Korean Martial Arts SUPER SEMINAR...2010

Discussion in 'Kuk Sool' started by Ki_Power, Oct 3, 2009.

  1. unknown-KJN

    unknown-KJN Banned Banned

    I think he was joking, sir, even though a BR disc can hold ten times the data that a standard DVD can. It would require you to have a BR-DVD burner and for everyone to own a BR-DVD player. As much of a *techie* as I'd like to think I am, I don't own a BR-DVD player but then I'm realistic enough to realize that a 720p vs. a 1080i/p HD-flatscreen isn't as likely to deliver all the benefits of BR technology, and why I haven't dashed out to buy one just yet. If all this technical hubbub is confusing, here's a nifty little article which a quick googly turned up:

    http://carltonbale.com/1080p-does-matter
     
  2. Demdike

    Demdike Banned Banned

    just remember that blu-ray was designed as a way of getting high-definition disks - which take up a lot of data/bandwidth
    A BD disk may hold a lot of data - but it may not hold any more actual video time because the HD format requires so much more disk space
    You CAN format a BD disk to use a lower definition format e.g. MP2, MP4 BUT then you've got a bastardised format disk that not many people are going to be able to play
    Probably better to use a high compression format such as Xvid or WMA on a DVD. Then at least anyone with a PC can view it, and most (not all) DVD players can
    Or - forget disks altogether and go for a web distributed option with pay-per-download, either Xvid or WMA.


    PS - to properly edit broadcast quality video to a blu-ray disk is probably going to need fairly expensive software - and a pretty powerful PC. One of my clients does it, and the machine he uses is an 8-core monster.
     
    Last edited: Aug 21, 2010
  3. Saja

    Saja Valued Member

    LOL... I think I'll stick to the old DVD version, but thanks for all the info.
     
  4. KwanJang-KJ

    KwanJang-KJ Valued Member

    Yes sir, I have have just completed the final capture of the footage and there is nearly 180 Giga-Bytes of video. That's over 8 hours of video. Thanks to Debbie KJN and Samuel KSN we captured most of the event. It was great reviewing the content. I am still in awe of what took place.
     
  5. Saja

    Saja Valued Member

    I have about four more hours of video shot by our camera lady here, so I am sure we have pretty much everything that took place. In addition, I now have over 1000 pictures from a variety of folks taking pictures; however, I am sure that there are many similar shots that need to be culled. I'll keep those with the best angles and light for the slide show which will be part of the DVD series. Thanks to your family for your help in shooting footage of the event.
    Rudy
     
  6. KIWEST

    KIWEST Revalued Mapper

    This is the first chance I have had to get on MAP since this great event. ANd it WAS a truly great event! And that comment has nothing to do with my small sucess but with the true spirit of martial arts.
    It was also good to see that at the testing it was NOT a "sure thing" for everyone who tested! Not that I like to see people fail, but I DO like to see people tested properly. There were almost as many judges as participants and we were TESTED! I have had some hard tests with the WKSA but I have to say that if you pass with the NKMAA then you KNOW you deserve your rank.
    As for the seminar sessions..these were great. Masters and Grandmasters from all over the globe came to share their knowledge. We learnt a LOT!
    Thanks you Saja Nim for a fantastic event.
     
  7. Saja

    Saja Valued Member

    Glad to see you enjoyed your visit here KJN. As you probably know by now, I am old school and a bit on the harsh side when it comes to the way I deal with students. I try to stay out of the way when it comes to the way our members run their school; but, when they volunteer to come here for training or testing, I only know one way to go about that. Actually, I would not want it any other way.

    From your own experience with me, I don't pull punches, and I don't care if I am politically correct. I deal with issues when and where they arise, and that most often is regarded as "insensitive". To that I say bull :)

    I deal with black belts, and black belts in my small corner of the world are not treated like babies. If they can't stand the heat, I tell them to get out of my kitchen. I do not force my ideas on anyone, and I don't accept the reverse either.

    Sure, I make lots of mistakes, but when I do I accept responsibility for them. I don't hide behind excuses, and I HATE to hide behind this politically correctness crap. The fact is that I think that kind of coddling raises whimps.

