Fall 2013 Volume 1 Issue 3 USKF NEWSLETTER A publication of the United States Kido Federation 14205 U St., Omaha, NE 68137 Tel: (402) 215-6003 E-mail: info@uskido.org President s Note Welcome to the August Edition of the United States Kido Federation Newsletter. The last three months have been an extremely busy time for the Federation and our members. Open Circle Martial Arts held their first USKF Sanctioned Event in Ashland, Nebraska; SDY TaeKwon-Do hosted a USKF Referee Seminar in Hoffman Estates, Illinois; Seattle Taekwondo in Mountlake Terrace, Washington is preparing for the arrival of the Korean Junior National Team; Kauffman Academy of Self-Defense has opened a NEW school in Massillon, Ohio; RWTG has been hosting seminars in all 8 of their Midwest locations, and so much more. As we grow it becomes more and more difficult for me to keep up with all the great things our members are doing; however, that doesn t mean we don t want to know about them. Please use this Newsletter to share your accomplishments and trials with all of our members. We grow stronger through communication and networking. There are, also, a number of great upcoming events on the horizon. Please join us at the SDY Open Martial Arts Championship on Saturday, August 17, 2013 in Hoffman Estates, IL. Contact Jason Frymire at IM- JAF88@aol.com for event details. Also, the USKF will be holding our first ever retreat in May of 2014. Join us in Riviera Maya, MX for two days of training on the beach in a true tropical paradise. I have been informed by our travel agent that reservations for this amazing weekend are already being booked. In other news, the board would like to personally congratulate the following individuals that have received USKF Black Belt promotions in the month of July. Promoted: Oleg Gunko 3rd Dan (SDY TaeKwon-Do), Trevor Litke 3rd Dan (Triple Z s Martial Arts), Greg Arndt 2nd Dan (SDY TaeKwon-Do), Gwen Balmes 2nd Dan (Triple Z s Martial Arts) and Kelly Gehring 1st Dan (Omaha Blue Waves). We would, also, like to recognize Taekwondo Times Magazine for their coverage of both ONMAC (our flagship tournament) and for their recognition of our 2013 USKF Black Belt Hall of Fame Inductees in their September Issue. Respectfully, Jeffrey W. Helaney, 8th Dan President USKF 2014 USKF Retreat The United States Kido Federation will be holding a retreat at the all inclusive Barcelo Maya Resort in Rivera Maya, MX in May 2014. USKF Instructors will be holding specialized classes on the beach of this beautiful resort both mornings. Retreat travel plans are being made through Michelle Freudenburg at AAA Travel. Contact Michelle at MCFrudenburg@aaane.com to book your travel plans to paradise. Page 1
The Way of the Aging Warrior (Martial Artist) - Part 3 By: Nicholas Gerassimakis, Ph.D. Injuries are common in all sports. Individuals entering into martial arts training can expect to deal with them from time to time. Most injuries prove to be just a mild annoyance and typically only have a minimal impact on training. Occasionally, they can be more serious and can disrupt an athlete s goals and aspirations. In some rare instances, injuries can prove to be career ending or life threatening. Fortunately, many injuries can be avoided or minimized. The most common injuries are bruises, abrasions, and cuts to the skin or soft tissue. Most are dealt with on the spot and do not disrupt training. More serious injuries involve sprains, pulls, tears, and dislocations of tendons, ligaments or joints. These can cause immediate disruption of athlete s training regime and often lead to weeks or months of down time. Some require surgical correction. Additionally, fractures to the nose, face, skull, ribs, and extremities also result in very significant disruption to a martial artist s training program. Finally, blunt trauma leading to concussions, injury to the eyes and internal organs although rare can end careers and threaten lives. The best solution to this problem is prevention. There is no full proof way to avoid all injuries, but every attempt should be made to minimize them. The following represent proactive strategies to make the dojo a safe environment for training. First, the facility should be large enough to ensure a clutter and object free training environment. One of my most serious injuries was the result of my choosing to spar a fellow black belt in a small basement. My partner s toddler wandered onto the floor just as he was moving into a spinning kick. He did not see his daughter, but I did. As I sprung forward to push her aside, his big toe made direct contact full force with my right eye. The intense pain caused me to reel back and turn. Unfortunately, a partially opened door was in my way. I hit the door hard and the impact knocked me out. A simple techniques, which I would have harmlessly evaded 100 out of 100 times and unexpected circumstances led to a sequences of events that resulted in my having a concussion, scarred retina, and several cuts and abrasions on my face. The injuries disrupted