Side Break Fall ("Cheuk Bang Nak Beop”)

The following is from the article "Taekwon-Do and Ground Fighting: Basic Breakfalls and Rolls ("Nak Beop")" which I wrote with the help of the Potchefstroom Dojang for the 2008 edition of the eZine The Sidekick. I decided to post parts of the article here on our blog.

Taekwon-Do and Ground Fighting:
Basic Breakfalls and Rolls (“Nak Beop”)
Sanko Lewis and the Soo Shim Kwan – Potchefstroom Dojang

Although often neglected, breakfalling (“nak-beop”) is an indispensable and crucial aspect of Taekwon-Do. Mastering these fundamental techniques are just as important as mastering other defensive techniques such as guarding, dodging and blocking.

It is good for students to start to learn proper breakfalling as soon as possible, because it is especially the beginner students who are most prone to falling, since they still haven’t acquired good balance.

Notice how often practitioners fall during sparring matches at tournaments. Now imagine them fighting in real life and falling on concrete floors, tarred roads and paved pathways. Furthermore, when faced with a sudden take-down technique, the Taekwon-Do practitioner must know how to minimise the impact and recover quickly.

When starting to train breakfalls begin on a cushioned surface and slowly work your way up to harder surfaces.


The (sit-out) Side Fall:

Concerning falling techniques the ITF Encyclopaedia (Volume 5, p. 341.) gives the following advice:

The emphasis in falling is naturally, placed on learning to fall without getting hurt and recovering as quickly as possible.

Falling is practiced from a standing, sitting and lying down position. In [all] cases there are certain basic rules that must be followed:
1. Relax the body.
2. Fall to the side rather than the flat of the back. The falling should be done with a rolling motion distributing the weight on the buttocks, side and shoulder.
3. Absorb the shock by striking the ground or floor with the palm of the hand.
4. Tuck the chin into the chest to avoid the head striking the ground or floor.
5. Raise the legs.

In the photo above Bsb Philip performs a foot reap throw on Charl. This is one of various situations where the Side Breakfall is crucial.

Charl du Plessis demonstrates the Side Breakfall ("Cheuk Bang Nak Beop”) in the series of photos [below]. Charl starts by swinging one leg (his right leg in this case) forward as if someone is sweeping or reaping his leg from under him. He quickly lowers his centre of gravity by bending his weight bearing leg (left leg). Once his buttocks touch the floor he smoothly rolls onto his side-back and shoulder, making sure to keep the contact only on one side of his back (the right side in this case), avoiding rolling over the spine. Charl allows the rolling motion to carry his legs upwards.

Using the palm and forearm Charl slaps the ground to disperse the momentum. The arm should be angled at about 45° from the side of his body. His opposite shoulder and side is raised off the floor. Finally he chambers his legs and arms into a guarded position. Through out the breakfall Charl stays relaxed and keep his chin tucked in to avoid whiplash.

Depending on the situation Charl can deploy various ground kicking techniques or quickly get back to his feet.

Joong Gun Tul

JOONG-GUN is named after the patriot Ahn Joong-Gun who assassinated Hiro-Bumi Ito, the first Japanese governor-general of Korea, known as the man who played the leading part in the Korea-Japan merger. There are 32 movements in this pattern to represent Mr. Ahn's age when he was executed in a Lui-Shung prison (1910).

Below are YouTube-videos of Joong-Gun Teul.You can read a description of the seperate moves here.

Colour Belt Promotional Test

Congratulations to Charl and Lenie on their successful promotions at the ATC grading some weeks back.

Master Vitale

Some students and instructors of the Seoul ITF Dojang with Master George Vitale.

A renowned scholar of Taekwon-Do history, Master George Vitale (8th Dan), visited Seoul last week to conduct a series of interviews. Master George is involved with a documentary in the making by director Luan Van Le, so both he and Mr. Van Le spent time in Seoul last week. On Thursday evening they booked a shoot with the chief ITF dojang where I practice Taekwon-Do in Seoul. Since they did not know where it is, or how to navigate the Seoul transportation system – especially at peak hours – I went to meet them at their hotel and escorted them to the dojang. Footage was taken of the students training, of some of us doing patterns, and so on. Throwing techniques are a neglected element in Taekwon-Do, even though it is part of the system. Seeing that it is so uncommon to find someone adapt in throwing skills they actually requested me to demonstrate some throws. So far they have over 200 hours of footage that need to be reduced into a two hour film, so we will have to see if my throwing techniques will feature at all.

