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I love the hair-cut. I haven't seen that vid in a while. It's kind of interesting, though there are some pretty awkward and impractical looking kick variations on it.I find Grandmaster Hwang Jang-Lee (9th dan ITF TKD, 9th Dan Tang Soo Do MDK) to have excellent reference form in the 1981 classic "art of high impact kicking" {re-released as a dvd in 2003} for both demonstrations, and fighting application. He goes up to 4th dan kicks.
Skip the cinematic intro by jumping to minute mark 2:38
I would love to see this reference work updated with background music and narration for our present 2015 era.
His kicks are very impressive, but his teaching ability is amazing.
He can take a 40 year old woman... and in 6 months, working at a pace of 4 hours a day, produce a student who can successfully test out and receive Kukkiwon O dan (오단): fifth-degree black belt certification, in the Taekwondo Kukkiwon in Seoul.
720 hours, that's how long it takes him to have a student fully prepared to test at HQ for 5th.
I love the hair-cut. I haven't seen that vid in a while. It's kind of interesting, though there are some pretty awkward and impractical looking kick variations on it.
Regarding preparing a student for a fifth Dan Kukkiwon test, I'm pretty sure a lot of people could get someone ready if they had four hours a day for six months to prepare. The test is fairly simple and straightforward: basic techniques, two poomse, about one minute of sparring, and breaking. If I "taught" the test, I believe I could get someone to pass with 720 hours prep time. They'd have to pass the written exam, too, but it's also not that tough to prepare for (with a bit of Korean language ability).
I was talking about taking someone off the street, not just one Dan level.This was not just preparing someone to go from 4th to 5th Dan..... Not at all, I am talking about 10geups, and 5 Dan levels.
Now that should impress you.
Of course, this was all 1 on 1 instruction.
I thought I'd start a fun discussion. Do you see taekwondo instructors as being closed-minded, with only 1 "right" way of doing a technique?
I was watching the following video and thought that most tkd schools would say that his kick "without chambering" at 29 seconds is "WRONG", even though he is explicitly saying that it is faster (i.e., for speed).
My general viewpoint is that almost any technique can be done with different paths, with a trade-off between speed and power. So for instance I am aware of why my sparring school wants me to throw a spinning hook kick with very little arc - the school favors speed over power, due to the focus on WTF point tournaments.
My first introduction to the concept of there being more than one "right" way was as a white belt. Everyone had a fighting stance as instructed with one hand high and one hand low. But a chinese student who had previously studied Chinese Martial Arts kept both hands high.
I asked him why he didn't use the schools stance and his answer was, "In Canada, people only want to punch you in the head. So I block my head." I thought about that, and asked, "You said in Canada. What about in Hong Kong?". He explained, "Oh, in Honk Kong, they'll kick you in the balls, so I'd definitely keep a hand low there."
What are your thoughts - do tkd schools teach too often that there is only 1 "right" way, without talking about trade-offs?
I find Grandmaster Hwang Jang-Lee (9th dan ITF TKD, 9th Dan Tang Soo Do MDK) to have excellent reference form in the 1981 classic "art of high impact kicking" {re-released as a dvd in 2003} for both demonstrations, and fighting application. He goes up to 4th dan kicks.
I'd be very interested in knowing when/by who he got promoted to 9th dan ITF. He's not listed on any of the three main ITF groups websites and they are all very sparing when it comes to awarding 9th dan. Gen. Choi didn't promote anyone to 9th dan until 1997 (GM Rhee, Ki Ha was the first ITF 9th dan after Gen. Choi himself) and the video is listed as being from 1981.
Pax,
Chris
What is your source for this story?He achieved his 7th dan black belt, In 1965 at age 21.
In 1965 Hwang was drafted into the army, after weeks of basic training, he was sent to teach Tae Kwan Do to over 1,000 military students.
Already a 7th dan black-belt by this time, Hwang quickly caught the eye of his high ranking officers.
Which led to him being sent to Vietnam to train American, and Vietnamese soldiers.
One day Hwang was challenged to a fight whilst teaching by a south Vietnamese knife fighter. The fight lasted around 30 seconds with a kick landing to the head which knocked his challenger out, and subsequently killed him.
The knife expert challenged Lee to a fight, with Lee repeatedly refusing.
In an act of self-defense, Lee ended the duel with one roundhouse kick to the assailant’s head; the villain was dead about 20 seconds later. Lee was actually accused of murder, but due to eyewitness reports was eventually cleared.
What is your source for this story?
I was talking about taking someone off the street, not just one Dan level.
I was talking about taking someone off the street, not just one Dan level.
It would take a student with plenty of free-time and motivation, but I think it would be quite possible to train specifically for the test in that time frame and not look totally out of place. As I said before, the test is not all that difficult.Then you are a superior instructor and my hats off to you.
My problem is finding students willing to train non stop for four hours every day. And a editing of teaching methods/lesson plans to handle a four hour format.
My question is how do you get enough body conditioning in that 720 hours over Six months.
Another challenge would be the waiver of time in rank. Some folks would have an issue with a student becoming a 6month 5th Dan in TKD because of traditions based bias.
I expect this story, too, has been embellished over time. If he instantly killed someone with a round kick to the head, it was a fluke. I'd find it more believable if his opponent fell down and died due to hitting his head on the ground. Or maybe he knocked a guy out and over the years the story changed. The problem with stories like that is that it's difficult to confirm one way or the other.Hwang Hang Lee, in a few interviews.
His detainment is a matter of record with the government.
You can do a FOIR request if you want with the US Government.
His testimony is good enough for me.
In January 2003, Hwang received his 9th dan black belt in Taekwondo.
.
Well, no, Putin was given a meaningless honorary rank. It's pretty silly, I think, to compare honorary rank to earned rank. Especially when it's from a group (the WTF) that doesn't actually issue any REAL rank.
Mr. Spiller inquired as to what ITF org. promoted him?
FYI General Choi issued "Special 9th Dan Promotions" To Bob Wall, Chuck Norris and one other.