# Master Penfil and the Vision Hwang Kee



## JWLuiza (May 3, 2007)

So Master Penfil is all over the place putting time on the net offering help every time I click a new hyperlink.

Now he just finished opening the school with multitudes of organizations present, and by all reported news had an amazing weekend.

Ryu pa is discussed by Hwang Kee in Tang Soo Do (Soo Bahk Do) Volume 1.  Hwang Kee, and now the Moo Duk Kwan are seeking unity of the Tang Soo Do world...  I NEVER see this happening under one organization. But Master Penfil is a great example of how to maintain his school's own identity while celebrating the fraternity that is Tang Soo Do.  I hope more follow in his path.  The internet has made the world small and you are more likely to bump into each other than you'd think...

Kudos Master Penfil


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## Miles (May 3, 2007)

Thought I would chime in on this one since I've had the pleasure of training with Master Penfil a few times.

First of all, I am not a Tang Soo Doin, nor do I play one on TV.  I am an unabashed, dyed in the wool Taekwondoin and have been for 32 years.But, over those years, I have come to recognize and appreciate the wonderful variety of training methodologies, strategies, and techniques in many different martial arts.  

Master Penfil has a solid TSD background, but he has also trained in other martial arts and he is gracious to offer to open his dojang to train with folks of other arts and organizations.  As I understand it, Moo Duk Kwan was originally a "brotherhood".  Master Penfil recognizes non-Tang Soo Doin as "brothers and sisters" in the arts and is to be commended for this.

Miles


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## exile (May 3, 2007)

Miles said:


> As I understand it, Moo Duk Kwan was originally a "brotherhood".



This is true. The kwan split, some staying with Gm. Kee and others affiliating with the then-upstart (albeit government supported) Taekwondo group. There are still those who identify themselves as MDK TKD (Richard Chun actually has couple of instructional textbooks which self-identify that way). 

I think one of the great things about Master Penfil is his enthusiastic recognition that TSD, TKD _and_ Okinawan/Japanese karate are all fraternal twin martial arts, and that they have a common core which is partly based on shared forms (even if the kinship in some cases is a bit concealed) and partly on the basic strategic and tactical assumptions of these arts. I've been involved in enough discussions and threads with him that center around the shared technical content of these different variants of karate that I'm pretty sure I understand his overall vision of these arts as, at bottom, fundamentally the same in terms of overall strategic doctrines and the real-time expression of those doctrines in fighting method. This inclusive approach to the karate-based arts&#8212;in an era when nationalist and political agendas have tried to deny that historically well-documented kinship&#8212;is very refreshing!


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## Ian wallace (May 28, 2007)

A good gentleman he is with inspiring words of wisdom and a good example of how a Tang soo doist should be, i have had a few conversations with master Penfil and all equally inspiring.

Tang Soo!!!


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## WMKS Shogun (May 29, 2007)

I have talked with him on the phone for a short time, and he seemed like a pretty good guy. I know nothing of his skill, but based on how people on here talk about him, he sounds to have solid skills too. It is great to see someone talking about (and doing something about) bringing martial artists closer together instead of pushing apart by focusing on differences.


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## exile (May 29, 2007)

WMKS Shogun said:


> It is great to see someone talking about (and doing something about) bringing martial artists closer together instead of pushing apart by focusing on differences.



Exactly. The differences among the karate-based arts are minor, compared with their common core; much more important is how that core is trained. There are probably TKD dojangs which are much closer in actual practice to certain TSD dojangs than to some other TKD schools whose training philosophy and conception of TKD is radically different. People love to ride small sectarian difference, but the more fundamental aspectthe strategic and tactical common groundis actually more interesting..


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## Master Jay S. Penfil (Jul 1, 2007)

*You have come to understand me quite well*

After 36+ years of cross-training with so many from different systems and associations the most important lesson that I have learned is that I am never at my panicle!!!

Each time I work with or even speak with another practitioner, regardless of his/her background I learn something new.

In my school we have several slogans. One of my favorites is;

*Its all about the UPGRADE!!!*​ 
If I have a way of doing or teaching something and someone introduces me to a better way I adopt it and make my school stronger with that new piece of knowledge.

Too many practitioners are more concerned with passing on what ever they were taught by their instructor or association as *standardized material*. 

If you are doing something one way, and you find that there is a way that makes more sense, or that has been proven to make you more effective and you choose to continue with the old way for sake of maintaining a specific curriculum, you are planning to fail at some point, and that will usually be the point where it is going to matter the most (during an attack).

With everything that I already know, I know that there is more to learn. This is why I look forward to meeting and working with all of you. There may be things that I can teach you, but you better believe that I will be learning right along with you!!!

*Who wants to make some time to get together soon???*​


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