Getting There

I'm sure you've heard the old saying that "getting there is half the fun" when you're going on vacation. If you consider Taekwondo stances fun, the same could be said of them. Either way, though, how you move in getting there is just as important as where you go because getting there is half the power.

Taekwondo tul (forms) are not just a series of poses with little or no importance placed on the transition between them. Whether your technique is effective is as much a function (if not more) of the transition than the final state. Consider a head block: Most beginners can tell you about where your hand goes, the angle of your arm, the distance from your head, etc. That's only part of the story, though. If a fist is coming straight at your face, it'll do you no good to end up in a perfect pose if your "block" swings up from the side and doesn't deflect the punch.

The same concept applies to stances. How you transition from one stance to the next can have a profound impact on the amount of power you can put into your technique. Let's take two common examples: The very first move of Chon-Ji tul and the common shift from back ("L") stance to front ("walking") stance. These are shown below.

The left and right feet are marked with an "L" and "R" respectively and the filled-in feet are the final positions. The dotted box is a square the length of your shoulder width on each side. In the left example, the left foot moves in a little and then back out to a proper front stance. The right foot merely pivots on the ball. The right example is similar; the left (front) foot moves and the right (back) foot pivots. Why?

Power, in the martial arts sense, is a function of momentum. When you move your front foot, your weight is momentarily supported entirely by your back foot. When you drop your weight into your stance and technique, it is going forward and contributing to the power of your technique. If you move your back foot, then your weight (and power) is going backward. Of course, if you move both feet, then the majority of your weight is going straight down.

It can take decades to perfect the little nuances of movement and timing that lead to power, but you'll be starting out in a hole if you don't transition from one stance to the next properly. The next time you practice your forms consider how you move your feet, because getting there is half the power.

Belt Promotions

I'm sorry it took me so long to post again... My test went well and I was promoted to fourth-degree black belt. (My wife, Brandi, was promoted to second-degree black belt!) Is it quite an honor to be considered a sa bum nim (instructor), but it also quite humbling. I recall when I first started training with Grandmaster Choi, and how I impressed I was with the sa bum nim at the school.

Having been around Grandmaster Choi long enough to earn the rank I have has, if anything, only reinforced how much I still have to learn. (Grandmaster Choi was promoted to EIGHTH-degree black belt by General Choi Hong Hi, the founder of Taekwondo, 25 years ago!) Each rank promotion seems to be like a step closer to the edge of a deep valley; it only serves to show that it is actually deeper than you previously thought!

The most important thing I learn in Taekwondo is respect, and it is obvious why the higher-ranked students at the school seem to have the most of it. Grandmaster Choi's valley of knowledge is VERY deep and it is those of us who are closest to the edge who have the best appreciation for that depth. Whether I'll ever make it to the bottom of that valley is too much for me to consider, but that's not the point. The point is knowing that there's always going to be something deeper to learn and that's what keeps me going back!