Kuk Sool Won™

I've been receiving a lot of emails asking me what is Kuk Sool Won™. Although I'm by no means an expert on the subject. I can shed a little light on the matter.

In Hyuk Suh is the founder, Grandmaster and President of the World Kuk Sool Association®. He has studied martial arts for more than 50 years.It was in the late 1950's that In-hyuk Suh begun the monumental task of organize and formulate the many scattered martial art techniques of Korea into a single system, which he named Kuk Sool. Officially founded as Kuk Sool Won™(National Martial Arts Association) in 1961.Kuk Sool Won™ is a systematic study of all of the traditional fighting arts, which together comprise the martial arts history of Korea. As such, Kuk Sool Won™ is extremely well organized and seeks to integrate and explore all aspects of the traditional Korean martial arts.Kuk Sool has countless techniques derived from the three branches of traditional Korean martial arts Tribal, Buddhist, and Royal Court and is structured to take a practitioner in a logical progression from the beginning all the way up to Master level.

As a martial arts system, Kuk Sool Won™ covers the entire spectrum of established Asian fighting arts and body conditioning techniques, as well as mental development and traditional weapons training. The following list includes some, but by no means all, of the elements of Kuk Sool Won™.

HAND TECHNIQUES
LEG TECHNIQUES
THROWING and GRAPPLING
JOINT-LOCKING TECHNIQUES
FALLING TECHNIQUES and ACROBATICS
BODY CONDITIONING
ANIMAL-STYLE TECHNIQUES
TRADITIONAL KOREAN WEAPONS
MARTIAL ART HEALING METHODS
MEDITATION and BREATHING TECHNIQUES

As you can see, Kuk Sool Won™ covers an extensive variety of martial art techniques. Below you will find videos of Master's Alex and Sung Jin Suh demonstrating some of the things we learn in Kuk Sool. For more information visit the Kuk Sool Won website by clicking the link. You can find information about schools in your area also.

What To Do If Your Gun Jams

If you've been around martial arts for the past 15 years or at least a fan of MMA, then you've heard the phrase that at least half if not most the technique learned in a traditional martial arts system will never work in a real fight. Being a traditional martial artist myself, it's hurts when I hear these words. It makes you face yourself in the mirror and ask the hard questions. Will this work? Is this even practical? Can I really stop a guy's punch in mid-air or is this technique something out of a Bruce Lee movie?


I understand your frustration, but here's were MMA has got it all wrong. You know that old saying that if you tell a lie long enough and often enough eventually people begin to believe it's the truth. Remember first and foremost that martial arts was at one time and still is today in one way or another synonymous with warfare or military fighting. So techniques and hyungs were designed to train soldiers not cage fighters. Hand to hand combat is usually a soldier's last line of defense. Kicking and punching is a basic skill, as virtually everyone can do in some form or fashion. So in many martial arts circles it is considered a low level skill or a peasant skill. Named so since most peasants didn't carry weapons.

Now weapons on the other hand can take some real skill to master and they can even the playing field. Maybe I'm not as strong as you are but I can shoot you with this bow and arrow from thirty feet away. And guess what I never risked your knock out punch. So with all this am I saying that if you train two days a week that you are ready for war? Of course not, not only would you have to increase your training,you would also have to learn today's war games to be successful in warfare today. What I am saying is that you're not training to fight in a cage where their are rules and however loose those rules are they are there. You're not even being trained to fight but, to defend yourself and that my friend is war. They are no rules and there's no guarantee you will survive. Your opponent is not thinking "I should not commit to my attack" for fear you will over power him. He wants to kill or hurt you severely. So just like a soldier your kicking and punching should be your last line of defense. Save it just in case your gun jams. As the Grandmaster of the WKSA says, "MARTIAL ARTS NOT FOR FIGHTING ANYMORE, BANG BANG YOU DEAD".

The Tale of Two Cities

Have you ever had the feeling that you have a split personality? If this rings a bell you're not alone, I know I have. On one hand I really wanted to be the best me I could be, but there's this other guy who wants to be lazy and take the easy way out. And I've noticed these guys seem to want to duke everything out. Martial arts training included. Well I have news for you, your not crazy, at least I hope not. You are two people figuratively speaking of course, and it's up to you to decide who will be in control. The guy who wants to be the best or the loser who wants to be, well, a loser. Here's a little secret I've learn along the the way to make sure the right person is in control(at lest most of the time). PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT. Did you get that? If not I say it again PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT. You see every time you and I make the right choice or the wrong choice it makes it easier the next time either way. Sort of like muscle memory. I hope this piece of advice helps you as much as it has helped me.

Did we lose our manners?

Yes sir, no ma'am , Mr,and Mrs seem like a thing of the past now. Think about it when was the last time you referred to an older person by Mr or Mrs. People want to be called by their first name these days. If you make the mistake a referring to them in the proper way it is actually an insult now. You can even find this attitude in some martial arts circles. The art of RESPECT is just as vital to a martial artist as the art of kicking and punching. So what are some ways for you to practice this art, I thought you would never ask. Well for starters you could:

Greet your instructor as soon as you walk in the door
Refer to all Dans or Degrees by their proper title
Say yes sir and yes ma'am
NO UNAUTHORIZED TEACHING OF ANY KIND

Disrespect has no place in the martial arts community.

Happy New Year!!!!!!!!!!

Well it's a new year and hopefully a new you. I hope that the previous year was a blessing to you as I know it was for me. My plan this year is to become a better martial artist in every sense of the word mentally, physically, and spiritually. I hope also to make this blog more useful to it's readers by providing better content. If anyone has any suggestions please feel free to email me at poeboys@yahoo.com.