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* True Account by Head Instructor Steffen Kellogg from Kuk Sool Won of St Paul, Minnesota
I have always loved stories of Kuk Sool being successfully used in self-defense. But until recently I had not been in an altercation that went to the extreme of actual physical confrontation. I had always been able to talk my way out of confrontation or just project enough of an aura of confidence to deter attackers. Last night that all changed…
First a little back ground on the philosophy of self-defense that I teach. Seth Hicks Pu Sa Bum Nim (Kuk Sool Won of Urbana-Champaign and Purdue University) and I were once discussing how we teach self-defense. We were both in agreement but he had the better presentation; so I stole his presentation idea. Since then I’ve taught the three pillars of self-defense: Etiquette, self-control, and lastly, the physical techniques of self-defense.
- Etiquette
- Self-Control
- Physical Techniques
I tell my students that 90% of possible confrontations can be avoided with good etiquette. And that of that 10% left over, another 90% can be avoided simply by being able to control our body, breathing, and emotions. Projecting confidence, being assertive, and not letting your anger get the best of you are all parts of self-control. Each one helps to deter potential aggressors. Finally, the physical techniques are used in the last extreme to protect ourselves or others when we have tried everything else and getting away without risk is not an option.
The True Self-Defense Story
I have been apartment caretaking for about 5 and half years. In that time I’ve handled countless complaints, noise disturbances, and belligerents. So last night at 3AM when I was woken by pounding on a door and bellowing in the hall, I was more annoyed than surprised. I quickly put on my dobak pants and went out in the hall to calm things down. What I found was a man trying to kick down the door of one of my tenants. Another of the tenants had already called the police and was trying to get the belligerent to leave from a safe distance away. I could smell the alcohol on this guy from 20 feet away. I quickly interposed myself between the drunk and the door. At this point it had gone beyond caring what the drunk wanted, I was worried for the lady behind the door. I didn’t want this guy getting to her.
So I took up a conciliatory natural stance. I had both hands up feet set beneath me with my knees slightly bent. He backed off from the door, and started making odd squaring off gestures like he wanted to be in a fighting stance but had only seen one in a Bruce Lee movie. That didn’t bother me as long as he was out range and not armed. I started trying to calm him. Calling him sir, trying to tell him the police were on the way (he thought they would help him), telling him that he needed to either leave or calm down, that there was no way he was going into that apartment. Normally this is all it takes. The guy had nothing to lose, he didn’t have friends watching, there was no face to lose, but he still wouldn’t leave.
His next tactic was to mock me. Self-control was the name of the day. I don’t lose anything by accepting mocking (Especially by someone that drunk). He started to advance on me and I dropped my left foot back enough to be in a more defensive stance. Still at this point I did not want to hurt him. I just wanted to stall him until the police could get there. Unfortunately, for me he decided to play with the fire alarm. I pulled his hand away from the alarm, and that is when techniques came into play.
One of the things I especially love about Kuk Sool is the wide range of options we have. We can go for real damage, strict defense, or restraint. I went for restraint.
Kuk Sool Techniques and Armbars
As soon as I removed his hand from the fire alarm he went for me with a wild overhand flail. I blocked his arm and drove him back a couple of steps. I quickly swept his feet (Ki Bon Soo 9), and slid on top. While he was flailing away I slid my leg around his arm and pulled him into an arm bar using my whole body as a fulcrum (a black belt ground sparring technique) I now had him pinned the ground with one leg holding his head down, and the other holding his body down. His elbow was mine to break or not. Still he struggled. Two light heal kicks to the ribs (warning shots), and a verbal threat to increase the kicks until his ribs broke and I was able to completely restrain him until the police arrived.
The whole physical episode had taken less then thirty seconds. When he was properly subdued and in custody, I took stock. My tenant was safe. My heart was pounding but my breathing was completely under control. I could feel the adrenaline rush, but never did the adrenaline control me. I had successfully used what I had learned in Kuk Sool over the years without seriously injuring the belligerent. He was bleeding from a ripped open suture in his hand (he had apparently had an operation on his hand the previous week), and I only had some minor scratches on my calf from his fingernails. And I had managed to do everything within the confines of a 4 foot wide hallway. The mental and physical techniques, that I have practiced for so long in Kuk Sool worked beautifully.