my training for over a month and seriously bruised my ego. I cannot emphasize the importance of a safe training environment. Page 2 Second, protective gear is essential. Pads on my hands and feet and headgear would have spared me a concussion and injury to the eye in the real life event I just shared. Mouth guards to protect teeth and chest protectors for younger student and even adults who want to spar with more intensity have prevented many serious injuries. Males should always wear cups to protect the groin area. Even when the groin is not a target area in competition, competitors often deliver powerful unintended kicks to that area. Finally, braces are essential for joints that are strained to avoid further injury. A second category of prevention involves preparing the body for the rigor of training. Beginning martial artists should not ignore the importance of strengthening their supportive tissues through resistance and weight training. Cardio vascular training is also essential. A large percentage of injuries occur after a martial artist has become fatigued. Tired individual start to become sloppy in their technique and lose focus. From the beginning instructors should emphasize proper technique to avoid overextension and straining of ligaments and tendons with punches, kicks, and parries. Self-defense techniques should be taught in a way that both the martial artist executing the technique and the attacker protect vital areas while the technique is executed. The importance of control must be drilled into their heads as they deliver punches, kicks, throws, and joint breaking techniques. All workouts should begin with warm up exercises that allow for the body to increase blood flow to all body tissues and systems and sufficient stretching, which prepares the body for action. All workouts should end with a cool down period to allow breathing and heart rate to return to normal levels and passive stretching to relax muscles. After workouts, it is very important to ice down minor areas of inflammation. Other minor injuries also respond to the RICE approach (Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation). When a martial artist suffers from a mild strain or tissue injury, the best initial course of action is the use of the RICE approach. When in doubt to the severity of the injury, the best advice would be to have the injury evaluated by a sports injury specialist. If physical therapy is recommended, then it should be done as prescribed for as long as recommended. Many injuries are aggravated, or become chronic, because the injured individual returns to extreme training too early. It would be wise for the individual to have returned to classes and observe the workouts utilizing visualization to continue building muscle memory while allowing an injury to fully recover. Visualization techniques have proven to be very effective at developing skills by helping neural pathways form and consolidate. Continued on page 6
The Development of the Kwans By: Grandmaster Robert Dunn Kwan in Korean literally means building or hall, but when used in martial arts it can also refer to a school or clan of martial artists who follow the same style and/or leader. At the time, there were 9 major Kwans throughout Korea and once someone joined a particular Kwan, it was very difficult to transfer to another Kwan. When someone wanted to transfer to another Kwan, his original Kwan Jang had to authorize and approve the transfer, but in reality the Kwan Jang usually threatened the member using authoritative means in an effort to persuade the potential transferee to not leave. This was a critical issue in those days. LEE Won Kuk was a precise person. He had the strong body of a martial artist and glaringly sharp eyes. His expression was very strict. Right after Independence Day, he seemed to offset his pro-japanese deeds by developing a good relationship with the people of the National Police Headquarters. He led the efforts to get rid of Seoul gangsters. The Chung Do Kwan was once called the National Police Headquarters Dojang. Chung Do Kwan After the independence of Korea, the Chung Do Kwan, one of the five key Dojangs, was founded first. It symbolized Chung Do Kwan s name: Bluewaves meaning a youngster s spirit and vitality. Established by Won Kuk Lee, seated in the middle and next led by Duk Sung Son, the back row, second from the right. Chung Do Kwan s founder, LEE Won Kuk, moved to Japan when he was 19 years old in 1926. While in Japan, he first attended middle and high school, and then entered the Law School of Chuo University. Then he entered Japan s Karate headquarters, the Song Do Kwan (Shotokan). He received Karate instruction from Karate s father, Gichin Funakoshi. There, he learned Karate with Song Moo Kwan s founder, RO Byung Jick. Later, he moved back to Korea and taught Tang Soo Do in the Yong Shin school hall in Suh Dae Moon Gu s Ochun Dong, Seoul because he had a good relationship with Japan s Cho-sun Governor General Abe in 1944. This led to the rumor that