every thing has an um and a yang i.e.opposite/equal/inverse what is the opposite of u whun wa, and by definition would it not be equally important?
Brute Force? In terms of all combative arts, brute strength certainly has its uses and plenty of people have used it successfully throughout history. I wouldn't say that it's as equally important to Kuk Sool because one of the principles behind our "family martial art" (as well as many others) is that you don't have to have brute strength to defend yourself. We do however recognize the value of a fit body and promote healthy living and exercise to increase strength. Perhaps that's the difference. We don't necessarily focus on overall "combat", which at times calls for brute strength to annihilate an adversary, but rather on one aspect of combat, "self defense". While you can certainly train in that area (lifting weights for more strength, train in MMA style G&P) most people aren't genetically gifted enough to get by in a self-defense (combat) situation on brute strength alone.
"Application" - If you don't know how to apply a technique or strike then your not going to last long in a combat situation. Knowing isn't enough, you need to be able to apply what you've been taught..........and in a pressurised environment (class scenarios do no replicate the street).
What is the opposite of u What is the opposite of won What is the opposite of wha those 3 need to be defined (beyond the figurative/metaphorical descriptions in the conventional definitions) as do their equal/opposites and "if" those 3 (as a unified concept) are the most important and they have an equal/opposite then why would the equal/opposite be less important? then one must wonder why the equal/opposite of u whun wha are such an unknown in ks compared to their counterparts??
Hard Linear Discord There are hard, linear styles out there. Shotokan Karate for one. I would think "Roman Army" as one possibility. But I don't know too much that would promote discord, unless perhaps it was guerilla warfare, or the older style focused on individual warriors rather than a coherent army.
I am not a big fan of um/yang and I think you, won, hwa is far too nonspecific to be useful. I think it is impossible to pick one thing that is the most important. First of all because you have to define the critia to measure against. A simple example of this is the question, what is more important drinking or peeing? On its own you cannot answer this question. Anyone who does has added their own measurment criteria, either consciously or not. To get back to the original question, you must define the criteria. Then we can have problem to optimize our solution for. The criteria could be viewed as the acceptable ruleset that the combat will take part in and what is a winning or losing outcome. I am quite sure that if every one of us wrote this stuff down and compared notes we would not all choose the same criteria. With my own hidden criteria, I will choose running as the most important thing.
I think Ember effectively defined the opposites and I think my description "brute strength" (hard force, basic linear attacks, unharmonious, wild, unpracticed attacks) isn't a bad summary term. As far as that concept being an unknown, I disagree. I think brute strength is very well known (and used by many people) which is why other people pursue MA to combat it. Being aware of one extreme (brute strength), they study the other (You Won Hwa) to balance it. Isn't that what um/yang is? Just because I'm fully aware an opposite exists, that doesn't mean I should always pursue it. Stupidity is the opposite of intelligence...should I pursue stupidity to balance my life? However I think we do try to study the balance of the two...don't we, in training, try to balance strength training exercises with the concepts of You Won Hwa? Isn't the balance of the two what a true combatant would strive for? I think we focus and train on the You Won Hwa because the opposite comes more instinctively. Part of the Hwa concept is harmony between mind and body through training. Wouldn't we just call the opposite of that "doing nothing"? And KSW_123, I agree You Won Wha can be a bit vague. I was just being a good student and giving the textbook answer.
those are the opposite of "soft,circular,harmonious" but you are assuming those are accurate translations. I am not sure that they are accurate enough to determine an opposite from. the opposite of soft is hard and the opposite of hard is easy and the opposite of easy is difficult which is NOT the opposite of soft. so,is it soft or gentle, circular or round, harmonious or compliant. all of which have different opposites don't bother getting your thesaurus this is not about the words it's about the translations.
A question, though. Who says that you-won-hwa is an objective standard? Opposites suggests the two ends of a spectrum or the sides of a coin. What if instead of objective, it's subjective or relative? Softer, more circular, more harmonious? I'm not entirely sure that a precise translation is necessary. But perhaps that goes to the less scientific, more artistic aspect of my brain that sees associations and relationships between soft, gentle, and easy qualities. [/QUOTE] so,is it soft or gentle, circular or round, harmonious or compliant. all of which have different opposites don't bother getting your thesaurus this is not about the words it's about the translations.[/QUOTE] Or perhaps we need the three together... I would define an opposite to compliant as difficult, which as you state above is an opposite to easy. Perhaps one word that fits both soft/gentle and harmonious/compliant is relaxed. Relaxed joints are capable of circling. Stiff/hard joints can't move in circles or curves so well. And we haven't talked about water yet here, IIRC water was an aspect of you-won-hwa too. What do you consider to be the opposite of water? Ice? Wood? Fire? A combination?