After the training Master Vitale interviewed our instructor Mr. Kim Hoon, as well as myself and assistant instructor Anna. Many questions revolved around the prejudice experienced by ITF Taekwon-Do practitioners in a WTF-dominated country. There is an erroneous stigma that ITF is somehow North Korean. This is, of course, a false assumption. ITF Taekwon-Do started in South Korea and grew into an international system – it is as little North Korean as rugby is British.

Master George Vitale and Sabeom Sanko Lewis

On Saturday evening I met up with Master Vitale, Mr. Van Le, and another friend. We had a nice evening discussing Taekwon-Do and its very intriguing history. Towards the end of the evening Master Vitale presented me with two International Instructor's shoulder insignia to encourage me to get the certification. The insignia are worn by 4th Dan and higher whom have successfully completed an Internatiional Instructor's seminar -- something I wish to accomplish as soon as an opportunity arise.

My South African Tour

Dear Soo Shim Kwan friends,

Can you believe that it has been over a month again since I saw you all in South Africa in February. How time flies. Here is a short summary of my time in South Africa, with regard to Taekwon-Do.

During my first week in South Africa (middle January) I was able to visit two dojang. My first visit was with the Vaalrivier Dojang in Vanderbijlpark, run by Boosabeomnim Stefan van der Linde. I taught the class, focusing on basic techniques and patterns. I think we covered the colour belts patterns from white to blue. The Potchefstroom Dojang and the Vaalrivier Dojang has always had a very close relationship. My own Taekwon-Do roots are in the Vaal Triangle.

My second Taekwon-Do visit, along with my brother Boosabeomnim Tiny, was at the ATC Dojang in Silverton, run by Sabeomnim Karel and Sabeomnim Annari Wethmar, co-federation heads of the Dan Gun Kwan. I taught part of the class focussing on the hooking block. I showed how the technique should be performed to use it effectively as a grasp; we continued to practise different applications starting from the hooking block. Afterwards I presented the two chief instructors with Instructor’s doboks from South Korea. The gifts were in appreciation of their continuous aid to the Soo Shim Kwan and the Shim Duk Kwan (Vaal Triangle). A news article of the visit can be read on the ATC website.

My last two weeks in South Africa I taught the classes at the Potchefstroom University Dojang. I started this dojang in 1998; i.e. it is now 12 years in existence. As far as I can tell, it one of the ITF Taekwon-Do gyms to have remained at the same physical address for the longest time. As founder of the Potchefstroom Univesity Dojang, and since it was the first Taekwon-Do gym I have opened, I will always remain very sentimental about it, and every time I return there, I feel very at home. It is always like returning to family – even though some of the students have left and new ones have joined. It was especially heartening the evening when Boosabeomnim Yolandi Müller was able to join us from Rustenburg. Boosabeom Yolandi is the first black belt to have tested out of the Potchefstroom University Dojang. I also thoroughly enjoyed practising the 1st Dan patterns with Boosabeomnim Philip de Vos who test for his 2nd Dan in due time. In addition I would like to thank all the students that are not currently active, but whom nonetheless came out to greet me on my first evening in Potchefstroom. It was wonderful to see all my friends.

My final Taekwon-Do commitment was on the weekend before my departure back to South Korea. I met up with the SA-ITF Executive President, Sabeomnim Dirk Nel. We had a meeting that lasted for over four hours in which we discussed many pertinent issues pertaining to Taekwon-Do in South Africa. I saw him in both my capacity as Soo Shim Kwanjangnim and SA-ITF’s Research & Education Director.

