You Keep Wanting That Belt. I Do Not Think It Means What You Think It Means.

          The movie The Princess Bride may be one of the few great comedic masterpieces ever put on film.  It is not only extremely enjoyable, but also extraordinarily well written, directed, and acted, and if nothing else, is eminently quotable. For the uninitiated: Throughout the beginning portion of the film, after the character Vizzini abducts Princess Buttercup and finds that he is being pursued, he continually exclaims that this is "Inconceivable!", despite all evidence to the contrary. After one "Inconceivable!" too many, Inigo Montoya astutely responds, "You keep using that word.  I do not think it means what you think it means."

          As a martial arts instructor, I find myself feeling much the same way when it comes to how students seem to feel about achieving new rank.  It appears that somewhere along the line, the goals for many students have shifted away from acquiring knowledge and skill towards merely acquiring rank.  To these students, the belt has become a symbol of only accomplishment, status, and achievement.  It has become a measuring tool to say, "Look at me, and look at what I've done! I've worked hard, and I deserve your admiration!"  Now, I'm not here to deny that it is these things, to a certain degree, but as an instructor, that's really NOT what your belt means to me.  The belt is not a destination, and making it one simply makes it that much easier to end a journey that isn't supposed to end. (See There Is No Karate Season)  Reaching any new rank is not a destination, it is merely another step; another rung on the ladder.  What is it, then, that your belt means to me?  It is not about what you have learned.  It is instead about what you are ready to learn next.  It is not about where you have been, it is about where you are going.  The new belt, quite simply, means that you are ready for more.

          It is this attitude that should be reflected in any desire for advancement, and in any efforts expended during a test for new rank.  I do not want to see a simple regurgitation of required material.  I want to see a true desire to advance, to move forward, and to be ready for the next challenge.  Frankly, it amazes me when the attitude presented is anything less.  All too often, when students realize that achieving a new belt rank doesn't make anything easier, I see the last thing I would expect on their faces: confusion.  I'm not sure why this is such a secret, though.  It seems as if these students, somewhat like Vizzini, find it to be "Inconceivable" that their new belts did not come fully equipped with magical abilities to make training simpler and easier, or at very least seem shocked that they don't now possess all the answers and abilities they will ever need.  Life doesn't work this way, and neither do the martial arts.  Prove proficiency with one thing, or at one job, and the reward, inevitably, is simply the opportunity to prove you can do more, and do it better.  This then, is also your reward upon receiving new rank.  

          Prove you can learn more.  Prove you can do that which you have already learned better.  Prove your belt means what you think it means.  Anything else should be inconceivable.

Kick. Punch. Easy Stuff.

Some Brief Thoughts on Traditional Weapons Training

“Wars may be fought with weapons, but they are

won by men. It is the spirit of the men who follow 

            and of the man who leads that gains the victory.”

                                                                   -George S. Patton

          

          The Korean for Weapon is “Moo Ki”, and combines the characters for “martial” and “instrument.”  Thus we know from our previous analysis, a weapon, as defined in Tang Soo Do, is an instrument used to stop conflict.  As we train our black belts in the use of weapons, traditional or otherwise, we must be mindful of this definition.  Much has been written about the weapons of the various martial arts, and this chapter does not serve to inform instructors which weapons they should and should not teach, nor does it hope to instruct any techniques specific to one particular weapon.  Instead, it embraces the idea that we should teach our black belts concepts rather than techniques, and is meant to encompass the use of any weapon, whether it is one of the traditional adopted weapons of the World Tang Soo Do Association (staff, knife, sword, and cane), martial arts weapons primarily used in other arts (nunchaku, tonfa, kama, sai, etc.), or even improvised weapons, which can be, quite literally, anything. Regardless of the weapon used, it is important to recognize that the instructor should first have trained with it extensively in order to understand its characteristics and uses in the realm of the martial arts.  The selected weapon, as Grandmaster Shin tells us, should not be randomly chosen, but instead should be “a tool for daily polishing of the mind, body and spirit.”[i]

Step 1: Identify an Advanced Concept

            In the case of weapons training, identifying an Advanced Concept is not difficult.  Virtually every martial art in existence agrees on one point when it comes to the use of weapons: that the weapon is an extension of the user’s body.  This can be taken to another step, though.  If a weapon is truly an extension of one’s body, then it cannot be considered a separate entity.  It is therefore treated as if it is a living part of oneself.[ii]  As we combine these ideas, then, we arrive at the following Advanced Concept:

A martial artist’s weapon is not separate from the self, but is an extension of the self.

