Kuk Sool Won of St Paul | Twin Cities Martial Arts with Classes for Kids, Adults, Families, and Workouts

From guest blogger, Mel JKN:

There are times in Kuk Sool when we’re not part of what’s going on.  We may be waiting for the class before ours to finish, we may be waiting while our instructor teaches a technique to our partner, we may be watching a tournament, or we may be sidelined due to an injury.  What do we do with that downtime?  Turn our brains off and drift into La La Land?  Of course not.  All of those scenarios are important learning opportunities.  We can learn a great deal from actively watching our fellow students.  Things that my instructor has told me time after time suddenly become clear when I see someone else making the same mistake.  When I listen to him explain a technique, I always hear something new that I missed when I learned it the first time around.  Every time I watch my peers do a form or practice their weapons, I find myself learning from watching.  I see the things they do well and desire to emulate them, and I see my own flaws mirrored back at me and am reminded of where I need to work.  Every moment spent in the dojang is an opportunity for learning, whether we’re actively involved or simply sitting on the sidelines.

My ex asked me the other day how we were faring in the face of the “mini-Depression.”  It’s a small business, he figured, and we don’t exactly offer what most people consider a necessary commodity.  And the bleak economy is affecting almost everyone at some level.   I told him the truth:  we’re growing steadily, retaining students, and continuing to invest in the business.  Yep, I’m definitely paying more for gas and groceries, but so far the effects of the pinch on most folks’ pocketbooks aren’t translating into a loss of students. But it got me thinking.  I know I cringed when I paid for my kids’ activities this fall, not because those prices had gone up, but because the price of so many other things has gone up, and I feel less and less like we can afford “extras.”  So, why have so many parents (and other adults) continued or begun paying for Kuk Sool classes this fall?  What are we doing right?  The first thing that occurred to me is that once you see and experience what we do, you know we offer good value.  No one can do this on his own — there’s no Kuk Sool for Dummies book available at Half-Price Books.  Kuk Sool Won is an incredibly comprehensive system of martial arts, and it takes consistent lessons with highly qualified instructors to learn.  Another possible reason is that Kuk Sool Won of St. Paul offers a lot more than just some of the best lessons in martial arts.  Physically, we can challenge and support anyone becoming more fit, better balanced, more flexible.  Mentally, we give students plenty to chew on, memorizing techniques and forms, and working to understand how the heck to convince your body to jump, spin, AND kick.  We teach and model concepts like perseverance, compassion, and patience.  We nurture and support introspection and mindfulness with regular meditation “workouts” and seminars. I hope there’s more.  I hope we effect positive change in every student.  I hope the relationships that form between students make a warm and welcoming environment.  I hope that some of the blood, sweat, and tears that we shed for each and every student really makes a difference.  Those are the reasons I do this, so I hope they affect our bottom line. What about you?  Are you a martial arts school owner?  Are you feeling the pinch in student loss or lack of retention?  Are you the parent of a martial artist?  Why do you keep paying for those lessons?  Are you an adult student, watching your grocery bills climb, yet still shelling out the tuition fees?  We usually know why we lose a student — sometimes they let us know loud and clear!  But it’s rare to hear why students stay.  Especially in the face of a “mini-Depression.”

Steffen PSBN and I were talking business the other day — an activity that we call a “meeting” and that usually involves large quantities of bubble tea.  We were talking about demographics:  who is our market?  what are they like?  what DO they like?  how do we reach them most efficiently?  And we stumbled upon a great truth:  martial artists read.  Looking at our current student population, former students and instructors, we determined that Kuk Sool apparently appeals to bookish word nerds, ourselves included.  (Yes.  It’s a fact.  Any conclusion reached under the influence of a strawberry kumquat black tea with pearls is an idea of great wisdom and undoubtedly true.)  So we decided to make our upcoming Open House that much more fun by sharing some of our favorite martial arts books with our students and guests.  We’re going through the bookshelves and hauling out, among others, The Art of War, The Art of Peace, Varjak Paw,  and The Miracle of Mindfulness.  We’ll set them out on tables, give folks a chance to see some of our recommendations for good martial arts reads, and, we hope, learn about some new titles to go check out ourselves.  Do you have recommendations?  Throw your comments out there — we’d love to hear what you think of as a good book about or relating to martial arts.   And if you’re in the area, come by and visit:  Saturday, September 13 from 11am to 3pm.  In addition to the books, you’ll find us playing games, teaching mini-classes, and eating treats.  Nothing like books, martial arts, and cookies for a good time.

