to develop their skills at an early stage in their learning will be of great benefit to them later on.

Despite its fine heritage in competition, there has never been a requirement for members to get onto the competition mat, although, there is encouragement. Competition is seen as a tool to help students sharpen their skill at a particular aspect of

Taekwondo, but never the ‘be all’ of training. The emphasis is on producing good, knowledgeable exponents of the art, but entering competition can sharpen the mind and ensures better application of techniques taught. It is more the preparation than the event, although that is an experience in itself!

British Masters Open Championships - Feb 2009 The team, which trains at locations in London & the Home Counties, travelled to the K2 Centre in Crawley, West Sussex for this event staged by the ‘Universal TKD Federation ‘ & picked up 5 Gold, 6 Silver and 6 Bronze medals at the event which had over 500 competitors, including some International teams.

Amongst Brotherhood budding Olympic hopefuls, were outstanding performances from the team’s youngest fighters: George Day (aged 11) won a Bronze medal having stopped his first opponent, Yogesh Patel (8) and Lauren Wilkinson (11) both collected Silver, and a top rated performance

by Mark Suter saw him collect Gold for the team, as he totally dominated his final fight from start to finish.

The team also had some outstanding performances in the Poomsae (forms) section; Saira Waheed (aged 11) and Carla Chaplin (adults), both took Gold in their respective categories, along with

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Instructors Andy Barrett and Con Halpin who were competing in the Black Belt categories.

Magarita Nazarova picked up Silver behind team-mate Saira Waheed to make it a Brotherhood ‘one-two’ in that particular group.

The team took 2nd place overall in the league of teams in the Poomsae competition.

Other medallists on the day were: Luke Braiden (Silver), Gary Wilkinson (Silver), Scott Carpenter (Silver), Andrew Cooper (Bronze), Daniel Summerell (Bronze) Heidi Pereira (Bronze), Michelle Pereira (Bronze) and Emily Carpenter (Bronze) TKD ChungDoKwan of GB, National Championships - March 2009 It was perhaps unfortunate that this event coincided with the BTCB British Poomsae Championships in Sheffield.

A decision was made that, for logistical reasons, the bulk of the team would go to this event in Bracknell, Berkshire.

Also, as a special invitation to the event had been received from Gt. Britain & Brotherhood legend Master Lindsay Lawrence, who is now the

President of the TKD ChungDoKwan of Great Britain, it was felt appropriate to honour the invitation. The invitation marks the special relationship that the Brotherhood enjoys with members of the ChungDoKwan.

Team members Mark Suter, Rico Becker, Hollie Wilkinson & sister Lauren Wilkinson fully did justice to the team when they each secured Gold in their respective categories in the Poomsae (Forms) competition.

They were joined by Instructor Jane Barrett who won Silver.

Amongst the teams fighters (in the Kyorogi competition), were outstanding repeat performances from the team’s youngest fighters, George Day (aged 11) who won a Silver medal which may have been gold on another day - Hollie Wilkinson (9) who took Bronze and the teams star of the day, Lauren Wilkinson (11) who took her second Gold of the day.

Laurens transformation from shy youngster as a beginner, to a keen & well disciplined competitor shortly ready to test for her junior black belt (poom grade), is testimony to the positive effects that Taekwondo can have on children.

George Day, too, is a shining example of those positive effects and he shows much of the promise that

made his mother, Donette, such a good fighter and a Champion in both Poomsae & Kyorogi.

The team took 5 Gold, 2 Silver & 1 Bronze from this event.

Team Coaches, Donette GatesDay & Kevin George are looking to continue the run of success at future Championships throughout this year.

Kevin said ‘All team members acquitted themselves exceptionally well, even those who didn’t medal.

Being part of the team is reward in itself, and they each have to put any personal disappointment on the day to one side, in order to support their team mates. We are looking to recruit new members, not only to expand our team, but for anyone who simply wants to train in this exciting martial art’.

BTCB British Poomsae Championships - March 2009 A much depleted team, due to the scheduling of the ChungDoKwan Championships, meant that the Brotherhood took a team of just four (4) competitors to this two day event.

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more. In addition, this year saw a large number of new competitors with all groups hotly contested by an increased number of entrants of high calibre.

Day 1 (Saturday) was set aside for Black Belt competitors, of which the Brotherhood had three entries, with the team’s sole Kup Grade entry taking to the mat on the Sunday.

The team suffered an early setback however when Master Niall Grange, (former British Champion, International medallist & Rep. of Ireland International), was denied entry to the event due to a technicality. Despite this, he had travelled over 300 miles to be at the event and had met with BTCB Officials only the night before (and who also had his entry 10 days previously), without any suggestion that there was a problem, says much about the way the BTCB sometimes does things.

This clearly had a knock on effect on the team and Andy Barrett missed out on a final placing because of, by his own admission, a very poor performance. Had the distraction of Niall’s exclusion not been an issue, and with a performance in line with what he was producing in training, it was felt he would have made the final. Still, for someone performing below par, he managed to finish well up the field in a very competitive division.

Niall’s exclusion was also having an adverse effect on Con Halpin, a

seasoned campaigner who has medalled at every British Championships since 1994. However, it was Niall Grange who, taking on coaching responsibilities, managed to steady him and got him to focus on his performance. A role which certainly did the trick as it produced a Gold medal winning performance.

Afterwards Con said: ‘To treat a fellow competitor in the way that Niall has been treated today is grossly unreasonable. Is this the way the Board treats Master grades? I think that Niall has shown great dignity despite the way he has been treated and there are certain other Master grades that can learn a lot from the way he composed himself and put aside any thoughts he may have had for himself, for the benefit of others, Otherwise I’m sure it would have been a very different story for me today - that is the mark of a true Master, not the number of stripes on a belt. I wouldn’t like to say that certain individuals may have benefited from his exclusion, but I felt he was good enough for a top two finish today, but then again, what do I know about it?’

The Kup grade competition was also heavily subscribed in all divisions, an example of the ever increasing popularity of Poomsae competition and the importance of developing not just fighting skills, but other aspects for potential Black Belts.

And so it was left to Nadia Becker to fly the flag for the Brotherhood on day 2 of competition, something she did magnificently well. In a hard fought final, where all 6 of the final competitors looked capable of finishing in the three available medal places, Nadia secured an emphatic Silver, in what was her first major event. A truly fantastic achievement which had mother Michelle in raptures on the viewing balcony!

In summary, this has been a good start to the year for the team, although there were obviously certain issues in relation to the BTCB event which took a shine off the overall feeling of achievement. However, the reception given to the team by both the Universal TKD Federation and the Taekwondo ChungDoKwan GB were shining examples of how to treat guests.

The team looks forward to competing at further events throughout the year and to build on the experiences gained.

Anyone wishing to find out more about the Brotherhood TKD Foundation can do so by going to the website at www.brotherhoodtkd.co.uk There are extensive picture galleries from the 1970’s right up to date, as well as the detailed history of how the name came about, the meaning behind the badge design and the founding members amongst many other items.

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