What is Kuk Sool (FAQ's)?

Discussion in 'Kuk Sool' started by Wolf, May 8, 2006.

  1. ember

    ember Valued Member

    Fun threads

    I don't know about you, but my reasons for joining MAP include meeting people, learning things, and having fun.

    These are some of the fun threads that exist at the time of this writing. My picks, so YMMV. I hope more will pop up!

    The idea is, if you don't know where to start posting, here are some options:

    KSW funnies

    Favorite KSW memories

    The moment of truth......

    what is the best thing you have seen in a demo?

    What do you like most about KSW?

    Demo Partner???

    Grade for Grade Fighter
     
  2. mijorobert

    mijorobert Valued Member

    i guess there's a 5th one then(i never heard of that 4th one)
    5:this is a blackbelt school we are motivated,we are decticated, we are on a quest to be our best kuk sool!
     
  3. VVV

    VVV New Member

    Anyone have some links to a video of Kuk Sool? I want to see it in action.
     
  4. ember

    ember Valued Member

    Yes, there are lots of them in the "Kuk Sool Pictures and other Media" sticky.
     
  5. ember

    ember Valued Member

    Etiquette, and Norms that have developed on MAP

    I encourage anyone joining this board to read posts and get an idea for the forum before posting. As can be seen from the "Check-in" thread, this forum is home to people with a wide variety of MA experience, from brand new white belts with no prior training, on up.

    There is one major difference between the Kuk Sool forum and the rest of MAP. The one rule on MAP is "No personal attacks." But as Jsun noted:
    “Men are respectable only as they respect” - Ralph Waldo Emerson

    Many if not most WKSA schools emphasize etiquette, and the use of "sir" or "ma'am" while in the dojang. Several instructors have told their MAPper students to keep their etiquette the same as in the dojang. However:
    Still, this is a public forum, and anyone can read what you write here. When I started on here, I tried to write everything as if Kuk Sa Nim himself might read it. This is a tough standard to maintain, particularly when discussions get personal or heated, but people tend to recognize a good faith effort.

    For more on MAP norms, this is an excellent read:
    The Unofficial Alternative Posting Guide

    The major secondary rule that has developed on here is "Be Civil".
     
  6. ember

    ember Valued Member

    Family

    WKSA tries to promote the idea that we are all brothers and sisters, one big family. Different regions probably do this differently:
    One practice that promotes this family feeling is the way in which black belt testing is often conducted. In the Houston area, candidates from around the region get together every quarter for testing and promotion.
    Tournaments are another place where Kuk Soolin gather and meet.

    Additionally, at least in the U.S., Kuk Sa Nim travels to as many dojangs as he can to conduct his annual seminar, usually bringing other instructors along. This is another way to get to know people within WKSA.

    By the time a student reaches black belt, the chances are good that they have seen and know the names of most of the instructors and many of the students in their region, and quite possibly around the world.

    As for MAPs role in this family…
    Related to the WKSA “Family” feel is the Sun Bae / Hue Bae relationship:
    Senior students try to look out for junior students, and junior students respect (but do NOT have to agree with!) their seniors.

    In THIS aspect, MAP is similar to a dojang, in that senior members and senior ranks usually try to help out the newer students. MAP is a connection that people tend to respect. The “look out for each other” aspect becomes even more true for people who actually share lineage and/or geography.
     
    Last edited: Apr 22, 2007
  7. ember

    ember Valued Member

    Anonymity

    In an organization where everybody knows everybody else, it is extremely difficult to guarantee anonymity. It is always your choice what information you put out on the internet. Over the course of discussions, it is quite possible that you will meet someone from your dojang and/or figure out who somebody is.

    FromThe Unofficial Alternative Posting Guide:
     
  8. ember

    ember Valued Member

    Demographics and Politics

    While most of the participating membership these days comes from within WKSA, there are / have been several contributing members from other organizations, including the Korean Kuk Sool Association (KKSA) and the United Martial Science Federation (UMSF), as well as people from a variety of other offshoots.