Regards,
Sb Sanko

Yul-Gok Teul

Yul-Gok is the pseudonym of a great philosopher and scholar Yi l (1536-1584) nicknamed the "Confucius of Korea" The 38 movements of this pattern refer to his birthplace on 38 latitude and the diagram represents "scholar".

Below are YouTube-videos of Won-Hyo Teul. You can read a description of the seperate moves here.





A signiture technique in this pattern is the palm hooking block (sonbadak golchyo makgi) (movements #15 & #16 and #18 & #19).These are "soft blocks," in other words their intention is not to hurt the oponent. Rather the hooking block functions to merely redirect the force of the incoming attack. The palm hooking block, in particular, is used to grab an opponents arm. When practising this technique on a partner reach with your hand high up the arm (the closer to the shoulder the easier it is to successfully grab the arm) and pull your palm closer to secure the grip. The grip is tightened by turning the hand from the little finger.

Although there is a hooking block in Shotokan Karate too, ITF Taekwon-Do's hooking block has its roots in Taekkyeon. In Taekkyeon it is not used to grab the arm, but to reach around the neck to the back of the head and pull the opponent off balance. The name for this technique in Taekkyeon is Bakkdeolmijabgo, and can roughly be translated as outside/reverse-turning-grasp, followed by a pull (dang-gigi).

Another interesting, and possibly related, technique from Yul-Gok Teul is movements #1 and #4. It is described as "a sitting stance . . . while extending the . . . fist . . . horizontally." The movement is often explained as a measuring technique. Personally I am of the opinion that this is also a hooking block, but instead of using the palm, you are using the forearm; i.e. a forearm hooking block (palmok golchya makgi). This is also a soft block and merely redirect the opponent's attack, while opening up a vital spot to counter attack. [In issue 15 of Totally Tae Kwon Do magazine, in my essay "Poetry in Motion: A Poetic Interpretation of the Patterns," I give a detailed explanation why I believe these movements in Yul-Gok Teul should be interpreted as hooking blocks.]

Cartwheel Kick

The Cartwheel Kick above is by Saenchai. 

In the video below you can see a pretty impressive Cartwheel Kick to knock out an opponent during an MMA fight. This is the first time for me to see this kick used during a tournament, and not merely as a fancy technique during a demonstration.



Some of you may remember that we practised the kick on one or two occassions at the Potch Dojang, including the Aerial Kick, which is basically a Cartwheel Kick without your hands touching the floor. The video below is a tutorial that shows the basic cartwheel, as well as aerial.



The tutorial focusses on the technique, but does not put emphasis on these motions as actual kicks. To transform the cartwheel and aerial into a Cartwheel Kick and Aerial Kick you need to focus on the attacking tools, namely the footsword (balkal) and reverse footsword (deung balkal).

While a Carthweel Kick would be illegal during an ITF-tournament because ones hands are touching the floor, an Aerial Kick would technically not be illegal, although I've never seen it performed at a tournament before and I'm sure you'd shock the referee.

4th Dan

Dear Soo Shim Kwan friends,

This is just to let you know that I have received my 4th Dan certificate last night, after passing my 4th degree promotional test earlier this year. My new ITF number is: KO-4-150.

Taekwon-Do regards,
Sabeom Sanko

A Review of 2009 and a Preview of 2010

Dear Friends,

Please find attached the SA-ITF President's Report for 2009. The report covers the main achievements of our national governing body during this year, and also point out the direction we aim at for 2010.

A main focus for 2010 is the Best Practise Instruction Project. Th BPI project will aim at improving the quality of teaching by all instructors, and will also emphasize the "Do," i.e. the Way of Life, in Taekwon-Do. As Research-and-Education Director I will be closely involved with the project alongside many other members of our governing body.

Reverse Hook Kick

Taking down a mugger with a reverse hook kick... This video demonstrates the principle of "Reaction Force" in Taekwon-Do's Theory of Power. The mugger's forward momentum clashes with the martial artist's foot and knocks him out. The mugger is knocked out with little effort, not because the martial artist kicked excessively hard, but because the force of the kick plus the mugger's forward (running) momentum are combined and culminates on one vital spot ("Concentration") -- the muggers face.