Original Teachings

Tonight I figured out what I noticed in the unrefined style. I had to hold my laughter when it came to me.

While working with the head instructor on kata, he kept emphasizing large movements, and overuse of the hips for power generation. Then, when he spoke of breaking boards, it came to me. He's still a white belt in his movements.

I'm sure he's still doing everything in the exaggerated manner that is taught to white belts and younger students in order to help them begin to learn techniques.

Bringing arm too far back, putting techniques over extended, extra twisting, all for "power" generation, at the loss of speed, flexibility, and effectiveness.

The exaggeration of technique, is what he truly believes breaks boards. If generating power was what made it easy to break boards then heavy hitters would be the best board breakers.

Though, the fact that they have so many mats, and the extra emphasis on hips, makes me wonder if my hips and knee will let me continue, I do like the fact that I am seeming to get some minor cardiovascular workout from going.

To keep going, means to keep holding my tongue for his plateaued knowledge, but his class is his class, and this isn't the old days.

He used Chung Do Kwan as the reason for the emphasis, but I've looked up other Chung Do Kwan schools, and these exaggerated movements do not exist.

Different Teachings

Found an instructor that used to take classes with my instructor.

However, the things he teaches seem unrefined at many times.  I have been going to classes, but have noticed many little things. Of course, the little things are the important things. Such as, unfounded hand positions, over extension during turns, and strange leg movements.  While some can be attributed to perceiving the application of a form differently, many are simply poor choices, and a few could be slated as beginner.

I had to hold my tongue a lot in class tonight due to a few of his corrections. The two that were the hardest to hold in were:
1. punch over your shoulder, wherein I would lose all power of the technique.
2. that is a wasted counter striking to the rib cage, where I was striking was a killing blow to the heart

I will continue to go, I did learn the 5th Kumo (or apparently Kuk Mu) Form, and he has a ton of others. Whereas Kuk Sool Won was overly heavy on techniques, but light on kata, his school seems overly heavy on kata and light on technique. I am benefiting, in that I am working up a sweat, however, from the short sparring today (without an explanation of the rules), I know I will not compete in any of their events.

Having seen no instruction on break falling in classes, and few walked through one steps, I still find myself taking awhile before accepting a punch and then refraining from the techniques that I have taught, due to the understanding that I would more than likely hurt my partner.

Seven Breaths

Just before work earlier this week, in the span of seven breaths, I made the decision to take a life.

It had rained a bit, apparently a large spider decided to take refuge in my entryway, inside the door. The body was 1 inch in diameter, and 3 inches with legs outstretched.

Thinking of a catch and release, I realized I would have been ill equipped to safely perform the catch and toss.

Remembering the story of the scorpion and the turtle, I grabbed my shoe and prevented the fate of the turtle from happening to myself.

Still, it was a life I took, regardless of it some would call it a lesser life form or not.