    We (so far) have participants from many parts of the United States, the United Kingdom, and Spain.

    We also have participants from white belt into master levels.

    Please keep in mind that this forum is a place where people who don’t know anything about Kuk Sool can come to learn about the art and consider whether it is for them. I am aware of at least two people who came here to ask questions and ended up signing up at their local dojang.

    With such a wide variety of demographics, politics periodically come up. The most recent thread on this subject, Master Sims Speaks, has a great many good posts on the benefits and drawbacks of the discussion. Three points I would like to highlight.

    1) "if you find the perfect dojang, join it, and it won't be perfect anymore." Every organization is going to have politics. I, for one, agree that truth should be spoken, even if people don't want to hear it. Sometimes it's the only way to learn / make things better. The trick is HOW it is said - we would appreciate it be kept civil.

    2) Like it or not, contentious political discussions discourage the members of the MAP community, particularly the color belts, both from participating in MAP discussions, and also from their training in KS. Most of us at color belt and low bb levels don't know enough to say much on the political threads.
    3) Many of the senior rank participants on MAP get tired of the political discussions, and would prefer to leave politics behind. For example, many of our UK members will not participate in such threads.

    My opinion: I think if we can confine the politics to a small fraction of the active threads, AND keep positive / technical education / just-for-fun discussions going too, then we could all benefit.
     
    Last edited: Apr 22, 2007
  9. Bruce W Sims

    Bruce W Sims Banned Banned

    When it comes to discussing what KSW is its seems that most of the discussion tends to go "around" the subject. We know, for instance, that the art itself is a collection of materials from the Post-WW II era including Chinese SIPALKI (as diffentiated from Korean SIPALKI), HAPKIYUKWONSUL, Korean "Iron Palm" and a few other bits. To me, simply comparing one book against another book really isn't of much help. For myself I would like to know the source material that contributed to KSW. Until now, I have not gotten a lot of information about this and seems that the greater portion such things as the Forms work were constructed by SUH In Hyuk BASED on earlier material rather than being earlier material in and of itself. Help?

    Best Wishes,

    Bruce
     
  10. shimajiro

    shimajiro Valued Member

    good luck in your search. the sad fact is that the answers that you seek are available from probably 2 sources - those that know the history, but have something to lose by answering you without bias, and those who know and are not around and/or simply don't care anymore. your are right in that the comparison of books is not fruitful as they are different arrangements of the same thing essentially. it is far more rewarding to conclude that the past is of less importance than we are told by those who seem satisfied to embellish it to their own end, and as such it is not worth worrying about. Even if you did get your answers, the KSW of today is not what it was in 1980, much less what it was in 1965. Isn't it odd that TKMA's , with their emphasis on "traditional" have the most unclear history.

    happy hunting!
     
  11. unknown-KJN

    unknown-KJN Banned Banned

    To set the record straight about a few things, I feel it's needed to say that the student creed listed by ember pandora was originally written by EFC and its adoption by any WKSA school is up to that particular schoolowner. The creed listed as *official* by JKN-taylor is the association creed, and why it starts out, "As a member of the World Kuk Sool Association..."

    The *motivated & dedicated* line listed by mijo-robert is an optional 4th item that can be added to the EFC creed.

    Also, in regards to the shortcuts provided by ember pandora, I find using GM IHS (GrandMaster InHyukSuh) to be easier to type than kuk sa nim, while still avoiding any confusion with ksn=kyo sa nim. Futhermore, few *outsiders* can argue the title GM, while the other title might have its detractors (but that's a discussion for another thread).

    And is it just me or is the question about Dr. Kimm's book only *frequently asked* because Thomas always asks every chance he gets? :)
     
    Last edited: Jul 30, 2008
  12. Thomas

    Thomas Combat Hapkido/Taekwondo

    If you got a problem with the questions I ask, feel free to ignore them. Or, if you think you can provide a good answer without whitewash/lies/fantasy/etc, please answer them.

