Issue 2 - United States Kido Federation

Summer 2014 • Volume 2 • Issue 2
USKF NEWSLETTER
A publication of the United States K ido Federation
14205 U St., Omaha, NE 68137 • Tel: (402) 215-6003 • E-mail: [email protected]
and a beginning.
President’s Note
On April 26, 2014 I received my 9th Dan in Traditional
TaeKwon-Do from Grandmaster Robert Dunn among
an assembly of other noted grandmasters. The occasion was attended by martial artists from all over the
country, past and present students, instructors, and
family members. It was the last promotion I will ever
receive in the art of TaeKwon-Do.
I have grown old enough that the stripes on my belt will
no longer increase. While this may sound flippant, it is
not. Many years ago as a younger master I was teaching a seminar with a long deceased Grandmaster that
I had just met. I was in awe over his rank and knowledge. I had the honor of picking his brain for an afternoon while on a boat ride around the lakes of upstate
New York. A lot of the conversations we had that day
are most likely the food for a different post. One of the
things he said to me, however, was don’t be impressed
by the rank, “I am just getting older.” I understood what
he was saying, but knew that there was more to it.
Right?
As the years chased by my rank slowly increased. At
each new rank, I matured a little more into my role as
a teacher and mentor. Last weekend, I started on my
final martial arts journey in TaeKwon-Do. It is the beginning of a new chapter for me and the end of an old
one. As a 9th Dan, I can no longer be promoted in my
primary art. I have risen to the end of that structure. It is
a bitter-sweet moment that I contemplate ... an ending
Time and choices made along the way have made me
the person that I am. I am honored and nervous about
this change. I have met the men whose steps I have
been asked to walk in and I find myself feeling small.
Their strides are longer and more sure than mine. I feel
inadequate, unprepared, and unworthy despite it all. At
9th Dan I am a white belt again. I have to empty my cup
and fill it with something new.
My journey to this point took time. I did not feel my wisdom increase in concert with my age or even my physical skills, but then again I didn’t feel the color of my hair
changing either. I often feel my body is falling apart with
old injuries, yet I will do things I would chastise a lower
rank for doing because I feel I am the one who should
do it. It is like that when you walk in the shoes of giants,
you put your all into being a shadow of greatness. The
shoes I follow in are huge.
As I move forward with this responsibility, I understand
things will change for me. I have to be more than I am,
but I still have to maintain my sense of self. I need to
know when to tell an up-coming martial artist to enjoy
the journey and not be impressed by my rank because
“I am just getting older.”
Left to Right: GM Patrick Hickey Kwanmukan; GM Brandon Rogers Kukkiwon Advisory Board; GM Troy Trudeau World TaeSool
Association; GM Jeff Helaney US Kido Federation, GM James
Rosenbach; GM Robert Dunn International Jun Tong TaeKwon-Do
Federation; GM Rodney Kauffman.
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2014 USKF Black Belt Hall
of Fame
Omaha, Nebraska – GM Jeff Helaney, president of the
United States Kido Federation announced the 2014
inductees for the Black Belt Hall of Fame at ceremonies held in Omaha, Nebraska on April 26, 2014. This
event recognizes a limited number of martial artists
each year for their unique contributions to the martial
arts. Helaney said, “It is important to truly recognize
excellence and effort whenever possible. Each person
at this event has dedicated his or her life to the promulgation and promotion of the arts. We are proud to
recognize each of their talents and character through
this event.“
2014 Hall of Fame inductees:
Pioneer and Legend - Robert Dunn
Diamond Lifetime Achievement - Troy Trudeau
GrandMasters of the Year - Patrick Hickey, Brandon
Richards
Masters of the Year - Alfredo Hernandez, Jesus Alicea, Liver Pabon Matos, Kevin McDaniel
Outstanding Instructors of the Year - Jim Raemisch, Brian Zich, Mathiam Mbow
Outstanding Assistant Instructor of the Year Colton Decker, Isaiah Price
Outstanding Contributions to the Martial Arts Henry Hathaway, David Rossiaky, James Rosenbach
Outstanding Martial Arts Magazine Publisher Kyle Franklin, TaeKwonDo Times Magazine
2014 Excellence Awards winners:
Outstanding School of the Year Steve Tucker; Open Circle Martial Arts
Outstanding Student of the Year -Jacob Price.
