Greetings fellow practitioners

[Joshua Powell]

My names Joshua Powell (MacLeod) I've been taking Kuk Sool for about 13 years in Cork southern Ireland, Green Ville South Carolina, and Englewood Colorado. I have a physical dissability called cerebral palsy, and I have a second degree black belt. I would like to hear your stories about how you came to know about Kuk Sool, where your practice it, and stuff like that :cool:

[KSW_123]

My mom picked Kuk Sool for me back in 1984. I told her I wanted to practice martial arts and she found a summer special offered through a local community college. I practice in California.

[Wolf]

Welcome to MAP Joshua. Always nice to have another Kuk Sooler on here.

[JSun]

What's up, Joshua? The dojang I practice at opened about 5 years ago. A friend of mine signed her kid up and my daughter took an interest in it, so we took the plunge and enrolled her. I bought the text books and picked them up occasionally. I was studying Taiji and Wushu at a club about 40 minutes away from my house. I decided to try Kuk Sool out of convenience, really. Ends up I really enjoy practicing it. I enrolled about 8 months ago and have training hard since. Glad to see someone dedicated to the art has joined us here. Hope to hear about your training and any tips you can offer would be greatly appreciated. Peace.

[baubin2]

Does your daughter have a higher rank than you? Some of us were speculating at St. Louis that for some of the families there, there must be kids that are higher-ranked than the parents. Then we started cracking jokes about how the kids could order the parents about the house and just in general how this must affect family dynamics. But just out of curiousity, if your daughter really is higher than you, does it make things weird ever? Or is it just a source of jokes?

[JSun]

She's got her red stripe on her blue belt, so yea, she's ranked higher than me. As for how it effects the family dynamic or make anything weird...it doesn't. I'm sure you know juniors have a different syllabus than adults do, so I'm actually ahead of her in terms of techniques and I get to help her learn the ones she hasn't addressed yet in class. Outside of that, I'm an athletic person. I've been studying various arts for years and I work out fairly consistantly. I think that although she's ranked higher she' knows she's got a long way to go before she can perform hyungs as well as me, and she's actually been nice enough to tell me that. It's funny you mention it though. The KSN at our dojang told me the other day he was trying to keep her ranked higher by promoting her this month. He's not just handing it to her because I work with her at home a lot and she's generally further along than other kids in the class, but he also takes the position that it gives the kids confidence and helps keep them driven and interested when they get promoted before their parents :D Outside of that, it's cool because we get to go to class together and every parent knows the more QT you spent with your kids, the better.

[KSWDragon]

Welcome Joshua - hope you enjoy MAP!

I saw a flyer at work one day and was doing some TKD at the time but was looking for a more varied art. Phoned my instructor and have never looking back since. Been training 5 years now and received by 1st degree this year!

[davefly76]

hello joshua

i started kuk sool when a new club opened up in my town. two of my mates said they were going to the first lesson and i went along with them. now, almost 7 years later (time really does fly when you're having fun) myself and another ksn are the only students who have been here from day one, even my original instructor has moved to a different area.

:)

[baubin2]

I've been at KSW for just over a year. Last fall during quad day, when all the student organizations do their advertising, I was looking for a martial art to try. I went by the KSW table and it looked cool, they gave me a leaflet with practice times and I put my email on their list. Now I am a blue belt (as is obvious by my sig). I find myself not as enthused as I was last year, but I still enjoy it and am definitely sticking with it.

[ember]

I came about Kuk Sool the long way 'round. I started with TKD in 1996 while on co-op in St. Louis. I encouraged my then-fiance to take up martial arts. He found a Shotokan Karate club starting up on campus, and joined that. When I came back to campus, I joined him in that club.

(There was/is a Kuk Sool club on the same campus, I think I even showed up for a Saturday seminar once, but at that time and in that place it didn't impress me.)

But karate didn't suit me as much as TKD, and then I got too busy for any MA my senior year. When I graduated and moved here, I looked into the TKD schools. I was resolved to choose a Korean art. But a combination of not finding a school that suited me, not wanting to start at white belt again, and trying to save up for big things like house and cars meant I didn't study anything for another three years.

Then in 2003 something happened that affected me profoundly, and I found myself needing to get back into MA (even if it meant being a white belt again).

About the same time, some friends were talking about their MA training. I mentioned needing to get back to it, and a friend recommended Kuk Sool Won. He gave me directions to the dojang, where he had once trained. When the semester ended I checked it out, and I've been there since.

[Wolf]

I really wanted to get into Martial Arts again, as I had studied TKD when I was little, and Aikido for a semester of college (I just didn't have the time to keep up with it). A buddy was taking Kuk Sool at Purdue University (where I was a student also). I went with him to a class to watch. It seemed to have everything I wanted, so I stuck with it. I busted my butt working towards promotion. I still love it, and train 3-4 days a week (more if I can find the time).