he was pro-japanese. Later, Oh Do Kwan s founder, CHOI Hong Hi said: After independence, LEE Kwan Jang was charged with acts of pro-japanese and stood in a special civil trial. General Choi Hong Hi and GM Lee Won Kuk attending a Chung Do Kwan Promotional Testing for Dan Certification. After the Korean War, the Chung Do Kwan membership was less than 200. GM LEE Won Kuk visited the school twice and watched the lessons. The primary instructors were YOO Ung Jun and SON Duk Sung and Promotion Testing was held every six months. Graduates of the Chung Do Kwan were: 1) YOO Ung Jun; 2) SON Duk Sung; 3) UHM Woon Kyu; 4) HYUN Jong Myun; 5) MIN Woon Sik; 6) HAN In Sook; 7) JUNG Young Taek; 8) KANG Suh Chong; 9) BAEK Joon Ki; 10) NAM Tae Hi; 11) KO Jae Chun; 12) KWAK Kuen Sik; 13) KIM Suk Kyu; 14) HAN Cha Kyo; 15) JO Sung Il; 16) LEE Sa Man; 17) RHEE Jhoon Goo (Jhoon Rhee); and 18) KIM Bong Sik. From Inchon, which became the center of the Chung Do Kwan s annex Kwans, more schools were opened. They were: 1) KANG Suh Chong s Kuk Mu Kwan; 2) LEE Yong Woo s Jung Do Kwan in Suh Dae Moon Ku; 3) KO Jae Chun s Chung Ryong Kwan in Kwang Ju; and 4) CHOI Hong Hi s Oh Do Kwan. The Oh Do Kwan especially had active Chung Do Kwan members who were in the military after the Korean War. The Chung Do Kwan s first Kwan Jang was LEE Won Kuk; the second was SON Duk Sung; and the third was UHM Woon Kyu. When SON Duk Sung became the Kwan Jang of the Chung Do Kwan, UHM Woon Kyu, HYUN Jong Myun, and NAM Tae Hi had conflicts with regard to the issue of who should receive the nomination from LEE Won Kuk and become the next Kwan Jang. Continued on page 4 Page 3
Kwans, continued from page 3 Ji Do Kwan The Ji Do Kwan was founded by an elite member, CHUN Sang Sup, on May 3, 1946 as the Cho-son Yun Moo Kwan Kong Soo Do Bu. When he was a teenager, he learned Judo and learned Karate while studying abroad in Japan. After Independence Day, he opened the Cho-son Yun Moo Kwan Kong Soo Do Bu at the former Judo school, Cho-son Yun Moo Kwan, where he taught Judo and Karate. He began to recruit new members. He had a slender figure and was not particular, but was an intellect and always wore suits. However, during the Korean War, he vanished, the Cho-son Yun Moo Kwan Kong Soo Do Bu was abolished and it was renamed: Ji Do Kwan. After Independence Day, the Cho-son Yun Moo Kwan taught no gup to 8th gup in high, middle and low classes. The student s Kwan number was based on gup promotion, and not only the day of the first registration as a student. tween YOON Kwe Byung and LEE Chong Woo. Led by LEE Chong Woo (Ji Do Kwan), LEE Nam Suk (Chang Moo Kwan), UHM Woon Kyu (Chung Do Kwan), HYUN Jong Myun (Chung Do Kwan/Oh Do Kwan) and others planned to unify, but YOON Kwe Byung and HWANG Kee (Moo Duk Kwan) declined and persisted on their self testing committee. Ji Do Kwan graduates were 1) BAE Young Ki; 2) LEE Chong Woo; 3) KIM Bok Nam; 4) PARK Hyun Jung; 5) LEE Soo Jin; 6) JUNG Jin Young; 7) LEE Kyo Yoon; 8) LEE Byung Ro; 9) HONG Chang Jin; 10) PARK Young Kuen and others. Ji Do Kwan s distinguished difference from other schools was mainly based on Tae-ryon (Sparring). When Taekwon-Do tournaments became active from the beginning of the 1960 s to the 1970 s, Ji Do Kwan distinguished itself. The major representatives were LEE Seung Wan, CHO Jum Sun, HWANG Dae Jin, CHOI Young Ryul and more. Above photo: 1st Anniversary of Choson Yunmoo Kwan 3/3/1947. Founder CHUN Sang Sup is circled. He was a student of Gichin Funakoshi at Takushoku University. The Cho-son Yun Moo Kwan was started in Seoul, but the major development and structural growth was spread from Chun Ju, Cholla Buk Do as a center. Then, CHUN Il Sup opened another school in Kunsan, Cholla Buk Do in May 1947, and spread his school s reputation from Jun Joo to Kunsan, I Ri, Nam Won, Jung Uep and more. During the Korean War, the Cho-son Yun Moo Kwan s name was changed to Ji Do Kwan. After CHUN Sang Sup was kidnapped to North Korea, the Ji Do Kwan (Wisdom Way School) was opened and ran by YOON Kwe Byung and LEE Chong Woo until 1967. However, through the process of unification with the Korea Tae Soo Do Association, the Ji Do Kwan had conflicts be- Page 4 Ji Do Kwan s representing annex was the Han Moo Kwan. But, LEE Kyo Yoon said: the Han Moo Kwan root is not in Ji Do Kwan, but rather in the Cho-son Yun Moo Kwan. This shows the debate of the origins of the school. Ji Do Kwan s first Kwan Jang was CHUN Sang Sup; the second Kwan Jang was YOON Kwe Byung and the third LEE Chong Woo. Be sure to check future editions of this newsletter for the rest of The Development of the Kwans. New Partnership Announced GM Jeffrey Helaney of the USKF and GM Robert Dunn of the Jun Tong TaeKwon-Do Federation have announced a training partnership for the two organizations. Both groups will be cross promoting seminars of the other in order to enhance the training opportunities for their respective membership. Look for upcoming training announcements in this Newsletter and through our social media outlets.
