# Martial Arts Pilgrimage



## Dwi Chugi (Sep 30, 2012)

Hello all,

i was on the phone with my best friends and one of the best martial artists I know talking about our favorite subject, Hapkido.  I was telling him that I had recently read a book about the Samurai and how they did pilgrimages to other schools to make them better warriors.  In fact it seems like I read that Takeda once took a such pilgrimage, however I can not remember where I saw that information. 

Anyways, he mentioned that he would like to go back to his first school in VA and train and that sparked my idea of going to several schools on something like a pilgrimage. 

I have a week of off time in the spring and another week at the beginning of August. I would love to visit some of your dojang's and learn the way your Hapkido works.

Some of the instructors that I would like to visit if permitted are: Scott Welton, Kevin Sogor, Doomx, and kong soo do. These are the names that post quite a bit on this forum so those are the names that popped out at me. I'd love to visit anyone that will have us. I'd like to go to a sin moo school, combat HKD school and a Bong Song Han school as well if there are any here.

Please let me know if we would be welcomed to your dojang and what we'd need to bring. In return if you ever come to Central Florida, you are more than welcome to train at MuSool. We are only ten minutes from Daytona and 45 minutes from Disney World.


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## iron_ox (Sep 30, 2012)

Let me know when you would like to come up to Chicago, you are most welcome.


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## Dwi Chugi (Sep 30, 2012)

iron_ox said:


> Let me know when you would like to come up to Chicago, you are most welcome.


Awesome! I'm looking at March. If you ever come to Florida we would love to have you too.  Also, I spoke to my friend and he would like to do interviews and maybe even do a pod cast or YouTube show on Hapkido and other similar arts. Really get out that hapkido is one of, if not the best, street defense art out there.


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## Doomx2001 (Oct 1, 2012)

Dwi Chugi said:


> Anyways, he mentioned that he would like to go back to his first school in VA and train and that sparked my idea of going to several schools on something like a pilgrimage.



 Me and one of my best friends (who is also my Bujinkan instructor) check out different dojo's all the time as well as just myself from time to time. I really encourage that sort of thing. I've been to 3 kung fu schools, 2 Brazilian Jujutsu schools, a Isshinryu Karate seminar...etc to name a few. I personally get so much out of it. 
There are exercises and teaching methods that I've walked away with that I feel have made me a better martial artist. Also there are times when you see people train poorly or unrealistically, and it makes you appreciate your training that much more. Not to mention new ways of explaining the same ol' things we do. Or even new ways to look at the same ol' techniques. 

I would say, don't just check out Hapkido schools, but all martial art schools. Because of this philosophy that I have, one the schools I checked out while training in Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu just so happened to be a Hapkido school that I still train at till this day. At the Bujinkan dojo that I train at, you basically learn what others call advanced stuff right off the bat, and it takes years just to be decent. 
When I started Hapkido, everything was so simple, and I started with wrist techniques. It was so odd, and different. The footwork too was different. I remember doing a knifehand armbar, and the instructor said it looked more like Chinese chin-na that it did Hapkido. 
But now, as time has passed, I really appreciate and cherish my Hapkido training. It gives me the chance to work on fundamentals and at a slower pace. My Bujinkan class operates at a very fast pace, with different techniques taught every class. So I love training in both extremes. I feel my Hapkido training makes me better at Bujinkan, and my Bujinkan makes me better at Hapkido.

Anyway, I've picked up theories, idea, concepts, and techniques from many different martial arts. No matter how impractical, or how fundamentally wrong a school may seem on the surface, you have to give them a chance to show you the value or the benefit of their martial training.
For example, in Hapkido you learn hundreds of techniques, but in Karate you learn 3 or 4 blocks (with kicking, punching, and kata) and thats what you practice every class. So as a Hapkido guy, I think I would listen to a Karate guy give tips on blocking or the value of Kata. 
A Uechi ryu or Goju ryu guy might show you the value of tensing and relaxing as done in Sanchin kata, or maybe someone in Wing Chun may show you how to trap a person arm so you can go for a joint lock...etc. 
I see the merit in all martial arts. So the check the dojo's and dojangs and let us know what the experience is like. 


P.S some of the craziest, unethical, and  egotisitcal people I have ever met are people in martial arts, I don't know why it is, it just is, LOL! But you do meet some awesome people along the way.


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## Dwi Chugi (Oct 1, 2012)

Thank you Doomx. If you ever come to Central Florida, please stop by my Dojang. I do visit a lot of schools within 90 miles of me and if I travel, and I agree with you, there is always something to learn. I am planning my pilgrimage to go as far as Chicago to visit Master Sogor. My first stops (so far) are Cary, NC; Richman, VA; then IL and hitting Nashville, NC on the way back to Florida. I'm looking for schools in GA and or SC to hit as well.


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## Instructor (Oct 1, 2012)

I am in Yorktown Virginia.  You are more than welcome to train with us as much as you like.  Let me know in advance so I can get you a base pass.


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## Dwi Chugi (Oct 1, 2012)

Instructor said:


> I am in Yorktown Virginia.  You are more than welcome to train with us as much as you like.  Let me know in advance so I can get you a base pass.



I will put you down.  It looks like we are planning this trip for mid-March.  Thank you for the invite.


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## zDom (Oct 2, 2012)

Dwi Chugi said:


> ...
> 
> Some of the instructors that I would like to visit if permitted are: Scott Welton, Kevin Sogor, Doomx, and kong soo do.
> 
> ...



Sounds like a great experience! You would certainly be welcomed here in Southeast Missouri.

You should visit my instructor's class in Cape Girardeau &#8212; I would of course be there and would present you as my guest.

Just bring a white judo uniform (it can be trimmed in black if you are dan ranked) if it isn't too much trouble.

Let me know when you will be in this part of the country!

I visited martial art schools during vacations while I was coming up through the ranks and found the experiences enriching and beneficial to my training/




Dwi Chugi said:


> In return if you ever come to Central Florida, you are more than welcome to train at MuSool. We are only ten minutes from Daytona and 45 minutes from Disney World.



I'll keep that in mind! I'm sure the GF will want to visit Florida sooner or later.


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## Dwi Chugi (Oct 2, 2012)

Scott Welton: here in Daytona; March and October we have bike weeks, February and July are race weeks, and of course the beach is here all year long.  The mouse lives just 45 minutes west of us.  Please come down anytime!  

Meanwhile I am still planning our trip as well.  It is looking more and more I may have to split it up into two trips.  I will talk to my friend that will be coming with me and see what dates we can come.


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