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Tags: Blackbelt First Dan Testing Grading

As many of you must, we had to write an essay for our first dan test.  My test is Thursday, September eighteenth, so I will have to read it aloud before class.  Anyway, the subject we are required to write aboutt is how taekwondo has changed our life.  Here is my essay.

 

Daniel

 

How Taekwondo changed my life

 

 I was first introduced to the martial arts through a recreational department ‘karate’ class that was actually Tang Soo Do.  Later, I studied taekwondo at a local dojang, eventually at Jhoon Rhee in Kensington and finally, at Jae Kim’s Karate in Rockville in the late eighties. 

 

Marriage, kids, and professional life took me away from taekwondo for quite a while, but I was always happy to tell people that, “I took karate.”  Never mind that I hadn’t formally studied since 1988.  But when my son, Connor was eleven and wanted to take martial arts, he and I wound up here at Korean Martial Arts.  We were taking kumdo, but I was at least in the building, and after my first dan in kumdo, I began taking taekwondo again.

 

Being forty and starting fresh was not easy.  The forms that I had learned were all but forgotten and anyway, they’d been replaced by the Taegeuk forms that I’d never learned.  I’d lost a lot of the flexibility that I had once had, so in spite of several years of classes in my youth, I was really a beginner again.  Kumdo with Master Kim and Master Choi had gotten me back into shape, so I was at least going into the classes with solid strength, stamina, and reflexes.  At that time, Master Yeo had just joined our teaching staff, and most of my classes were with him.  Since beginning class, both of my sons, Patrick and Connor have begun taking taekwondo as well. 

 

Slowly, my flexibility has come back and I can once again kick higher than my own head.  I’ve learned the taegeuk forms, proving that you really can teach an old dog new tricks.  And something I’d never done, Olympic style sparring, I’ve gotten reasonably good at and enjoy.

 

I’ve been instructing kumdo here at Korean Martial Arts for about fourteen months now, which was a goal achieved for me.  When I am good enough with taekwondo, I would like to one day instruct that as well. 

 

Taekwondo has changed my life in that it has provided me with a solid base all my life, even when I took my near twenty year break, and testing for first dan has brought me to the achieving of a long unfinished goal.  Taekwondo has helped to give me a greater personal direction, and has certainly been good for my health and fitness.  Like Kumdo, Taekwondo is a way of life, one that I can keep with me for life.

Tags: First Dan Essay Blackbelt

I have had a lot to say recently about blackbelts, though more in terms of how they're obtained than the nature of them.  So I would like to put out on the table for all to see my definitive thoughts on the the nature of a black belt.

I have seen a lot of different ideas of what a blackbelt should or should not be.  I have seen a lot of comments made that the whole belt system should just go away.  After all, it is a comparatively recent invention in the grand scheme of things and does not contribute directly to one's training or skill.

Well I hate to break it to the 'get rid of the belt system' crowd, but while I respect and to an extent agree with that perspective, belts aren't going anywhere.  In the context of taekwondo, which is my primary art, the belt system was established by the time taekwondo was codified into taekwondo. 

So since belts are here to stay, I find myself looking at the next best thing.  Belts should have meaning.  I don't mean philosophical or a 'look at me, I'm special' meaning, but an actual, honest, meaning.  In the trades, we go from apprentice to journeyman to master craftsman.  The medeival guild apprentice system from which those terms come starts with apprentice.  The apprentice is taught basic skills of the trade.  Once the apprentice has leaned enough and has produced a work of suitable quality, he was given the rank of journeyman and documentation of this rank by his master or by the guild of which he was a member.  A journeyman then could travel about (hence the name, journeyman)and learn new techniques and methods.  After a period of time and after producing a qualifying example of his craft, his master piece, he could be received as a master craftsman by the guild and was given documentation proving his rank.

That is how I see the belt system.  The colored belts are a period of apprenticehship.  The first dan test is the equivalent of a qualifying work of the craft, in this case, the martial art.  The dan practitioner then learns more advanced techniques, perfects the basics, and take on a greater level of responsibility in the dojo or dojang.  Then after a period of time, the dan rank practitioner tests for his master level.  His or her test for fourth, fifth, or whatever dan the organization designates as master level is the martial artist's master piece. 