Are we not all forgetting the Kuk Sool Motto?? "We need more practice" If we are talking about Kuk Sool as a combative art then practice is paramount, perfect practice at that too. Take any world class athlete. What separates the best from everyone else (yes some natural ability does apply)? Good hard practice. Joe Calzaghe, Floyd Mayweather, Lance Armstrong, Pele, Muhammed Ali, Michael Schumacher all have one common trait.........they practice, then practice and finish with some more practice, in order to be the best in their chosen field.
Even so. One would want the theories to be instilled in themselves. Would that not make the opposite an excommunication of the You Won Hwa, or even the possession of the anti-You Won Hwa in one's opponent. This would make it equally important if one was able to create a situation where an attacker was confused and beaten so badly that he/she had to resort to hard, linear attacks.
The separate parts of you won hwa contain the um yang theory....is it really important to then further try to find the opposite of this??!! push & pull effect....soft but forcefull, state of emptiness created in mind and body through balancing um & yang, etc etc Yuhp Cha Ki said it well.....train, train and then train some more !! The oppositie of training would result in not training. I dont think thats important , neither is worrying about the opposite of you, won , hwa.
so just train hard!?!?! thats it?? there is no need to achieve an understanding beyond what you are told??? wow,how depressing, , I can't buy into the notion that the only thing I should do is work harder ... there are enough hard working sheep in the flock, and I can't fathom being just another flocking sheep! I think one of the most important things in training is the concept of jung shin...it is at least as important as u won wha, and um/yang, if not more. I also get the feeling that no one considers the potential that there is an formal, yet unmentioned "reverse" to u/won/wha that they may have never been taught... not merely an "interpretation of opposites theory". this is one of the problems of a "closed " system such as ksw where you are heavily discouraged if not expressly forbidden from outside MA influences. It was VERY easy to find this online if you are willing to look at an outside source Three Elements of Um: - Yu - Yu is the concept of soft, unrelenting motion, like flowing water. Water is soft yet it can erode the strongest of metals. Water moves in perpetual motion, unrelenting and constantly seeking a path. It rounds angular edges and conserves energy by conserving momentum, maximizing on its kinetic energy. - Won - Won is the concept of circular patterns. It shows that all things in life follow a cyclical pattern, starting from one point and finishing at the same point, which it started. Force can be curved or redirected by minimal opposing force, conserving energy to maximize impact. It also relates to centrifugal force, the power generated by a spinning motion. Even a fishing line can cut through flesh and bone, if spun with enough speed. - Hap(i'm almost positive wha is a different or older pronunciation of the same character ) - Hap is the combining or gathering. In order to create something, one must know all of its fundamental parts. Then, one can vary the combinations in order to create functionally different objects. In the combinations of things, one must maintain the concepts of efficiency, maximizing energy with minimal force. while you have heard of yu won wha(hap) ad nauseam, have you EVER heard anyone talk about the Yang side? in a seminar, class workshop? Three Elements of Yang: - Kang ( alt pronunciation of gong as in shim gong/nae gong/wei gong) - Kang is the concept of hardness, like rock or steel. Without a strong foundation, there is no stability, form or longevity. It also has to do with determination of will, never giving in nor yielding, but always staying focused at the task as hand. - Kak - Kak (as in Gak do bub) is the concept of angles. All things possess specific shape and pattern to create specific results. Knowing angles enhances the understanding of form, movement and positioning to maximize balance and power. This also refers to angles of attack and body positioning in relation to the opponent and the environment, developing better orientation and directions of attack and defense. This is particularly important in executing effective joint manipulation techniques. With the slightest change of angles, any person's joint can be dislocated with minimal force. - Kan - Kan is the concept of distancing. One must understanding the proper range of the opponent's and the individual's arms, legs and/or weapon in order to effectively create a defensive perimeter as well as executing proper attacks, striking the target. Proper footwork and body positioning must be practiced in order to maximize mobility for attack and escape. although I have my own ideas as to interpretation .... this is the source (http://www.hwarangdo.net) hope this helps I think it makes a little sense and may be kind of important..
Train hard encompasses all aspects - I think too many people think training hard only means the physical aspects. Train hard at the physical aspects, train hard at the theory of KS, train hard at mental training, train hard at getting a deeper understanding, train hard at learning bio mechanics, anat & physiology. To summarise, train hard at EVERY aspect of Kuk Sool. Technically we are all sheep, its just that some sheep will climb the higher hill/mountain to get to the better tasting grass (deeper understanding of martial arts). By being that sheep that climbs higher, you are separating yourself from the rest of the flock.
Yeah that's what I was meaning...but was at work and couldn't write too much Sometimes too long is spent questioning things and looking into things that you actually don't DO anything! I understand that you won hwa is important and now Kang, Kak & Kan (thanks Choi ) but surely the most important part is to actually do the training? By training I am learning about angles and distance etc. Training hard does not mean acting like a sheep. training hard should involve looking outside of the kuk sool box and actively study MA concepts from other arts, improving your own knowledge!!! but if you are then not going to apply this knowledge and train it then it becomes quite useless...no? btw I think we are actually agreeing on whats important but writing it in a different way.
