The name can be English or Korean. Keep in mind that the name will affect the cultural identity of the academy.
If you have any suggestions for the name change, it would be highly appreciated.
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26 January 2011
Name Suggestions for PRA
In South Africa, ITF dojang (specific ITF Taekwon-Do schools) are clustered together in academies. In other words, an academy is a group of dojang that share a chief instructor and a cultural identity. In turn, academies are affiliated to federations, called Kwan. The federation head, or Kwanjangnim, represents the academies and their dojang at the national governing body, namely the SA-ITF.
As you know, our federation's name is the Soo Shim Kwan. We have one active and one inactive academy. The active one is called the Potchefstroom Regional Academy (PRA). The name was chosen many years back because this academy comprised of dojang in and around the Potchefstroom area. At present the PRA is expanding beyond the Potchefstroom region and so the name has become obsolete. We need a new name that is not area-specific.
The name can be English or Korean. Keep in mind that the name will affect the cultural identity of the academy.
If you have any suggestions for the name change, it would be highly appreciated.
The name can be English or Korean. Keep in mind that the name will affect the cultural identity of the academy.
If you have any suggestions for the name change, it would be highly appreciated.
21 January 2011
South Africa Tour
Vanderbijlpark -- Steel Mill [Image Source[
I'm currently doing my annual visit in South Africa, hence the absence of more regular posts. So far I have only visited one dojang -- the Vaal River Club in Vanderbijlpark -- on Tuesday. I was at least able to also visit with the instructor and other members of the Potchefstroom Club last Saturday night. 
Apart from the class on Tuesday that I taught, I haven't done much exercise; however, I have been quite busy with Taekwon-Do stuff. I've been asked to organize a reunion which is proving to be much more difficult than expected, given the constrains of not having my own vehicle and since so many people have 'disappeared'. Progress has also slowed down because I was in an automobile accident three days ago. Thankfully nobody got serious injurious, although we all have some aches and pains. It could have been much worse.
If time and opportunity arise, I will post again while in South Africa. Otherwise my next post will only be in March, after I've returned to Korea again.
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07 January 2011
An Alkaline pH for Improved Performance
Last night during Taekwon-Do training I could feel my body complaining. I felt some tender joints, sensitive tendons and sore muscles. There is nothing strange about some aches and pains, especially considering some strenuous training I did days before. I've been working on my calve muscles, and on Tuesday I did a very deep leg muscle stretching routine. However, the aches I felt last night felt different than the normal pains. I could feel that my tendons around my calves were more inflamed than they ought to be, and my joints were also not too happy.
One obvious culprit is the very cold weather. Even though this is my fourth Korean winter, my body is still not used to this cold. So granted, I do think the weather contributed to some bodily unease.
However, I could immediately relate my body's discomfort to what I had for lunch the day before. On Wednesday I had to go to COSTCO to have a batch of photos printed and decided, since I was there already, to have lunch there. COTSCO has some of the best pizza in Korea, which thankfully does not include such odd Korean pizza toppings as corn and sweet potato paste. With the pizza came a cup of soda. This big lunch of pizza and Fanta is an acidic disaster.
When food are digested they leave behind an “ash” in your body which has a certain pH. Cheese is a prime acid-forming food. Soda, also, contains acid-forming ingredients, such as refined sugar and phosphoric acid.
It is well established that our bodies function optimally with food that leaves an alkaline ash, rather than an acid ash. An acidic system causes inflammation, reduces healing speed and therefore hinders quick recovery. Acid-forming foods also creates little crystals in the joints that is associated with inflamed joints – we usually refer to this as gout. Cancer cells tend to flourish in a more acid environment and the immune system is also weaker in an acidic system. An alkaline system, on the other hand, improves energy transferral (i.e. the body's use of ATP) and so helps with endurance and strength. Recovery time with an alkaline system is also significantly shorter over an acidic system.
My unusual joint pains and overly sensitive tendons, I believe, was caused by a diet of acid-forming foods the day before.
More and more professional and Olympic athletes opt for diets that leans towards alkaline body pH. So what should you do to have a more alkaline body pH? The answer is quite simple. Follow the Health Principles, particularly the dietary points, prescribed by the Soo Shim Kwan.
Drink lots of water. The more toxins we have in our body, the more acidic our body will be. Our body use water to basically dilute its toxin levels, which can then be filtered by the filter organs and eventually excreted as sweat, urine, and even through the lungs. Water is a key instrument in this process and cannot be replaced with other liquids like coffee, sodas, or even juices. In fact, alcohol, coffee, sodas, some tees and some fruit juices are actually acid-forming. (There are some herbal teas that are alkalising, for instance stinging nettle, as well as some juices, like lemon water.)
Regarding food, the most alkalising foods are leafy green vegetables. As a matter of fact, most vegetables leave an alkaline ash. So do some fruits, particularly figs and lemons; however, green (i.e. unripe) fruits, as well as overly ripe fruits, including fermented fruits, tend to cause acid build-up (that's the reason why wine is a chief culprit for causing gout). Oranges, tomatoes and olives are also often found on lists of acid-forming fruits. Some berries, like blueberries, cranberries and prunes, are also acid-forming; however, berries are very high in nutrition and listed as super foods, so it's much better to include them in your diet than worry about how they effect your body's pH.
Foods that tend to cause acid-forming are mainly animal products, particularly meat and hard cheeses. It's much better to get your protein intake from nuts, seeds, certain grains, plain yoghurt and soft cheeses (i.e. cottage cheese). Also avoid refined and processed foods as they are almost all acid-forming; for instance, bread made with white flour (white flour is processed), sugar, corn syrup, glazed foods, tinned foods, etc.
You can see different Alkaline/Acid-food charts here.
Mineral supplements that include Cesium, Potassium, Calcium and Magnesium will also improve alkalinity.
In short, a primarily plant-based diet is most beneficial for optimal health. It is for this reason that many top athletes, including such legends as ten time Olympic medallist (eight gold medals) Carl Lewis, are vegan/vegetarian.
Some martial artists, including MMA fighters, have also began to adopt vegan/vegetarian diets, for instance a King of the Cage Lightweight World Champion and Ultimate Fighter 6 (UFC) Champion, Mac Danzi:
I'm not necessarily advocating that you should become completely vegan/vegetarian; however, I am suggesting that a diet with primary emphasis on plant-based foods is most beneficial. A plant-based diet will improve your endurance, strength, recovery time, energy levels, and general health. Few people explain the value in a "green diet" better than Tony Robbins:
One thing I do advocate is to enjoy green smoothies. Green smoothies are a brilliant way to get healthy, alkaline-forming nutrition in your daily diet. I have a green smoothie as part of my breakfast. As a bachelor, I don't always sit down to a well planned balanced meal, so green smoothies are an important part of my health routine.