Once again, our guest blogger, Mel Martin Jo Kyo Nim: 

Two weeks after surgery I finally returned to Kuk Sool classes. It was great to be back in the dojang and to see everyone, but at the same time it was very frustrating. For the next five months I am prohibited from running, jumping, bending, or twisting. So I took a deep breath and told myself that this is the perfect time to work on my weapons skills. When I got home I started doing the math and I figured out that I only have to worry about being benched for about 50-60 classes, and really that’s not that bad. I smiled and thought to myself, “Now that’s the right attitude to have.” And that phrase, right attitude, brought me up short. I thought about it for a moment and I realized that I am back on the path that initially led me to black belt. The first week of my recovery was about fitness. Not in the way we normally think of fitness, pushing our bodies to make them stronger, but rather resting and getting out of my body’s way so it could work and heal itself. Once I was off crutches it was on to concentration. I had to focus on relocating my sense of balance, relearning my limits, listening very carefully to my body when it told me what it could and could not do. And now here I am, once again, at right attitude.

Once we reach black belt we tend to forget about the path the colored belts follow. We are more than happy to shepherd others along their way, but we forget how the path continues to apply to us. But then, like in the childhood game of Chutes and Ladders, something unexpected can happen that will knock us back to an earlier place on the path. So we stand up, dust ourselves off, and start moving forward again, learning even more than we did the first time we walked the road. I don’t think any of us, black belts or not, ever truly reach the end of the path. There are always setbacks, physical or mental, that send us back to an earlier place. The key is to never stop when that happens. Don’t stop learning and don’t stop moving. Each journey along the path is different. It may take a few moments or a few months but if we follow the route we know the end result is the same, we end up better than we were when we started.

I find great comfort in knowing the road that is before me. In my case, it’s going to be a long one. And that’s ok. My jool bong needs work anyway.

In June and July, our Grand Master, Kuk Sa Nim Suh In Hyuk travels the US and Canada on a Super Seminar tour.  He and other Masters speak and teach at the schools along their route, and we here at Kuk Sool Won of St. Paul were honored again to host a Super Seminar.

For us, the excitement began on Thursday, when Steffen Pu Sa Bum Nim’s instructor, Tim Seitz Kwang Jahng Nim, arrived.  Master Seitz and Steffen PSBN taught special classes all day on Friday to our most highly ranked students.  The Dahn Bo Nims joined in a very exciting dahn bong (short stick) seminar, and most of them were introduced to this weapon for the first time.  Kuk Sa Nim and Masters Suh and Harmon arrived Friday evening, ready to visit our close neighbor, Mirror of Korea, for dinner.

Saturday was packed.  All black belts, including our frequent visitor, Mike Monahan Kyo Sa Nim, got a special practice time with the visiting Masters all morning.  After lunch, it was test time.  About a dozen black belts and black-belts-to-be sweated and pushed themselves in front of Master Suh, showing what they know and learning new and painful ways to do push-ups.  For most of the testers, this was just one test during the year (or years) of their testing process, but for three students this was the final test, promoting them to the next level of black belt.

Remember when I mentioned the Seminar?  That was Saturday afternoon.  Every student, from white belt to black belt, was invited to come, and the crowd listened as Kuk Sa Nim spoke about his philosophy of martial arts training.  Then, Master Harmon led the school through a kick-intensive seminar, focusing on safe, fast, and effective roundhouse kicks.  It was a hot day, but the kicks kept coming, fast and furious, and our students showed their best etiquette and enthusiasm.  Master Harmon later complimented Steffen PSBN on our students, especially the children, for their attention and focus.