The 2015 United States Kido Federation Black Belt Hall
of Fame is scheduled to be held in the greater Chicagoland area. For 2015 nominations, please contact either
Jason Frymire: [email protected]
David Rossiaky: [email protected]
The Practice of Power: Part II
By: David Rossiaky III Dan
From The Practice of Power: A Deconstruction of the Theory of
Power and Its Application to Patterns
Remember that traditional style drills, forms included,
are intended to develop muscle memory, or unconscious reactionary impulses related to physical motions. However, despite our best training methods and
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disciplined training, a real fight is much different from a
simulated fight. Physiologically, any situation that puts
you in a position where your life may be in jeopardy will
trigger an adrenaline rush associated with the fight-orflight response. Often times, we may not be expecting
an altercation, adding the element of surprise into the
mix along with the disorientation that can occur when
faced with performing martial arts in an environment
and clothing that you do not typically associate with
TaeKwon-Do. You may find yourself defending only
yourself, or defending family, friends, or innocent bystanders. All of these possibilities have a negative impact on your ability to perform at your maximum potential.
General Choi Hong Hi, indisputably the most influential and instrumental figure in the development of TaeKwon-Do, was aware of this phenomenon of a diminished proficiency in a combat situation. He devised the
theory of power as a methodical and systematic sixpronged remedy to this effect, and patterns were created to put the theory of power into practice. In this way,
patterns can be thought of as the practice of power.
Consider the following example to illustrate the connection and purpose of patterns and the theory of power. Let us say for the sake of this demonstration that on
average, a martial artist is able to utilize, in an actual
fight, 75% of the power they are able to generate when
practicing under ideal training conditions. When one
consistently exploits the six components of the theory
of power in their practicing routine, namely through the
performance of patterns, they are able to use all 100%
of their potential power in training. This means that in
a genuine physical conflict, someone training in this
manner could be expected to make use of 75% of their
total potential power (as .75 x 100 = 75%).
Now, suppose someone else trains without properly
applying the theory of power. Perhaps they are not using all six elements, they do not understand the link
between traditional style and fighting style, or they do
not practice their forms frequently enough. The causes
could be many, but the results will be the same. Using
this training regimen, perhaps they are able to use 75%
of their potential power when training. In this instance,
when this person ends up in an actual fight, they can
only be expected to use 56.25% of their true potential power (as .75 x 75 = 56.25%). Thus, by training
25% less effectively (the result of a failure to employ
the theory of power when practicing), one can expect
to additionally lose nearly 20% of their effectiveness
in a potentially life-or-death situation. While I cannot
guarantee the outcome of either of the two scenarios
outlined above, I can say with great confidence that the
Continued on page 6
Creating Unity One Step at a
Time!
The United States Kido Federation (USKF) has been
quietly working in the background the last several
years to bring together Korean heritage style martial
artists through an informal network of associations. According to USKF President GM Jeff Helaney the goals
of the Federation are to breakdown organizational barriers, promote growth, create training opportunities,
and maintain instructional standards for Korean style
martial arts as they continue to grow and develop in
the USA.
Last year GM Robert Dunn, President of the International Jun Tong TaeKwon-Do Federation (JTF), and
Helaney took the first step by announcing an affiliated organization status between the two groups. The
movement continues this year with the addition of
the World Tae Sool Association (WSTA) to the group
of affiliated organizations. According to WTSA President Troy Trudeau, “Unity in Korean martial arts helps
us cultivate true spirit, knowledge, and growth for the
continued success of our instructors, students, and
schools.”
motivate your students is to be a highly motivated person yourself.
When a student reaches a designated goal, help him to
establish the next goal immediately. Ongoing goals will
encourage students to increase their efforts. You can
motivate students by creating a system of rewards and
incentives.
Material rewards may include: medals, achievement
awards, trophies, promotional testing, etc. Non-material rewards are also important for the motivation of students. Verbal incentives and encouragement in a class
setting are particularly effective for building student
confidence and peer respect.
So we can conclude that motivated behavior is the direct result of the presence of proper student arousal
and a goal oriented atmosphere created by the instructor. Listed below are a few tips about motivating your
students:
The three groups are currently working together to
cross promote training opportunities, tournament, and
knowledge exchange.
