The Intercepting Kicks of Taekwondo

By Scott Shaw

The Korean martial art of Taekwondo is immediately identified by its extensive kicking arsenal. The focus of Taekwondo’s expansive use of the kick became even more clearly defined as the art moved into the ranks of an Olympic sport during the 1980’s.

At the Olympic level, Taekwondo’s focus is placed upon the use of the feet as the predominate weapons of offensive. No punching is allowed to an opponent’s face—though kicking to the head is a viable and sought after option.

Modern Taekwondo has focused primarily upon making the art an aggressive, attack orientated system of martial arts. Though the kicking techniques taught in Taekwondo are predominately geared towards offensive applications, the same kicks which are commonly used as aggressive weapons of attack can be used to defensively intercept the onslaught of an attacking opponent and immediately put an end to his assault. The only difference between the offensive and defensive application of the Taekwondo kick is how, when, and where it is targeted.

Taekwondo’s Kicking Strategy

To begin to understand how to use the Taekwondo kick as a defensive weapon it must first be understood that if you are continually in an offensive posture—hoping to out kick or overpower your opponent, then you will not be able to use your kicks as defensive tools. This overemphasized offensive mindset is prevalent among many modern Olympic style Taekwondo practitioners.  They are commonly taught that by kicking and kicking some more, sooner or later they will win the match by points—if nothing else. Though this understanding may, in fact, be at least partially true when you are wearing a chest protector and engaged in a sanctioned match—this mindset will completely be undermined the minute you go up against as savvy opponent on the street—where the first and most powerfully delivered strike often times sets the stage for who will win the confrontation. 

Understanding this, the modern Taekwondo stylist can begin to redevelop their expansive kicking arsenal and use their kicks not only as powerful weapons of offensive but as precise defensive weapons, as well.

The Offense of Defense

When a Taekwondo kick is used as a defensive weapon it must be initially understood that if you possess the opportunity to launch a preemptive kick to an open target on your opponent: such as a Front Kick to his groin, solar plexus, or under his chin, than this is your opportunity to stop the assault before it begins and you sh­ould take advantage of this opening.  This style of defensive offense is not always applicable on the street or in sanctioned matches, however.  Thus, the science of the defensive Taekwondo kick must be studied further to see how it can be used most effectively in all types of physical combat.

Defining the Defensive Kick

When you begin to use the Taekwondo kick as a defensive weapons there are three primary rules which must be observed in order to make the feet effective weapons of defense:

1) The defensive kick must be easy to unleash.

2) The defensive kick must be very fast.

3) The defensive kick must travel to its target in the most expedient manner possible.

Rule One

The primary rule of the Taekwondo defensive kick is that it must be easy to unleash.  This is elementally important, for if a kick is complicated or elaborate, it will too complex to actualize and your opponent will no doubt deliver his attack to your body before you can intercept it.

Rule Two

The second rule goes hand-in-hand with the first—and that is your kick must be very fast.  The problem with some of the kicks use in demonstration orientated Taekwondo is though the these kick are very flamboyant and pretty to watch, their application is very slow.  To this end, those kicks must be left behind in combat if you wish to emerge victorious.

Rule Three

The third and final rule is that the defensive Taekwondo kick must proceed to it target in the most efficient manner possible.

As Taekwondo has evolved over the past five decades, its methods of delivering powerful kicking techniques has become more and more refined. Taekwondo has left behind many of the exaggerated kicking movements, common to the Japanese martial arts, which influenced Taekwondo’s early development.  What has emerged are fluid, very rapid, linear kicking techniques seen only in this Korean based martial art.  With this evolution, the defensive applications of the Taekwondo kick has increased multifold as the kicks have become much easier to unleash and due to their linear design they are much harder to defend against.

The Taekwondo Forward Side Kick

To come to a better understanding of how the Taekwondo kick has evolved—making it much easer to unleash in offensive and defensive applications, we can view the modern Taekwondo Side Kick.

The modern Taekwondo Side Kick is brought straight up, as if a Front Kick were being launched. Once your leg has reached approximately waist height, your leg is then pivoted at hip level, and the kick is snapped out in Side Kick fashion. The style of Forward Side Kick can be launched from either your rear or forward leg.

The reason it is important to develop the ability to perform a Side Kick in this fashion is that it is extremely fast and can be launched from virtually any standing positioning. It does not require that you bring your rear leg up to the side and then pivot your entire body, alerting your opponent to your intentions before you actually deliver the kick—as is the case of the Traditional Side Kick. Instead, you have alleviated many of the unnecessary components of this kick, making it not only easier to unleash but substantially faster, as well.

 

The Two Styles of Kicking Defense

Once the basic rules of defensive kicking are understood you can then move on to actually implementing effective defensive kicks.  There are type primary methods of defense, the Taekwondo practitioner employees, while utilizing the kick:

1) The Intercepting Kick.

2) The Blocking Kick.

           

The Intercepting Kick

The Intercepting Kick is Taekwondo first-line of defensive kicking methodology.  The Intercepting Kick witness you drive a defensive kick into your opponent before his kicking or punching attack can be fully actualized.

