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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?
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I have just found out, which a lot of you may already know about, but the Kuk Sool Won Great Lakes Tournament will not be in Michigan this year. It will now be in Cleveland, Ohio. As a former Purdue Kuk Sool Won Instructor that is definitely good news for them and anybody else in that area that doesn’t live too close to Michigan. Here are the full details of the tournament.
Great Lakes Tournament
April 5, 2008
Cleveland Heights Community Center
One Monticello Boulevard, Cleveland Heights, OH
Well, practice up and I may see you there or at the MidWest Tournament in St.Louis. Living in Minnesota makes it a little difficult to get to a tournament but I do it every year and so does Pu Sa Bum Nim Steffen. Make sure you get a picture with me and I will post it on the blog.
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Staff Form is the first weapons form we all learn in Kuk Sool Won. We will all practice it countless times throughout our career. Here is a quick video of myself doing Joong Bong Il Hyung at the St.Louis Tournament and some quick tips below:
1. Balance
Especially at the beginning you need to demonstrate good balance with all the spinning techniques. If you do not show proper balance, especially at a tournament, it is immediately known to everyone watching that you have not practiced the form enough.
2. Good Stances
Just because you have a staff in your hands does not mean you get to neglect your stances. Stances will not be as low as empty hand forms because you need some clearance to spin your staff but they should still be proper and low enough to show you actually are a Martial Artist.
3. Power and Precision
This form must be controlled, powerful, and precise. Each movement and strike with the staff must be made with purpose and direction. Practice, Practice, Practice. Especially practice the spins on your own. Don’t just do the form over and over again do the set of 15 spins to get the basics down and sharpened from time to time.
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Sometimes hindsight is just 20/20. The Houston World Championships this year looked awesome and I wish I could have went. For all of you in the same boat and maybe for some of you who want to see the demos again. Here is an excellent video of all the parts of the Masters Demo:
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This video is pretty Old School but it is the only instance I have ever heard or seen of Kuk Sool in the UFC. If you know of another instance feel free to leave a comment and point it out.
I have heard a couple different stories about this video. The one I have heard a couple times is that Gary Goodridge was training up in Canada for the UFC at a Canadian Kuk Sool School (may be gone now). There is more to the story but I won’t gossip more than that, but if you know the real story leave a comment.
* Warning: Sorry, No Sound. I did not make the video. Also, kinda violent for the kiddies.
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Posted by Max Jo Kyo NimKuk Sool Videos, Kuk Sool Terminology, Sparring, Techniques, Hyung, Form, Martial Arts, Videos, Tournament, Kuk Sool Won, Martial Arts Demo on October-23-2007 |
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The Korean Kuk Sool Championships just finished and my good friend Stuart, who I trained with in Seoul, was kind enough to release some awesome videos. The top 5 videos (according to yours truly) include fan techniques, sword sparring, sword cutting, breaking, Hyung (a.k.a. Form), and Korean Monk Techniques. My only advice to Stuart would be to get a new Video Camera because he needs one.
Korean Kuk Sool Monk Techniques Video
- This is the first time I have ever seen any Monk techniques. Pretty awesome.
Kuk Sool Sword Sparring Video
- Kuk Sool sword sparring techniques as well as Jung Gum Hyung
Kuk Sool Korean Master Form Video
- Sahm Bang Cho Hyung, this is one of my favorites forms in Kuk Sool
Master Level Kuk Sool Sword Cutting Video
- Cutting Boards with Swords. Don’t try this at home. Unless you are a high rank of course.
Kuk Sool Fan Techniques Video
- I love fan techniques and so should you. Enjoy.
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There are so many Sparring Drills flying around the world it is hard to find good ones that work and are fun for everyone. So I thought I would make a comprehensive list of all the drills I know and enjoy. If you have any other sparring drills you would like me to include in this list please add the name and description of the drill in the comments below. Feel free to print them out and give them to your instructor as well.
Quick Terminology:
Jam: Defender “Jams” the motion of the attacker by moving in at the same time and attacking an open target.
Counter: Defender steps back and throws one or more strikes IMMEDIATELY after a wave of attack is over
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| Offense vs. Defense |
| Offense - Is on the attack // Defense - Can only Jam or Counter |
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| Kicks vs. Kicks |
| Both sides can only kick. This is important in developing range and proficiency in kicking. It is the fastest way to dominate and score points in point sparring. Korea Kuk Sool sparring rules basically only allow you to kick. So if you are planning to go to Korea to spar at a tournament, only do kicks for almost every drill. |
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| Kicks vs. Hand Strikes |
| One side can only kick while the other side can only use hand strikes |
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| Hand Strikes vs. Hand Strikes |
| This is a drill that will help quickness with your feet and your hand strikes. You will need to move in, out, and around in a smooth, speedy manner. |
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| Social Point Sparring |
| Everyone spars everyone else in the room for 2 minutes each. While sparring your partner you try to go by point sparring rules. Stop and reset after you both agree a point has been scored. If you both don’t agree keep going. |
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| Free Sparring |
| Spar everyone in the room for 2 minutes at a time. Make sure you stay in control and if one partner is overwhelming the other partner back up and reset. Everyone needs to learn. |
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| Point Sparring |
| Classic Point Sparring with a center judge and two corner judges. 1 point awarded for hand strikes and kicks to the body. 2 points awarded for head kicks |
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| Full Contact Sparring |
| Not everyone loves full contact sparring. However, some people this is all they want to do. Make sure you wear the proper gear. I recommend some sort of face mask or cage on your headgear and a chest protector. Believe me, people will hit you hard. |
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| King/Queen of the Room |
Everyone in your sparring class spreads out around the entire room. When the instructor says go everyone runs around spars everyone. Chaos Ensues. If a point is scored on you, then you sit down on the side. Last Person standing is King or Queen.