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When I first meet people interested in joining Martial Arts, especially in a city, they usually ask whether or not we teach Self Defense. Here in Minnesota Pu Sa Bum Nim Steffen (3rd Degree Black Belt) will do a Self Defense type class from time to time focusing on Self Defense moves, strikes, or kicks that would be efficient in Self Defense.
Our style, Kuk Sool, teaches defense for any number of situations from being choked, to having your clothing grabbed, to being bear hugged. Here are some pointers on what you should think about in regards to Self Defense with Kuk Sool or any Martial Arts style:
1. Efficient Striking
You are most likely in close with a Self Defense situation. So try and stick to using your close strikes likes elbows, knees, and quick kicks. They hurt and are very fast. Remember, if one strike does not work throw another. * Do not try and back up to strike if you are already close, you will waste your energy and time when you could have already thrown a number of strikes to free yourself and escape
2. Fight Dirty
Yeah, I said it. Your life may be at risk. There might be a very large man attacking you. If you are new to Martial Arts or defending yourself you should not even think twice, you should fight dirty. Gouge the eyes, Kick the Groin, Rake the face with your nails, kick the knees, bite the ear (be careful of blood, you may want to bite and tear). Anything you can think of that would help you escape till you are safe.
3. Don’t Freeze
This is probably the biggest worry of anyone, that they will freeze when confronted with a Self Defense situation. While this could obviously happen to most people, you should be aware and realize you need to act. Everyone will have a moment of realization and “Freeze” per se, but I believe everyone that reads this blog can realize they need to un-freeze and do what needs to be done to defend and escape.
4. Combos Combos Combos
Don’t stop by trying to kick them in the groin and it not working. Immediately try to poke their eyes or palm strike their nose. Always do more than one strike. Don’t trap yourself in the mindset of only doing one strike.
5. Worries & Confidence
If you are still worried do some common situations and practice like a bear hug, getting choked (lightly at first), being grabbed by the shirt, pulling your purse, or something of the like. This will help build some confidence. The more confident you look and act the less likely you are of being attacked. Sometimes life is tough and you are just in the wrong place at the wrong time, but a lot of the time someone will not mess with a really confident person.
+ Bonus
There are so many techniques in our Martial Art Kuk Sool Won, once you get to a high enough belt you know techniques for almost every Self Defense situation. If you are that high of rank make sure to practice effectively. Don’t just walk through the motion. Lock the joint, hit the pressure point, throw, and finish.
[+] Videos
We have also produced three quick videos to get your mind going:
- Defense of Being Grabbed from behind in a Bear Hug
- Defense Against a Strike
- Defense Against Some Unwelcome Friendliness
* Feel free to email this article to anyone who might benefit from reading it by going to the top of this post and clicking the “Email a Friend” link underneath the title of the post. Be safe and I hope this blog post helps.
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As most of you know it is Thanksgiving this week in the States. If you are not from here and have no idea what it is, Americans basically eat a lot and watch American Football pretending to celebrate giving thanks for Pilgrims and Native Americans and such. We like to forget killing almost all Native Americans off, but that is another sad story.
Anyways, I am goign home to MN so I will try and get some good pics at Kuk Sool for everyone and maybe get an interview with my Instructor up here in the North, Pu Sa Bum Nim Steffen Kellogg.
As for posting on this blog, I may not post a lot this week, but do not worry after this long weekend we will be back in full force. If you are in the US enjoy the Holidays, if you are not and want some wonderful Kuk Sool go to YouTube.com and search for “kuk sool.” You should be happy enough for weeks.
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It’s getting to be around that time of year again. So I thought I would get out all the options for your Martial Arts Holiday Gear. Here’s a couple things you may want to think about asking for this Holiday Season:
1. Extra Uniform
I think this is a pretty smart choice because who wants to constantly be doing laundry all the time because you only have one uniform?