Making a green smoothie is really simple. Throw a bunch of leafy green vegetables, like spinach, mustard greens, kale, parsley, and the like in a blender. Add a banana or two to sweeten the smoothie. It will also also help the consistency. Also add some liquid: water, juice, plain drinkable yoghurt or soy milk -- I prefer the latter. Be nutritionally creative by adding other super foods to your smoothie; for instance, I frequently add Brussels sprouts to my smoothie or barley green. Other greatly nutritious things you could add, although not alkaline, are blueberries or cranberries (which will make you smoothie brown in colour!) and wheat germ.
One obvious culprit is the very cold weather. Even though this is my fourth Korean winter, my body is still not used to this cold. So granted, I do think the weather contributed to some bodily unease.
However, I could immediately relate my body's discomfort to what I had for lunch the day before. On Wednesday I had to go to COSTCO to have a batch of photos printed and decided, since I was there already, to have lunch there. COTSCO has some of the best pizza in Korea, which thankfully does not include such odd Korean pizza toppings as corn and sweet potato paste. With the pizza came a cup of soda. This big lunch of pizza and Fanta is an acidic disaster.
When food are digested they leave behind an “ash” in your body which has a certain pH. Cheese is a prime acid-forming food. Soda, also, contains acid-forming ingredients, such as refined sugar and phosphoric acid.
It is well established that our bodies function optimally with food that leaves an alkaline ash, rather than an acid ash. An acidic system causes inflammation, reduces healing speed and therefore hinders quick recovery. Acid-forming foods also creates little crystals in the joints that is associated with inflamed joints – we usually refer to this as gout. Cancer cells tend to flourish in a more acid environment and the immune system is also weaker in an acidic system. An alkaline system, on the other hand, improves energy transferral (i.e. the body's use of ATP) and so helps with endurance and strength. Recovery time with an alkaline system is also significantly shorter over an acidic system.
My unusual joint pains and overly sensitive tendons, I believe, was caused by a diet of acid-forming foods the day before.
More and more professional and Olympic athletes opt for diets that leans towards alkaline body pH. So what should you do to have a more alkaline body pH? The answer is quite simple. Follow the Health Principles, particularly the dietary points, prescribed by the Soo Shim Kwan.
Drink lots of water. The more toxins we have in our body, the more acidic our body will be. Our body use water to basically dilute its toxin levels, which can then be filtered by the filter organs and eventually excreted as sweat, urine, and even through the lungs. Water is a key instrument in this process and cannot be replaced with other liquids like coffee, sodas, or even juices. In fact, alcohol, coffee, sodas, some tees and some fruit juices are actually acid-forming. (There are some herbal teas that are alkalising, for instance stinging nettle, as well as some juices, like lemon water.)
Regarding food, the most alkalising foods are leafy green vegetables. As a matter of fact, most vegetables leave an alkaline ash. So do some fruits, particularly figs and lemons; however, green (i.e. unripe) fruits, as well as overly ripe fruits, including fermented fruits, tend to cause acid build-up (that's the reason why wine is a chief culprit for causing gout). Oranges, tomatoes and olives are also often found on lists of acid-forming fruits. Some berries, like blueberries, cranberries and prunes, are also acid-forming; however, berries are very high in nutrition and listed as super foods, so it's much better to include them in your diet than worry about how they effect your body's pH.
Foods that tend to cause acid-forming are mainly animal products, particularly meat and hard cheeses. It's much better to get your protein intake from nuts, seeds, certain grains, plain yoghurt and soft cheeses (i.e. cottage cheese). Also avoid refined and processed foods as they are almost all acid-forming; for instance, bread made with white flour (white flour is processed), sugar, corn syrup, glazed foods, tinned foods, etc.
You can see different Alkaline/Acid-food charts here.
Mineral supplements that include Cesium, Potassium, Calcium and Magnesium will also improve alkalinity.
In short, a primarily plant-based diet is most beneficial for optimal health. It is for this reason that many top athletes, including such legends as ten time Olympic medallist (eight gold medals) Carl Lewis, are vegan/vegetarian.
Some martial artists, including MMA fighters, have also began to adopt vegan/vegetarian diets, for instance a King of the Cage Lightweight World Champion and Ultimate Fighter 6 (UFC) Champion, Mac Danzi:
I'm not necessarily advocating that you should become completely vegan/vegetarian; however, I am suggesting that a diet with primary emphasis on plant-based foods is most beneficial. A plant-based diet will improve your endurance, strength, recovery time, energy levels, and general health. Few people explain the value in a "green diet" better than Tony Robbins:
One thing I do advocate is to enjoy green smoothies. Green smoothies are a brilliant way to get healthy, alkaline-forming nutrition in your daily diet. I have a green smoothie as part of my breakfast. As a bachelor, I don't always sit down to a well planned balanced meal, so green smoothies are an important part of my health routine.
Making a green smoothie is really simple. Throw a bunch of leafy green vegetables, like spinach, mustard greens, kale, parsley, and the like in a blender. Add a banana or two to sweeten the smoothie. It will also also help the consistency. Also add some liquid: water, juice, plain drinkable yoghurt or soy milk -- I prefer the latter. Be nutritionally creative by adding other super foods to your smoothie; for instance, I frequently add Brussels sprouts to my smoothie or barley green. Other greatly nutritious things you could add, although not alkaline, are blueberries or cranberries (which will make you smoothie brown in colour!) and wheat germ.
02 January 2011
“Instructor,” “Master” and “Grandmaster”: An Explanation of the Titles Used in ITF Taekwon-Do
After my recent post on the three Korean terms (Moosool, Mooye and Moodo) used to describe the combat arts, it reminded me of one of my first submissions for Totally Tae Kwon Do, in which I describe the differences in meaning between "instructor," "master," and "grandmaster" in ITF Taekwon-Do. Since that essay was never actually posted on this blog I decided to do so now, below — expanded with hangeul and hanja. A related essay by Mr John Johnson (an ITF 4th Dan) links Moosool, Mooye and Moodo with Instructor, Master and Grandmaster, and can be read here.
“Instructor,” “Master” and “Grandmaster”: An Explanation of the Titles Used in ITF Taekwon-Do
The above photo was taken on the day I received my fourth degree black belt certificate and officially became a sabeom / 사범. Standing next to me is Master Kim-Hoon.