The Essence of Teaching:
Motivation
By: Grandmaster Robert Dunn
From: The Jun Tong TaeKwon-Do Federation Instructor Development Course
Motivation is the mental spark that energizes a person
for action. To energize your body, you must first open
your mind. To open your mind, you must be aroused by
an internal or external stimulus. This stimulus is known
as motivation.
In a teaching environment, the stimulus may be different for each individual or it may be a common factor in
a group activity. To motivate your students, you must
first discover what stimulates them to learn.
Students may be motivated if they want to achieve
the superior performance levels and psychological
rewards that the martial arts can offer. If they are not
motivated, their training will become mechanical and
their performance will be poor. The single best way to
1) Never hesitate to encourage or praise students when
they perform well.
2) Always encourage students to try again when they
have made a mistake or experienced failure.
3) When setting goals clearly state: what the goal is,
how to proceed, and how the student will know when
the goal is achieved.
4) Present new tasks in small, easy to complete steps.
5) “Failure is the predecessor of success.” Students
must learn to overcome failure and use it as “a stepping
stone on the road to success.”
Be sure to check future editions of this newsletter for more of
The Jun Tong TaeKwon-Do Federation Instructor Development
Course.
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Omaha National Martial Arts
Championship IV
Omaha, NE – The 2014 Omaha National Martial Arts
Championship kicked off on Friday, April 26 with a
number of great FREE seminars from noted martial
artists GM Robert Dunn, GM Troy Trudeau, GM James
Rosenbach, and GM Rodney Kauffman.
Saturday’s event kicked off with open ceremonies by
the Stratcom Joint Color Guard and Douglas County
Commissioner Mary Ann Borgenson. Over 800 spectators, judges, competitors, and volunteers packed into
the event gymnasium for over 120 different competition
divisions, including: Traditional Forms, Creative Forms,
Light Contact Point Sparring, Light Contact Continuous
Sparring, Self-Defense, Team Forms, Weapons, and
more.
All competitors who placed in their divisions pre-qualified for the 2015 WOMAA World Martial Games in Europe. The tournaments OVERALL Tournament Grand
Champions:
Under Black Belt Under 18 – Abby McFarland
Under Black Belt Over 18 – Alissa Kuehn
Black Belt Under 18 - Casey Montgomery
Black Belt Over 18 - Jason Frymire
The Development of the Kwans
By: Grandmaster Robert Dunn
Kwan in Korean literally means building or hall, but
when used in martial arts it can also refer to a school or
clan of martial artists who follow the same style and/or
leader. At the time, there were 9 major Kwans throughout Korea and once someone joined a particular Kwan,
it was very difficult to transfer to another Kwan. When
someone wanted to transfer to another Kwan, his original Kwan Jang had to authorize and approve the transfer, but in reality the Kwan Jang usually threatened the
member using authoritative means in an effort to persuade the potential transferee to not leave. This was a
critical issue in those days.
K ang Duk Won
The Kang Duk Won was founded after the Korean War
in 1956 by two people who practiced martial arts at the
YMCA Kwon Bup Bu. They were HONG Jong Pyo and
PARK Chul Hee. The first Kwan Jang was HONG Jong
Pyo.
Page 4
The Kang Duk Won was founded after YMCA Kwon
Bup Bu’s founder, YOON Byung In, was kidnapped to
North Korea. HONG Jong Pyo and PARK Chul Hee
had conflicts with LEE Nam Suk and KIM Soon Bae,
which led to a separation. Regarding this, Kang Duk
Won’s second Kwan Jang, PARK Chul Hee, said: “After
the Korean War, when the members were scattered,
the Chang Moo Kwan and Kang Duk Won came out of
the YMCA Kwon Bup Bu’s root. Therefore, we cannot
say that the Kang Duk Won was from the Chang Moo
Kwan.”
After starting the dojang in Shin Sul Dong, Seoul in
1956, Kang Duk Won was named, which meant: “a
house of teaching generosity.” This motto became the
symbol of the Kang Duk Won.