Where: You can order is from Gaya Won from Kuk Sool HQ or from your own school
2. Generals Uniform
Uber Expensive and probably a good ask for Christmas
Where: Gaya Won or your own Instructor
3. Textbooks
I can’t tell you how nice it is to have a textbook handy when I forget the order of a technique set. Textbooks are incredibly handy for beginners who are just learning a new form or technique set
Where: Gaya Won or your own Instructor
4. Handbooks
Handbooks are different than Textbooks in two ways. First, they cover different topics. They are sword, staff, breaking, knife and club defense, and pressure point and joint locking. Second, they are more explanatory. They have more text and only focus on the topic associated with the book. They are not broken down like the text books into rank.
Where: Gaya Won and your Instructor
5. Throwing Knives
Not a lot of people know how to use throwing knives for Kuk Sool, but if you want to get into it talk to your instructor and get some. The following knives are the two most common I have seen.
 3 Pc Set Spear Point Throwing Knives
 3 Pc Set Professional Throwing Knives
6. Sword
Another expensive item for your Kuk Sool practice is a sword. I have gotten my sword from Kuk Sool so I don’t really know of any other good websites or anything, but if you have one leave it in the comments below. * Have to be a Black Belt to order from Kuk Sool
Where: Gaya Won and your Instructor
7. Sparring Gear
Sparring gear always seems to only last a year if you’re lucky. Here are a couple links to get what you are looking for.
 Macho Full Warrior Sparring Gear Set (With Hogu Chest Protector)
 Macho Warrior Sparring Gear Set
 Macho Dyna Sparring Gear Set
8. Sparring Gear Bag
 Champ Gear Bag
9. School Gear
It’s always a good idea to load up on your own schools t-shirts, sweat shirts, gear, and whatever else they sell at your dojang because it helps out your school, plus it is where you train and you should be proud of that.
10. Martial Arts Shoes
If you go to a Tournament there is a lot of standing around, or maybe you are an instructor and you do a lot of standing around throughout the day. You may want to acquire some Martial Arts shoes.
 Adidas Adilux Shoe
 Adidas SM-II Low Cut Sneaker Sneaker
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* Sent to me by Mel JKN. Thanks Mel :)
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Where can you go Online to find other Kuk Soolers talking Kuk Sool? Well, obviously this blog is a good choice but there are numerous others around. Here is a list of some popular places we Kuk Soolers tend to Congregate:
There are are a couple different ways to join the Kuk Sool Facebook community. One is to join a group and one is to become a Fan. You will either have to login to Facebook or create an account to join.
To Join a group click this link to join Kuk Sool University (192 Members)
Yesterday Facebook also opened up the ability to make Fan pages. So I made one for the World Kuk Sool Association as well as for this school here in Minnesota. After you click on the links below, on the upper right of the group profile will be a tiny little text link that reads something like “add to my stores” or “add to my services” which are just fancy ways of saying “Make me a Fan.”
So if you are a Fan of the World Kuk Sool Association Click Here
If you are a Fan of Kuk Sool Won of St Paul Click Here
* You will have to log in or register to join these groups too. To create a Fan page for your school, click on the “Advertisers” Link on the bottom of Facebook, and the link to create one will be on the right side of the page
Flickr is also a great place to find some Kuk Sool Members posting photos. So if you take a lot of Kuk Sool photography, join up and share your photos.
Click here to visit the Flickr Kuk Sool Won Group
MySpace doesn’t seem to have a single group for Kuk Sool but if you search for “Kuk Sool” on MySpace a lot of videos and user stuff does come up. You can click here to visit MySpace
One of the most active Kuk Sool communities is the forum on Martial Arts Planet. A lot of Kuk Sool people meet here and discuss. You will have to register to put in your 2-cents but you can read all the posts and discussions without registering
Click Here to Visit the Kuk Sool Online Forum at Martial Arts Planet
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 Jason and I have been in contact for a couple months now but we have never actually met in person. He has been awesome and given us some sweet Kuk Sool Photo Wallpapers and this Interview. Jason also met my UK friend Stuart at the Korean Championships this year. He is currently teaching English in South Korea, training in Kuk Sool, and getting ready to return to his home.
Q: Tell us a little about yourself
A: I am from Brandon, Manitoba Canada which is a small town in the Prairies. I came to Korea 4 years ago, after completing University, to pay off my massive student debt.
Q: What is your Rank and What School are you Currently Training At?
