I just wanted to share a few thoughts with you concerning Ill Soo Shik and Ho Sin Shul. Basically every test that a Gup takes, both of these are integral parts. This is because they are so important to the practice of Tang Soo Do. These two exercises are the practical application of the techniques that we learn. Without them Tang Soo Do, any martial art, would be ineffective in combat.
If they are so important, what are they? Before we left the Soo Bahk Do Federations, they were a series of stylized movements that showed various defense routines for punches, kicks and grabs. Unfortunately, besides being creatively limiting, they were also dangerous to the martial artist who is forced to use his martial skill on the street. To ingrain some of those moves into your realm of instinctual movement would leave you horribly open in many situations. That is why I whole-heartedly agree with removing those sequences from my training.
Yet, with their removal, came a large hole in our training I feel. I wasn't quite sure what to do, or which was which. In reality, the Federations Ill Soo Shik and Ho Sin Shul were the same thing. One person was attacking with a known attack and the other was defending with a known defense in order to practice distance, timing, and repitition (which would lead to instinctual movement). Now, without those stylized techniques, the definitions of what Ill Soo Shik and Ho Sin Shul have been blurred. What really is the purpose? What really is the difference between them?
Well, the purpose of Ill Soo Shik and Ho Sin Shul remains the same as stated above. They are the practical application of the techniques that we learn as part of Tang Soo Do. With them we practice Distance, Timing, and Repitition. Yet the difference between the two remains cloudy if one attempts to stay within the paradigm of the Soo Bahk Do Federation. I say, let us look at the definition for each. Ill Soo Shik translates into One Step Sparring. With Ill Soo Shik, the defender controls the situation in order to explore the depths of the technique learned.
Ho Sin Shul, on the other hand, translates into Self Defense. I believe that in this exercise and in real life, the attacker controls the situation and the defender must be prepared for anything from punches, kicks, grapples, throws, weapons, basically whatever is offered. Basically, with the practice of Ho Sin Shul, the defender is forced to tap into their realm of instinctual movement and defend themselves with proper technique delivered with proper distance and timing.
With those definitions in hand, I believe that Ill Soo Shik and Ho Sin Shul can truly help to prepare someone for a realistic combat situation. In truth, Ill Soo Shik and Ho Sin Shul are nothing but drills where one partner or the other controls the situation. To limit one to punches and kicks and the other to grabs and joint locks is not going to be useful or realistic because all of those techniques could be used in either drill. Creatively, Ill Soo Shik and Ho Sin Shul are the personal expression of your own martial art. A martial artist needs to practice these exercises, lest the dragon lose its teeth.
In Superior Tang Soo Do there is a definitive progression of learning aspects that train you for self-defense. Everything starts with the basics and these include techniques for striking, grappling, throwing, blocking, etc. Then it progresses to the hyung, which are like encyclopedia that show how the basics are used. Ill Soo Shik enter the picture as a student beings to analyze the forms and practice what feels good for them and what they think would be successful for them. Ho Sin Shul provide a student with the opportunity to work the techniques against an unwilling partner who is going to be attacking at random or trying to stop what you are doing. This is still a controlled environment, though. And finally, there is sparring. People with opposing goals will meet in a predetermined venue with predetermined rules and test their skills with control. Often the practice of Ho Sin Shul is indistinguishable from sparring because the relaxation of the rules in Ho Sin Shul provides a progression to sparring.
If they are so important, what are they? Before we left the Soo Bahk Do Federations, they were a series of stylized movements that showed various defense routines for punches, kicks and grabs. Unfortunately, besides being creatively limiting, they were also dangerous to the martial artist who is forced to use his martial skill on the street. To ingrain some of those moves into your realm of instinctual movement would leave you horribly open in many situations. That is why I whole-heartedly agree with removing those sequences from my training.
Yet, with their removal, came a large hole in our training I feel. I wasn't quite sure what to do, or which was which. In reality, the Federations Ill Soo Shik and Ho Sin Shul were the same thing. One person was attacking with a known attack and the other was defending with a known defense in order to practice distance, timing, and repitition (which would lead to instinctual movement). Now, without those stylized techniques, the definitions of what Ill Soo Shik and Ho Sin Shul have been blurred. What really is the purpose? What really is the difference between them?
Well, the purpose of Ill Soo Shik and Ho Sin Shul remains the same as stated above. They are the practical application of the techniques that we learn as part of Tang Soo Do. With them we practice Distance, Timing, and Repitition. Yet the difference between the two remains cloudy if one attempts to stay within the paradigm of the Soo Bahk Do Federation. I say, let us look at the definition for each. Ill Soo Shik translates into One Step Sparring. With Ill Soo Shik, the defender controls the situation in order to explore the depths of the technique learned.
Ho Sin Shul, on the other hand, translates into Self Defense. I believe that in this exercise and in real life, the attacker controls the situation and the defender must be prepared for anything from punches, kicks, grapples, throws, weapons, basically whatever is offered. Basically, with the practice of Ho Sin Shul, the defender is forced to tap into their realm of instinctual movement and defend themselves with proper technique delivered with proper distance and timing.
With those definitions in hand, I believe that Ill Soo Shik and Ho Sin Shul can truly help to prepare someone for a realistic combat situation. In truth, Ill Soo Shik and Ho Sin Shul are nothing but drills where one partner or the other controls the situation. To limit one to punches and kicks and the other to grabs and joint locks is not going to be useful or realistic because all of those techniques could be used in either drill. Creatively, Ill Soo Shik and Ho Sin Shul are the personal expression of your own martial art. A martial artist needs to practice these exercises, lest the dragon lose its teeth.
In Superior Tang Soo Do there is a definitive progression of learning aspects that train you for self-defense. Everything starts with the basics and these include techniques for striking, grappling, throwing, blocking, etc. Then it progresses to the hyung, which are like encyclopedia that show how the basics are used. Ill Soo Shik enter the picture as a student beings to analyze the forms and practice what feels good for them and what they think would be successful for them. Ho Sin Shul provide a student with the opportunity to work the techniques against an unwilling partner who is going to be attacking at random or trying to stop what you are doing. This is still a controlled environment, though. And finally, there is sparring. People with opposing goals will meet in a predetermined venue with predetermined rules and test their skills with control. Often the practice of Ho Sin Shul is indistinguishable from sparring because the relaxation of the rules in Ho Sin Shul provides a progression to sparring.
