A long time ago, folks on this forum asked me to post videos of some Kuk Sool Kwan hyung. I recently found old footage of my master, GM Huh Mon Gil, and posted it to you Youtube. Hopefully this serves as a minor but interesting illustration of the flavor of Kuk Sool Kwan. [ame="http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=BxwmBZMr218"]YouTube - Kuk Sool Kwan Baek Pahl Ki Hyung[/ame]
This question is with all due respect, I'm sure your master is quite talented and I once asked what the "Pete Townshend air guitar" technique was supposed to be when watching a form in my own school. What's the point of the back-flip? Is it supposed to be a back-flip kick? It kind of looks like he then celebrates over his fallen victim.
lol As you can see there's no air guitar here. A form is a practice of movement, yes? One could ask what's the point of the chop on the ground, the inside kick that sails high over the invisible enemy's head. It's also a demonstration for the benefit of those watching. Not every movement in a form is attacking - the low squats, the flower sits, the demonstration of poise with extended legs when the form is done slow - the backflip is a movement of the form. In Kuk Sool Kwan it officially ends with a backflip.
ROFLMAO I gather you're referring to the open palm technique following the cartwheel in Baek Pal Gi Hyung (108-기 형). Priceless, simply priceless ("Pete Townshend air guitar" technique).
Then I suppose that acrobatic skills are highly prized in the kwan? I noticed the emblem behind GM Huh Mon Gil, below the TaeGeuk ki, where the swords surrounding the fist (clenching a stick) look VERY similar to wings. If you don't see the similarity, let me insert what I consider to be irrefutable proof: Was this "hint" at flight done on purpose, or am I just "seeing things" that aren't really there?
The backflip is a bit excessive for this type and level of form. However, acrobatics demonstrations are fairly common place in every Kuk Sool related style (eg. hi flying nak bub techniques, kicking etc.) so it's understandable. Master Huh's technique is interesting in it's execution. I'm assuming from this one video that he stressed smaller movements and more rigid/"hard" execution of techniques in his forms in general? I would be interested to see if this has evolved over time as he's gotten older and if he has similar execution in forms in more advanced forms like SambangCho and Oon Hak Hyung (assuming he teaches those as well). My belief is that the harder type execution in baek pal ki and kyuk pah hyung is understandable, but the more circular based movements in higher level forms lend themselves to more fluid execution of power. Steve Seo
You're right, in point of fact, Steve. His Sam Bang Cho et. al. are still fast, but they "flow" without pops and explosions. Also, in general, yes, he always favored "power". I am not sure whether the shape of the swords was intended as wings. Isn't the Kuk Sool won logo the same shape with regard to the swords if you take the pentagon away?
That's the one. I asked a KSN about it after he was done and he couldn't practice the form anymore. Every time he got to that spot he just started laughing too much.
MasterDunchok, thank you for posting that. Very insightful. To me, that's a great example of the hyung principle "hands fast".
You're right, the KSW logo is essentially the same except with the outer pentagon border you mentioned and a banner reading "kuk sool won" in han geul script (the pentagon is actually supposed to represent the Korean national flower -mugunghwa- [무궁화] which has five petals). But the KSW logo seems to depict the swords as double edged straight swords or perhaps if single edged swords, then similar to samurai swords which are much more slender. The image on the wall in your video, depicts the swords more along the lines of chinese broadswords or scimitars, and the "elbow joint" bend in the wing (see my double headed eagle graphic in post #5) is what made me associate the swords with wings due to the "crook" near the tip of the blade, opposite the sharp edge. I don't recall ever seeing the swords done as broadswords WRT the KSW logo. And I couldn't find the U.S. Air Force symbol I was thinking of earlier, with angel-like wings arching up from the star, but since then I found it - see below. Anyway, I was just curious if it was intentional or not, as I've heard about other small details in various KSW graphics, as representing some obscure philosophical link, only to see such details get obliterated in subsequent renditions of the graphic/logo. In chasing another thread here on MAP, I stumbled across this video, and obviously these KUK SOOL WAN members are some old offshoot other than that done by GM IHS, but even their logo looks to have the slender double edged swords. FWIW [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJcl-AVGc5Y"]Kuk Sool Wan - Hap Ki Do[/ame]
You can see it better here http://byfiles.storage.live.com/y1p...BLxTRJ1rW7cqfMWBhC8FjndKNSt56aB7Lb91BafPUt8QY Academy of Tigre, had its beginning in 1998, by Master Florêncio Valter da Silva 4 DAN HAP.KI.DO and Professor of Physical Education in the offices of Association of all housing COHAPAR II.
MasterDunchok, thank you for the video of Kuk Sool Kwan Baek Pahl Ki Hyung. It was very interesting seeing a different take on the form.
There are 2 other versions of Baek Pal Ki Hyung I would really like to see. Madmonk108 if he is still around, said at one point he would post a version they do. I also heard of a chinese style doing the same form. Unfortunately I can't find the place where I saw the name of the style referenced. I will continue looking.
Yes, by all means, the videos are top priorty. OTOH, keeping up with the tangent topic I started, it seems I was wrong. Evidence can be found on the HRD website, and in fact, they even use something similar in the logo for their offshoot system of Tae Soo Do. I had always been told that the swords were curved to show soft, circular, (defensive) movement, as opposed to the stick which represented direct, straight-line attacks, and had nothing to do with the actual shape of the sword. So I guess it WAS all in my head. Back to on-topic discussion...
A very interesting version of the form! I mean no insult when I say that it looks very Tae Kwondo/karate-ish. Maybe its because of the not-so-low stances. Very fast hands though, reminiscent of KJN Sun Jin Suh's fast hands form. The KSW version is quite different although you can see it is based on the same form. I would say that the KSW version is quite a bit longer. We still have the "air guitar" movement but no back flip (I wish!)..just a cartwheel! Are you taught the same principle, ie that the form is supposed to break the 108 torments/dillusions in life? As far as the KSW logo is concerned I have always thought that the swords represent the Royal Court Martial Arts (Kung Jung Moo Sool), the short staff Buddhist Martial Arts ( Bulkyo Moo Sool) , with the closed fist representing tribal or family martial arts (Sa Do Moo Sool). And yes, I have been told that the pentagon logo does represent the Flower of Sharon, the Korean national emblem.
Great post - thanks for sharing this video. The form looks very similar to a set of forms I learned in Korea in the late 90s - not the same but very similar. Cool stuff!
Hmm...I don't know about taekwondo-ish - I have never seen Taekwondo people use their hands like that! As to it being a Buddhist form of breaking the 108 torments, yes, I believe that is actually the literal Korean name for the form.