The idea of the qualifying work transcends age, race, religion, or ethnicity.  In the case of a blackbelt, the first dan blackbelt represents an effective fighter proficient in all the basics.  The test should prove the testee's effectiveness and proficiency.  Thus it should never be altered to account for age (very young or very old), gender, ethnicity, religion, or any other variable that we in the modern age like to compensate for.  You must fight this many people, break this many boards, show this level of proficiency in form and technique and show this depth of understanding of the art's tenets and philosophy.  The test should always be identical at its core, perhaps with some element added to specifically challenge different testees for those who feel that some personalization of the test is necesary, though personally I feel that the test should always be identical within a given art or school, with the personalization seen in the way that the individual testees approach the test.

My idea of what a blackbelt is is based entirely on proficiency, skill, and depth of understanding.  When going for a bachelors degree, the tests are not modified for the rare high school or elementary school age student who shows aptitude to be in college early; the whole point of them being there is that they have the ability to run with the college age students.  If the tests are dumbed down, then the achievement is meaningless.

Yet I see the opposite approach with black belts now.  Test requirements are lowered for grade schoolers and the schools that give them their blackbelt feel perfectly justified in this, often bristling at the notion of making the kid wear a poom belt or some equivalent.  Well, if the kid didn't take the same test, he or she shouldn't get the same belt.  Don't do 'A' level work, you shouldn't get an 'A'.  And just to clarify, I don't equate a blackbelt with an 'A', but you should get the drift of what I'm saying.

Ultimately, not everyone at their present level can pass a difficult blackbelt test.  Some need more maturity.  Some don't have the stamina at present.  Some need to work on their technique.  Some need to spar more.  But a blackbelt should be representative of a uniform standard of competence.  The standard should be applied uniformly to each testee, with no consideration for their background, age, gender, or whatever. 

By the same token, the standard should not be artificially ramped up to keep anyone but a Dolph Lundgren circa 1990 level athlete from passing.  It should not be artificially hard.  I read in Blackbelt magazine a month or so ago about an 'ultimate blacbelt test' which took a year to complete.  Interesting idea, and I'm not knocking it.  But I see it as too much to simply prove a proficient and skilled practitioner.  Maybe something like that for an eighth dan test, but not for a first dan. 

The first dan test should prove one's mettle as a fighter in the style for which they're testing.  No more, but no less.  Yes, I know that that 'do' suffix denotes way, and that there's more to a martial art than just fighting.  But the primary reason for learning a martial art is fighting or self defense.  But for self defense, you don't need a martial art.  Self defense comprises a skill set for a specific set of situations and does not automatically include fighting.  Taking a good SD course and maintaining skill in the techniques is not fighting.  Taekwondo is a fighting style. 

So what about those cute little eight year olds?  If they can pass the same identical test that the older students can, then give them the belt.  But if you need to adjust the difficulty of the essay, the quantity of boards broken, or any other aspect of the test, then they haven't earned the same thing that the older student has earned.  Which is why I am perfectly fine with poom belts or junior blackbelts that have a white stripe or are half black/half white.  This shows that the student is well trained and skilled but lacks the maturity to assume the mantle of blackbelt.  But don't put poom belts or junior blackbelts on kids with sloppy technique and lousy attitudes just to placate their whiney parents and don't set up your school to depend on BB testing fees.  Doing that just makes the martial art look bad.

The bottom line for me is this:  to be a blackbelt, one should be a proficient taekwondo fighter.  That is my perspective.   I've seen proficient fighters of both genders and in a wide range of age groups and across ethnic backgrounds.  Keep the standard the same.  Then it is truly equal.  No favorites are played.  And money is now out of the equasion.

In closing, I don't fault, look down upon, or otherwise disregard those who feel differently.  I didn't write this to put those who feel differently in their place.  I have heard a lot of differing, thoughtful views which I feel are legitamate views that I simply happen to disagree with.  Sincere and dedicated martial artists, whatever their views on the subject, are not a part of the problem, but part of the solution and I don't feel that the logistics of belt qualifications should be a divisive matter between good and decent teachers and practitioners.


