My first video mini lecture; What is the difference between Hyeong, Tul and Poomsae?

This is my first ever video mini lecture. It clocks in at 16 minutes, it was unscripted, and I took it as a
fun challenge since I am way more comfortable to write English, than to speak it. It became very "Norwenglish" as a result, but I think it is understandable. If not I have texted the whole clip (so you can even see it without sound as long as you turn on the captions option on youtube). I am still a beginner when it comes to editing video, but I managed to cut out the most fumbling bits, and I managed to insert some illustrations to break up the monotomy of me talking and to give you something to view besides my ugly mug.

I talk about the history, the meanings, translations, reasons why the different organisations uses different terms and much more in this clip. Did you know that we have two different terms Poomse and Poomsae? Do you know the difference between them and what they mean? Do you know when they changed from Poomse to Poomsae and why? Do you know when Choi Hong Hi changed from Hyeong to Tul? That and a whole lot more is in the clip:-) If you enjoy it, and want to see more please subscribe to my youtube channel, and or share the clip with any taekwondo nerd that you know:-)

Gawi Makki Revisited (Scissors block)

In 2015 I wrote a post on Gawi Makki or Scissors block which you can read here where I outlined a

Author halfheartedly demonstrating
the Gawi Makki in the video clip

few applications on the Gawi Makki. Then as now many people come to the blog searching for combative meaning to seemingless uncombative movements of Poomsae and traditional taekwondo. One concept that I have taken onboard in my own study and practise is the "Parry-Pass" concept of receiving and redirecting the opponents limbs to keep control and create openings instead of waiting for the opponent to give me one. In 2015 I had yet to integrate this concept in a big way, so I did not include my take on Taegeuk Chil Jang's Gawi makki VS Taebaek Poomsae's Gawi Makki. I simply viewed the double Gawi Makki as a way of demonstrating that it works either way (which is up and which is down, and which foot is forward in Taegeuk Chil Jang, and when it is revisited in Taebaek it is simply demonstrated as one example since all variations were covered in Taegeuk Chil Jang.

Part 2: Flow drills for Taekwondo hand techniques

In my previous post (part 1) I wrote about flow drills, and presented the first template. This time I
will present the second one I use, which follows the same 3 point template but this time things have changed a little:-) I did not get to video more so you get this series in more parts than I would have liked, but then again I could wait until I had the rest of the videos I need to complete the post (about 6 more) and not give you any content in the meantime. Something is better than nothing so here goes template number 2:

Part 1: Flow drills for Taekwondo hand techniques

Taekwondo is not exactly renowned for its hand techniques which I have always felt was a little odd.

Not odd becuase we do normally stress leg techniques over hand techniques, but odd because we have just about every hand technique that you would find in any Karate style. Again, many have a superficial knowledge about Taekwondo, and it does not help that:

1. Many hand techniques never appear in Poomsae
2. Many who practise Taekwondo to later convert to other styles only learn rudementary or basic Taekwondo.

Now every strike you would find in Karate, most of the common strikes in Chinese Martial Arts and in Boxing are all present within Taekwondo. Hand Techniques of Taekwondo for actual fighting does a very good job documenting these strikes, allthough the author does it primarily form a "non-attached" striking viewpoint or "boxing style" strikes. I come from the opposite side of the spectrum as I usually like to be "attached" i.e. using my other hand active so I do not have what Choki Motobu called "dead hand" or inactive hand. Most students of Taekwondo will spar using the competition rulesets so for Kukki-TKD people they will go sparring much like the WT competition style fights go. Lots and lots of emphasis on kicking, long distance, and handtechniques are scarce or non-existant. If they do drill their hand techniques with a partner it is usually in a ritualised manner of formal sparring; one, two or three step sparring.