At the most elementary level, Intercepting Kick Defense witnesses you deliver a basic Front Kick, Side Kick, or Roundhouse Kick to an open Vital Strike Point on your opponent as he is in the process of launching an aggressive attack towards you.  As targeting is very important with this style of kicking defense, you will want to aim at a location on his body which you will be assured of impacting.  Furthermore, you will want to target a location which, once you have made contact with, will cause his attack to immediately stop. The primary target locations for this style of Interceptive Kicking Defense are the knees, the groin, or in the case of sanctioned Taekwondo matches, the solar plexus, or under the chin.

This style of Interceptive Kicking Counter Attack can also be used to intercept the punching assault of your opponent.  In this case, you would target a Front Kick at his inner shoulder, just as he is recoiling to punch.  With impact, not only will his initial attack be halted but also he will be left open for further counter assault as necessary.

The Intercepting Side Kick

The Intercepting Kick is not limited to debilitating first-line kicking counter attacks.  For example, an Interceptive Side Kick delivered to the mid-section of your attacker will instantly stop any assault he is unleashing.

The defensive Intercepting Side Kick can be most rapidly deployed from your Lead Leg.  This is especially true when your opponent is launching an offensive kicking technique from his Rear Leg.  As his kick rises, you simply deliver a powerful Side Kick to his side, under his arms, and he will be send back, often times to the ground.

The Intercepting Side Kick is also very effective against the punching assault of an attacker.  As his punch is launched, you powerfully deliver a mid-level Side Kick to his body.  His punching attacking will be intercepted due to the fact that not only is the reach of your leg longer than his arm, but it is additionally substantially more powerful.   

The Blocking Kick

The second level of Taekwondo’s defensive kick is the Blocking Kick.  This style of defense witnesses you interrupt the kick of your opponent by blocking it with a kick of your own. To achieve this, your kick must be faster then your opponent’s and halt his attack as close to its point of origin as possible.  In this way his kick will not have gained the necessary momentum to knock you off balance before you can stop his attack.

The Blocking Side Kick

The Blocking Kick is ideally represented by delivering a low Side Kick to the ankle or shin section of your opponent’s kicking leg as he attempted to unleashing his offensive techniques.  This style of defensive kick will immediately interrupt his attack and leave him open to further counter attack.

Follow Up

Once you have intercepted or blocked your opponent attack, with a kicking technique, you must immediately follow up with a secondary counter strike or his assault will continue.  The style of secondary attack you will unleash is predominately defined by the type of kicking defense you initially utilized.  For example, if you intercepted an assault with a mid-level Side Kick to your opponent’s stomach or side, then you can immediately use your free hands to deliver a Back Fist to his face.  If you have block his oncoming kick with a Side Kick to his ankle, you may wish to continue with your kicking defense by immediately retracting your kicking leg and deliver a secondary Side Kick to a higher level on his body.

The most important thing to remember is that your follow up technique must occur instantaneously after your initial defensive technique has successfully intercepted your opponent’s assault.  Additionally, your secondary counter attack must be able to travel rapidly—striking your opponent to a debilitating location, thus, keeping the bout from continuing further.

As you now understand, the Taekwondo Kick is much more than simply an offensive weapon.  When used properly it cannot only aid you in your self-defense, but it lead you to victory in any physical confrontation.

Copyright © 1993—All Rights Reserved

The Intercepting Kicks of Taekwondo @ Scott Shaw.com

Scott Shaw Hapkido Taekwondo International

The Low Kicks of Traditional Taekwondo

This article originally appeared in the July 1997 issue of Black Belt Magazine.

By Scott Shaw

            Modern Taekwondo has entered into a period where the rules of Olympic Sport Taekwondo have come to largely dominate the way in which this martial art system is taught. Though Taekwondo’s presence in the Olympics has done much to promote this martial art system on the whole, the rules inherent with Olympic sporting events are limiting by their very design. From Taekwondo’s association with the Olympics, many of the offensive and defensive techniques used in what might best be titled, “Traditional Taekwondo,” have been left behind if not lost altogether.

            In Olympic Taekwondo, the offensive strike zone on the opponent is limited to locations above the waistline. There are, however, numerous kicking techniques that were once commonly taught by traditional Taekwondo stylists that access many other locations on an opponent. For example, there were highly focused low kicks that were targeted at locations just at or well below the waistline. With the advent of Taekwondo’s acceptance as an Olympic sport many of these techniques have been, if not altogether forgotten, at least no longer commonly taught.

            To fill out a young Taekwondo student’s understanding of the earlier aspects of Taekwondo, which were commonly used before Olympic Taekwondo, we can view some of the low kicking techniques with the hope of expanding the kicking arsenal of all Taekwondo practitioners. From this the Taekwondo practitioner can become a more well-rounded self-defense technician.

Understanding the Front Kick 

            The Front Kick is the most commonly used kicking technique in both offensive and defensive applications. As is commonly understood, a Front Kick to the groin area of any individual is universally debilitating.  There are, however, other, less used offensive and defensive applications for the Front Kick that were once taught in Taekwondo. The first of these is a Front Kick strike targeted at an opponent’s shin. 