By the end of the day on Saturday, everyone involved was exhausted and exhilarated.  The weekend was a great success.  Thanks to every student and instructor who was involved, especially those students who came for the Seminar.  To continue to attract guests like this, we have to show our school’s best side, and every student who attended helped to show Kuk Sa Nim that we are a school of students eager to learn.  Stay tuned to the blog for pictures, courtesy of our student Audrey Wiley, of the testing, promotions, and seminar.

Tournaments make for a very long day… For the judges.  As members of a traditional martial art that focuses so heavily on etiquette we should really do our best to thank the judges.   Unfortunately, I always hear a lot of complaints.  I even remember doing some complaining myself.  So, in the spirit of contrition, I am going to thank some judges right now.   I’d like to thank Master Seitz, and Master Simms for giving me contact warnings during sparring.  I’d like to thank Master Jeff Green for not being fooled by flashy techniques, and I’d like to thank Master Kunz for making me do above the head spin-kicks without jumping.  For all of you who are not judges I’d like to give you a peak at the judges world.  I’ve heard many different systems by which judges do their judging.  But the main thing I see is consistency.  Remember, even if you do not understand what they are looking for, the judges are doing their best to be consistent.  So without further ado, and in no particular order, here is my list of the top ten things you can do to impress the judges: 

•  Etiquette, Every judge I know will give higher points to better ettiquette or down grade you for bad etiquette.
• You Won Hwa - remember that Kuk Sool is a softer style, so if you do everything hard and jerky you will not score as high as someone who flows.
• Do your techniques - The judges are looking at your techniques; a poor technique ending in a magnificent fall reflects more on your partners falling ability then your technique ability
• Do the techniques in the book!
• Ettiquette: Formal bow (unless injury prevents), speak clearly, use a title, smile, do not turn your back on the judges, thank the judges for your score.
• When doing form - look at your target!  not your hands and feet.
• Hyung By-Whats?
• Control, Control, Control - I see too many students who want to spar hard at tournaments.  Remember, if you want to spar harder,  do it at your home school.
• Weapons:  If you only practice the form and ignore the basic spinnings and meditations, your forms will show it
• Etiquette: Did I mention etiquette?

This Monkey has some scary good spin kicks.

Yes, it’s true. I am moving to Chicago.

I have accepted a job at Leapfrog Online as a Web Producer. My new job is located north of the city in Evanston, IL, but I will be living in the City.

After graduating from Purdue University in December, I retired my instructor position to Brandon JKN and moved back here to Minnesota where I kept this website and blog going. I am happy that PSBN Steffen and DBN Nicki are getting their voices heard by posting on the blog and know they will take care of all of you readers and students from around the world.

I want to say Thank You to all the readers of this blog and I hope that wherever you are, you know someone is practicing Kuk Sool somewhere else in the world. We are all Brothers and Sisters.

I will be training at Sa Bum Nim Hill’s school in Chicago, and I am really looking forward to training there. If there is anybody from there that reads this blog, I will see you soon.

There is also a possibility that I will be in the U.K. this Fall because my girlfriend will be studying abroad in London. I don’t need much more of a reason than that to come across the Atlantic and practice with some of you U.K. Kuk Soolers. So maybe this Fall we will have to arrange a place to meet and train if you are from the U.K.

If you want or need to contact me in the future my personal email is maxkpage [at] gmail [dot] com, I also run my personal website at www.maxkpage.com

In the future, I would like to start another Kuk Sool Blog or my own school so you may hearing from me again on the Net. Until then, We all need more practice. Thanks for reading and keep it up for PSBN Steffen and DBN Nicki.

Kwan Jang Nim Alex has recently had a professional Video made to promote his 2 new schools down in Texas. Fortunately for everyone else he offers the video to help other schools who would like to use it. So all we had to do was put our school Contact Information on the end and drop it on our Homepage. Click the image below to go to our homepage to watch it.

Kuk Sool Won of Timberhill Master, Kwan Jang Nim Daniel Jolly, is known for his great sparring ability. Also, he is a giant. If you see a really tall Master walking around at a tournament you will know who he is. He is also very nice and talented.
Say Hi and Remember to bow.

Here is his schools website where you can learn more about Kwan Jang Nim and his history: Kuk Sool Won of Timberhill - Texas Martial Arts