What does it mean to be a master? In truth, it depends on the style one does. Most Korean styles like Tang Soo Do, Hapkido and WTF Taekwon-Do attribute the English title master to a practitioner with a 4th Dan (4th degree black belt) or higher. The Korean term used is sabeom or sabeomnim (sometimes spelled “sabum” or “sabom”) [사범], which basically means coach or respected coach, respectively. The suffix “-nim” [-님] is an honorific that is added to denote respect.
Depending on the system a 1st to 3rd Dan is considered an assistant instructor, or junior instructor, and a 4th Dan and higher level practitioner is considered a full instructor or master level instructor. In Korean such differences as instructor, master and grandmaster are not made. In Korea all instructors are called sabeomnim [사범님], regardless of their Dan. A special term, kwanjangnim [관장님], is used for instructors that own their own academies.
ITF Taekwon-Do, however, uses different Korean terminology for 1st-3rd Dan instructors, known as boosabeom [부사범], 4th-6th Dan instructors, known as sabeom [사범], 7th-8th Dan masters, known as sahyeon [사현], and lastly 9th Dan grandmasters, known as saseong [사성]. In all cases the suffix “-nim” [-님]can should be attached for added respect.
The terms “sahyeon” and “saseon” were created by the founder of ITF Taekwon-Do, General Choi Hong-Hi. To understand these terms better, including the terms “sabeom” and “boosabeom,” it is useful to look at the Korean root words from which they are formed.
Sabeom, meaning instructor, is made up of two root words, “sa” / 사 / 師 and “beom” / 범 / 範. The first syllable “sa” comes from the term “kyosa” / 교사 / 敎師 which means teacher. The second syllable in sabeom means “model”. The sabeom or coach is therefore a teacher after which the student should model him or herself. In other words, the student should try to emulate the techniques of the instructor.
The prefix “boo-” / 부- in boosabeom literally means assistant. A boosabeom is therefore considered an assistant instructor in ITF Taekwon-Do. This title is used for 1st-3rd Dan practitioners in ITF Taekwon-Do, especially when they teach under a sabeom.
At master’s level (7th-8th Dan) in ITF Taekwon-Do the term sahyeon is used. Again, “sa-” means teacher. The syllable “-hyeon” / -현 / 賢 is related to virtue, wisdom, prudence, or good sense. A wise mother, for instance, is called “hyeonmo.” The implication is that the Taekwon-Do master is not merely a technical teacher, but also a teacher of morality or virtue. Hyeon can also mean “the present” / 現. Understood philosophically, the Taekwon-Do master is a teacher of the moment. This might suggest a Zen understanding where the master teaches their practitioners to “be in the moment” or to bring the principles taught in Taekwon-Do into their everyday lives. While a sabeom could literally mean coach and be restricted to mere physical training, the sahyeon is definitely more than a coach. The sahyeon—master—nurtures both the body and mind of his or her students.
Lastly, the 9th Dan grandmaster is called saseong / 사성. Once again “sa-” means teacher. Seong / 聖, here, means “sage.” A sage is a mentor in spiritual and philosophical topics, with wisdom gained through age and experience. In ITF Taekwon-Do, it is implied that the grandmaster is not merely a technical teacher (body), nor just a moral teacher (mind), but also a teacher of philosophy (spirit); someone that can guide you on your life’s journey and give you insight into the deeper truths in life.
While practically all Korean martial arts use the term “sabeom” to refer to instructors, ITF Taekwon-Do is the only one to use the terms “sahyeon” and “saseong.”* General Choi Hong-Hi created these terms and included them into the ITF system to indicate that Taekwon-Do is not merely a combat sport and Taekwon-Do teachers are not merely sport coaches. The terms “sahyeon” (moral-teacher) and “saseong” (sage-teacher) suggest that Taekwon-Do is an ascetic activity; an activity that ought to lead to moral and intellectual improvement. The idea that Taekwon-Do is a means towards character development places a great responsibility on Taekwon-Do teachers. Hopefully instructors, masters, and grandmasters will live up to the implied responsibility imbedded in their titles.
* It is possible that some Taekwon-Do groups that splintered off from ITF Taekwon-Do may also use these terms.
“Instructor,” “Master” and “Grandmaster”: An Explanation of the Titles Used in ITF Taekwon-Do
What does it mean to be a master? In truth, it depends on the style one does. Most Korean styles like Tang Soo Do, Hapkido and WTF Taekwon-Do attribute the English title master to a practitioner with a 4th Dan (4th degree black belt) or higher. The Korean term used is sabeom or sabeomnim (sometimes spelled “sabum” or “sabom”) [사범], which basically means coach or respected coach, respectively. The suffix “-nim” [-님] is an honorific that is added to denote respect.
Depending on the system a 1st to 3rd Dan is considered an assistant instructor, or junior instructor, and a 4th Dan and higher level practitioner is considered a full instructor or master level instructor. In Korean such differences as instructor, master and grandmaster are not made. In Korea all instructors are called sabeomnim [사범님], regardless of their Dan. A special term, kwanjangnim [관장님], is used for instructors that own their own academies.
ITF Taekwon-Do, however, uses different Korean terminology for 1st-3rd Dan instructors, known as boosabeom [부사범], 4th-6th Dan instructors, known as sabeom [사범], 7th-8th Dan masters, known as sahyeon [사현], and lastly 9th Dan grandmasters, known as saseong [사성]. In all cases the suffix “-nim” [-님]
The terms “sahyeon” and “saseon” were created by the founder of ITF Taekwon-Do, General Choi Hong-Hi. To understand these terms better, including the terms “sabeom” and “boosabeom,” it is useful to look at the Korean root words from which they are formed.
師
範
Sabeom, meaning instructor, is made up of two root words, “sa” / 사 / 師 and “beom” / 범 / 範. The first syllable “sa” comes from the term “kyosa” / 교사 / 敎師 which means teacher. The second syllable in sabeom means “model”. The sabeom or coach is therefore a teacher after which the student should model him or herself. In other words, the student should try to emulate the techniques of the instructor.
The prefix “boo-” / 부- in boosabeom literally means assistant. A boosabeom is therefore considered an assistant instructor in ITF Taekwon-Do. This title is used for 1st-3rd Dan practitioners in ITF Taekwon-Do, especially when they teach under a sabeom.