Daniel

Tags: Blackbelt First Dan Dan Rank

With all the talk I see about what's traditional taekwondo and what isn't, I'm going to ask what some may feel is a heretical question.  Does it really matter if its traditional or not?  Back when what we call, 'traditional' was the only thing in existence, there were genuinely good schools and lousy schools.  The lousy ones we don't hear about; they didn't last.  The good ones became the original kwans and survived.  An over simplification, but you get the drift.

Well what is the difference now?  Now, we don't live in the era in which the martial arts we know were established.  Taekwondo, and indeed most other Asian martial arts, are practiced in countries with completely different cultural environs than the martial art's country of origin.  As non Korean (or non Japanese, non Chinese, or whatever) practitioners began teaching and spreading the art, the cultural norms of their homeland made their ways into the martial arts. 

As a consequence, here in the good ol' US of A, most of taekwondo schools have more of an American flavor with Korean trappings.  Methods of discipline have changed with the times, the severety of the training has been adjusted to a civilian consumer market and children, and in order to be profitable and stay in business, the sport aspect of the martial arts has been emphasized, along with the byproducts of self confidence and discipline. 

None of this is necesarilly bad.  The average American has a hard time wrapping their head around Korean culture and the martial arts in general, but sports?  That they get.  Help their kid have confidence, fitness, and discipline?  That they get.  Defend themselves from a mugger they also get, but oddly, not quite as much.  Not unless they live in a high crime area or have been on the receiving end of an attacker.  Most people haven't, so they have a hard time relating to the self defense aspect, even though intellectually, they understand it.  In fact, the American people have been trained to be victims. 

So what does that mean for taekwondo?  In order for it to be taught correctly, some argue that you must get away from the commercial dojang and find only traditional teachers.  Otherwise, they argue, you're just learning a sport with no SD applications.

But if you look on everyone's website or in their literature, every taekwondo school claims to be teaching an 'ancient' art with its roots in the Silla dynasty.  About a third to half of all taekwondo schools style themselves in their literature as being 'traditional' as well.  So who's traditional and who isn't?  What's an aspiring white belt to do?

Remember my first paragraph about not all schools back in the era of tradition being good?  Well that still holds true today.  Not all schools are good and not all traditional schools are good, nor are all 'traditional' schools really even traditional.  A poor traditional teacher is still just a poor teacher, traditional or not.  Poor instruction, no matter how steeped in tradition, is still just poor instruction.  There are many very good schools that do not have that 'traditional' feel that offer excellent instruction.  Some are with the big orgs, such as WTF, ITF, or ATA, some are small, non affiliated schools.  Some have all the afterschool, karate camp programs and leadership, blackbelt clubs that a purist will disdain and will decorate their student's doboks with patches like a Christmas tree.  But the thing in common will be that they offer quality instruction. 

So here's my radical idea.  Rather than being concerned with how traditional a school is, how about focusing on how genuine the school is?  How genuine is the class?  Is the class teaching genuine taekwondo, or just some knockoff system that a self appointed twelfth dan master made up?  Do the students reflect quality teaching, with crisp forms and correct kicks or do they look sloppy and unable to throw a decent punch or kick? 

Genuine taekwondo.  Genuine martial arts.  Thats what I want.  I don't care about the packaging, and while I do have my preferences in that area, it really isn't important.  It is the instruction, the quality of the teaching, and the quality of the ciriculum that concerns me.

Isn't the training the end all/be all of a school?  If the training is good, then who cares about the packaging?  I don't care if the uniforms are neon pink or General Lee orange, so long as the training is genuine.

Daniel

Tags: Quality Training Dojang School

 

To earn a blackbelt. The requirements to do so range quite a bit, but what should they be? I guess that depends upon how one defines a blackbelt. I've heard a lot of different definitions from a lot of people over the years, but in my opinion, it breaks down to one of three categories.

1. The end result of showing up for two years and paying tuition and testing fees.

2. The ability to pass a test of the cummulative knowledge and technique from white belt.

3. The reward (along with a 1st dan certificate) for passing a test that challenges the testee in areas of technique, stamina, and spirit which the student may take only after the student is deemed ready by the master. A student who wears a black belt is proficient in all of the basic forms and technique and has maturity to match his or her physical skills.