[Grippereeno]

Hey everyone... im new to this sight... thought i would sign up to get some peoples views on different aspects of ksw have enjoyed readin some of the threads.. im 22 years old and live and train in Liverpool in the UK im a DBN with 5 stripes who hopefully will promote to 1st dahn next summer........

[Dr.Syn]

Greetings and welcome to MAP....

[davefly76]

hi grippereeno, welcome to MAP. good luck with the rest of your testing, i'm sure with a lot of hard work and dedication you will reach JKN. when you do promote i promise it will the best day of your life.

:)

[i don't care]

Hey I know you, arnt you the one who spared the biggest man in kuk sool, in the Europian torney??? (well 2nd biggest man in Kuk Sool)

[Grippereeno]

Yeah somethin like that...... he was a big grizzly bear

[i don't care]

I bow to you sir and give you my FULL respect. That guy was a bear, if it was me who was sparing him i'd of ran out of the place, but i remember do done quite well agains him didnt you?
If i didn't know any better i'd say he was related to SBN Darren Hart. He even had the dynamic skill of Darren.

[Grippereeno]

Cheers i dont care.... I just did the best i could do under the circumstances he had some long legs... i reckon it was closer than the score probably suggested as i thought the judges missed a few points but it is what it is.... how did u do in the tournament?......

[i don't care]

Cheers i dont care.... I just did the best i could do under the circumstances he had some long legs... i reckon it was closer than the score probably suggested as i thought the judges missed a few points but it is what it is.... how did u do in the tournament?......
Hi Grippereeno,
i done ok i suppose but not as well as i've of expected :bang:
i need more practice....... must train harder :woo: :woo:
anyway will i see you in birmingham (i hope to :love: )

[Grippereeno]

ha ha..... probably yes but less of the kissy faces im only on ere to talk about training and such.......

[i don't care]

I'll Get You My Pretty................................

[davefly76]

which tournament are you guys talking about? if it was the norwich one last june then i may have been on the judging panel.

if i'm thinking of the same guy then yes i think he is related to sbn darren. he was watching and someone asked if they were related. he may have been pulling their leg but sbn replied with " yeah, he's my cousin"

:)

[JKNEIEIOMMC]

I think I sparred him at the Birmingham Tournament last year in the first round. I think his name is Andrew ...something....and that he trains up in Mildenhall.

[AirNick]

Oh right, that sounds like Ross. He is SBN Darren's cousin. I used to teach him at Mildenhall. Good sparrer.

[Mari]

oh yeah! I remember many of the girls (especially from my class because SBN is our instructor) were wondering if he was related. They even look alike. its like a mini SBN Darren! >w<

amazing how similar they appear huh? ^.^

Oh, but I guess I am getting off the main topic!
I became interested in Kuk sool because I have always had an interest in Martial arts but never joined a class until my dad was stationed here in England. Then I heard that there was an amazing instructor teaching on the base. And that would be SBN Hart! so I joined... on a tuesday! XD which is an amazingly challenging class! all about physical endurance. and since then Ive been hooked.

[davefly76]

hi mari welcome to map. how long have you been training and what rank are you?

will you be going to the tournament in birmingham?

:)

[Mari]

Hello davefly! Thank you for the welcome! ^_^

I have been training a little over a year now and I am hoping to promote to red belt before tournament! oooh but the form is so difficult! I have terrible balance!

So as you might have guessed, I'm competing in Birmingham again! I competed last year as a white belt and had a great time!

are you competing as well?

[davefly76]

unfortuantly it doesn't look like i will. i am a KSN and our competiton is on the friday. i will probably go and judge on saturday though.

i did compete last year as JKN and came away with two medals, which was nice.

keep practicing your form and it will get better. the hardest part is the double palm strike/back kick combo, i still wobble a bit on that part lol.

:)

[Mari]

Good Good! Maybe you will judge my division! ^^ Congradulations on your success last year too!

Surprisingly, I am able to do the double palm strike/back kick well. But I have a hard time piviting twice in the beginning of my form. Mostly because my ankle is still getting over an injury! >.> I twisted it pretty bad doing a jump-back side kick during the kicking drills (the set of 12... i think? XD.. i haven't been able to do jump kicks comfortably since.) But I will take your good advice and keep practicing! ^_^

[i don't care]

[QUOTE=davefly76]unfortuantly it doesn't look like i will. i am a KSN and our competiton is on the friday. i will probably go and judge on saturday though.

i did compete last year as JKN and came away with two medals, which was nice.

keep practicing your form and it will get better. the hardest part is the double palm strike/back kick combo, i still wobble a bit on that part lol.

