Does anybody know of any online resources for Bong Hyungs? Specifically Il Bu. I will be training with the Bo soon and would like to get a head start. Please share your thoughts re: the Bo if you have any experience with the weapon. Tang Soo! ATF :bang:
Our school practices the bo staff as it's primary weapon (aside from empty hand). I know Bong Hyungs 1-4 as well as Dragon's Tail. Assuming that the forms are the same, I wouldn't mind helping you out a bit. A good way to get a head start is to get a staff now and just practice some basic moves with it. Practice some twirls and get a good feel of the staff. The staff requires practice to get the hang of, as with anything else. Just mess around with it for a while, and then by the time you need to learn the forms, you'll have a good basis on how to control it. My philosophy is to have the staff become one with your body. Have such precise control of it that it is an extension of your limbs. If you can get to that point, you'll be in good shape.
You've probably figured that I like the Jang-Bong (interesting that you say Bo - but it is easier to type ) Psi-cop is spot on (as usual) with the proviso that you find a nice big area to play in - high as well as wide. I'll be interested to see how this discussion goes, as I'm not sure where our 2 hyungs came from - if they are standards known round the world, or specials to us. What I do know is that the 1st form took me forever to learn, and needed a printed copy for me to follow Get used to it - feel how it moves when you have it blanaced between your hands, and see how a strike with one end can set you up for the other end to come into play. I think the 6-foot length is pretty standard, but they seem to come in all sorts of weights for different purposes. At a tournament I saw some kids flashing them about - and realised that they were probably half the weight of the one I use for sparring drills. One final word of warning - don't try and hit BRITTON with one. He asked me to early on in my learning and he broke my Jang-Bong To be fair, he leant me his spare one while a new one was ordered for me - but it was about 2" wide, metal, and could have passed for a scaffold pole. Boy did that start to build forearm muscles for me Enjoy!!!
Ive been practicing the bong for several years now, its great. My school used to practice the World Tang Soo Do Ass bong hyung(3) but replaced them with forms of Okinawan origin. I personally prefer the newer ones as they translate better to sparring and self defence, they seem more practical. Psi Cop is spot on with his advice, the best thing you can do is get comfortable with the weapon.
Metal, hmm? I bet that was certainly... heavy. Haha, most competition staffs aren't even a couple pounds. They're like twigs waiting to be snapped. I'd certainly like a metal staff for training purposes. It'd be virtually unbreakable and would increase your strength. Similar concept as baseball (for the Americans in here). The batters will warm up their arms with a weighted bat, then when they use the regular bat it feels much lighter and easier to control.
im thinking about making my own staff. theres a bunch of trees that have been cut down in a forest near my house, so i may go up tehre with a saw and start the initial crafting of my staff. by the time i finish il be a 3rd gup and ready to use it