In scenario number one, the student gets a blackbelt for paying and showing up. The belt promotions are held every 1-3 months and the main goal is to build the student's confidence. There is no pass or fail; everyone succeeds whether they deserve to or not.  This is most frequenly the case with McDojo type schools.  Paper blackbelts is another term, though with the caveat that some of these blackbelts will be legit and highly skilled.  Sadly, slacker students, students with rotten attitudes, and students who couldn't fight to save their life (which is kind of the whole reason to take a martial art; to be able to save your life) all get rewarded equally in belt and in rank.  This type of testing scenario does not automatically mean that the instruction is poor; instruction may be excellent with the idea that most of the students quit after blackbelt anyway. 

In scenario number two, there is a pass/fail. You pass, you get your belt, you fail, you test again until you do pass. This is rather like school: everyone who scores below a certain point fails.  Everyone who sores above a certain mark passes.  A student who receives a 'D' scores a 'passing' grade, thus getting a belt, same as the 'A' student.  The student may only be ten and unable to really defend themselves in the real world or may lack the maturity that one traditionally expects from a blackbelt, but they have demonstrated that they retained the cummulative knowledge and can execute the techniques correctly. 

In scenario number three, the student must show a specific level of proficiency, maturity, and have the ability to actually defend themselves.  This is not a master student, but the student must demonstrate a level of physical stamina, technical mastery, knowledge, maturity, spirit, and fighting prowess that is above and beyond that of lower belt students.  In this scenario, the blackbelt itself is not the goal; the knowledge and skill are the goal and blackbelt is merely confirmation of that knowledge and skill.  It is an honour presented to the student, not only marking him or her as being proficient, but recognizing the maturity of mind and spirit.  In this scenario, there are no preordained testing dates or testing cycles (e.g. every one/two/three months); the master informs the student that they will test when the master feels that they are ready.  Likewise, each colored belt is handled the same.

I frankly do not agree with the approach of scenario one at all, though from a business point of view, I do understand it.  I have trained in such places and gotten excellent instruction.  But it grates on me that students get a blackbelt and cannot defend themselves, perform in tournament, or even demonstrate their knowledge and technique if called upon to do so two weeks after their promotion.  This setup is of course, the most immediately financially rewarding; with the blackbelt virtually guaranteed, and generally in less than two years, more students are apt to sign up and stick around.  This is also appealing to parents: after all, they know the exact amount of time their martial arts commintment is, the exact cost, and since 90% or more of the kids have no intention of continuing past their blackbelt anyway, this scenario brings them in, gives them what they want; the blackbelt, and gets them on their way.  All the while, the school makes a decent living and can remain open.  The downside is that the school gets a reputation amongst the MA community as a belt for sale school and when the hard times hit, the emphasis on short term profit can undo a business very rapidly.

I am much more comfortable with this scenario and see it as the best compromise between scenario one and scenario three.  This provides the school with a smaller, but still good sized pool of blackbelts, but of a higher average qualilty.  From business standpoint, I feel that this is probably the best.  You still have a good idea of time commitment; probably two to three years, and a good idea of the cost.  Since the tests are not an automatic pass, students are more likely to work a little harder; after all, they want that belt.  With an emphasis on performance and maturity, the school will have a higher average caliber of student than in scenario one and will likely be appealing to adult beginners who have money to spend and don't have the inclination to be a tounament champ or a bad-ass, but want a more grown up oriented environment than you typically get in scenario one.  This type of set up is also appealing to kids as well; if they aren't trained to 'expect' a belt, they will strive more because they want the belt.  Parents will likely see more of what they sign their kid up for martial arts classes for in the first place: true confidence, discipline, physical developement, and self defense.  Additionally, a serious martial artist can thrive in scenario three; they see the rank as having meaning in the school and don't see the belts as being simply a comodity to be purchassed.

In my opinion, scenario three is the best for the serious martial artist.  No, it is not the most immediately financially rewarding, but is more likely than scenario one and two to yield long term results.  The school owner will likely never do tremendously well financially unless he or she has another source of income.  Scenario three will tend to turn off the buy your belt crowd; the first few lessons will send them packing.  But over the long haul, scenario three will also keep more of the students who commit.  Blackbelt will likely take four years or more. but the end product will be a much more solid and dedicated student. 