          When we use the term “self” rather than “body”, we better understand the serious nature of training with weapons, and better appreciate the focus required for a martial artist to achieve this state.  How do we guide students toward this?  We cannot simply hand them a particular weapon and expect them to be able to make it an extension of the self.  The basic techniques and principles of usage of the selected weapon must be developed first.  At some point,  they should be able to extrapolate techniques for a new weapon from techniques they already know from using another weapon, or from empty handed techniques.

        

Step 2: Uncover Basic Concepts

            If we truly want our students to develop the ability to extend a part of themselves into the weapons they use, then they must be able visualize the weapon as a part of themselves at all times, even if they are not using it.  Paradoxically, there is a way to help them do this: by separating them from the weapon.  We remove the weapon itself from the hands of the student, but then have them same student execute both the basic techniques of the weapon, and any associated weapon hyung and dae ryun while remaining empty handed.  Just as an observer should be able to “see” the opponent of a martial artist who properly executes hyung, that same observer should be able to “see” the weapon, even if it is not actually there.

           The movements of the body should not change, whether the martial artist is actually wielding the weapon or not.  In practicing separation, we are actually working towards union, and we uncover the following Basic Concept:

After proficiency is achieved with the basics of a given weapon, a martial artist does not need to hold that weapon in order to train with it.

            Obviously, at some point, the black belt must again train while holding the weapon in his or her hands.  At this point, the student should begin to engage in both pre-arranged sparring and free sparring techniques with a safe training weapon that simulates the actual weapon as closely as possible.  The student will begin to learn to apply the basic techniques and principles of the weapon with a partner, and will achieve a greater level of comprehension regarding how the weapon is used in scenarios that involve single attackers, multiple attackers, and even attacks with weapons other than the one they are currently using.  Students will quickly learn whether their actions with the weapon are instinctive, intuitive, and effective, as they should be if the weapon has truly become an extension of the self. This idea is the key to another Basic Concept:

When a weapon becomes an extension of the self, it can be used in an instinctual, intuitive, and effective manner against an attack.

            Finally, the student must begin to link the use of the weapon to techniques he or she already knows how to perform without a weapon. At this level, a student should be able to perform the techniques of empty handed drill and hyung while holding a given weapon, deducing the application of that weapon that most closely reflects the movement, intent, and meaning of the given empty handed technique.  In other words, “it’s all the same,” and:

If one can execute a technique empty handed, one can execute the same technique with a weapon. 

Step 3: Understand, Apply & Improvise

            Once again, the previous section in this chapter correlates directly to the ideas of Understanding, Application, and Improvisation.  When we separate students from the weapon, but ask them to still “use” it, they are forced to concentrate on every specific movement of the body that occurs when holding the weapon.  They begin to Understand why the body moves as it does while using the given weapon, and at the same time develop a greater Understanding of the weapon itself.

            When students are asked to use the weapon in scenarios that involve a partner, or attacker, or even multiple attackers, they enter the stage of Application, and must deduce how to use the selected weapon in an effective manner.  Initially, these scenarios should be pre-arranged and repeatable, but over time, they should progress closer to the “free” state, in which neither attack nor response are predetermined, and instinctual use of the selected weapon is tested. 

            When students are asked to perform empty handed techniques or hyung with a weapon, this is Improvisation.  They must learn when a specific motion or technique with the weapon matches the empty handed technique in question, and must choose their own interpretations for each, sacrificing neither the intent of the original empty handed technique nor the effectiveness of the weapon technique.  When we realize that it took many years to become proficient with the basic empty handed techniques, and we consider that there are a myriad of weapons from which to choose, this practice can easily fill a second lifetime when taken seriously.