            A shin strike, though obviously not as devastating as a groin strike is, none-the-less, very effective in deterring an opponent from initially launching an aggressive attack towards you. To implement this form of rapid self-defense you simply need to witness your attacker as he moves towards you. As he does, you immediately deliver a powerful Front Kick targeted at his shin. From this impact, his attack will be halted and you will have the ability to either follow up with additional counter measures or leave the situation before the altercation continues on any farther.

            The low Front Kick is also an effective way to defensively intercept the onslaught of an opponent’s kick before it has had the opportunity to move too far from its position of inception. For example, you have faced off with an adversary; he begins a kicking technique targeted at you.  Immediately, you Front Kick to the shin region of his kicking leg. With this style of self-defense, you have immediately halted his kicking technique in progress. Not only does this stop his assault but this may throw him off balance.  Additionally, due to your opponent’s offensive technique being intercept, he will be ill prepared to launch a secondary technique at you.  From your superior combat positioning, you are ready to strike at him with a well-prepared secondary counter strike.

Understanding the Defensive Methodology

By intercepting your opponent’s kick with a low Front Kick interception, you will not be forced to block his kick with your hands or your arms. This allows them to remain free. Thus, you possess the superior opportunity to use them as necessary in achieving first strike advantage.

            The low Front Kick is an exceeding easy kick to deliver to your opponent; as your Front Kicking leg need only rise slightly up from the ground.  Therefore, this kick is exceedingly fast and extremely energy efficient. The low level Front Kick must, however, be precisely targeted to be effective.  This type of precision comes from target kicking drills focused at this low level position; low level drills which have, in fact, become absent from most modern Taekwondo classes. 

The low level Roundhouse Kick or Dollo Chagi is another common kick who's effectiveness becomes substantially enhanced by targeting it at a low level opponent location.  At the outset of any confrontation, a Roundhouse Kick can be most effectively delivered to the outside of your opponent’s knee or to his thigh. 

            When striking to an opponent’s knee, with a low level Roundhouse kick, he will be sent off balance; perhaps to such a degree that he will be knocked down to the ground.  If your impact is not that substantial, he will at least be set off balance where additional offensive techniques such as a Straight Punch to his face will leave him physically impaired.

If your low level Roundhouse Kick is directed towards an adversary’s outer thigh, this impact should be used as a prelude to a secondary offensive technique.  As the outer thigh strike location will not immediately impair an opponent, you can, non-the-less, use this substantial target to distract him while you deliver another powerful attack.

The Side Kick or Yup Chagi is also a common technique used in Taekwondo.  There is, however, a variation of this technique that is rarely taught to modern students of the art.  This Side Kicking technique is call Ap Yup Chagi in Korean or may be translated into Forward Side Kick.

To perform this Forward Side Kick, you can launch your kicking leg from either a rear, forward, or even a standing position.  The actual kicking leg, in this technique, is brought straight up, as if a Front Kick were being launched.  Once this leg has reached approximately waist level the kick in then pivoted at hip level and the actual kick is snapped out in Side Kick fashion.

This kick may take a little time for the beginning Taekwondo student to master, as the kicking foot is turned almost parallel to the ground.  The best way to initially develop the ability to kick in this fashion is to sit down, with legs straight in front of you, and slowly bend your feet in towards each other.  This movement should not take place at ankle level, but instead, should be performed by the pivoting of your hips.  In time, the muscles along your outer legs will loosen up and this Side Kicking technique will be easily performed.

The reason it is important to develop the ability to perform a Side Kick in this fashion, is that it is extremely fast and can be launched from virtually any standing positioning. As a defensive technique, this kick can be targeted at your opponent’s shin or knee.  As discussed with the low Front Kick, this is a very good weapon to intercept an opponent’s kick before it has the ability to develop velocity and strike you.  The added advantage of using this Forward Side Kick as a blocking technique over that of the Front Kick is that, you have the entire side of your foot to use a blocking weapon.  Thus, your precision does not have to be as precise as with that of the low Front Kick block.

As an offensive tool, the Forward Side Kick can be effectively low targeted at an adversary’s shin or his knee.  At mid level, is ideally targeted at an opponent’s mid section.  This kick can be used at the outset of a confrontation to impede the progress of an adversarial attack on you or can be used at any point during the fight when you are in close proximity to your opponent and need an effective weapon which is very difficult to block.

The Forward Side Kick does not need to be launched from the rear leg, as is common with many traditional kicking techniques. This kick, as discussed, can be launched from virtually any standing position.  With this as a basis, it is much harder for an opponent to see the Forward Side Kick’s onslaught.  Thereby, it is an exceedingly effective offensive weapon.  As this kick can be launched from any standing position, it can be utilized in all types of physical altercations.

As the Forward Side Kick by its design is very linear in nature.  It is a very rapid technique to use in all types of fights.  Therefore, the practice and development of this kick should be added to all martial artist’s kicking arsenals.

Another Traditional Taekwondo low kick which has been all but abandoned since the beginning of Sport Taekwondo is that of the Instep Kick or Pal Sok Chagi.  This kick is delivered by arching your kicking foot outwards and exposing the instep of your foot. The strike points of this kick are your heel and to a lesser degree the outer knife-edge of your foot.