This is all a bit of a generalization, and there are hard as nails schools that are just hard as nails with lousy training, just as there are McDojos that have superb instruction, and there are scenario two schools filled with out of shape adults who pat themselves on the back for finally being able to kick higher than their own waist.  Generalizations are not meant to be exhaustive.  But you get the idea.  I have heard a lot of different ideas of what constitutes an appropriate set of requirements for earning a black belt.  I spelled out the general categories into which most of these ideas fall simply to point out just how differently the blackbelt is perceived by different people.

I'm going to give a little of my own personal opinion regarding black belt requirements.  I'll stay away from specifics, like number of kicks or how many boards the testee must break.  Firstly, the test must have a uniform set of requirements.  These requirements should be the same, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, or any other category one cares to think of.  For example: if a twenty year old lad is required to break three boards at a time, then the middle aged woman must be able to also.  If the twenty year old can break five at a time, so much the better.    But both should be required the same number.  Secondly, a student who earns a blackbelt should be reasonably proficient in all of the skills that they have learned.  By reasonable, I mean that their kicks should be powerful and correctly executed.  The testee shouldn't be required to do a 180 split kick, but his or her roundhouse kick should be distinct from his or her front kick.  Side kicks should be recognizable as side kicks, and the student shouldn't nealy fall over every time they throw a kick due to poor ballance.  Thirdly, the student should be proficient in sparring.  I don't mean tournament champion, but I do mean that the student should be able to demonstrate offense and defense against a live opponent in regular sparring.  Fourth, the student should be proficient in self defense.  I don't mean be unbeatable; simply proficient.  And lastly, the student should have a level of discipline and maturity that befits a dan ranked student.  They should show confidence and spirit.

I have heard it said that blackbelt is someone who has learned how to learn.  I cannot take credit for the saying, but I do agree with it.  A blackbelt is not a master.  For that reason, I make no time in colored grade requirement; when the master feels that the student is ready, be it after a year or after five years, that is the time to test.  Once a student reaches dan rank, they should have a teachable attitude and a disciplined mind that will enable them to grasp the advanced techniques and deeper meanings of their martial art, whatever it may be.

Requirements should not be seen as a means to get a belt.  That is the big mistake that most people make.  The belt should be given if and when the student has achieved the requirements as an outward symbol of that achievement, not as a prize to reward the student.

Just a few thoughts.

Daniel

Tags: Blackbelt First Dan Dan Rank

I've written quite a bit about McDojo recently, so now I'm  turning my pen towards the the traditional school.  But what defines a traditional school?  A recent discussion chanced upon just that question: what defines a traditional school?  One of the participants answered that a traditional school is one that "knows the art". 


A simple, true, but incomplete answer. 

I believe that there is much more to being traditional than simply knowing the art.  In addition to knowing what the art is, what makes a school traditional or not lies in the schools primary reason for existence;  a traditional school's primary reason for their existence is to teach and promote that art, with any income drawn from teaching and promotion going to meeting the school's expenses and reasonable compensation of the staff.

A traditional school is one that is run by a lady or gent who teaches because they have a passion for the art. The fact that they can make enough to live while doing so is an added bonus, but not the primary motivation.

A traditional school will only pass those students who know the material for their rank; a student who cannot demonstrate the knowledge and technique for seventh geup doesn't get passed to sixth until he or she can.

A traditional school teaches the art in the way that it was originally conceived. I don't mean rigid adherence to each and every thing that the art's founder laid down; arts do evolve and grow, but rather teaching in the spirit in which the art was intended. In the case of TKD, teaching it as a martial art and as a fighting style.

There are those who feel that being 'traditional' means rigid discipline and strong disciplinary measures from the instructor.  Methods of discipline, such as pushups or laps around the dojang, or whatever else are a function of the teacher's style, rather than marking the school traditional or nontraditional. I've seen little league coaches who are rougher on their team of twelve year olds than my instructor in the late eighties was with his adult class, and he was pretty hard core.  Being rough on the students or being hard core doesn't in and of itself make a school traditional.  I think that it is important to differentiate teaching style from tradition. 

I understand that there are tournament competition only schools out there. These are not traditional schools. That isn't a dig at them; just stating the fact. That doesn't make them bad; if they instil good technique and athleticism in their students and don't pass people who can't demonstrate proper technique, then fine. Such schools focus on legitamate part of taekwondo. But that isn't traditional.