師
賢
At master’s level (7th-8th Dan) in ITF Taekwon-Do the term sahyeon is used. Again, “sa-” means teacher. The syllable “-hyeon” / -현 / 賢 is related to virtue, wisdom, prudence, or good sense. A wise mother, for instance, is called “hyeonmo.” The implication is that the Taekwon-Do master is not merely a technical teacher, but also a teacher of morality or virtue. Hyeon can also mean “the present” / 現. Understood philosophically, the Taekwon-Do master is a teacher of the moment. This might suggest a Zen understanding where the master teaches their practitioners to “be in the moment” or to bring the principles taught in Taekwon-Do into their everyday lives. While a sabeom could literally mean coach and be restricted to mere physical training, the sahyeon is definitely more than a coach. The sahyeon—master—nurtures both the body and mind of his or her students.
師
聖
Lastly, the 9th Dan grandmaster is called saseong / 사성. Once again “sa-” means teacher. Seong / 聖, here, means “sage.” A sage is a mentor in spiritual and philosophical topics, with wisdom gained through age and experience. In ITF Taekwon-Do, it is implied that the grandmaster is not merely a technical teacher (body), nor just a moral teacher (mind), but also a teacher of philosophy (spirit); someone that can guide you on your life’s journey and give you insight into the deeper truths in life.
While practically all Korean martial arts use the term “sabeom” to refer to instructors, ITF Taekwon-Do is the only one to use the terms “sahyeon” and “saseong.”* General Choi Hong-Hi created these terms and included them into the ITF system to indicate that Taekwon-Do is not merely a combat sport and Taekwon-Do teachers are not merely sport coaches. The terms “sahyeon” (moral-teacher) and “saseong” (sage-teacher) suggest that Taekwon-Do is an ascetic activity; an activity that ought to lead to moral and intellectual improvement. The idea that Taekwon-Do is a means towards character development places a great responsibility on Taekwon-Do teachers. Hopefully instructors, masters, and grandmasters will live up to the implied responsibility imbedded in their titles.
* It is possible that some Taekwon-Do groups that splintered off from ITF Taekwon-Do may also use these terms.
Totally Tae Kwon Do
Apart from my submission, this issue of Totally Tae Kwon Do also features another South African submission, with the title “Interview With a Black Belt” (p. 49). Marc Chon Seng is a first degree black belt and speaks about his Taekwon-Do journey in South Africa; he is originally from the Seashells. He especially mentions his instructor Sabeomnim Gerd Hümmel of Bulsaju Kwan (Phoenix Taekwon-Do). Bulsaju Kwan is a sister Kwan of the Soo Shim Kwan as we both originated in the Vaal Triangle. Both Sabeominm Gerd Hümmel and I have as our original instructor Mr Johan Bolton. There was also a time (when I was blue belt) that Sabeomnim Gerd Hümmel was my instructor and I can concur with Marc Chon Seng's praise of him as an excellent instructor.
On this note, I wish all Taekwon-Do practitioners in South Africa, Korea, and around the world a prosperous 2011!
29 December 2010
Moosool (무술), Mooye (무예) and Moodo (무도)
When I first came to Korea I was surprised to learn that in Korean there are three different expressions for “martial arts”: moosool (alternative Romanization: musul) 무술, mooye (muye) 무예, and moodo (mudo) 무도. Upon learning the meanings of these three expressions, I quickly understood the philosophical implications and this was confirmed in conversations with other martial artists.
You will notice that all three words have at its base the syllable moo- 무; it is therefore worth it to contemplate this root word. Moo / 무 is based on the Chinese character 武 and is usually used to express concepts of military, martial, or warlike. However, a closer look at the character 武 reveals a slightly different meaning. 武 is made up of two characters 戈 and 止. The former means “spear” and the latter “stop”; together they denote stopping a weapon or stopping violence. Although it would not be incorrect to translate moo / 武 / 무 as military, martial or warlike, it is noteworthy that the precise meaning contains the idea of stopping violence. It is therefore a defensive concept, rather than an offensive one.
Moosool / 무술 / 武術
A person enrolled into a martial art school will learn a variety of fighting techniques (moosool / 무술), and through lots of dedicated practise will get good at it. This term is focussed primarily on physical ability.
Mooye / 무예 / 武藝
The term -ye / 예 / 藝 means art, talent or craft. It is mooye / 무예 that is the expression we use in English, namely “martial art.” Art suggests a creative use of the techniques. Almost anyone can learn some skill, but not everyone has made it such a part of themselves, that they can use it artfully, where you can use it in an improvised way.
Before you can achieve this level where you can truly apply the skills you have learned in a creative, intuitive way, you have to have mastered your discipline. Such mastery takes about 10, 000 hours. Daniel Levitin in his book This Is Your Brain on Music: The Science of a Human Obsession
explains:“The emerging scientific picture is that 10,000 hours of practice is required to achieve the level of mastery associated with being a world-class expert in anything. In study after study, of composers, basketball players, fiction writers, ice skaters, concert pianists, chess players, master criminals, and what have you, this number comes up again and again.”
Ten thousand hours is about three hours of training per day for ten years.
Usually, after about ten years of training you would be a fourth degree black belt in ITF Taekwon-Do and considered a full instructor. Some other Korean martial arts like WTF Taekwon-Do, Tang Soo Do, and Hapkido actually use the term “master” for someone with a fourth degree black belt.
Moodo / 무도 / 武道
The final way to express martial art in Korean is moodo / 무도. The term Do / 도 / 道 literally means path or way, but has a much deeper meaning in the Orient. It is the same character on which the philosophy of Taoism is based. Actually, the character for Tao is 道, and is pronounced do / 도 in Korean. So pertinent is the idea of the Do / 도 / 道, that it makes up part of the names of many martial arts, for instance Taekwon-Do (태권도 / 跆拳道), Tang Soo Do, Hapkido, Judo, and Aikido.
Directly translated, Moodo / 무도 / 武道 means “martial way.” From Korean to English it is also sometimes translated as chivalry or knighthood. Koreans speak about moodo-in / 무도인; that is, “martial way person.” In Japanese the term for moodo / 무도 is budo, which is closes related to the concept of bushido / 武士道; i.e. the way of the warrior.
Moodo / 무도 not merely suggests learning fighting techniques, or even mastery of the art (mooye / 무예), but rather a way / Do / 도 of life. One's practise in the discipline has transcended skill and art (aesthetics) into ascetics. Your practise has become a spiritual discipline, a path towards enlightenment.
...ooOoo...