You have faced off with an opponent. He begins to direct a kick at you. You immediately intercept this kick with an Instep Kick across your opponent’s shin.  His kick is thereby halted.  By keeping your kicking leg in place and applying additional muscle strength to it you push your opponent’s leg back to the ground.  Once his foot has made impact, you slid your own foot down his leg and step powerfully onto his foot.  His leg is, thereby, locked into place.  You cannot effortlessly deliver a powerful punching technique to his face.

As is the case with the low Side Kick, the Instep Kick needs little precision to intercept the oncoming kick of an opponent.  Additionally, by intercepting an offensive kick with your own powerful defensive kick, there is the potential of initially injuring your opponent’s shin, which leaves you in further superior positioning in the altercation.

The Instep Kick can additionally be used as an offensive weapon.  This kick can be target at low level locations on your opponent’s body, such as his shin or his knee.  It can also be brought up to a slightly higher level where it can strike to his thigh, groin, or midsection.  In all case the only defining factor for the use of this kick is that you must be in close proximity to your opponent.  This kick is not the type of technique that should be overtly extended, as this will have the potential of making you become off balance.  And, this is not an appropriate state to be in any physical confrontation.

In all cases with the low level kick, unless they are targeted at your opponent’s groin or his knee, they are not designed to leave you instantly victorious in a confrontation.  They are designed, however, to give you that ability to emerge victorious by following any of the initial low-level techniques up with appropriate additional defenses.

As we have learned Taekwondo possess several kick which are targeted a low level strike point and are rarely taught to modern students.  All of these kicks are easy to perform and are very effective to utilize when every you find yourself in a physical confrontation.  Add them to your practice schedule and you will become a more proficient martial artist.

Copyright © 1997—All Rights Reserved

The Low Kicks of Traditional Taekwondo @ Scott Shaw.com

Scott Shaw Hapkido Taekwondo International

Moo Yeh Do Bok Tong Gi By Scott Shaw

By Scott Shaw

Understand Korea's Martial History

            It is essential to understand that the Japanese forces, which occupied the Korean Peninsula from 1909 until 1945, destroyed virtually all records of the actual techniques of the ancient Korean martial arts. Many modern masters of the Korean martial arts falsely claim they can trace the origins of their systems back to the dawn of Korean civilization. Unfortunately, this is historically not the case. There are only two remaining documents: the Moo Yeh Jee Bo and the Moo Yeh Do Bok Tong Gi which give us insight into Korea's martial history. These are the only two sources to trace the history of Korean martial arts.

Moo Yeh Do Bok Tong Gi

            The conflicts between Japan and Korea are not unique to the twentieth century. They have been ongoing for centuries. Between 1592 and 1598 an attempted Japanese invasion of Korea took place. The Japanese invaders were defeated. Near the end of this conflict, a Chinese military text entitled, Ki Hyu Shin Zu, authored by the Chinese military strategist and martial artist, Chuk, Kye Kwang was discovered. The text had been acquired from a slain Japanese General. This manuscript was presented to Korean King Sun Jo (1567 - 1608). Within its pages was a system of Chinese weapons and hand-to-hand combat. King Sun Jo was so impressed by the methods presented in this text that he invited Chinese Generals and Chinese martial art masters who employed this system to visit his capital. From this contact, he ordered one of his Generals, Han Kyo, to take what he had learned from both the text and the demonstrations and design a new system of battlefield combat. This system was eventually written in six chapters and published as, Moo Yeh Jee Bo, “The Illustrations of the Martial Arts.”

            This text became the basis for formalized warfare for the Korean military. Within the pages of the text, the techniques of the Sang Soo Do, “Long Sword” Jang Chang, “Spear,” Dang Pa, “Triple End Spear,” Kon Bong, “Long Staff,” and Dung Pa, “Shield Defense,” are outlined.

Korean King Yong Jo (1724 - 1776) had the text revised during his reign. Twelve additional approaches to fighting were added. The manual was renamed, Moo Yeh Shin Bo, “The New Illustrations of the Martial Arts.”

            The fighting techniques added to the pages employed the Bon Kuk Kum, “Korean Straight Sword,” Wae Kum, “Japanese Sword,” Jee Dook Kum, “Admiral's Sword,” Yee Do, “Short Sword,” Sang Kum, “Twin Swords,” Wae Kum, “Crescent Sword,” Juk Jang, “Long Bamboo Spear,” Hyup Do, “Spear with a Blade,” Kee Jang, “Flag Spear,” Pyun Kon, “Long Staff with end like a nunchaka,” Kyo Jun, “Combat Engagement Strategy,” and Kwon Bop, literally, “Karate.”

            In 1790, at the direction of the next King of Korea, King Jung Jo (1776 - 1800), the Korean military strategists, Yi, Duk Moo and Park, Je Ga again revised the text and added six additional chapters to the manuscript: Ma Sang, “Combat horsemanship,” Ki Chang, “Spear fighting from horseback,” Ma Sang Wol Do, “Sword fighting from horseback,” Ma Sang Sang Kum, “Twin sword fighting from horseback,” Ma Sang Pyun Kon, “Long staff with shorter end like nunchaka, fighting from horseback,” and Kyuk Koo, “Gaming on horseback.”