Moo Ki: Conclusions

            Training with weapons is not something to be taken lightly by instructors or students.  To do so is to ignore everything we have learned about the martial arts prior to attaining black belt.  Weapons training should only be undertaken with a serious attitude, under the supervision of a qualified instructor, and should only be taught if one has developed proficiency with the weapon to be taught, by learning from a qualified instructor, or through years of extensive independent research, study, and training.  When we train with a weapon, we are actually refining our own spirit.  We will learn through this training that:

1.      A martial artist’s weapon is not separate from the self, but is an extension of the self.

2.      After proficiency is achieved with the basics of a given weapon, a martial artist does not need to hold that weapon in order to train with it.

3.      When a weapon becomes an extension of the self, it can be used in an instinctual, intuitive, and effective manner against an attack.

4.      If one can execute a technique empty handed, one can execute the same technique with a weapon.

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[i] Shin, Jae Chul. (2000). Traditional Tang Soo Do Volume IV: The Advanced Hyung Philadelphia, PA: Jae Chul Shin, p.89

[ii] Shin, Jae Chul. (2000). Traditional Tang Soo Do Volume IV: The Advanced Hyung Philadelphia, PA: Jae Chul Shin, p.89

The Elements of Dae Ryun

“Dae ryun is not fighting, nor the conquering of
others. Rather dae ryun is an advanced, sublimating
form of training with mind, body and spirit together.
Training mind, body, and spirit with a partner is the
true definition of dae ryun.”

                                                           - Jae Chul Shin

 

While no discussion of a Black Belt Curriculum should be without a section on the concepts of dae ryun, it is important here to recognize that Grandmaster Shin has already written a comprehensive and definitive work on the subject.  To attempt to rewrite what he has already done is redundant, and this author shall not attempt to do so.  Instead, I direct anyone who is developing a martial arts curriculum, even one specifically geared towards black belts, to read Traditional Tang Soo Do Volume III: The Dae Ryun by Grandmaster Jae C. Shin.  Concepts and ideas I will only touch on here are presented in greater detail in this work, and it is one I cannot recommend strongly enough to instructors of Tang Soo Do.  With that said, I do feel that there are some Advanced and Basic Concepts that we can safely examine within the scope of this thesis.  For our purposes, this chapter is meant to be inclusive of all the various forms of dae ryun, including ja yu dae ryun (free sparring), il soo sik (one steps), and ho sin sul (self defense), but will focus primarily on the idea of dae ryun itself, rather than the techniques which comprise it.

Step 1: Identify an Advanced Concept

            While we have established in our previous chapter that falling is fighting, dae ryun most assuredly is not. This may seem counterintuitive, and to some readers may even be viewed as false or contradictory.  The truth is, that while the practice of dae ryun will surely provide one with the skills needed to fight, fighting itself is not dae ryun.  Whereas the goal of a fight is to win, by escape or by domination of the opponent, the goal of dae ryun is a free exchange of technique between partners.  In a fight, the welfare and success of one’s adversary is secondary to one’s goal.  In dae ryun, the welfare and successes of one’s partner are of paramount importance, for free exchange cannot exist without them.  Dae Ryun is a process by which we come to know ourselves, and by which we can learn to know others. In the movie The Matrix Reloaded, the character Seraph says, “You do not truly know someone until you fight them.”  I maintain that this is true, if we phrase it slightly differently: “You do not truly know someone until you engage in dae ryun with them.”  This is actually a statement that is derivative of Sun Tzu’s classic work, Sun Tzu Bing Fa, or at is commonly known to the English-speaking world, The Art of War.  Sun Tzu said:

Know yourself and know your enemy.

You will be safe in every battle.

You may know yourself but know the enemy.

You will then lose one battle for every one you win.

You may not know yourself or the enemy.

You will then lose every battle.[i]

While dae ryun is not truly a battle, and one’s partner is not an enemy, we can nonetheless use these ideas to extrapolate our Advanced Concept:

Dae ryun is a path towards truly knowing oneself, truly knowing others, and allowing others to truly know you.