* Points to the back do not count. You must score to the sides of the head, front of the head, or body. |
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| Spin Kicks vs. Spin Kicks |
| Both sides can only Spin kick. Seriously Fun. It’s sometimes risky to use a spin kick because if you miss you are very open. However, if you practice you can be awesome. Especially in Korea, Spin Kicks are awesome because knock-outs are allowed and spin kicks are very powerful. * This drill is probably for more advanced students. Or students who have previous sparring experience from a different style. |
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| Circle Drill |
| Both partners can only move in a circular motion as much as possible. Too many times I see how easy people get in a rut of moving forward and backwards in a straight line. This drill helps you ease into moving in all directions smoothly. |
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| Across the Line Drill |
| Put down two pieces of tape on the ground where each partner starts. Then you go one point at a time. Designate one side as the attacker and one side as the responder. The attacker must try and jump across the line fast enough to score on the responder. The responder must be fast enough to jam or jump back and counter. There is only one jump of movement then you reset each time. Switching back and forth who is the attacker and responder. |
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| Combo Drill |
| Combinational striking is one of the most important point sparring concepts. In the Combo Drill each side is only allowed to use combos. You can only attack or counter with 3 strikes or more. Using combos increases your likelihood of scoring a point when you commit to an attack or defense. |
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| Korea Style |
| Basically, you can only do kicks and take downs. Kick defense techniques are great for take downs. You do get a point for a clean take down, but it has to be clean. Korea Kuk Sool tournaments do allow hand strikes but you must have both feet on the ground and you can not be advancing at all. Meaning: They are discouraged. * They do allow knock-outs in Korea Kuk Sool tournaments. I am going to say do not allow knock-out sparring in your school. Everyone wants to practice and live a healthy life. |
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* If you have a good drill I have not included please add the name and description of the drill in the comments section below
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When you compete in sparring at a tournament a lot of newbies don’t think about the clock. Sparring matches at a tournament are only 2:00 (that’s 2 minutes). So what does this mean for you? You have to remember Point Sparring is not the real deal fighting match you would encounter while you are out-and-about. Point Sparring is a game to see who can score the most points in 2 minutes or less. Here are some tips when dealing with time in a Point Sparring match and how to use it to your advantage.
1. Efficiency
You only have 2 minutes to either win by a 5 point margin or score the most points. How do you do this the fastest? Head kicks. Kicks to head are worth 2 points compared to a kick to the body or any hand strike (1 point). The fastest way to get your five point margin or the most points is to mix in a couple head kicks with your other moves.
2. Signifier
Use the time you have left as a signifier. While you are sparring you can sort of gauge how much time is left in the match, or better yet, if you have a friend or family member timing it you will know exactly how much time is left. If you are down in points with time running out you know you will have to step it up and maybe use some riskier moves. If you are down by a lot you know you will have to start landing points fast or with a bunch of head kicks.
On the other hand, if you are up in points with time running out you want to slow the match down. You want to keep your adversary at a distance and hesitant to come in. Don’t move in straight lines, move around in a circle making you harder to catch.
3. Time Tactics
Some people swear by what I call “Time Tactics.” You will always come across a fighter who will do the exact same thing every time. As soon as your judge says “Go” they have jumped across the line as fast as they can to try and surprise you from the get-go. A lot of people will do this every time in a “sudden death”, “tie breaker”, or “next point wins” scenario. If you have a “Time Tactic” like this I would suggest dropping it. One reason is, if you win the first round, the person you fight in the second round knows exactly what you are doing and you will get destroyed it they have enough skill to stop you. This is especially true once you reach black belt level.
Bonus: Patience
Two minutes does not seem like a long time but it really can be. Don’t be in such a rush where you leave yourself open and make stupid mistakes. Be patient and keep your hands up. Good Luck.
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The 2007 Kuk Sool California Tournament just happened a couple days ago and some videos have been put on YouTube for our viewing pleasure. All three videos are from the Tournament Demo with Board Breaking, Kuk Sool Cane Techniques, and Nak Bub or Falling. Two of the videos have Masters doing the techniques.
Kuk Sool Won Cane Techniques
Kuk Sool Won Board Breaking
Kuk Sool Won Nak Bub or Falling (Flips, Handsprings, Arials)
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Posted by Max Jo Kyo NimKuk Sool Videos, Tips and Tricks, Weekly Re-Cap, Kuk Sool Terminology, Martial Arts Links, Techniques, Sparring, Kuk Sool Links, Kuk Sool Won, Tournament, How To, Martial Arts, Interview, Martial Arts Pictures, Kuk Sool Schools, Articles, Videos, Martial Arts Demo on October-5-2007 |
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Get your game face on and spread the word it was another great week on this Kuk Sool Blog. I am also coming home to Minnesota today, so if you are a Minnesota Kuk Sooler I will see you on Saturday.
Video: The Master Harmon’s (Never before seen video)
- Two Videos. Two Masters Harmon. Same Technique Set. Different Days.
Quick Tip on How to Win at Sparring
- Believe it or not. Small things can help you win at sparring and this is how.
Wrap Your Hands the Muay Thai Way
- Purdue KSW just got hand wraps for our Kickboxing, Pad-Striking Workout and this is how we wrap.
Sa Bum Nim Mike Nebgen and Meyerland Kuk Sool
- Arguably the best Kuk Sool School in the U.S.
Where is this Kuk Sool Boat Going?
- Preview of what is coming up in the coming weeks on this blog. Keep reading and spread the word.
Video: Kuk Sool Sparring Set - Gun Dae Ryun
- Fresh this week from the UK. A demonstration of the Kuk Sool set Gun Dae Ryun
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