No Other Way

Many of you know my “liking” of NCIS. Yeah, I would LOVE to be Gibbs and have everything written for me! That’s beside the point, though, as enough happens within the show that sets examples for how role models should act. That said, I’d like to show you an example of my world in Gibbs […]

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7th Dan and more!

My 7th Dan Test panel = 8th Dan Grand Master James S. Cahn (Cleveland Taekwondo Martial Arts),  8th Dan Grand Master Roy Bushman, 10th Dan Supreme Grand Master Joon Pyo Choi (Columbus OMAC & World Song Moo Kwan United leader), 9th Dan Grand Master Young Pyo Choi (OMAC Indiana); 8th Dan Grand Master Kwang Ho Kim […]

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Delusion (guest blog post: Bill Hedrick)

Why delusion can be a good thing! If you’re a fan of Westerns, you may remember Clint Eastwood saying, “A man’s got to know his limitations.” This is true! But how do you find your limitations? Most people live lives of quiet mediocrity, avoiding pain because it hurts! Yes, it does, that’s the main attribute […]

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Having TOO much fun at seminar!

This is what happens when you tell a bunch of students to “put in the bad guys for [blank] gumbub!” I guess they didn’t have enough direction. **Note: each group had 30 minutes to prepare the gumbub prior to performing it.   Ssangsu Gumbub Sa bon (group 1) Ssangsu Gumbub Sa bon (group 2) Ssangsu […]

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Battle of Columbus & more!

Just over two weeks to this multi-event weekend! I’m greatly looking forward to all of the events happening! I get the chance to see outstanding martial artists compete, to join in the recognition of martial arts accomplishments, and to meet and train with Song Moo Kwan seniors and peers!

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Dedication

“Well, techniques can be packed up and taken anywhere. Not so with dedication.” – Sensei Skip Taylor The picture to the left is from a local thrift shop. While I understand that not everyone will train for their lifetime in the martial arts but this shouldn’t happen. Yes, this is just my opinion so you […]

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(guest post) Always a white belt – Bill Hedrick

The other evening we had some newbies, 4 white belts and a yellow. Master F. took extra time to talk through the mechanics of cutting, and Dave worked with the white belts on the first form. Nothing odd there, but the thing I was surprised and delighted by was my attention to this. I’ve been […]

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Dancing or Fighting?

I’ve had the recognition in the past couple weeks that I have learned forms to complete tests without having the knowledge about what happens during these forms. This is particularly in regard to my Haidong Gumdo training, but there is some Taekwondo as well as I prepare for my next test. I have preached to […]

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World Song Moo Kwan United

Over Memorial Day weekend (May 26th – 29th), the World Song Moo Kwan United (WSMKU) will be holding a summit with training and testing. The first events were part of the Bruce Lee & Legends Hall of Honor inductions (some inductions listed in the package linked here). Several 1st and 2nd generation Grand Masters and Masters […]

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Shuhari!

Aikido master Endō Seishirō shihan stated: “It is known that, when we learn or train in something, we pass through the stages of shu, ha, and ri. These stages are explained as follows. In shu, we repeat the forms and discipline ourselves so that our bodies absorb the forms that our forebears created. We remain […]

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Battle of Columbus 2017

This event is hosted by SGM Joon Pyo Choi’s OMAC. He has run the event for 42 years and is a premier tournament. The weekend will include the Bruce Lee and Legends Hall of Honor inductions and banquet. It will also be the World Song Moo Kwan United’s first summit. This will have training seminars […]

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Nostalgia

This is the end of an excellent day…weekend (3/17-3/18). I had the pleasure of hosting Grand Master Bill “Superfoot” Wallace while he was here for a seminar. His knowledge and experience makes him a highly valuable resource to supplement anyone’s training. The stories from his training, his fights, his movies, and his travels are entertaining […]

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Blog Subscriptions

Recently, I have had to reset the subscribers to this blog and website. If you registered as a subscriber through the website, otherwise, you are probably not of the list any longer. Please use the email subscription option on the main page. The method should be a bit more secure and free of all the […]

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Pieces Of My Heart

Quite a while ago, Cole Herring asked me to provide some answers for questions he was using to write a book –  Leadership Challenges: A Collection of Candid Experiences – that was published this month. Follow the link to order your copy! What I wrote follows. Sorry, it is long because he asked several questions. […]

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Chung Bong Hyungs, Volume 2

The Chung Bong hyung were developed by Sr.GM Jun Seon “Jay” Hyon. They were taught to his students and the tradition began. This first volume contains the descriptions of hyungs four through six. Follow the link to additional information and ordering!

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Chung Bong Hyungs, Volume 1

The Chung Bong hyung were developed by Sr.GM Jun Seon “Jay” Hyon. They were taught to his students and the tradition began. This first volume contains the descriptions of hyungs one through three. Follow the link to additional information and ordering!

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Why Group Form Fails

Why is it so difficult to do a group form? How difficult can it be to stay together when doing a form? Group form has been part of my Taekwondo from the start. I’ve said several times that group form is our version of marching, after all this is a military art. The class is […]

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I used up my “fast” tonight

Tonight was Pine Tree Taekwondo’s first sparring class in about six months. It was a good night. Everyone fought hard and worked on developing techniques, even adding new kicks to their strategy. This was the first night that I’ve sparred since having to add a knee brace. The contraption pictured to the left is the […]

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Driver’s Education and the OODA Loop

Today was a day of helping the eldest youngling with some driving practice. He’s waited to get his license as he’s not worried about too much riding his “longest of skate board.” We were out for about an hour. I’ll back up just a bit as I have done this before with another pair of […]

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