Step 2: Uncover Basic Concepts

            If we accept this premise as our Advanced Concept, how can we even begin to deconstruct it to the point at which it becomes a drill for our black belts?  The journey towards knowing oneself is an incredibly difficult concept, even in the attempt to express. It is the basis for many branches of philosophy and religion, and the answers cannot be found by merely engaging in a martial arts exercise, can they?  I do not pretend that I can fully answer that question.  I do maintain that dae ryun can provide one path towards self-knowledge.  It is up to the instructor to show students the path.  It is ultimately their own decision whether or not they choose to walk it. Rather than attempting to explain how dae ryun leads to ultimate knowledge of the self and others, then, we will instead examine how instructors can reveal the path.

            If we accept that dae ryun provides a way to help us find this path, we must start by examining ourselves.  No one would deny that people come in various types, whether this is physical differences, gender differences, or differences in personality and personal ideology.  If dae ryun helps all of these different types of people to know themselves and each other, then we can begin to extrapolate our first Basic Concept:

There are different types of dae ryun that correspond to different types of people.

            Our exact method for clarifying and classifying these different types of dae ryun does not matter, nor do the labels used.  Classifying them in some way is important though, in order to help our students towards realization of the Advanced Concept, even if we go into this process knowing that the classifications we use are, ultimately, artificial. I suggest that each instructor find a classification system that works best for him or her.  Here we will classify the different types of dae ryun into four elemental styles.  This classification system uses the classical Greek elements of Earth, Fire, Water, and Air, rather the five classical Asian elements, but the Asian elements could be used as well. This system is not a new one, and most likely traces its roots to Miyamoto Musashi’s classic text, A Book of Five Rings, in which the first four rings match the Greek elements.  However, it was probably the animated television series, Avatar: The Last Airbender, which best introduced most of the modern western world to this idea.  In doing so, it helps instructors convey some very difficult ideas to a younger generation of black belts.  The different styles of dae ryun, then, are:

Earth

 

Earth is mostly patient, solid, rooted, and defensive. When it does attack, it waits for the right opportunity, then attempts to land one massive strike with maximum speed, force, and effect. When one thinks of Earth as a style of dae ryun, one must envision a rock.  Ideally, trying to attack someone using this style should be like trying to hit a rock with one’s bare hands. The defender merely absorbs the energy directed at him, while the attacker is more likely to injure himself than he is to affect the rock-like defender.  When Earth is used as a form of attack, the defender should, ideally, feel as if he is trying to withstand the force of a landslide.  Earth’s attacks are not easy to predict, as they come infrequently, and are difficult to avoid because they come with great speed and intensity.

Fire

Fire is mostly quick, aggressive, unrelenting, and offensive.  Fire rarely takes a defensive position, but when it does, it is not in the classic sense.  While Fire may block or evade, it is always looking for the next opportunity to attack.  When one thinks of Fire as a style of dae ryun, one must envision, obviously, flame.  Ideally, when one attempts to attack Fire, one gets burned.  The attack itself is of little concern to the defender who uses Fire, and he will attempt to strike the attacker multiple times in response.  When Fire is used as a form of attack, which is almost always, it relies on an aggregate effect, rather than attempting to land one specific strike.  Fire’s attacks may be more predictable than other styles in some ways, but they are so quick and constant that they will often find their intended target anyway.

Water

Water is mostly adaptable, flowing, changing, and balanced in terms of offensive and defensive techniques.  When one thinks of Water as a style of dae ryun, one must envision water in all its forms, whether filling a container, surrounding a sinking object, falling from the sky or pounding the shoreline.  It is both the raindrop and the storm; both the puddle and the tsunami.  When one attacks Water, one should have the sensation of being surrounded and immobilized, a feeling akin to floating, sinking, or drowning, depending on the intent of the Water stylist.  When attacked by Water, one may be pelted by a thousand raindrops, or assaulted by one enormous wave.  Water’s attacks are always changing in number, intensity and focus. Bruce Lee was a proponent of this style, and his quote regarding this became famous: “Be water, my friend.”[ii]

  

Air

Air is mostly evasive, intangible, elusive, and enveloping.  While it is often mistakenly classified as almost purely defensive, it is actually a relatively balanced style in terms of offense and defense.  When one thinks of Air as a style of dae ryun, one should envision not only the air we breathe and pass through every day, but also the hurricane and the tornado.  When one attacks Air, one should feel as if the defender is not even there; that their attacks are never able to reach their targets, and that attack itself is useless.  When air attacks, it attacks quickly, and may be either penetrating and forceful or enveloping and neutralizing. 