USKF Referee Seminar Hoffman Estates, IL - The United States Kido Federation (USKF) held a free Tournament Official/Referee Seminar in Hoffman Estates, Illinois on Sunday, July 21, 2013. SDY TaeKwon-Do hosted the event. The seminar covered a number of issues such as: officiating responsibilities, vicarious liability, professional conduct, basic first aid and blood borne pathogen protocols. USKF President Jeff Helaney said, It is extremely important for individuals who assume the responsibility of running a tournament or controlling a ring to understand their role from a legal, moral, and ethical stand point. He pointed out that the days of the 5-minute black belt meeting prior to the start of an event are over; it is not adequate to prepare individuals for the responsibilities they are assuming. He said, At best these meetings familiarize judges with the specific rules of a tournament, but they don t truly address how to handle the issues that can arise during an event. Helaney said that he hopes to see more free seminars like this offered because competitor safety should always be the major focus at a tournament and that the education of officials is a key component in that process. Marital artists from all over the Chicagoland area attended the July seminar. Participants of the July USKF referee seminar practice various scenarios in preparation for the August 17 tournament. Page 5
Aging Warrior, continued from page 2 As a martial artist ages, adjustments to workout routines are necessary to allow for continued training; the key requires understanding of the human body and how it ages. Diminished muscle mass, decreased elasticity in joint and connective tissues, weaker blood flow and compromised sensory input along with thinner skin, more brittle bones, diminished cellular metabolism all impact performance efficiency and slow tissue repair. In my second article, I wrote extensively about diet and nutrition and how these could mitigate or even reverse the physical changes we must all endure. Additionally, adjusted training routines and attitudes can also play a vital role in keeping a martial artist actively training for many more decades. Simple changes can have dramatic impacts on training, (e.g., allowing increased time for warm up and cool down periods; deemphasizing heavy contact workouts, for lighter contact or forms training to help with recovery time; shorter more efficient workout allow for full intensity training without endangering the martial artist because of fatigue factors; spacing out the schedule of workouts to allow for a full recovery cycle; and, minimizing high impact techniques, such as throws, flips, and jump kicks.) These can be replaced by softer joint sparing movements (i.e., Tai Chi, Qi Gong, etc.), which have an increased focus on breathing and internal training. Regardless of style preference, continued weight training and anaerobic resistance exercise is essential to maintain muscle mass and integrity of all the support ligaments and tendons in the body. The final change an aging martial artist must make is mental and deals with attitude. The martial artist must come to terms with the reality that he or she is no longer the biggest, toughest, fastest, or most flexible person in the dojo. In humility, he or she must recognize that knowledge is a greater force than physical power. He or she must understand that teaching and being a good role model for younger students is inherently more valuable than continuing to compete and win scores of trophies, which ultimately serve as dust collectors. A developmental psychologist named Erikson developed an eight stage theory of social and emotion growth. The final two stages (i.e., Generativity versus Stagnation and Ego Identity versus Despair) cover the age ranges of forty and beyond. The positive sides of these stages begin when individuals start to accept their physical limitations and change their goals for continued participation in the life of the dojo to teaching and contributing in any way possible to future generations of martial artists. The final culmination of development occurs when these persons accept their age and begin to feel contentment for all they have accomplished while developing a sense of integrity for having been productive in a meaningful way. The alternative occurs when individuals become dissatisfied with life and ultimately develop a sense of despair and disappointment for not having reached all personal goals or become unable to continue performing at high levels. Those individuals who remain active and retain a positive outlook while setting realistic goals for training tend to be physically and emotionally healthier and remain active well into their golden years. The others tend to be less healthy and typically become unproductive and do not fare as well over the long run. Dr. Gerassimakis is a noted psychologist, educator, author, and martial artist. This is the second in a series of articles focusing on the challenge of remaining active in the martial arts. USKF Tournament - August 17 The SDY TaeKwon-Do s 2013 Martial Arts Open Championship will be held on August 17 th in Hoffman Estates, IL, just outside of Chicago. This is a sanctioned USKF AAA rated event. All styles are welcome to compete in any of the 100+ copetitive devisions which include traditional and creative forms, weapons, point and continuous light contact sparring, board breaking, and self defense routines. This event aims to promote an atmosphere of learning and fair competition while running a professional and safe tournament. Location: Willow Recreation Center 3600 Lexington Drive Hoffman Estates, IL 60192 Date: Saturday, August 17, 2013 Times: Check in starts at 8:00 AM Official s meeting at 9:15 AM Opening ceremony at 9:45 AM Competition begins at 10:00 AM Questions? Contact Jason Frymire at IMJAF88@aol. com or 847-373-5034. Page 6