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

This post will be for all of you who know or have ever been taught some grappling. Here in Minnesota we have grappling seminars once every two months or so.

I just got done traveling to my Alma Mater, Purdue University, and taught a grappling seminar there, so I thought I would write on how to practice what we teach. * In the coming days I will post a list of what was taught at the seminar with some videos

Positional Practice

1. Position Change

You both start in a given position (Mount, in-the-guard, etc…). Start grappling and when one or both has changed position start over. This practice is to help you learn skills, escapes, and counters in a certain position. You can still get someone to tap out. It just has to be from your starting position.

2. Tap Out

Same as Positional Change but instead of stopping if positions have changed you Continue Reading…

First I’d like to Thank Max JKN for all the wonderful work he has done getting this blog up and running and keeping it interesting.
We are adding two new bloggers this week to give a broader scope to our writings. I’d like to acquaint the readers with who we are. I am Steffen Kellogg, a Pu Sa Bum Nim, and head instructor at Kuk Sool Won of St. Paul. The other is Nicki Jones, a Dahn Bo Nim and assistant instructor at Kuk Sool Won of St. Paul. This week we’ll both spend a little time introducing ourselves.
I’m going to use Max JKN’s interview as a basic template.
What is the name and location of your school?
Kuk Sool Won of St. Paul
How long has it been open?
This location opened up in October of 2005.
Where are you originally from?
I am originally from Northern Illinois (The Continue Reading…

Great Video of Kings Lynn Black Belt Demonstration at the Dojang. Nice job.

Getting better at Martial Arts is something that is easy for instructors to express but yet so hard for students to grasp. Obviously going to practice is the number one way to get better. If you don’t practice you will not get better. However, somebody that practices everyday will not necessarily be great.

So here I will give ways that I strive to get better with examples so everyone has something easy they can work on every practice.

Do a Little Every Practice

Stretch a little further than last time in warm-ups
Kick a little higher
Jump a little higher
Cartwheel a little faster
Do your techniques from Memory a little faster
Lower your stances just a little bit
Do one more push-up
Punch the pad a little harder
Do a combo every time you attack during sparring

Get in Shape

Do four way forms with low stances
Do every kick
Do every push-up, crunch, sit-up that everyone else is doing
Fast staff spinning with Continue Reading…

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.

Within the last year Kuk Sool Headquarters has started to require every student to learn and verbally recite the Kuk Sool Won pledge at your Black Belt test. So read, learn, and recite the World Kuk Sool Won Association pledge.

Kuk Sool Won Pledge

1. As a member of the Kuk Sool Won, I pledge to obey the rules of the association and to conduct myself in accordance with the true spirit of martial arts.

나는 국술원 회원으로서 회칙을 준수하며 무사도 정신을 발휘할 것을 맹세 한다

2. I pledge to be loyal to my country and to promote the development of a better society.

나는 애국 애족하며 국제간의 친선 도모는 물론 많은 일에 성실 근면하고 내가 살고 있는 지역 사회의 번영과 발전을 위하여 헌신적으로 노력한다

3. I pledge to work together with all classes of people without regard to politics, race or religion.

나는 정치적인 문제에 관여 하지 않으며 종교나 파벌을 초월하여 신의와 우정으로 각계각층의 선량한 Continue Reading…

Kwan Jang Nim John Ives is Chief Instructor of all the UK schools and one of the top Masters in the World. Whenever I see him I am always surprised how tall he is (6′2″).

Big Thank You to Kwan Jang Nim John Ives for taking time to answer our questions. Also, Thank You to his Student and my friend, newly promoted, Pu Sa Bim Nim Stuart.

Q: What is the name of your school?

A: Kuk Sool Won of Norwich

Q: Where is your school located?

A: Norwich, UK

Q: How long has your school been open?

A: Since 1975

Q: What is your Kuk Sool Rank?

A: 6th Dahn Kwan Jang Nim

Q: Where are you Originally From?

A: Norwich, UK

Q: Why Did you Start Kuk Sool?

A: For Fitness and Self-Defence

Q: When Did you Decide to Become and Instructor? Why?

A: I didn’t decide. I was told to teach. However, over the years I have found it valuable and Continue Reading…

This post is part of the Tutorial Writing Blog Contest hosted by Daily Blog Tips. So if you have your own Blog please vote for it and support our Kuk Sool Martial Arts Blog!

Almost every month I get a comment or outright asked in our Martial Arts Studio, “But will this work on a Big man?” or “How do I take someone down that is bigger than me?” This tutorial will deal specifically on How to Take Someone down that is MUCH bigger than you.

Regularly, tutorials are a step-by-step process leading to an end goal. However, when defending yourself, if you perform one of these steps well, the scuffle could end very shortly and you have just taken down someone that is MUCH bigger than you.

* This tutorial is only for self-defense and in a situation you have already tried to leave and talked your Continue Reading…

This is one you will probably email to all your friends. Adapted from a recent video interview that got a lot of bad press for Scientology. However, he was apparently Hilariously talking about Kuk Sool! Who woulda thought?!?!

* Big Thank You to AirNick productions for puttin’ this video out there. Hilarious job.

As you know I offered an unbelievable Web Site Critique offer to Kuk Sool Instructors everywhere this last Holiday Break. So I thought I would list them here and give them some link love.

Kuk Sool Won of Menlo Park (California)  // Pu Sa Bum Nim Kristin Quintana

Kuk Sool Won of Costa Rica // Kwan Jang Nim Dickson Kunz

Kuk Sool Won of Muncie (Indiana) // Jo Kyo Nim Ken Ring

Kuk Sool Won of Burton (Michigan) // Pu Sa Bum Nim Kenneth Wright

I was surprised no international people tried to take me up on this offer as a lot of the UK Kuk Sool Schools have good websites but may be a little lacking in the Search Engine Optimization. Oh well. I hope that everyone I gave critiques to finds some time to implement them and have them work out for their school. Best of luck!