            Undoubtedly, most people will identify with one style more than the other three.  Instructors should encourage students to explore this, but should actively encourage more advanced students to try using all styles, rather than limiting themselves to one. In the end, they begin to learn that while they are reliant on one style, pieces of the others will be present as well.  They will learn that:

While people may predominantly use one style of dae ryun, all styles are always present.

Step 3: Understand, Apply & Improvise

            When they grasp for Understanding, students are initially trying to find one style that best suits them as individuals.  Once this style is found, they will be encouraged to explore other styles as well.  They will begin to see that they actually engage in a blend of all styles at some point, and that no style can truly be separated from the others.  In other words, “it’s all the same.”   When this level of Understanding is reached, they will begin to identify the styles of dae ryun that fit others’ personalities, body types, and ideologies.  In so doing, they will begin to know others even before engaging in dae ryun with them, and will be able to form certain expectations when they do.  When they can match a predominant style with a particular body type, combined with personality traits, they will begin to understand why certain techniques work better form them than others, and will begin to identify how to use one style in both opposition and complement to another.

            As students learn to identify these styles in themselves and others, they must also learn to effectively use them in dae ryun.  They will learn which styles are best used to counter others, and in this process, will begin to adapt their own style based on the actions of their partners.  This is Application.  When students can quickly identify another’s style, know what works to counter that style, and know intuitively how to shift from one style to another, they are starting to move from Application towards Improvisation. 

            At the Improvisation stage, students should not only know when to shift from one style to another, but should also attempt to create new styles by combining the characteristic features of two or more styles.  Thus they will uncover new concepts, and will move closer towards synthesis, the Ideal Concept, and nature.  For example, a student may attempt to combine Earth and Fire and create a new style known as Lava.  Combining Earth and Water may result in Mud, or Quicksand.  Combining Earth and Air will create Dust, or Sandstorm.  Fire and Water will create Steam.  Fire and Air will create Smoke.  Air and Water will create Mist, or Storm.[iii]  Combining three or more elements will continue to yield new styles and new concepts with new characteristics, and combining all elements together into a cohesive union will perhaps yield Spirit, which is sometimes identified as Musashi’s fifth ring, and the fifth element in Japanese culture, although the fifth ring is just as often translated as the Void, or even as Nothing.  Since synthesis cannot yield nothing, I prefer the notion of Spirit, but in truth, I feel that:

 The union of all styles results in the Ideal style of dae ryun: Nature.

Dae Ryun: Conclusions

            While the casual reader may feel that the above analysis is meant to cover only ja yu dae ryun, or free sparring, it is actually meant to encompass all forms of dae ryun, including semi-free sparring, one-step, two-step, and three-step sparring (pre-arranged sparring), group sparring, tournament sparring, and ho sin sul (self defense).  For a more in depth discussion of each of these classifications, refer to Traditional Tang Soo Do Volume III: The Dae Ryun, by Grandmaster Jae Chul Shin, pages 5-7.  Ultimately, while the elemental classifications and their resultant combinations and syntheses work for me as an instructor, it is up to every individual instructor to identify their own system of classification and instruction. It is not the classifications themselves that matter, but the concepts:

1.      Dae ryun is a path towards truly knowing oneself, truly knowing others, and allowing others to truly know you.

2.      There are different types of dae ryun that correspond to different types of people.

3.      While people may predominantly use one style of dae ryun, all styles are always present.

4.      The union of all styles results in the Ideal style of dae ryun: Nature.


Kick. Punch. Easy Stuff.

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[i] Sun-tzu. (6^th cent. BC) [Sun Tzu Bing Fa, English] The Art of War Plus The Ancient Chinese Revealed Seattle, WA: translated by Gary Gagliardi, p.41

[ii] http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Bruce_Lee

[iii] http://spoken-khatru.blogspot.com/2011/05/earth-air-water-fire.html, 

    http://runescape.wikia.com/wiki/Combination_rune