    The folks who test with me can expect me to give them honest feedback on what USED to be the norm. I do not care if you paid me to test you or if you went through on my ticket because of hardships you may have encountered. You get the same treatment.

    Some of the folks going for the highest rank failed at the Gathering, and I failed them for their own good. Most of the higher ranks, IMHO, were short on material (I do NOT award rank in Hap Ki Do "light"), and some of them just needed to work a tad more on their stamina and drive to "want it". While I graded the higher ranks myself, I also take a hard look at the other students. I do this to see how my examiners are doing, as they are being tested while they don't even know it lol. In all, the entire testing procedure is to determine how we can improve all who participate.

    You saw that a whole lot of high ranking Grand Masters were sitting in; however, the buck stops with me, and I take all responsibility for whatever happens. Like you, I hate to see people fail, and it truly breaks my heart when they do. NKMAA members are like my family, so it hurts when I have to disappoint them in front of so many. Alas, it is one of the ways by which I try to build character, and I believe in tough love.

    Over the last sixty years, I have seen a steady decline in the quality of a black belt. In fact, I have seen a slow decline in the quality of the overall student. It seems that we are no longer building young people with strong hearts. Many are "given" everything, and few are expected to produce quality. We can see that by our corporate CEOs who have no shame in accepting millions of dollars in bonuses while they run companies into the ground. What else did we expect?

    I may not have the answers, but I try to do my best to maintain integrity in the black belt system. It is great to see that more and more people take part in this effort, and I sincerely hope we can reverse a bad trend that helps no one. I am especially proud of some of the NKMAA members who KNEW the risk and came anyway. To me this means that there is a genuine desire to "earn" the rank requested, and I value that more than they can even imagine. Thanks for giving me the opportunity to share my feelings on the subject of testing Sir.

    There is no room for wannabees where the meat hits the mat, and it is high time we stop their social climbing ways of buying rank and fancy titles. There IS no room for Masters who have not nurtured a white belt to black belt, and there IS no room for Chief Masters who have not produced Masters, and why in the world would anyone want to be a Grand Master when they are not even old enough to have children of their own?

    To be a Grand Master is a pain in the butt. It means you are (should be) getting old, and most likely your Instructor has passed away. Nothing to look forward to IMHO.
    Rudy
     
  8. unknown-KJN

    unknown-KJN Banned Banned

    Hopefully, you're only getting old in body and NOT in spirit, Saja. ;)


    P.S. *Old-school* is the only way to go in my book too. Keep up the good fight! (for integrity in the MA world) :cool:
     
    Last edited: Aug 26, 2010
  9. KwanJang-KJ

    KwanJang-KJ Valued Member

    Amen....
     
  10. Saja

    Saja Valued Member

    I'll be cold before I lose my spirit UKJN, and I thank the Good Lord I have martial arts to remind me :)
     
  11. MasterDunchok

    MasterDunchok Valued Member

    JKN Tina Tsan was reading over my shoulder and she was fairly flattered by those compliments. I was also glad she could show you some of the KSK forms.

    We had a very good time and we were really glad we went. For us, this event represented the first time that we were able to network and share some camaraderie with other martial artists that we could truly count as our peers, not only among Korean martial arts, but as among those who truly see martial arts as a way to challenge themselves and grow. I really wanted to meet other people who have made these arts such a big part of their lives, and I got to do that, meeting several people not only from here on MAP, but elsewhere as well.

    I believe GM Timmerman when he says that he has seen a gradual decay in the meaning of the black belt over the past 60 years; I've seen it degrade over my lifetime, and I am only 32. He's also right when he says that recent generations haven't been done any favors by the treatment they tend to receive, which insures that they never ache at a loss, and never suffer the setback of failure. This is the very cause of that debasing of the meaning of the black belt - the "participation trophies" of Little League are not only on the dressers of martial arts students, but around their waists.

    I had the chance to talk to GM Timmerman while I was in Canada, and we talked a bit about testing students and how sometimes they must be failed. I was struck by the real compassion in his eyes when he described the fact that some people had to be denied at the recent event. He felt for them - he loved them. I saw that he's not only preserving these standards for the sake of the art and the "exchange rate" of what a black belt is worth: he's doing it because these standards are there for the students' own good. The value of real martial arts is so great, yet it can only be reached by striving, and only significant challenge can induce people to strive.