In summary, there are three ways to talk about the discipline of fighting in Korean: moosool / 무술, mooye / 무예 and moodo / 무도. All three contain the root word moo / 무, based on the Chinese character 武, which means to stop a weapon or stop violence and is usually translated as military, martial or warlike. Moosool / 무술 refers to the specific fighting techniques one learns. Mooye / 무예 suggests that after years of practise, the techniques have become such a part of you that you can use it in a creative, improvised way. It evokes a level of mastery. Finally, moodo / 무도 pertains to the martial arts as a way of life, an ascetic discipline. Each of these suggests a different phase in the growth of the martial artist. First he learns techniques. After years of dedicated practise his discipline becomes so ingrained that it manifests in the intuitive, improvised creativity that is a testimony to his mastery of the techniques. Finally, he becomes his practise—it is a way of life, that reveals to him something of the natural order of things, of the way of the universe.
27 December 2010
Prearranged Sparring: Definition, Purpose and Value
Edited: December 2014
In a combative encounter (in other words, in a fight) your brain needs to process hundreds of variables, take in thousands of units of sensory information and make ten thousands of instantaneous calculations. Some things that your brain needs to take into account are how many attackers there are, their intend, the types of attacks that are launched towards you (straight punch? haymaker punch? kicks? weapons?), the angle the attacks are approaching, the relative distance and speed of these attacks, your own ability to dodge (or block?) such attacks, your footing and characteristic of the surface your standing on (is it slippery? are there obstacles?), and a myriad other variables. Most of these variables are never consciously evaluated since there is just not enough time to do so. The body has to react instantaneously and all necessary calculations has to happen reflexively. It is believed by some that the only way to practise for combative encounters is just to get yourself into real fights often and then just slug it out, and hopefully, with time, your brain will start to make sense of the chaos, start to recognise certain patterns, and slowly come up with some survival skills. That is, of course, if you are lucky enough to survive long enough to learn from all of this.
Over time the martial arts have come up with a way to actually practise for certain aspects of a combative encounter that is less chaotic and allows one to train very precise skills. The theory is that if you practise some specific skills, based on some typical combat patterns, hopefully these skills will kick in as engrained reflexes when you are thrown into a chaotic combative encounter.
The martial arts achieve this by making the combative encounter more abstract—less detailed; in other words, by removing many of the variables and presenting the trainer with very specific scenarios. The most simple way to do this is to limit the number of attacks. For instance, it is predetermined that your training partner will attack you with, say, three attacks. At beginner level, the type of attacks may even be appointed. Within the limits of these three attacks you have to adequately defend yourself against the attacks using blocks or dodges, and also retaliate with a counter attack. Such exercises where some of the variables are reduced and specific attacks are predetermined are called prearranged sparring, yaksok matseogi / 약속 맞서기, in Taekwon-Do.
The noun yaksok / 약속 means promise or agreement. The word matseogi, usually translated into English as “sparring” is based on two root words. The prefix mat- / 맞- means to be positioned face to face or to oppose, while seogi / 서기is based on the verb seoda / 서다 that means to stand up or take up a position. Matseogi, therefore, means to stand up against a foe, or to face an opponent or difficulty. In its totality yaksok matseogi / 약속 맞서기 is a type of sparring that is agreed upon; literally, agreement-sparring. In three-step sparring [sambo matseogi / 삼보 맞서기] the number of attacks, or steps, are agreed upon; sambo / 삼보 literally means three steps. Apart from three-step sparring, there is also two-step sparring [ibo matseogi / 이보 맞서기] and one-step sparring [ilbo matseogi / 일보 맞서기]. The ITF Taekwon-Do Encyclopaedia makes it clear that prearranged sparring involves various assumptions, like “the number of steps to be taken, the target to be attacked and the attacking tool to be used” (Volume 5, p. 19).
The video below shows one example of two-step sparring:
Since prearranged sparring involves such assumptions it clearly lacks the unpredictability of a real life fight. For this reason, people unfamiliar with the purpose of prearranged sparring will immediately dismiss it as unrealistic and therefore useless. Such a conclusion is based on their ignorance of the purpose of the exercise. Prearranged sparring is deliberately unrealistic (abstract) in order to practise very specific skills that one would not be able to practise so intensively in an actual fight. By reducing the variables, the practitioner can practise very specific skills, like defence techniques against particular attacks. As the skill level of the practitioner improves some variables may be increased and the abstraction level decreased. For instance, at beginner level it is agreed that the attacker will only use straight punch attacks, but over time other types of hand techniques may be included like crescent punches (haymaker punches), upward punches (uppercuts) and a variety of strikes. Eventually the abstraction level is so much reduced that the exercise starts to approach the unpredictability of a real fight; however, by then it is hoped that the practitioner will have honed enough skill (e.g. reflexive responses) to be able to more comfortably cope with the chaos of an actual fight.
To assist the transition from high-abstraction, low variable practise to low-abstraction, high variable practise, there ought to be intermediate exercises that have some arrangement involved, but not too much. One such an exercise in Taekwon-Do is called semi-free sparring, ban jayoo matsogi / 반 자유 맞서기. Ban / 반 means half or semi- and jayoo / 자유 means unrestricted, uncontrolled or free. The ITF Encyclopaedia explains that in semi-free sparring the “distance between players, method of attack and defense used, attacking and blocking tools used and number of steps taken are completely optional” (Volume 5, p. 225). The only restriction is that the attacker may only launch one series of attacks. Once the defender lands a counter attack the sparring stops. Semi-free sparring is similar to point sparring used in some martial art tournaments (for instance Karate kumite – see an example here) where every time a point is possibly scored, the fight is stopped, the point is decided upon by the referees and the fight is resumed.
The next step after semi-free sparring is often tournament sparring, sometimes also called continuous sparring to differentiate it from the non-continuous nature of point sparring.
It would be wrong to think that tournament sparring is free of any abstraction. Tournament sparring still contains some abstraction, i.e. arrangement. The ITF Encyclopaedia is frank about the restrictions placed upon it, saying that while it is “open combat” where there are “no prearranged mode between players, and both participants are completely free to attack and defend with all available means,” there are still, however, requirements of “controlled attacking and prohibition of attacking to certain vital spots” (Volume 5, p. 244). The tournament rules present in such sparring are by definition restrictive of some of the variables one would experience in a real fight. The ITF Encyclopaedia lists at leasts seven points in which free sparring is not “real combat” (Volume 5, p. 257):
- Prohibition of attacking the vital spots.
- Limited number of attacking tools. (For instance it is illegal to bite.)
- Limited number of attacking areas. (For instance it is illegal to attack the groin.)
- Limited space for fighting.
- Limited number of attacking methods. (For instance joint breaking techniques or ground fighting might be illegal.)
- Safety equipment.
- No full contact and so on.