The Kang Duk Won was not a big school. The first
members were 1) LEE Kum Hong; 2) KIM Yong Chae
(5th KTA President); 3) LEE, Jung Hoo; 4) LEE, Kang
Hwi; 5) HAN Jung Il; 6) KIM Pyung Soo; 7) JI Seung
Won; 8) IM Bok Jin and others.
Later the Kang Duk Won constantly moved from Chang
Sin Dong to Chung Jin Dong to Suh Dae Moon Gu to
Seoul Gymnasium to Suh Dae Moon Gu Lottery and
other places. When LEE Kum Hong became the third
Kwan Jang, the Kang Duk Won moved to In Sa Dong
and settled there. Presently, the Kang Duk Won Moo
Do Hwe continues on.
Han Moo Kwan
LEE Kyo Yoon founded the Han Moo Kwan in August
1956, and it was the leader of the new schools in the
mid 1950’s. Even now, LEE Kyo Yoon denies that the
Han Moo Kwan was a split from the Ji Do Kwan. After
the Cho-sun Yun Moo Kwan’s CHUN Sang Sup was
kidnapped to North Korea during the Korean War, everything was in chaos, so LEE Chong Woo opened the
Ji Do Kwan, and he himself opened the Han Moo Kwan.
Therefore Han Moo Kwan’s root is not Ji Do Kwan, but
rather from the Cho-sun Yun Moo Kwan. This is LEE
Kyo Yoon’s claim.
LEE Kyo Yoon says: “In November 1950, I came back
to Seoul and taught Tang Soo Do (Taekwon-Do). But
Continued on page 5
First USKF Retreat
Rivera Maya, Mx - US Kido Federation members
from across the United States gathered at the beautiful eco-resort, Barcelo Maya, for a weekend of training, fraternity, and fun. Early morning workouts on the
beach included topics such as directed targeting, grappling, and technique flow. Afterwards participants enjoyed a number of area activities such as: snorkeling,
sailing, dolphin rides, day trips to archeological sites,
and zip lining through the jungles. If you weren’t lucky
enough to participate this year, make sure you join us
next year for an amazing event!
Kwans, continued from page 4
the Cho-son Yun Moo Kwan’s LEE Jae Hwang said the
building I was using was a Yudo place, so he insisted
that I leave. After thinking for a long time, I went to visit
Vice President LEE Sang Mook of the Korean Amateur
Sports Gymnasium and he allowed me to start a Taekwon-Do club and teach.”
Back then, the Han Kuk Che
Yuk Kwan taught boxing, Judo,
wrestling, weight lifting and
fencing as a universal gym. With
the permission of LEE Sang
Mook, LEE Kyo Yoon taught
Taekwon-Do (Tang Soo Do)
temporarily and secured 200
members. However, conflicts
with LEE Chong Woo became
amplified and with LEE Sang Mook’s suggestion, he
temporarily stopped teaching Taekwon-Do.
Then he went to Chang Sin Dong of Jong Ro Gu, Seoul
at the backyard of Kang Moon High School to open
his own school. This led to the founding of the Han
Moo Kwan. The period of the Chang Sin Dong was a
hardship.
“He called his tent with a straw mat for a floor, a …
Dojang.”
Jung Do Kwan
The Jung Do Kwan was founded by LEE Yong Woo,
right after the Korean War in 1954 at the Lottery in
Suh Dae Moon Gu, Seoul. The Jung Do Kwan had no
conflicts or disagreements with the Chung Do Kwan,
which was a unique difference from the other Chung
Do Kwan branch or annex Kwans.
LEE Yong Woo discusses the naming of his school:
“I wanted to open a dojang, but just couldn’t think of
any good names. At that time, my training buddy, UHM
Woon Kyu in the Chung Do Kwan suggested to take out
the dot from Chung character and name my school the
Jung Do Kwan. This was a very good idea I thought.
The meaning of Jung Do, ‘Stepping the right way’, was
the identical meaning of a martial artist’s spirit, so I’ve
decided to name my school the Jung Do Kwan.”
Back then, the Jung Do Kwan’s area was about 100
pyong. However, word of LEE Yong Woo’s unique training program that was distinctive from other schools attracted many students. To meet the increasing number
of students, LEE Yong Woo taught five different class
Continued on page 6
Page 5
Power, continued from page 2
person who made the theory of power central to their
training is far more likely to walk away from a fight in
one piece than someone who does not properly utilize
the theory of power.
