About Tae Kwon Do

Our Heritage . . . The Open Hand Art

We are all so familiar with the progress society has made in many different areas. Yet when we look at Tae Kwon Do it seems we have moved backwards. From a standpoint of self defense we have veered of course and developed into a sport. I am not saying this is wrong, but simply trying to lead you to analyze the whole situation further.

Japanese karate had a very great influence on TDK. Japanese karate was, in turn, influenced by Okinawan karate and it too was, in turn, heavily influenced by the martial arts of the Fukien province in China. If you follow this route you will see that White Crane played a very heavy role in early karate development. I remember one of the living greats of karate, Taika Seiyu Oyata, saying, "Fists denote Japanese combat sport; Karate is open hand art."

How often have you heard someone say that he is taking Aikido or Jujitsu to learn locks as there is not much of that in TKD system? Is it really missing in TDK? Remember, if our art's heritage is open hand then all locks and traps are there. You have to analyze the forms, not from the block, punch perspective but from the open hand perspective.

A good rule of thumb is whenever the arms come together or cross each other then a lock or trap is being executed. How often does this happen in your form? Every time you chamber your aim? Look at your form from this angle and try to work out the locks. You will enjoy the form more and be closer to our heritage.

The Return to Our Roots

A true understanding of karate is to found by returning to classical forms. Unlike modern karate, it is they which hold the key to ancient knowledge. Modern karate, as taught in both West and East, focuses on the basic block/punch/kick with its supposedly obvious explanations.

What then constitutes the art of karate? The implication in the name "art" is that it is hidden. In modern times we have always been told that techniques always go in sequence but this is not necessarily so. For example, a sequence of any four moves is open to several interpretations - not just one. To illustrate the point, lets look at it with an open attitude.

Instead of a block, perhaps it is the end part of a grab either by yourself or an opponent. would that not then potentially change the explanation of both the preceding and following moves? To illustrate the point further, could a punch actually be a grab or lock/stretch; alternatively could it perhaps be a pull (with the reverse hand) and strike?

The expression "A form has no form" is something I constantly wrestled with and only know understand. With the broader interpretation I can now look at the form, irrespectively of style and see so many techniques being performed there - not just the obvious and basic ones. The way it is performed also shows the different levels of understanding reached by the person performing it.

As we seek greater understanding of kata, so emphasis has now shifted to pressure points. But again, these are only one aspect of the whole art.

Karate which relies upon the power of the block, punch and kick is karate for the young, so how might a person, say of 60 years of age, defend themselves against a 20 year old? As we grow older, so our bodies and mental attitudes change, so training, then, has to be modified accordingly. If this modification cannot be made, then the older person quits. Yet it is the duty of the martial artist to train a whole lifetime, all the while improving like like wine. the only way this modification can be achieved, then, is through classical karate, where hidden between the forms are the real moves.

So let's open our minds to encompass all possibilities. When I began karate, I remember the pride I had as I performed high kicks. Little did I realize that one day I would relegate such achievements to the realms of sport. Now I have come to realize that karate is like a multifaceted gem, with aspects such as health, sport, self defense and social interaction. Lets treasure karate in all its aspects and use it according to our individual needs and abilities.

A Different Perspective On Forms

(hyungs, kyuls, poomse, kata)

We read about old masters taking ten to twenty years to learn a form. Yet today, in most clubs, only a three month period is allotted to this prior to a grading. Why is there such a time discrepancy?

The ancient forms were true reflection of the art holding the keys to the mystery and manipulation of energy that encompassed martial arts fighting.

Later, the Pinan or Heian forms were designed by Itosu, one of the great Okinawan masters. They were so designed that karate could be introduced into the elementary school system without the children hurting themselves. Today, many of the ITF forms bear a close resemblance to these adapted forms. Hence it is reasonable to state that current forms have been watered down from a watered down system. As a result, the explanations taught to the masses now focus only on the block, kick and punch.

To be true to the art we need to research for the original forms with their accompanying knowledge. Indeed, the life protection techniques are all available in the forms to those who are alert.

If anyone has comment or questions about forms as related to this alternative explanation please feel free to correspond via this magazine or by email and I will respond.

Going Outside Our System

When I was training in TKD I was young and eager, an like so many others, interested only in the free sparring. In my limited capacity at the time, free sparing was real self-defense to me. I hated doing forms and did them only because they were a prerequisite to my next grade. It had been said that a lifetime was needed to master a form. Yet within the teachings of the time that idea seemed ridiculous and so was generally rejected by most students.

What was happening was that the only principal being taught was the kick-punch, perhaps because it was seen as the simplest way to learn. As a result, when we attained black belt level we were still doing the same thing but with greater proficiency. Bear in mind this was still the elementary level of the art. Hence so many of the techniques wouldn't work as taught, e.g. we were told that a jumping side kick is to throw a guy off his horse. How realistic is that? In fact, there are many ways to use this technique, least of all the aforementioned.

If you went to a car yard and bought a car and it didn't prform as expected you wouldn't hesitate to demand better quality. However, in the martial arts you and I have been taught so many techiniques that will not work and yet we have not complained. this is because martial arts has been portrayed as being so stepped in tradition that it would be "wrong" to question. Hence a lack of knowledge has been hidden under the mask of tradition.

I have developed beyond the traditional by going outside the system and continuing my search with those more knowledgeable tan myself. As a result I am able to appreciate my own style more, see the true depth of form and understand its multiple applications.