There is often a confusion between tournament sparring and free sparring. The former has a sport focus, while the latter, known as jayoo matsogi [자유 맞서기] in Korean, is another exercise with the aim of self-defence preparation. Because some people erroneously refer to tournament sparring as free sparring, some instructors, like myself, sometimes refer to free sparring as "traditional sparring" [jeontong-eui matseogi / 전통의 맞서기]. For the rest of this post, however, I will stick to the original term, free sparring, which is a sparring drill that does not put a limit on the types of attacking tools, attacking areas, attacking methods, and so on, as is the case with tournament sparring. However, since rules are in place for protection, such unbounded free sparring can be very dangerous. For this reason this type of sparring is usually not practised at full contact and sometimes an instructor might suggest a slower pace, in order to avoid injury. Since such adjustments are also variables that are “prearranged,” even this type of sparring is a form of prearranged sparring. Furthermore, since both parties agreed to the exercise, it is more of a dual, than a real self-defence combat situation, because in a self-defence situation there is usually no pre-intention on the side of the defender to be part of a violent situation.
Unlike non-traditional martial artists that are categorically against all forms of prearranged sparring, I see value in it, if it is taught with its original purpose in mind, which is to hone specific skills, without confusing the exercise for the thing itself. In other words, as long as prearranged sparring is not confused for real fighting, but merely as a tool to learn specific skills that may be valuable in a real fight, I believe it is a very important part of martial art training. If such an approach is followed sensibly and progressively, it will dramatically increase one's ability to cope with the multitude of variables in a fight. Unfortunately many instructors do not properly facilitate true progression from high-abstraction, low variable practise to low-abstraction, high variable practise. The ideal practice should move from prearranged sparring, to semi-free sparring, to tournament sparring and free sparring, to self-defence practise. In the same progression the abstraction level will be reduced (i.e. more variables will be introduced) and the intensity will be increased. The progression will also become more and more “reality based”.
In short, prearranged sparring is a valuable training tool used to hone specific skills that may be valuable during real combat. Because of the deliberate abstraction, prearranged sparring intentionally does not look like real fighting, nor should it be confused with real fighting. The reduction in variables are on purpose so that we can focus on certain specific variables that we wish to train for. Prearranged sparring is part of a continuum of training that becomes progressively less abstract and approaches the real combative encounter in a systematic way relative to the practitioner’s skill level. While there is value in prearranged sparring, an over emphasis can actually become counter productive because practitioners may become too used to the reduction in variables that their preparation is not reflective of the huge number of variables in a real fight. A systematic progression from prearranged abstraction to "reality based" reflection of real combat is crucial.
Further Reading:
23 December 2010
The Kodang / Juche Controversy
A while back a friend and I got talking about the whole Juche/Kodang controversy. I've mentioned in a previous post how differences between the three ITF groups are starting to become noticeable and that one of the major changes one of the ITF groups made was to rename the pattern Juche to Kodang.
The reason they decided to do so is that the name “Ju-Che” has always been polemic as it is the word used by North Korea to describe their ideology. There used to be another pattern in the Chang-Hong set called Kodang; however, Gen. Choi announced that there are some extra techniques he wanted to be part of the twenty-four pattern set and therefore replaced Kodang with this new one called Juche. Many people are agreed that Kodang was replaced with Juche to appease North-Korea when Gen. Choi went there to introduce Taekwon-Do (and get financial backing) in the early eighties. It is believed that replacing Kodang with Juche was a political move. (A must-read book on the politics of Taekwon-Do is 
Alex Gillis' A Killing Art: The Untold History of Tae Kwon Do
.)
The pattern Kodang was named after an independence movement activist Cho Man-sik 조만식; his pen-name was “Go-Dang” 고당. Cho Man-sik was basically the first president of North-Korea (“Chairman of the Provisional People's Committee for the Five Provinces”), but was ousted by the Soviet forces who instated Kim Il-sung, the “father” of North-Korea. Cho Man-sik and Kim Il-sung did not see eye to eye so Cho Man-sik was put under house-arrest. He continued to speak against Soviet-Communism including Kim Il-sung and was eventually silenced. He was sent to jail where he disappeared. Many are of the opinion that Kim Il-sung had him executed.
A large number of people who prefer Cho Man-sik's penname “Kodang” over the name “Juche” often state as their main motivation the obvious link the Juche-ideology has with communism. The thing these people do not realise is that Cho Man-sik, although opposed to Soviet-Communism, was himself a (Christian) Communist. Furthermore, Cho Man-sik's own philosophy was not far removed from the Juche-ideology. Juche is often translated as “spirit of independence” or “self-reliance.” Cho Man-sik is well known for having advocated not only independence, but also “self-sufficiency”; in other words, that the state should be autonomous, not requiring any outside support for its survival. This is practically the same as the Juche-ideology which Kim Il-sung summarised as: (1) independence in political work, (2) self-sustenance in economic endeavours, and (3) self-defence in national defence.
The idea of self-sufficiency / self-reliance is present in both the term Juche and, by association, in the name Kodang. Choosing the name Kodang over Juche because you think the latter is associated with communism while the former is not only reveals your ignorance of Cho Man-sik's life. No, both “Juche” and “Kodang” has communist overtones.
I'm not claiming that there exists no political nuance to the name Juche. In the ITF dojang where I train in South Korea the names of all the patterns, including their explanations, are boldly displayed on a gigantic board. All, except one. The pattern Juche is completely left out on this display since its inclusion may cause suspicion of North-Korean sympathies, which is absolutely not the case. So clearly this name is politically charged.
While political nuances exist, I personally feel no discomfort practising Juche because I prefer to interpret the name somewhat literally. Looking at the Chinese characters we see that it is made up of two concepts. The first is 主, which means master or owner; the second is 體, with the denotative meaning of human body. To “master the body” is one of the main ambitions of the martial arts. Through years of devoted practise and discipline it is our aim to completely master our bodies, just like an artist aims to become the master of his medium of choice, be it paint or clay. My personal reading of the term Juche is therefore a wholly literal one, devoid of politics. And I think the name quite fitting to this pattern which is so physically demanding. It definitely requires the mastery of one's body to perform it skillfully.
Neither do I have any discomfort with practising the pattern Kodang. Cho Man-sik was an admirable man. He was an educator and helped establish several schools and universities, and a moral leader and philosopher who became known as the “Ghandi of Korea” because of his struggle for Korean independence from the Japanese occupation. Admittedly, because Kodang Teul is not part of the official 24 Chang-Hong patterns any more, I don't practise it that often—still, at least I have learned it and still perform Kodang Teul on occasion. In the same way, the two exercises Saju-Jjireukgi and Saju-Makgi are also not official patterns either and fall outside of the twenty-four pattern set, yet many people consider them as patterns and practise them as such.