A: Currently, I have my first dahn but will be testing for my second in December if all goes well. I am just awaiting the notification from the head office here in my city. I am currently training at Moorung 6 Dojang in Ulsan Korea. I have been training at this dojang for my entire time in Kuk Sool.
 Q: What do you Like About Kuk Sool?
A: What I love about Kuk Sool is the people. When I first started out, I thought that martial arts would be all about stone-face masters who were hard-core and difficult to please, like what you see in the movies. What I noticed when I started Kuk Sool was how nice everyone was, especially the masters. Maybe it was because I was one of the few foreigners training in my area or something but everyone made me me feel extremely welcome. In fact one of the first words I learned in Korean was from Kuk Sool and that was “kah-jok” which means “family.”
It was told to me by my original Master Kwan Jang Lee Young Suk, Who trained me for about 2 years. He kept saying to me “this is your family, this is your kuk sool family” I never forgot that.
Q: How Did you Start Kuk Sool?
A: I started Kuk Sool by complete accident. I had wanted to practice Martial Arts when I first came to Korea but wasn’t sure where to go. I received directions from some friends but mistakenly went to the wrong dojang. I ended up walking into my first Kuk Sool class which was very close to my home at that time. It was very difficult at first but slowly I learned what everyone was saying. It was also difficult after my first year when I waited for my black belt. All of my fellow classmates were promoted but being a foreigner I had to wait. A year later, I received my black and was extremely happy. Now, I am hoping that before I leave Korea I can test again for my second dahn.
Q: How Did you Get Interested in Photography and Martial Arts?
A: I got interested in photography with Martial Arts because I didn’t see a lot of shots that I really liked when it came to any sort of Martial Art. There seemed to be a lot of what I would call “Uncle Clem’s yellow belt test” type shots or studio shots of shirtless dudes doing high kicks. There just wasn’t anything that seems to capture the true essence of what I practiced every day. So I started trying to get the shots that I wanted and found that it wasn’t easy.
After years of trying, I have ended up with only a few shots I really think capture the essence of Kuk Sool Won, but I am sure that in the years to come I will have the opportunity to get more.
Q: Anything Else You Would Like to Say?
A: Other than that, all I have to say is that I have never been happier to have stumbled into the the “wrong” dojang. Kuk Sool has been like my Korean family for years now and it is going to be extremely hard to leave them in December.
Thanks for the Interview Jason
If you would like to contact Jason Teale about his photography or some other interest you can find his website here: Jason Teale Photography
If you would like some of the images Jason has taken in this blog post you can download for yourself here: Kuk Sool Wallpapers
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Today we’re gonna go through some of the upgrades I have done to the blog today and the last couple weeks.
1. You can now Email a Post to a Friend
I am so happy to announce I have finally added this functionality to this blog. I think you will all enjoy it as well.
To Email a Friend the post you like, just click on the post title from the Blog Homepage, and when you the Blog post is loaded you will see a little icon and text appear underneath the title of the Blog Post that says “Email this Post to a Friend”
So now if you think your friend or an instructor will like a post, feel free to click and email them. You do not leave the page at all, you just click and send right from the post. Go try it yourself!
2. What is RSS?
One of the options to subscribe to this Blog is via the Kuk Sool Blog RSS feed. Now, I know many of you have yet to learn how easy RSS is and so I have added a “What is RSS?” page to this site. You can learn what RSS is by clicking this link: What is RSS? or by clicking on the “What is RSS?” link at the top of the sidebar under the big orange RSS icon.
3. Subscribe via Email
Yes, this feature has been on the Blog for a while, but just to let you know that if you don’t like the whole RSS thing you can still subscribe via email. Just enter in you email at the top of the sidebar and you will receive the posts via email.
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Tomorrow is Halloween. You know what that means. Costumes and Candy. Bring them both to practice. You may be made to practice in the Costume, so make sure it is not too expensive and stuff. Make it Hilarious.
Also, if you take any pictures of yourself at Kuk Sool with your Costume I will post them here on the blog. Especially if my students dress up for practice I will take their pictures and post them (with permission of course).
Just think about Darth Vader doing Ki Cho Hyung.
* If you bring Candy for Kids, make sure you only give it to kids who are not allergic. For example, tons of people are allergic to peanuts. Be careful.
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