            The text was retitled, Moo Yeh Do Bok Tong Gi, “The Comprehensive Illustrated Manual of the Martial Arts.” This text is the primary remaining document which modern Korean martial art practitioners turn to search out their foundational history.

The Moo Yeh Do Bok Tong Gi was first published for world consumption, in its original form, over twenty years ago by Tang Soo Do Moo Duk Kwan founder Hwang Kee in this book, Tang Soo Do. It has recently been translated into English.

            Many people hear of this book believe that it will hold all of the answers to all of their questions on combat. Unfortunately, this is not the case. The techniques presented in this manuscript are extremely limited and the drawings, which depict the maneuvers, are not exacting as they were created several hundred years ago.

            As a source point for understanding the evolution of Korean history, Moo Yeh Do Bok Tong Gi, is a great text. It was written for a different age, however. As such, it is not the holy grail of martial art manuscripts as some people believe it to be. What you take away from it will be based on your own understanding of the martial arts.

Copyright © 1989 – All Rights Reserved

For more information on the history and the evolution of the Korean Martial Arts visit The History of the Korean Martial Arts page at Scott Shaw.com.

Kumdo: Understanding the Varying Traditions

 

By Scott Shaw

            Kumdo is the Korean art of the sword. Like many of the other modern Korean martial arts, Kumdo arose at the end of World War II when the Japanese occupation of the Korean peninsula was lifted. Historically, there is an essential fact about Kumdo that many practitioners and non-practitioners alike do not understand. That fact is, there is not one overriding style of Kumdo that has arisen from Korea. There are a number of traditions that practice very different techniques, yet they each exist under the banner of Kumdo.

            With the lifting of Japanese occupation, there arose a number of martial art practitioners who had studied the Japanese martial arts, mostly in Japan, and had then returned to their native Korea and began teaching these arts, generally under a new name. This is what gave birth to the styles that eventually became the predominate martial arts associated with Korea; namely: Taekwondo and Hapkido. Within the realms of Taekwondo and Hapkido, yes, there are variants in style and technique but there is also a great commonality. This, however, is not absolutely the case with Kumdo. As the is no supreme governing body for Kumdo, like The World Taekwondo Federation or the Korea Hapkido Federation, the various styles of Kumdo have existed in their own right for decades.

            Currently, there is a style of Kumdo which holds very tightly to an origin based in Japanese Kendo. This is the branch where you will witness the practitioners putting on the long flowing pants that are mostly commonly known by the Japanese term, Hakama. They also wear the face protection and have fighting competitions using the bamboo sword or, Juk do, in Korean. But, there are other variants of Kumdo that are just a prominent. Perhaps the most prominent of these are the styles of Kumdo that have arisen within schools of Taekwondo where the Kumdo practitioner uses a standardized set of forms to enhance their swordplay skillset. Within this realm of Kumdo, you will witness the practitioner wearing the standard martial art uniform and performing a prescribed set of stances, sword strikes, and kicks defined by the specific form. Commonly, there are a set of ten distinct form patterns that are taught to the students who practice this brand of Kumdo.
           Of course, some of the other modern Korean martial arts systems such as Kuk Sul Won and Hwa Rang Do employ sword training in their curriculum, as well. But, as they are closed martial art organizations, the only people who are taught these techniques are their direct students. Thus, their brand of Kumdo is not as wide spanning as the previously described examples.   

            The key point to understand, regarding Korean Kumdo, is that though there is a commonality in title, Kumdo, this is not an overriding description of this style of martial arts. This is based upon the fact that there are numerous schools and organizations that practice vastly different techniques while all proclaiming that what they do is, Kumdo.

Copyright © 2017 – All Rights Reserved.

For further insight into Kumdo you can also read,

Kumdo: The Korean Art of the Sword on Scott Shaw.com. 

Scott Shaw Hapkido Taekwondo International    

   

The Dojang Expereince

By Scott Shaw

Here is an article I wrote and published in the first collection of writings for The Scott Shaw Zen Blog in 2011. You can also find it in my first blog based book, Scribbles on the Restroom Wall. I recently was thinking about this article so I thought I would repost it. Enjoy…

            The Korean term, “Dojang,” is used to describe a martial art training facility. The Japanese term, “Dojo,” is perhaps the more commonly known word, used to describe the same training space.

            Most people have the belief that a dojang is some sort of scared space where only the higher learning of the martial arts is transacted. For me, this was amusingly not the case.

            My first martial art training began when I was six. Though, in fact, I had always possessed a rudimentary understanding of the martial and fighting arts as my father earned his black belt during World War II and my uncle had been a professional boxer prior to World War II.

            My first teacher was a Korean born Hapkido black belt. This man was probably one of the first Hapkido black belts to immigrate to the U.S. Though he never owned a formal school, he was one of the first people, I know of, to have taught Hapkido in the U.S.; though he referred to it by one of its earlier names, Ho Shin Moo Do. Me, as a six-year-old, I just thought I was studying Karate.

            This man made his living as a gardener and he trained a group of young South Korean student in his back yard. As he was a friend of my father’s, I was allowed to train with them.

            I always remember how nicely groomed his yard was. He had a couple of nicely trimmed trees and nice flowers and plants lined his fence. I mean, he was a gardener after all...