Lastly, a traditional school separates daycare and afterschool programs from the martial arts lessons and will generally not offer such services; kids who need child care should be getting childcare and not get enrolled in a martial arts class simply to enable mommy and daddy to cheap out on daycare.

Personally, I don't believe that martial arts schools should even offer daycare.  I often question whether or not most of the ones who do are even properly licensed to do so.  Daycare, which is what 'karate camp' and after school programs amount to, is usually a stand alone business with its own set of headaches and issues.  A quality daycare center exists to provide quality daycare.  Large companies that offer daycare have a dedicated facility and licensed staff for just that.  It isn't mixed with their regular business. 

Can a traditional martial arts school offer karate camp and afterschool services and still be traditional?  I answer with a qualified yes.  Here's the qualification: licensed staff and don't mix camp/afterschool programs with martial arts instruction.  If mommy and daddy wish to enroll their child in taekwondo, or whatever martial art the school teaches, then they should do so as a separate transaction.  Personally, I'm not in favor of it, but if done correctly it can help to keep the traditional school's doors open and provides the traditional school with a base of potential future students. 

You may notice that my definition of traditional doesn't address leadership or blackbelt clubs or similar programs.  The existence of such programs at a school, again, do not make it traditional or not.  It is the execution and purpose of such programs that count.  If the programs are in place to build better students, then they have a place in a traditional school.  Nor does my definition address whether or not the school is tied to a large organization.  Many have a mentality that schools tied to a big organization, such as ATA, ITF or Kukkiwon are somehow not the genuine article, but I disagree; there are both genuine, traditional schools and frauds in all of the big organizations.

Ultimately, the question shouldn't even be traditional or nontraditional.  It should be genuine or fradulent.  Consider that programs and teaching methods can often mask whether or not a school is genuine or not.  A school can offer all of the programs typically associated with a McDojo and still be genuine while a self appointed 'master' can set up a school with all of the trappings of a traditional school and still be a fraud.

Daniel

Tags: Traditional Dojo Dojang School

My last blog on the McDojo subject was from the negative standpoint.  And lets face it, the term 'McDojo' is always a pejorative that nodody wants applied to their school.  But as the article says, 'you deserve a break' (for those old enough to remember that add slogan from another famous Mc), so today I'll give one to McDojo. 

So today, I am going to do something that I don't know has ever been done:  I'm going to say something positive about McDojo/McDojang. 

Well, the concept at least. 

What is it about McDonalds that makes it so successful?  Putting aside what you think of their product, no matter where you go, a Big Mac tastes like a Big Mac and the fries are always McDonalds fries.  When a franchisee opens a Mickey D's, every major decision and a whole lotta the minor decisions are made for them.  The shake machine and the deep frier are always in the same place.  The menu is proscribed and to be undeviated from and its format is always the same.  The food is required to be prepared the same way at each and every McDonalds restaurant. 

Now, take a dojo that is truly successful, and by successful, I mean more than just financially.  I mean quality training that turns out students that can actually defend themselves, have crisp, well executed forms, blackbelts that can fight like what a blackbelt was back in the seventies, and tournement champions.  In addition, the school is financially solvent. 

Notice, I didn't say comercially successful.  Financially solvent, meaning that it makes its rent, payroll, and equipment costs and the employees and owner are reasonably compensated for their efforts.

Such a school would certainly be one that I'd like to be a part of.  Solid training, sound business practices, and skilled students that showcase the schools instruction are all good things that any school would want to be associated with.

Now, take that school, itemize every detail, set the standards high, and replicate it and you have a recipe for true success.  That is the potential of the McDojo.  I have yet to see a school that has been labeled 'McDojo' reach that sort of potential, but the potential is there nonetheless.  Most of these schools have tons of programs and clubs to hold the interest of students and to accomodate busy parents and overscheduled kids.  If they can get the same level of instruction that a small, high quality school can give, then you'd have a fantastic idea.  Unfortunately, on any sort of large scale, it is just that: an idea.

Would I want to have my school called 'McDojo'?  I'm half tempted to open a place called 'McDojo' just for laughs.  But then McDonalds would probably sue for trade infringment and my name doesn't begin with Mc anyway. 