:)[/QU
Oh why are you not competing?? Did you compete in Norwich??

[davefly76]

Oh why are you not competing?? Did you compete in Norwich??

there are only two KSN's at our club so we'd have to travel together and stay the night in brummie. i'm not sure i can afford that, accomodation, fuel cost and the cost of competing will all add up to a hefty bill. i think we will have a coach load going so i will probably go with them on saturday and do a bit of judging aswell as offer support to my fellow students.

i didn't compete at last years norwich tournament, couldn't get time off work. did judge on the saturday though and was part of the evening demo. i also promoted to KSN that night too.

:)

[i don't care]

there are only two KSN's at our club so we'd have to travel together and stay the night in brummie. i'm not sure i can afford that, accomodation, fuel cost and the cost of competing will all add up to a hefty bill. i think we will have a coach load going so i will probably go with them on saturday and do a bit of judging aswell as offer support to my fellow students.

i didn't compete at last years norwich tournament, couldn't get time off work. did judge on the saturday though and was part of the evening demo. i also promoted to KSN that night too.

:)
Congratulations on your promotion sir.

Your right it all mounts up. I done my 1st black belt test in Norwich this year and that meant me staying over for 4 days, not to mention the cost of the tournament. Do you know if B,ham will be in the same venue as last year? This will be my 6th tournament and it doesn’t get any less nerve-wracking. How many tournaments have you competed in and do you think it’ll get less nerve-wracking the more I enter?

[davefly76]

thank you very much.

i've actually only competed in 3. white belt, blue belt and first dahn plus i've judged in two. they all happen at times when i can't afford it due to paying for promotion testing.

i'd like to have entered the birmingham one but i can't so i'll definately do the 2006 norwich tournament.

it's only natural to be nervous, everyone else is and you'll usually enter each one at a different rank so you're all in the same boat.

if you've won medals previously that should give you a bit of confidence but the most important thing is to enjoy yourself.

:)

[psbn matt]

the brimingham tornie is at the same venue as last year, 2nd & 3rd dans compete on the friday, white - 1st dans on the saturday. are there any more ksn not competing? i recomend all ksn's pull out so that i can win the grand championship. lol

[baubin2]

Wow all these higher ranks seem to be flocking to the site. JKN's, KSN's, and even a PSBN and SBN. Us lower belts had better start watching our backs, just in case someone decides we're getting too uppity in our anonymity and orders us to do pushups *cringe*

Seriously though, having all these upper belts to talk to and ask advice from is cool. And no humility please about how much you have yet to learn; whatever your faults, you're still a lot higher than I am.

[MIKIO]

Welcome to martial arts planet sir
i am a yellow belt ive been attending kuk sool for six months and im loving it!!

i think its amazing that you have overcome your dissability and achieved
Kyo Sa Nim. 13 years if thats not devotion i dont know what is!

i came across Kuk Sool Won after attending other martial arts classes that eventually collapsed! (Wa Do Ryu Karate) + (Capoeira)

and after surfing through the internet and phone directories found an add for Kuk Sool and was intersted to learn more then just like magic about 2 days later a flyer came through my door advertising the class litterally 8 minutes from my home in Livingston Scotland!

deciding it must have been Fate i went along and ive never looked back!

i have introduced 5 other people who are all still there and also love it!

i have actually created my own jool bong form if you are interested in looking at it you can find it here.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UPhf96oY80

[ember]

i have actually created my own jool bong form if you are interested in looking at it you can find it here.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UPhf96oY80

Mikio,

Would you mind not resurrecting old threads for the sole purpose of promoting your video?

I thought the form was pretty good for a yellow belt, but we don't need to talk about it in every thread. If you must keep it around, put it in the sticky on pics & videos, then be done with it, please?

Thanks!

[Wolf]

Ditto. You've been a good poster so far Mikio. Don't make me crack my modstick! :D

[MIKIO]

Those who know me personally would no im not the kind of guy to promote myself in any way shape or form.
Didnt mean to cause offence folks sorry!

im not really trying to promote anything im just proud of everything i do.
and being my first video i wanted as much feed back from upper belts as possible.

im eager to improve the form so i needed as many coments and suggestions as i could
rest assured it wont be posted again

cheers Mikio :)

[ember]

rest assured it wont be posted again

cheers Mikio :)

Uh, Mikio... it's not yet in the Pictures and Other Media. That would be the one other place we might expect it. Although, if you want to wait six months for the update, that'd be cool too :)

Cheers!

[kriztowfur]

where in denver do you train? i noticed there are no schools listed there.