            The man would train the five or six of us, as he walked around with a bamboo staff to smack us with, if we did something wrong, and a cigarette hanging out of his mouth. I didn’t really think that much about it as both of my parents smoked. In fact, even my dentist, who was also Asian, used to sit overlooking his dentist chair, with a cigarette burning behind him, as he examined my teeth. It was obviously a different era. :-)

            After earning my black belt, I eventually went to a couple different dojangs through my teenage years, as we moved around the L.A. area more than a little bit. All were operated by Korean born teachers. And, though they didn’t walk around the training floor smoking as they taught their classes, they all would sit at their desk or in their waiting room, smoking.

            By the time I was twenty-one, I was helping a newly arrived Korean master I had met in Seoul establish his business. I taught virtually all of the classes for him for years. Though he had a No Smoking sign behind his desk, he constantly smoked in the dojang. Perhaps even more interesting is the fact that each day he would have his friends come by and they would go out to the central dojang floor, sit there smoking, drinking, and playing Ma Jak. Ma Jak is more commonly know as Mahjong. Ma Jak is a Korean gambling game that they would play all day.

            If you have ever watched Koreans playing this game, it is quite a site. They get all excited as they yell and scream as they toss down the small tiles, (which are kind of like dominos), and are used to win or lose the game.

            He was actually one of my two most influential teachers. He was already in forties when I met him but was still a great physical technician. For those non-martial artists out there who may not be aware of this, by the time you reach your forties, having practiced the martial arts for your entire life, your body is most commonly rapidly breaking down, maybe even already trashed, due to all of the harsh training that goes hand-in-hand with the martial arts. But, he could still fly through the air quite gracefully.

            We became good friends. He and I would go out and get drunk at the Korean hostess bars in Koreatown, at strips clubs, and occasionally partake of other substances. But, those are other stories…

            One thing that most people probably don’t understand is that, even though most South Korean men are avid churchgoers, they are very old school. They, like I, judge a man by how much he can drink. Though I was only twenty-one when I first began working with this man, I had already, long ago, developed the ability to be able to drink round-for-round with the best of ‘em. So, I was readily accepted into their community. Few non-Koreans are ever let inside this world.

            Eventually, he got remarried, stopped the partying, and several years later, he and I had a major falling out. I never saw him again. But, that’s fine. “Falling out,” lets you move away from one situation and chart out new territories.

            But, I always fondly remember his school and how for the years I worked with him, he and his friends would sit around the training floor, smoking and playing Ma Jak each day as they yelled while they threw down the tile pieces and screamed at each other.

            Dojangs, they are not always what they seem. :-)

Copyright © 2011 – All Rights Reerved.

Originally from the Scott Shaw Blog

The Dojang Experience @ Scott Shaw.com

Scott Shaw Hapkido Taekwondo International 

Is Deflection Ever Enough?

By Scott Shaw

            I had an interesting experience last night. I was out and this guy, who had a few drinks under his belt, knowing who I am, comes up to me. Trying to break hard in front of his friends he throws a few insults my direction and then sets up to punch me. Before I had the chance to laugh it off and walk away, he unleashes his punch. I blocked it with an open palm upward block to the bottom of his fist.  As I caught it just at the right time, it caused his own fist to be driven into the bottom of his jaw. BAM! Certainly, it was not enough to do him any real damage but what it did do was to cause him to rethink his motivation. After he exclaimed, “Ouch,” he looked at me, smiled, and said, “Much respect.”  I reached out my hand to shake his but, instead, he leaned in and gave me a big hug.

            Now, the outcome of this situation is a rarity.  First of all, this is a very precise blocking technique; you have to be fast, well-focused, and know how to unleash it. But, more than that, in street altercations, it is rare that an attacker is going to concede so easily. Normally, once you have rebuked their initial attack this is only going to make them madder and more adrenalized. This is why you must always question, “Is deflection ever enough?”

            As conscious martial artists, we each enter into any combat situation with the intention of using the most refined method of self-defense that we can employee.  For those of us trained in the deflective arts, this first-line of self-defense is most commonly the use of deflection. But, the problem with simply deflecting an attack it that, in most cases, deflection does not debilitate the attacker. Their attack is simply deflected then they come back for more.

            This is the same with bobbing and weaving. Most adrenalized fighters are so locked into the forceful course of their attack that, for example, if they unleash a punch, the power of that punch controls them as opposed to their controlling it. For this simple reason, it is very easy to move your head slightly out of the path of that punch. Thus, the punch misses you.  

            As those of us who have trained in the fighting arts for long periods of time understand, though we may have the ability to easily deflect or dodge an attack, this does not stop the onslaught of the attacker. At best, it simply gives us the upper hand to counter attack.  But, here lies the problem, this world has become so litigious and filled with dishonest people that even though they may be the one instigating the attack they are going to lie to protect their own self-interest.

            I have written many editorials about this fact. I have also long discussed that, for this reason, it is far better to walk away than to fight in these modern days; as getting arrested just because you can kick somebodies ass serves no purpose to the overall progression of your life nor does it contribute to the great good. The simply fact is, people are liars. Especially, those unconscious enough to only think about themselves and to not take others into consideration.  All they try to do is save face for themselves while inflicting as much pain to other people as possible. Though we all know this is absolutely the wrong way to behave, think how many people act in exactly that manner.