As for the claim that Juche Teul substituted Kodang Teul because of techniques, I'm gullible to believe this. Kodang Teul and Juche Teul clearly cover some of the same material. These two patterns share a number of unique motions that were not introduced in any of the earlier patterns; for instance the waist block, the downward elbow block, the hooking kick, the one-legged ready stance with back kick combination, and the twin knife-hand inward strikes. Juche Teul covers these techniques, plus a couple of extra novel movements. Both patterns also move backwards, unlike most other patterns that progress forwards. Juche Teul teaches what Kodang Teul teaches, plus more, so it does seem to be the case that this pattern was designed as a replacement for Kodang with some augmented material.
I do not think the move to rename Juche with Kodang (a seperate pattern) was a smart move and am in partial agreement with others (see here) who think that it will only cause confusion since there are now two patterns with the same name and that if they so strongly felt that a name change was necessary, a wholly new name for Juche would have been much better.
Kodang
Juche
The reason they decided to do so is that the name “Ju-Che” has always been polemic as it is the word used by North Korea to describe their ideology. There used to be another pattern in the Chang-Hong set called Kodang; however, Gen. Choi announced that there are some extra techniques he wanted to be part of the twenty-four pattern set and therefore replaced Kodang with this new one called Juche. Many people are agreed that Kodang was replaced with Juche to appease North-Korea when Gen. Choi went there to introduce Taekwon-Do (and get financial backing) in the early eighties. It is believed that replacing Kodang with Juche was a political move. (A must-read book on the politics of Taekwon-Do is Alex Gillis' A Killing Art: The Untold History of Tae Kwon Do.)
The pattern Kodang was named after an independence movement activist Cho Man-sik 조만식; his pen-name was “Go-Dang” 고당. Cho Man-sik was basically the first president of North-Korea (“Chairman of the Provisional People's Committee for the Five Provinces”), but was ousted by the Soviet forces who instated Kim Il-sung, the “father” of North-Korea. Cho Man-sik and Kim Il-sung did not see eye to eye so Cho Man-sik was put under house-arrest. He continued to speak against Soviet-Communism including Kim Il-sung and was eventually silenced. He was sent to jail where he disappeared. Many are of the opinion that Kim Il-sung had him executed. A large number of people who prefer Cho Man-sik's penname “Kodang” over the name “Juche” often state as their main motivation the obvious link the Juche-ideology has with communism. The thing these people do not realise is that Cho Man-sik, although opposed to Soviet-Communism, was himself a (Christian) Communist. Furthermore, Cho Man-sik's own philosophy was not far removed from the Juche-ideology. Juche is often translated as “spirit of independence” or “self-reliance.” Cho Man-sik is well known for having advocated not only independence, but also “self-sufficiency”; in other words, that the state should be autonomous, not requiring any outside support for its survival. This is practically the same as the Juche-ideology which Kim Il-sung summarised as: (1) independence in political work, (2) self-sustenance in economic endeavours, and (3) self-defence in national defence.
The idea of self-sufficiency / self-reliance is present in both the term Juche and, by association, in the name Kodang. Choosing the name Kodang over Juche because you think the latter is associated with communism while the former is not only reveals your ignorance of Cho Man-sik's life. No, both “Juche” and “Kodang” has communist overtones.
I'm not claiming that there exists no political nuance to the name Juche. In the ITF dojang where I train in South Korea the names of all the patterns, including their explanations, are boldly displayed on a gigantic board. All, except one. The pattern Juche is completely left out on this display since its inclusion may cause suspicion of North-Korean sympathies, which is absolutely not the case. So clearly this name is politically charged.
While political nuances exist, I personally feel no discomfort practising Juche because I prefer to interpret the name somewhat literally. Looking at the Chinese characters we see that it is made up of two concepts. The first is 主, which means master or owner; the second is 體, with the denotative meaning of human body. To “master the body” is one of the main ambitions of the martial arts. Through years of devoted practise and discipline it is our aim to completely master our bodies, just like an artist aims to become the master of his medium of choice, be it paint or clay. My personal reading of the term Juche is therefore a wholly literal one, devoid of politics. And I think the name quite fitting to this pattern which is so physically demanding. It definitely requires the mastery of one's body to perform it skillfully.
Neither do I have any discomfort with practising the pattern Kodang. Cho Man-sik was an admirable man. He was an educator and helped establish several schools and universities, and a moral leader and philosopher who became known as the “Ghandi of Korea” because of his struggle for Korean independence from the Japanese occupation. Admittedly, because Kodang Teul is not part of the official 24 Chang-Hong patterns any more, I don't practise it that often—still, at least I have learned it and still perform Kodang Teul on occasion. In the same way, the two exercises Saju-Jjireukgi and Saju-Makgi are also not official patterns either and fall outside of the twenty-four pattern set, yet many people consider them as patterns and practise them as such. As for the claim that Juche Teul substituted Kodang Teul because of techniques, I'm gullible to believe this. Kodang Teul and Juche Teul clearly cover some of the same material. These two patterns share a number of unique motions that were not introduced in any of the earlier patterns; for instance the waist block, the downward elbow block, the hooking kick, the one-legged ready stance with back kick combination, and the twin knife-hand inward strikes. Juche Teul covers these techniques, plus a couple of extra novel movements. Both patterns also move backwards, unlike most other patterns that progress forwards. Juche Teul teaches what Kodang Teul teaches, plus more, so it does seem to be the case that this pattern was designed as a replacement for Kodang with some augmented material.
I do not think the move to rename Juche with Kodang (a seperate pattern) was a smart move and am in partial agreement with others (see here) who think that it will only cause confusion since there are now two patterns with the same name and that if they so strongly felt that a name change was necessary, a wholly new name for Juche would have been much better.
Kodang
Juche
22 December 2010
Side Piercing Kick, Side Thrusting Kick and Side Pushing Kick
What are the differences between the side piercing kick, side thrusting and kick and side pushing kick?
In a previous post dedicated to the side piercing kick, we noticed that this kick reaches its target in a straight line while applying rotational force and hitting the target with the foot sword.
The side thrusting kick is basically a side piercing kick that uses as its attacking tool, not the foot sword, but the ball of the foot. The ball of the foot is kept vertical at the moment of impact. There is slightly less rotational force, but a little more reach and/or penetration. The Korean term for this kick is yobcha ddulgi / 엽차뚫기. The latter part of the term, ddulgi, is based on the verb ddulda / 뚫다, which can be translated as “to penetrade” or “to go through” something. From this we can deduce that the advantage of this technique over the normal side piercing kick is its reach which allows for more penetration.
