Most Martial Artists will agree with me that there is one question that we will inevitably be asked. We are always annoyed by this question, and there is seemingly no right answer to it. The question takes one of two forms. The first form of the question is, “So, do Continue Reading
History
The Meaning of Cho
Learning to count is one of the first things one learns when learning a language, whether it is their first or tenth. It was no different when I began training Tang Soo Do; while I am fluent in Japanese, the Korean language is quite different enough that it took a Continue Reading
The Meaning of Cha Ryut
One of the first commands we learn in any traditional martial arts is the command to come to attention. In Tang Soo Do and other Korean martial arts, it is “Cha-Ryut” (or Ryot), and it is one of those commands that is not only instantly recognizable, but quintessentially Korean. In Continue Reading
The Meaning of “Soo”
The word “Soo” comes up often when it comes to Korean techniques and is present in the name of the style I train in (Tang Soo Do), and so it’s natural to be curious as to what it means. In basic terms, it means “hand”, and typically denotes an open Continue Reading
How the Caste System Affected Martial Arts in Japan
Not that long ago, Japanese society was divided into a strict hierarchy of social classes that limited any upward mobility the further down the social ladder you were. At the top were the nobility, essentially the imperial family and its various offshoots; next were the samurai class, although their role Continue Reading
The Meaning of Sah Bum Nim
In April of 2022, I was given the rank of 4th degree black belt and the title “Sah Bum Nim” in the art of Tang Soo Do. It was an incredible honor, but it has also been a bit frustrating to explain to non-practitioners what my new rank meant: am Continue Reading
The Meaning of Hyung
In almost every traditional martial art, there are forms or patterns that are practiced and passed down from teacher to student. Hyung, or kata in Japanese martial arts, are essential in the tradition and identify of many martial art styles and the sheer variety means that everyone has at least Continue Reading
The Meaning of “Gup” and “Dan”
Early on in our training, we can be hyper focused on our rank. Color belts can visually see where they are in the hierarchy of the martial arts school just by looking at each other’s belts. This distinction becomes less obvious as we enter the black belt levels, but there Continue Reading
The Meaning of “Moo”
No, this article is not about the noise a cow makes while grazing. What I’m referring to is the Chinese character of “Moo” in Korean, or “Bu”, “Takeshi”, “Mononofu” in Japanese, and finally “Wǔ” in Chinese. This is the same character that appears in such words/phrases such as “Moo Duk Continue Reading
Teaching People Wrong As a Joke
When you look at two karate pioneers, Anko Itosu and Gichin Funakoshi, there is one thing in their pedagogy that sticks out to me. Unlike today’s martial arts culture where at most schools (The good schools are the exception here) you will be admitted to the class if you pay Continue Reading