            My secondary advice has always been, if you are accosted and physical combat is brought to you, and there is no way to walk away from it, then allow your attacker to make first contact and then defeat them. By preforming your self-defense in this manner, you are far less likely to end up on the wrong side of the law. I have had students come to class with a black eye and I would inquire, “What happened?” “I let them hit me first, then I took them down,” was the answer. Not ideal but a good way to keep yourself out of legal trouble.

            It is quite commonly a foolish world we we exist within in these modern days, fueled by unconscious, uncaring people; lost in their own lie of self-worth. First of all, fighting is barbaric. There is no reason for it. Secondarily, people are self-centered lairs. Again, there is no reason for it. If you are whole onto yourself, you never need to attack any-one by any-means for any-reason.

            So, what is the moral of this editorial? If you are accosted and you want to win the confrontation at any cost, then quickly punch your opponent first, with full-force in their face. This will, most probably, knock them to the ground. But, this is not the way of the spiritual warrior. To be whole and true to yourself, you needed to understand the motivation of the other person, you need to care, and then you need to only defend yourself once you are physically attacked, and only with the minimum amount of expended energy.

            Is deflection enough? Rarely. But, in times like the aforementioned situation, it was. Thus, never fight unless you have to fight. Then, only deflect and let your attackers own negative energy lead to their demise.

Copyright © 2016 – All Rights Reserved

Originally from The Scott Shaw Blog

Scott Shaw Hapkido Taekwondo International 

Understanding the Black Belt

By Scott Shaw

            To the non-martial artist, the person who wears the black belt is viewed as the ultimate depiction of the individual who has mastered all realms of mental-control and physical combat. But, to the true martial artist, they understand the black belt to be simply a physical representation of them moving towards a more refined understand of physical and self-knowledge. They know that it certainly does not mean that the one who wears the black belt is all-knowing and the perfect combat technician. In fact, the true black belt should have learned through their years of training that a black belt is only a symbol of an accomplishment within a school’s environment and holds no true bearing in the combat realities that exist on the street. Unfortunately, many of the true definitions and deeper understandings of the black belt have been lost to this modern world.

            To begin this discussion about understanding the black belt we must first look back to the history of the black belt. The fact is, the entire concept of the black belt is just a bit over a hundred years old. Though, throughout history, there has always been a ranking system within the martial arts, the modernization of the martial arts is what brought the, “Black Belt,” into keen focus. Sadly, from this fact, much of the true essence of what the black belt actually stands for has been lost – as it has now commonly become an unrefined quest of all those who train in the martial arts and a method to make money for those who teach the martial arts.

            A few years ago I was speaking with Bill Superfoot Wallace in regard to an article I was writing about him for a magazine. In part, the article was about how he was having a problem with a person whom he had promoted to black belt. During our discussion he said something very profound. In essence he stated, “Back in the day if a person was a 1^st degree black belt they were impossible to touch. If they were a 2^nd degree black belt, forget about it, they would tear you apart. Now, everyone is an 8^th, 9^th or 10^th degree black belt and they are terrible.”

            For those of you who may not know, black belt ranking progresses between 1^st to 10^th degree. In terms of the Asian standard, and the standards accepted among the traditional martial arts community here in the West, a person who is a 1^st through 3^rd degree black belt is only considered an advanced student. They are not yet believed to be a competent enough practitioner to formally teach the art. It is only at the rank of 4^th degree or above that one can actually be understood to be a competent teacher. But, here is where the problem begins. People desire rank. Teachers desire money. So, they promote people through the ranks in order to fill the practitioner’s ego and the school owner’s pockets. Thus, the vast skillset that was once possessed by the black belt practitioner has now been all but lost.

            Again, for those of you who may not know, it is not free to gain the rank of black belt. It costs money. And generally, the higher up the ladder you climb, the more money it costs. Sometimes it costs a lot of money. Thus, in many schools of self-defense the pathway to black belt has now become solely a money making opportunity.

            In times gone past, particularly in Asia, there was a very formalized structure to advance from white to black belt and beyond. This included time and skill level requirements. The problem was and is, once these forms of Asian combat made their way to the States, the rules went out the window. In some cases, people made students wait much longer than was required by the timescale set forth in Asia to rise to the level of black belt. This was based upon the fact that the school owner hoped to keep them as a student for as long as possible.  The adverse was and is also true. People have been pushed through the ranks much too fast in order for the school owner to have assistant instructors to do all the teaching for them and/or to open new schools. In either case, as most people who train here in the West have never actually trained in Asia, they have no true concept of what is or is not the true essence of their art. You can call this the Westernization of the martial arts. But, by whatever name, the true essence of the pathway to black belt has been altered. And, it has not been altered for the better.

            As someone who has been training in the martial arts for the past fifty-one years (so-far), I have witnessed the changing attitudes about the rank of black belt. A couple of weeks ago I was sitting at Starbucks with one of my Hapkido brothers. He, like I, is an old-timer who has witnessed the changing landscape of the martial arts. We each exchanged stories about how the entire panorama of the martial arts and the route to black belt has deteriorated. We both agreed that from this, the true understanding of what the black belt actually means has been radically distorted.