The side pushing kick works different from the side piercing and side thrusting kick. The Korean name is yobcha milgi / 엽차밀기. Milgi is based on the verb milda / 밀다 which means to push or shove. The ITF Encyclopaedia says that the side pushing kick doesn't employ the same amount of acceleration as used in the side piercing or side thrusting kicks (Volume 4, p. 38). Instead, it relies more on body mass which is used to push an opponent away. The side pushing kick is always done side facing your opponent (i.e. from a parallel, sitting or diagonal stance), and often done with a cross-over step. As your foot touches the opponent be sure to push, using both your stationary leg and kicking leg to press forward. Remember to lean your body mass into the kick as you push your opponent away. The attacking tool is the same as that of the side piercing kick, namely the foot sword, but because the purpose of this kick is not to hurt the opponent, but merely to push the opponent away, a flat foot would not make the push any less effective. Unlike the other two kicks, there is hardly any revolving motion of the leg in the side pushing kick. Since this kick is used for pushing, the “naturally rapid withdrawal of the kicking foot becomes less important” (Volume 4, p. 38).
In summary: The side piercing kick and side thrusting kicks reach their targets in straight lines, with an accelerated revolving motion. The attacking tool for the side piercing kick is the foot sword and for the side thrusting kick the ball of the foot. The latter gives the side thrusting kick somewhat more penetration than the side piercing kick, although the side piercing kick has more rotational force. The side pushing kick uses body mass to push the opponent away by leaning the foot sword into the target while pushing the body mass forward. The purpose of the first two kicks is to seriously hurt your opponent, while the pushing kick merely creates distance between you and your opponent.
In a previous post dedicated to the side piercing kick, we noticed that this kick reaches its target in a straight line while applying rotational force and hitting the target with the foot sword.
The side pushing kick works different from the side piercing and side thrusting kick. The Korean name is yobcha milgi / 엽차밀기. Milgi is based on the verb milda / 밀다 which means to push or shove. The ITF Encyclopaedia says that the side pushing kick doesn't employ the same amount of acceleration as used in the side piercing or side thrusting kicks (Volume 4, p. 38). Instead, it relies more on body mass which is used to push an opponent away. The side pushing kick is always done side facing your opponent (i.e. from a parallel, sitting or diagonal stance), and often done with a cross-over step. As your foot touches the opponent be sure to push, using both your stationary leg and kicking leg to press forward. Remember to lean your body mass into the kick as you push your opponent away. The attacking tool is the same as that of the side piercing kick, namely the foot sword, but because the purpose of this kick is not to hurt the opponent, but merely to push the opponent away, a flat foot would not make the push any less effective. Unlike the other two kicks, there is hardly any revolving motion of the leg in the side pushing kick. Since this kick is used for pushing, the “naturally rapid withdrawal of the kicking foot becomes less important” (Volume 4, p. 38).
In summary: The side piercing kick and side thrusting kicks reach their targets in straight lines, with an accelerated revolving motion. The attacking tool for the side piercing kick is the foot sword and for the side thrusting kick the ball of the foot. The latter gives the side thrusting kick somewhat more penetration than the side piercing kick, although the side piercing kick has more rotational force. The side pushing kick uses body mass to push the opponent away by leaning the foot sword into the target while pushing the body mass forward. The purpose of the first two kicks is to seriously hurt your opponent, while the pushing kick merely creates distance between you and your opponent.
19 December 2010
A Cold: Our Enemy Is Not Always Another Person
In the martial arts, we learn how to protect ourselves from an enemy. One important enemy that is often over looked, is the one of disease. For this reason, we have made the Health Principles an important part of the Soo Shim Kwan.
I came down with a very bad cold recently. As is usually the case, I can track the reasons for it quite clearly against the Health Principles that I have been violating over the last couple of weeks.
The first is a lack of sleep. Not only have I not adequately rested, but I've been burning the candle on both ends. Since it was exam week recently and I therefore did not have to be at my office early, I took the liberty to stay up even later than usual. Our body requires adequate rest to recover from daily wear-and-tear. Merely sleeping enough hours is not the only concern. While not sleeping enough is linked with early death, not sleeping early enough is also harmful as restful hours before midnight are when detoxification in the lymph glands occur. In other words, while sleeping enough is important, not staying up too late is also of value. Going to bed early is my greatest struggle. I practise martial arts most week nights. Training usually finish around 22:00. Since I live about an hour away from the different gyms I attend, I usually get home at around 23:00. It is therefore inevitable that I go to bed late. It will still be a while before my time in Korea comes to an end and I can return to an earlier training schedule.
The other principle I violated is the dietary one. Since it is the end of the year I've visited a number of seasonal parties, which often include all kinds of sugary treats. While I haven't been overeating, I have been eating far too many sweets over the last two weeks. Refined sugars lowers one's immune system. A main reason for this is because glucose and Vitamin C are similar in structure, causing less Vitamin C to enter the cells when there is more glucose in the blood. White blood cells need Vitamin C to function properly, but if the glucose levels are too high, the white blood cells, which basically is your immune system, won't function properly. Futher more, too much sugar causes your insulin levels to increase; this in turns lowers your body's production of Growth Hormone which is needed for recovery.
I've also eaten far more greasy food over the last few weeks than usual. Fatty foods, it has been proven, also makes it more difficult for white blood cells to fight off bacteria. While too much fats is definitely unhealthy, not all dietary oils should be avoided. The body needs some healthy oils in its diet. But here is the thing, they should be healthy oils and in moderation.
Two other health principles I violated include not getting adequate fresh air and sunlight. Having grown up in South Africa, I am not used to the very cold winters we experience here in South Korea. So far we've had many days under zero degrees Celcius, one day was -12° Celcius (daytime temperature!). Needless to say, I've been very reluctant to open windows in my apartment. This means of course, that I did not get a healthy supply of oxygen rich air, especially during my sleeping hours. Without good air, the body cannot function at its optimum. As for sunlight: because of the cold, I've been spending very little time outside and therefore experienced very little of the sun's health inducing rays.
I have been keeping up with the other Health Principles. I'm drinking lots of water, getting frequent exercise, and so on. The Health Principles work in synergy, however. It is their combined harmonious effect on the person that keeps you healthy. The continuous violation of even one of these natural laws of health will result in sickness.
My serious cold is not all bad. It has reminded me of the Health Principles and forced me to take inventory of my adherence to them. Now that I'm aware of which ones I have neglected, I can remedy the situation and again take measures to live the healthy lifestyle required of an active martial artist.
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