Visiting My Home Dojang

It was my privilege to train at the Potchefstroom Dojang last week Tuesday with a nice group of enthusiastic students. I was happy to cover the most basic kicks: front snap kick, turning kick, side piercing kick, hook kick, and back kick; and also show how we combine these five kicks into a balance and coordination exercise that we call "Five Direction Kicking" -- O-ju-chagi, which is one of our Soo Shim Kwan's basic drills. Then we focussed on the sine wave principle in a similar way as I did with the two previous seminars in Pinetown and Pretoria respectively, although my time was much more constrained. After class we had a short thirty minute over-time in which we looked at how to  perform balgyeong techniques.

Although the students were all of lower rank, I saw much potential in them and their eagerness and enthusiasm reflected the passion of their instructor, Bsbnim Philip de Vos, the current full time instructor of the Potchefstroom Taekwon-Dojang.

I have to apologise to the Potchefstroom Dojang for spending such a short time with you. Unfortunately things just didn't work out as planned during this trip to South Africa. I hope to stay much longer in Potchefstroom when I visit again next year, God-willing.

Seminar at the ATC Dojang, Pretoria

The seminar at the ATC dojang in Pretoria went well, I think. It was a full class of keen students of all ranks and ages, so I attempted to keep it both simple and interesting. As planned, I focused on the sine wave principle and how it can be applied in a variety of techniques, from basic movements to throws and take downs. I particularly spent time on demonstrating how one can "ride" a continuous wave, using the downward phases for techniques that require downward mass, and using upward phases for techniques that have upward trajectories.

Afterwards the black belts came together for a short black belt training session. I shared with them the concept of balgyeong (impact techniques, rather than momentum techniques). This too, was well received.

My appreciation goes to the ATC dojang, in particular Sbnims Karel and Annari Wethmar for inviting me to present the workshop. It has become an annual institution for me to visit the ATC dojang on my South Africa trips, and also a highlight to visit with them once a year.

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Workshop in Pretoria on Tuesday

I'll be giving a workshop at the ATC dojang in Pretoria this coming Tuesday night. My focus will be similar to what we did in Pinetown two weeks ago, illustrating the sinewave principle in many different types of techniques, including joint applications and throws.

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