            You see, in the early days of martial arts, here in the United States, there was a one-on-one relationship between the student and the teacher. The teacher personally guided their students towards their own level of excellence. Back then, people were not certified by large organizations. They were certified by their teacher. This was both good and it was bad. As I have discussed in the past, back then, if you earned the rank of black belt and you went to another school, they would, at least for a time, make you return to white belt. For me, this was a very enlightening and humbling experience that I went through a couple of times. It taught me about the true meaning of rank. But, for others, if they moved away from their original teacher or their teacher’s school went out of business, they never recommenced training due to their ego being involved – as they refused to be demoted. From this, many a person opened their own school of self-defense when they were not qualified to do so. Yet, they became a teacher and propagated their limited understanding of the martial arts to the masses. Again, this is a sourcepoint for where many of the problems within the path to black belt in the modern martial arts arose.

            As time moved on, several large Asian based organizations came to dominate the martial art landscape here in the West. This was especially true with taekwondo. The thing was, there was virtually no way for a Westerner to communicate with these organizations. Thus, the practitioner was dominated by their instructor’s link to the association. This was even true for me. For example, though I spent a lot of time in South Korea, my instructor, who I taught the martial arts in association with for years-upon-years, kept dodging getting me the advanced rank certificate I had earned and had paid for from a large federation. Sure, he gave me the school certificate and I was registered with the Kwan but I paid a lot of money for that international rank certification. The fact was, this man was terrible with money and he always spent our school’s income. So, he never had the money to pay the organization. And, I have heard similar stories, time-and-time again, from many practitioners of that era. The funny thing was, years later, another Korean-born instructor got me that rank certificate through the large organization. He did it, so he told me, to make things right. I appreciated that.

            The reason I tell this story is that it shows what goes on within these large martial arts organizations in relation to individualized black belt ranking. As I worked for years in association with my instructor and I went to Korea for him several times, I really saw the inside workings of this global organization and, I can tell you, there was a lot of tomfoolery going on – things that no one but someone who was on the inside would have seen. The stories I could tell… Though I have absolute respect for this organization and what it did for spreading taekwondo across the globe, it was what I personally saw and experienced that caused me to move away from them.

            So, what does this tell us about the black belt?  It explains that the black belt is not a universally defined concept. It is simply a thing that is commonly observed to be an entity but it is not. Instead, it is simply something that someone has assigned their own specific definition to. There is no one-universal understanding about how a black belt is to be awarded and what should be expected of the individual who wears it. This being said, there are factors that are commonly understood that one must embrace if they hope to rise to the level of a true black belt and once they are a black belt there are certain formalities they should practice if they hope to do the black belt they wear justice. But, it is essential to note, there is no one person and no one organization making sure that they do so. Again, this is where the problems begin.

            One of the essential elements of the black belt ranking that needs to be understood is that, as detailed, the black belt is a progressive ranking system. The way the various levels of the black belt rank were formulated were done so to lay a foundation for the advancing understanding within the martial arts. For example, in Asia, the lower ranked black belts always pay homage to the higher ranked black belts. Just as with age, the older and more advanced a person is in their skill development, the more respect they should command from their subordinates. If you are going to claim to be part of a tradition you must hold fast to that tradition. But, here in the West, this essential level of understanding has been forgotten and replaced by individualized ego. I cannot tell you how many times I have heard one black belt say about another, “I don’t think he has good technique.” Or, “I am better than him.” Maybe, “My students are better than that person.” Or some other form of directed negativity or personality based criticism. The fact is, who is anyone, especially a black belt, to cast judgment upon anyone else, especially if they hold a lower rank of black belt than does the person of whom they speak? Is a person who behaves in this fashion honoring the accepted traditions of their art?

            Being a black belt is not about allowing your ego to control your actions and your conversation. If fact, it should be just the opposite. A true black belt understands that each individual masters the art to the best of their ability and presents it in a manner that is most appropriate to their body type and body functionality. In other words, each practitioner progresses to the best level that they can achieve. Judgment is no part of this equation. But, applied understanding is.

            If a person is a true black belt they honor tradition as that tradition was set forth by the people who established the style of the martial arts that they practice. If a person is a true black belt they should be secure within themselves. They have no need to cast judgment. As we all understand, casting judgment or attempting to criticize or diminish another person’s accomplishment is simply the act of insecurity. It is simply someone trying to make themselves look more by making someone else look less. This is never the action of a true black belt. Yet, it is sadly rampant within the modern martial arts as practiced in the West. And again, here is an example of a sourcepoint for where many of the problems of the modern martial arts have arisen.

            As the years have progressed the understanding of the black belt has changed and evolved. Some would say, it has diminished. But, at the heart of any true black belt is the understanding that a belt does not define the individual. A belt is only an item of clothing. What is in a person’s heart, what is in their mind, and what they give back to the world while keeping their ego in check is the true demonstration of their inner knowledge: combat orientated or otherwise. That is what makes them a true black belt.

            It is very easy to know who is or is not a true black belt.

Copyright © 2016 – All Rights Reserved

Understanding the Black Belt @ Scott Shaw.com

Scott Shaw Hapkido Taekwondo International