The Hwa Rang Do World Tour came once again to the Minneapolis Academy on March 3rd and 4th, just days after a Minnesota blizzard dumped almost 2 feet of snow over much of the state. Fortunately, Chief Master Lee’s flight was able to land safely, and students from across the Midwest were able to shovel themselves out in time to attend
this incredible event.
The Minneapolis Academy’s Junior Teuk Gong Team started things off on Saturday by leading warm-ups, and as usual, did a strong job all the way through even though there were so many people in attendance. After the warm-ups, everyone jumped right into the first seminar, Sparring Takedowns, where beginner students were given their first chance at takedowns, and more advanced students were given helpful instruction on how to properly setup and execute a takedown in a sparring environment.
This training is sure to lead to better attempts and accumulated points in the upcoming Midwest Championships next month in Madison, WI. The afternoon was packed with four hours of grappling:
- leg pickups
- ankle locks
- compression locks
- rear mounts
- arm bars
- neck cranks
- and more!
Master Lee’s emphasis on fluid movement and the technical ways to setup the next step of the technique greatly increased the participants’ ability to acquire the lock securely. The last segment of Saturday’s sessions focused a good deal on the transitional steps of grappling and the various positions one encounters as a grappling match rolls
along.
The students and their friends and family concluded the day at Timberlodge Steakhouse, sharing stories and bonding over a group dinner. A big steak dinner was definitely needed after the day’s training, and to prepare everyone for what was in store for them on Sunday.
Everyone returned the next morning excited for more intense training, and they were certainly not disappointed. Master Lee began with a self-defense seminar, focusing on not only the practical application of our techniques, but also some insights into prevention, or how to avoid a self-defense situation. He emphasized common sense, awareness, and knowing the psychology of the attacker as well as the victim to enhance one’s personal safety.
However, if an unavoidable altercation does arise, then committing to a variety of simple yet effective techniques shown by Master Lee would surely increase the chances of escaping and surviving a violent attack.
The afternoon entailed a solid four hours of weapon fighting, not only Kumdo (sword fighting), but also a topic rarely covered until the more advanced stages of weapon training: staff vs. staff. The Kumdo session focused on the competitive side of counter fighting once the beginners caught up on some basics. Participants drilled on seeing the movement of the opponent’s weapon and following up with proper stepping and countering. As the drills progressed some participants were able to land very swift strikes before the opponent was able land anything at all. Now, we all just have to practice a lot more in order to be faster and more accurate when it comes to our matches.
The Mugidaeryun (weapon fighting) then continued with our jang bong (staff). Using Kumdo as a basis of movement and striking, the staff combinations followed these fundamental principles of weapon combat. Proper footwork is a must in order to strike and defend, and while it takes a little time to get used to swinging a jang bong around your head when you are wearing armor, the participants of this session definitely got deep into the training. In fact, the kiaps and the sounds of weapons clashing filled the Minneapolis Academy to the point that it was difficult to
hear Master Lee’s instructions!
As always, the weekend was punctuated with honest advice and motivating discussion from Master Lee to inspire us all to push ourselves harder everyday. Using our skills, and the wisdom gained through the experience of Hwa Rang Do training to benefit the world at large through our daily actions is also a message that requires our diligence and the participants were grateful for Master Lee’s example to us all. As the students packed up their things to head home, they left with not only the new equipment they had trained with and new knowledge about how to use it, but also a renewed commitment to their training and development, resonating with a greater understanding of the Hwa Rang way. Each and every student was instilled with the desire to learn more and be more, and even as they were leaving, many were already discussing their plans to attend their next Hwa Rang Do seminar.