    I think I ask pretty good questions in general. Feel free to read my other few thousand posts and see if "Kuk Sool" questions really are something I ask "every chance I get". I think you'll find them a very small amount of what I ask, answer, and contribute here.

    If it's some sort of issue you have with me, feel free to PM me or start an open thread to discuss it.
     
  13. shimajiro

    shimajiro Valued Member

    If there is anyone on map that has a history of intelligent and civil discussion, it Thomas. Anyone that take a moment to read his posts can easily see that.
    Questions, even by new mappers, that stimulate thoughtful discussion and should be welcomed. period.
     
  14. unknown-KJN

    unknown-KJN Banned Banned

    Although guilty of getting off-topic myself, it was simply my way of redirecting the thread back on topic after being derailed slightly (sorry if I hit a nerve as I only had lighthearted intentions - or didn't you notice the smiley?). As CYW so astutely pointed out, I'm relatively new and truth be told have not perused elsewhere on MAP but the KSW section.

    It's just an observation I made in my limited thread-viewing that Thomas seemed to ask the same thing about the book in question on more than one thread. And while that's entirely his prerogative, I didn't mean to insinuate anything negative by virtue of that fact. Hell, that's why we're here, isn't it? To ask and hopefully find answers to our questions. I truly hope so! :)
     
    Last edited: Jul 31, 2008
  15. Bahng Uh Ki

    Bahng Uh Ki Valued Member

    I didn't think unknown-KJN's was out of line. There was an emoticon with it. Look at the smilie, guys. Don't take everything as an insult or attack. People seem so quick to jump on newbies.
     
  16. Bruce W Sims

    Bruce W Sims Banned Banned

    I think its a learned behavior and founded in way too much nit-picking and fault-finding in the Hapkido community. Anyone who is reading what I am writing at this very moment is "hearing" a voice in their head. The "internal voice" can have a sarcastic tone, an angry tone, a mellow tone, or what have you, depending on the expectations the person has and not always because of the content.

    Sometime back I made a promise to myself not to engage in anymore picking and back-biting and to simply turnaway if it started up. Its hard because I am pretty heavily invested in the MA and in the Hapkido arts in particular. All the same, its just not worth my time to engage in any of that any more.

    My own experience is that Thomas (Morrison) is a pretty sharp cookie and a passionate supporter of ICHF. Personally if it had been otherwise, there probably would have been a time when we would have hammered at each other. As it is, even if Thomas would have some huge change in his personality and suddenly become hard to get along with, I can't say that I would do much more than add him to my ignore list and get on with things. As it is I find him to be a real asset and look forward to reading his stuff. A lot of good information in those posts!

    Best Wishes,

    Bruce
     
  17. shimajiro

    shimajiro Valued Member

    Double Dittos
     
  18. Thomas

    Thomas Combat Hapkido/Taekwondo

    Hey, thanks for all the concern everyone but I didn't think the conversation had to go more off topic than my reply of "if you don't like my posts, don't read 'em"


    I only replied initially because my name was mentioned specifically in a thread that was resurrected after at least a month and a half of deadness... for a bit of filler comments and a swipe at me by name, regardless of the smiley.

    Aside from that, there must be more pressing "F.A.Q.s" than discussing my choice to respond to a personal mention. Thanks for the kind words all.
     
  19. SB1970

    SB1970 Valued Member

    Is anybody going to explain your art?I've been looking though and still can't tell if it's kick and punch,throw,lock al of them or none of them-please someone tell the wider MAP world what your art does ?
     
  20. psbn matt

    psbn matt great sage = of heaven

    kuk sool contains, a veriaty of kicking and jump kicking teqhniques, open and closed hand strikes, joint locks and throws, pressure points, 24 weapons (ranging from sword/staff to knife throwing and archery) falling and acrobatics.

    here is a vid of the 2005 demo in korea, showcasing various ksw skills
    http://media.putfile.com/kuk-sool-won-korea-demo

    hope this is of some help
     

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