Daniel

Tags: McDojo McDojang Dojo Dojang School Studio Chains

This is the essay that I wrote for my yidan test.  The subject, 'where the sword reflects the state of mind' was assigned to us by Grandmaster Kim.
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What is it about the sword that continues to captivate and fascinate us, in spite of its being an archaic weapon which sees little to no modern use?  We flock to the movies to see Antonio Banderes flashy blade work as Zorro, Vigo Mortensen’s battles against the orcs with his longsword in Lord of the Rings, and Tom Cruise wield a katana in The Last Samurai.  Even in Star Wars, a sci fi movie with laser guns and interstellar travel, the focal point of the movie is the clash between Luke Skywalker and the ominous Darth Vader, each wielding their laser sword.  What relevance does the sword have for modern society? Here, in this dojang, we strive to master this archaic weapon, striving for that perfect harmony between swordsman and sword.  We seek mastery over a weapon whose military use has long since fallen into disuse.  Why?  The answer can be summed up in the words, “in ferro veritas”, in the sword is truth.  The sword is a perfect reflection of the truth of the mind and spirit.  To master the weapon, one must focus their mind and spirit.  Without the mind to guide, mastery of the sword is impossible.  Without strength of spirit, the physical demands of mastering the sword cannot be overcome.  When the mind and spirit are focused as one, the kumdoin and sword go from being a person holding a sharp object to being a single, unified fighter.  The sword becomes as a part of the kumdoin, an extension of the arm, not merely something held at its end.   Mastery of the sword requires a great deal of focus on small details and can be very tedious and downright frustrating at times.   To achieve a perfect cut when cutting the mats is impossible simply through muscle and force.  The sword reveals the truth of the unfocused mind in the quality of the cut.  The sword reveals a poor spirit when the mat is torn, rather than cut.  But when the mind is focused and the kumdoin’s spirit is strong, the cuts are smooth, clean, and straight, the technique and blade doing the work. 
And that is the attraction the sword holds for modern society.  To focus the mind and spirit and to reveal their potential, that is the attraction.  When the mind and spirit are unfocused, the kumdoin is tense and his technique is uneven and rough.  With a focused mind and strong spirit, the kumdoin goes from being tensed and uneven to relaxed and fluid, both beautiful and deadly.  ‘In ferro veritas’.  In the sword is truth.  And that truth is the true reflection of state of mind of the wielder.

Tags: Yidan Second Dan Second Degree Kumdo Sword

This is a blog that I posted on Myspace shortly before my kumdo Yidan test.
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Three years ago, I began taking Kumdo with Grandmaster Kim and Master Choi.  Initially, the goal was a vague, ‘get good and get my blackbelt’, as if the blackbelt was the end goal.  By the time I tested for blackbelt, I knew just how much of a beginner I still was.            

Having learned the basics, I’ve learned that it is much harder to master the basics than it is to simply learn them.  When I began the class, I had this notion that as you progressed in kumdo, you learned all sorts of special moves and secret sword techniques, the sort of thing that popular culture and martial arts movies promote.  But in reality, mastering the basics is what makes you good.            

In focusing on fine tuning the basics, it becomes very clear just how far a student has to go after earning their blackbelt.  Most people who have little or no experience in the martial arts see the blackbelt as a sign of mastery, but in reality, it really is just a beginning.  Second degree is a milestone along the way, but there is still much to learn and much to do.            

When I challenged Il dan, I wrote for my essay then that Kumdo is not just an athletic sport or martial art to practice, but a way of life.  Whether or not we realize it, most of our lives we are taught that there is a beginning and an end to each thing we learn.  We are taught that once we get this degree, or that certification, we have completed our learning of that subject and move on to doing something else, usually working in whatever field we prepared for.  But in continuing to practice kumdo beyond the Il dan level, I have learned that in no area are we ever truly finished learning.  In no area do we ever reach a point where we cannot fine tune and improve.            

Applying that lesson to daily life makes one a bit less egotistical about their’ own position and progress.  It causes you to stop measuring your progress by comparing yourself to the people around you and to measure it instead by how much you have improved you skills and how much you yourself have learned.  It makes you strive to be better than you are, rather than simply not as bad as someone else.  As I prepare to challenge Yi dan, it is this lesson that I have reflected upon most, for it is amongst the most important truths that one can learn in the martial arts.

Tags: Yidan Second Dan 2nd Dan Kumdo

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