The Arts We Practice

The first recorded hand-to-hand combat occurred between Cain and Abel, and it only stands to reason that, from that day on, fighting skills continued to develop in all populated areas of the world. To be sure, secret techniques were carefully guarded by the families who practiced them; however, just as other countries eventually copied the atomic bomb, even the most secret techniques were soon copied by other families and clans around the world.

Although we respect all martial arts, our main interest lies in Korean martial arts, and we will concentrate on them. Since Korea was invaded by both Chinese and Japanese armies, we can safely assume that the fighting skills of each of these countries were carefully observed and adopted by astute Korean warriors who were not inclined to reinvent the wheel. Therefore, it is not unreasonable to assume that Korean martial arts are a unique blend of the best techniques of all three countries.

Most martial arts practiced today were founded sometime after the Second World War, and these "new" founders likely "borrowed" their techniques from some other persons before them. This may be an inflammatory statement; however, common sense tells us that there are only so many ways to hurt an opponent, and it is unlikely that society did not learn the essential skills of survival long before these modern day founders developed their styles. The fact is that martial art techniques were used in all areas of the globe, and anyone who uses common sense knows that fighting and survival skills simultaneously developed in all populated areas -- it simply was a necessity to remain alive.

Differences between martial art styles are most often the result of geographical location and/or the physical attributes of the peoples of a region. For example, Korean martial artists are not the only ones who are superb kickers. Basque fighters are equally superb kickers and the French martial art Savate is famous for its kicks. We believe this is due to the fact that the people of these regions developed strong legs due to the terrain they traversed. Similarily, Okinawan fishermen would naturally have developed strong arms from daily rowing exercises, and it should not come as a surprise to anyone that the people of Okinawa are famous for their "Te" hand techniques.

Martial artists across the globe simply used the best skills of the people that lived in their area. Therefore, we do not believe martial arts can be monopolized by any one person or association, and our association does not get involved in the political rhetoric of Masters who claim to have the exclusive rights to any martial art -- we simply thank all the Masters who have passed on their knowledge since mankind first recorded combat.

Although we do not acknowledge exlusive rights of any Masters, we do acknowledge the contributions of these Masters. In particular, any serious student of Korean Martial Arts should be familiar with the names of the following: Choi yong sul; Suh bok sup; Ji jae han; Lee jo bang; Suh in hyuk; Chang chun il; Han bong soo; Myung kwan sik; Pak in shyuk; Kimm he young; and Kim mu jin. The accomplishments of these, and other great Masters are addressed adequately in other web sites. We do not wish to duplicate their fine efforts of their web masters in researching and documenting their Korean martial arts history.

While I personally strive to preserve traditional martial arts, I cannot overlook the fact that natural evolution is a law of nature. What is considered traditional today was no doubt a violation of tradition yesteryear and ... evolution does go on. With this in mind, North-Americans who practice martial arts developed in the Orient, must consider that many of the techniques they learn may not be compatible with their bodies and/or lifestyles. The average Oriental is much smaller in stature than the average North-American. Orientals often sit and sleep on the floor, while Westerners use chairs and beds almost exclusively ... this makes a difference on the natural development of the leg muscles we cannot ignore.

If Korean martial arts are to serve us best, we must refine the techniques we have "borrowed" to suit our lifestyle and body structure. It simply takes patience, and a skilled Master Instructor who understands body dynamics, to develop and fine tune these techniques to suit us. Our additional leverage and weight can often be turned into an advantage, and the world of Judo was shocked when this was proven by Dutch Judokas Anton Geesink and Willem Ruska. More often the reason why North-Americans have problems learning all the techniques in a given style is our own impatience, and a still prevalent reluctance of Korean Masters to share their techniques with non-Koreans.

Despite this reluctance, many Western martial artists are now superbly capable Instructors, They have learned how to adapt ancient techniques developed in Asia and made them better suited for use by North-Americans. We do not suggest for a minute you should run out on your Oriental Instructors, and this web-site is not intended to slam anyone. However, we strongly recommend that you carefully choose your Instructors. You must simply make sure they are capable of doing what is best for you.

The days of Instructors walking on your abdomen (and perhaps rupturing your spleen) are long gone and, unless you wish to join a cult, no one should blindly follow a martial art instructor because he happens to be Oriental. It is wise to remember that you are quite capable of thinking. A good instructor is not measured by the color of his skin, a good instructor is measured by the manner in which he or she can impact martial art knowledge that improves you. Consider this when you choose your martial art school.

Rudy W. Timmerman
Master of Korean martial arts