    I understand this is not easy to do. I have had to fail students before and have watched their earnest attitudes fade away into apathy, neglect, and then, finally, quitting. But for there to be real value in training, these kind of standards MUST be in place. This is a Taoist idea that also goes arm in arm with martial arts - victory is generated by defeat.

    I was very refreshed, at ease, and touched to see people practicing the same Korean martial arts as I do with this understanding of how things must be. It made being there feel very special, and that was what I had hoped to find in coming. I'm definitely going to be going to the next one. It's nice to have a gathering to belong to.
     
    Last edited: Aug 27, 2010
  12. Saja

    Saja Valued Member

    Thank you Master Dunchok. That your Kwan believes in traditional values is evident in the quality of the KSK members I saw at the Gathering. With your permission, I'll add you to my mailing list of events. I believe that the KSGA has the same interests, and I know it is led by a man who shares our values.

    While a number of MAPPERS who talked about a meeting of Kuk Sool practitioners did not show up, I do believe that we found a nice core group of people who are happy to share our love of martial arts and who WILL work together for the benefit of all. Personally, I no longer have time for people who promise this, that, and the other thing, but who never keep their promise. To me, the word of a black belt should have meaning, and it was refreshing to work with people who still have the honor that once was the norm for black belts.
    Rudy
     
  13. KIWEST

    KIWEST Revalued Mapper

    Having experienced your event Saja Nim I have to say that I cannot now envisage every testing for a dahn rank in any KMA anywhere other than at your place! Like you I hate to see people fail and it hurts me more than them when I have to give bad news. However the fact that they do not always get through means that the value of their achievements is all the greater when they finally get there.
    Sure, some may leave because they do not get what they wanted, but in my experience those students are "belt collectors" who probably would not have had the drive to continue anyway.
    The old way is definitely the best way.
     
  14. unknown-KJN

    unknown-KJN Banned Banned

    You may be surprised to learn how many *high-ranking* BBs I've met over the years, simply because they refused to "retire" even though they weren't doing anything to warrant the bump up in rank. :confused:



    Damn! :bang:

    I may just have to abdicate from the KSGA if it's being "led" by someone, regardless of how much integrity the man might possess. I mean, I figured it was started by some disgruntled WKSA guy, simply because of the timing as to when it cropped up, but the whole leaderless, non-political agenda rather appealed to me. And whether or not such a loose collective can reward or benefit those in the group, has yet to be seen, but surely there's more strength in numbers, right?

    Maybe I'll bide my time for now, and see what develops...
     
  15. KIWEST

    KIWEST Revalued Mapper

    Bet they weren't NKMAA BB's tho UK!:evil::whistle:
     
  16. Obewan

    Obewan "Hillbilly Jedi"

    Don't be coy Unknown
     
  17. Saja

    Saja Valued Member

    There are many ways to lead UKJN. Some simply do it by example :)
     
  18. Saja

    Saja Valued Member

    After I got hurt on the job and found myself no longer able to do everything I asked my students to do, I figured it was time to quit. In fact, I DID quit for a while; however, my students urged me to come back, and they pointed out that I did not raise quitters lol. Figured they "had" me there, so I came back. I love every minute of being back, and I thank my students for reminding me to practice what I preached.

    I agree whole heartedly that I no longer deserved any 'bumps" in rank, and Bruce can attest to the fact that I look at the 9th dahn I received from GM Seo as nothing more than an honorary rank. Said so publicly on the Dojang Digest the moment I got back from Korea (where I received it), and I will never claim any different. While I appreciated the kind gesture of GM Seo, I KNOW I did not test for the rank.

    Rudy
     
    Last edited: Aug 27, 2010
  19. Herbo

    Herbo Valued Member

    If I may Saja, could I enquire as to the type of format by which you test your students? I believe I read there was an assault course of some description for KSB rank. I'm curious as to what other testing your students undergo as you seem to have very high standards, which I believe is especially admirable considering how many other martial arts seem to have lowered theirs.
     
  20. unknown-KJN

    unknown-KJN Banned Banned

    Ahem... for the record, I wasn't taking a dig at anyone in the NKMAA, when I said I've witnessed people get bumped without testing. I was referring to others FWIW. :yeleyes:
     

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