In class, do you put a lot of energy into what you do? Do you follow the lesson plan as assigned? So you follow the commands given? Now, all of this work done by a serious student will help lead to developing discipline. The student should begin to understand that discipline within etiquette, techniques, patterns […]

I recently had the fortune to test for and be promoted to 4th Dan (Sadan) in Haidong Gumdo, a Korean sword martial art. It was a tough road. As I am the senior student of all Haidong Gumdo in Minnesota, training has been difficult as frustrating. When you get to train with your teacher (as […]

Last week was one full of training and testing. We had the semi-annual visit from the World Haidong Gumdo Federation’s Head Master, Kwanjangnim Jeong-Woo Kim, who continues to help us grow and develop in sword skills and life success. It was a challenging week. We worked really hard and gained more knowledge in our curriculum. […]

Back on November 7th & 8th, our regional group of USA Haidong Gumdo masters brought our schools together for the first time….kinda. Many of us in the group have spent the past few years training with USA Senior Chief Master Marshall Parnell. His leadership and teaching has helped us develop greatly and create an outstanding […]

I hope that you enjoyed What is Success, part 1 and part 2 and part 3. This week examines the last two portions of the chart, which can be reviewed in part 1. These side panels of the chart refer to qualities (the mortar) rather than characteristics (the building blocks). These qualities, when recognized and […]

I don’t remember where I heard this, whether it was a really cool philosophical martial arts book or a television show but it something that keeps coming back to me. All too often people pause, hesitate, flinch and think…even tell others…that they didn’t choose what happened to them. In some cases, like the starter I […]

Recently, I have had several discussions with students from a range of ages. The topics were varied across the Song Moo Kwan Taekwondo and Haidong Gumdo curricula. One striking recognition was just how much the younger ones rely on their natural athleticism and strength. Yes, I already “knew” that but it was even more pronounced […]

You Thought You Were on Vacation? (written 9/10/2015) Yesterday were the first Haidong Gumdo and Taekwondo classes since August 5th at the Brooklyn Center dojang. Odyssey Academy was installing a new gym floor, and us martial artists were given a vacation. A break was nice. August was a bit busy, and having no obligations on […]

The Founder of our system was laid to rest today. I hope to help carry his legacy forward.

Wherever I am, There May I Be I was reminded of the importance of being present as I read Master Frankovich’s previous blog post. The post was about drills and their specific benefits. Of course, the benefit of doing a drill in class can be lost on a student if he is not mentally engaged […]

Mindfulness –noun the state or quality of being mindful or aware of something. I see too many people going through the day thinking of everything but what is going on around them. Instead of listening, they are planning what to say when the other person is done. Rather than paying attention to traffic they are […]