Before moving on to the individual elements of the theory of power, I will quickly recap what we have already
covered and why it is relevant. The theory of power
consists of six components: reaction force, concentration, equilibrium, breath control, speed, and mass.
When combined properly, the constituent pieces of the
theory of power work together to allow you to use 100%
of your potential power under ideal conditions. Patterns
are a series of movements that allow you to practice
using the theory of power. Through diligence and repetition, patterns teach your body to dodge, block, and
counterattack with minimal conscious thought. This
allows for maximum efficiency and the greatest likelihood of survival in a real fight, which is the ultimate
goal of martial arts training. With this always in mind,
let us move on to discuss the individual elements of the
theory of power and how to use each of them when
practicing patterns. We will start with breath control.
Breathing is a good place to begin thinking about the
theory of power, as one can be fairly confident that everyone already has at least some familiarity with breathing. But in all seriousness, breathing as it applies to the
theory of power is much different than typical day-in
day-out breathing. Rather than a steady rhythm, breath
control calls for inhalations and exhalations to occur in
correspondence with particular motions. Inhaling, as a
general rule, is to take place between motions, while
exhaling punctuates the impact of a strike, block, kick,
or other motion, whether offensive or defensive.
Principally, exhaling, particularly a sharp exhalation,
tightens the core muscles of the abdomen. The benefits of this are manifold. A tensed core allows for unrestricted motion, aiding in the execution of all of the other
components of the theory of power. Through practice,
one will learn quite naturally to inhale while between
techniques and to exhale at the moment of attack or
defense. Using this method of breath control allows
one to delivery maximum force whether attacking or
blocking in addition to sustaining minimum injury when
struck by an opponent, all while becoming winded as
slowly as possible. It is worth noting that the same principle that causes exhaling to protect you when you are
hit by an attacker works just as well when thrown or
performing break falls.
There are several additional benefits to using breath
Page 6
control that are not strictly related to the theory of power. When performing patterns as a part of a group, rather than individually, the exhalation that corresponds to
the end of each movement is the principle indicator
used by members of the group to maintain a uniform
pace. This allows each individual to keep their eyes on
their targets rather than on the people around them. It
is also important to mention that ki-hoping is an extension of breath control. In actuality, a ki-hop is really just
a louder, more forceful exhalation. In an actual fight,
a ki-hop is a perfectly acceptable means of exhaling,
as it will not only allow for maximum power, but it will
likely startle your opponent and draw attention to your
situation as well.
While practicing patterns, use your breathing as an indicator that the motion is completed. Exhaling should
happen at the end of each movement, simultaneous
with the hands and feet landing in their proper positions. This applies equally to both attacking and defending motions. Inhale in preparation of movement
between each technique. With the exception of techniques performed in continuous motion, each move is
to be performed with only a single breath. Finally, it is
never a good idea to hold your breath while performing patterns; this will starve your muscles of oxygen,
putting a negative strain on them, in addition to making
your movements less efficient, all while robbing each
technique of potential power.
Be sure to check future editions of this newsletter for the rest of
The Practice of Power: A Deconstruction of the Theory of Power
and Its Application to Patterns.
Kwans, continued from page 5
es, which finished late at night.
With the school’s motto, “I am an honorable man without shame”, the Jung Do Kwan opened additional
schools in Masan, Wool San, Chang Won, Mok Po and
Kim Je, spreading its power.
The Jung Do Kwan’s first students were: 1) JANG Yong
Gap; 2) KIM Jae Ki; 3) KIM Ki Dong; 4) OH Bu Woong;
5) JOO Ki Moon; and 6) PARK Tae Hyun. Later, following in their footsteps were 1) PARK Kyung Sun; 2)
SHIM Myung Gu; 3) KIM Myung Hwan; 4) KIM Hak
Kuen; 5) CHUN Young Kuen; 6) CHUN Sun Yong; 7)
LEE Jong Oh.
During the mid 1950’s there were many Kwans in Korea, each placing a different philosophy on techniques
and training, based on their origins. “There were about
40 different Kwans who ushered in the age of Taekwon-Do.”