Author Archives: Sang H. Kim

Arresting Locks and Compliance Holds

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Arresting techniques are very different from the usual fighting techniques that you use against an opponent. When you compete or fight for self-defense you and your opponent are on equal footing. However, in arresting, you cannot be in equal to your opponent. You should always be one or two steps ahead in thinking and positioning. You should be able to move in properly before your counterpart figures out what your next move is. By the time your opponent realizes what you are doing, you should already been in control of him.

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The knowledge of arresting locks opens up a new insight into the vulnerability of the techniques that your opponent might use. When you know arresting locks, you can take control of the situation no matter what an attacker might throw at you. They also enable you to take immediate control of your attacker’s weapon if necessary and use it against him.

There are three positions that you want to move into to arrest your counterpart: behind him, on the side of him, or take him to the ground while you remain upright. Once you secure one of these positions you should be able to control his joints in various ways so that you don’t lose control over him until you have completely immobilized him.

Arresting locks are effectively applied to both empty handed attackers and armed attackers. Since the arresting locks are geared to manipulating the body into inescapable positions, once you know how to do the techniques properly, you can take complete control of attackers without causing permanent damage.

Here are a few suggestions to enhance your knowledge of locking up your opponent with ease. Continue reading →

Joong Bong: Short Stick Fundamentals

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The Joongbong, or short stick, is the most versatile and easy to learn weapon. Once mastered, the principles of the Joongbong can be applied to any blunt weapon. The most comfortable length for the Joongbong is the length of your arm from the armpit to the middle fingertip when you stretch your arm out with your fingers fully open.

Grip the Joongbong approximately one to two inches above the end. The tip of the Joongbong aims at the eyes or the Adam’s apple of the opponent with your arm at almost a 90 degree angle to the Joongbong.

Junsado Joong Bong Sang H Kim

There are five different blocks: high, cross, inside, outside, and low block. There are five offense skills: straight strike, thrust, inside cut, outside cut, and cross cuts. There are five footwork: forward, backward, two lateral steps, and turn step.

Joongbong Fundamentals include stances, grip, footwork, offensive skills, defensive skills, and the correct way to evade, cut, strike, thrust and block with the Joongbong against an opponent. Sang H. Kim thoroughly explains every step of the training as you follow along.

Joongbong Patterns are three forms of Joongbong combat with applications and step by step explanation. Beginning from the most basic skills introduced in Joongbong Fundamentals, you will learn how to integrate your techniques into a flowing pattern of offense and defense. Each new pattern introduces increasingly difficult combinations of footwork, attack and defense to upgrade and refine your weapon skills.

Ssang Bong: Double Stick Fundamentals

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Ssang Bong literally means double (ssang) stick (bong). There is a time and a situation for use of two weapons, particularly when encountering multiple opponents. You can also practice the double sticks against a solo opponent striking multiple targets simultaneously. You should not favor either of the sticks since, if you do, you will be distracted by your own thoughts of two weapons. Treat them like one set of weapons working together as the two wheels of a cart carry a wagon. Offense and defense should seamlessly flow into another offense and defense.

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BASICS:

The primary stick should be held firmly in your dominant hand; the secondary stick in the other hand. In a non-combat situation, hold both sticks in your non-dominant hand in a natural stance. There are less than dozen different postures for situations arising: ready posture, middle offense posture, middle guard posture, low defense posture, high defense posture, high low posture, high side posture, side open posture (high-side), frontal open posture (high-low), combat posture (normal fighting position).

DEFENSE:

For defense, the primary hand moves for high, low, inside, and outside blocks; the secondary hand supports the primary hand by executing inside, outside (reverse), and chop blocks. When the primary weapon creates an opening the secondary penetrates further, and then the primary completes the destruction.

OFFENSE:

Offensive techniques include strike, thrust (straight and reverse), inside cut and outside cut. Targets are the head, eyes, temple, ear, nose, neck, wrist, arm, torso, and legs. Continue reading →

Jang Bong: Long Stick Fundamentals

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The Jang Bong is a long stick, approximately 60 inches in length (practically your height length). It can be used to defend against an empty handed or armed attacker with ease from medium and long distance.

FUNDAMENTALS:

Jang Bong fundamentals include two basic grips (for long and close range fighting), stances, 10 basic blocks, and basic offensive movements including straight striking, circular striking, hooking, thrusting, scooping and controlling techniques, and 8 Circular Drills as well as proper warm-up, knowledge of targets.

FORMS:

There are 8 Jang Bong Forms in Junsado: Jang Bong Il Hyung, Jang Bong Ee Hyung, Jang Bong Sam Hyung, Form of Change, Form of Circle, Form of Iron, Form of Mind, Form of Void.

jangbong fundamentalCHARACTERISTICS OF FORMS:

The foremost element of each form is effectiveness in handling the weapon. Techniques utilized in the forms include thrusting, striking, blocking, scooping, side turn and spinning movements, combined with simple techniques for offensive and defensive tactics. Each form has a unique emphasis such as centering, leverage, adaptation, versatility, and coordination of the body and weapon.

CENTERING:

Good centering means good control of the weapon and proper distribution of power. Powerful impact comes from smooth transitions and precise aim. Continue reading →

Developing Speed for Martial Arts Training

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This article is an excerpt from the book Ultimate Fitness through Martial Arts

To develop overall speed, there are several sequential steps in training:

  1. Basic conditioning
  2. Explosive power development
  3. Skill refinement
  4. Skill loading
  5. Full speed training

Basic condition, including flexibility, strength and agility training, is a prerequisite for speed training. The completion of basic conditioning is signaled by a level of fitness that allows the athlete to begin the more intensive exercises that develop explosive power. Exercises for developing explosive power are detailed in “Chapter 2: Power” and the execution speed section of this chapter. Once the target muscles start to develop, begin working on skill refinement. Each skill should be examined to eliminate unnecessary movements and increase biomechanical efficiency.

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With highly refined movements and strong muscles, you can begin adding speed to each movement. Start skill loading gradually and observe your body’s reaction. If you can add speed and still maintain semi-refined movements, continue to increase your intensity. Eventually you will reach the final stage of speed training in which you can execute skillful movements at high speed.

Now let’s examine the four types of speed individually. Continue reading →

Strength and Power Training

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This article is an excerpt from the book Ultimate Fitness through Martial Arts

Power Training for Martial Arts

Power is a combination of strength and explosiveness. It is created by releasing maximum muscular force at maximum speed. To increase power, you must increase both speed and strength. By exerting strength with speed, you take advantage of both the force generated by the muscles and the momentum created through the speed.

Power can be described in three ways:

  • Explosive power – Explosive power is the ability to exert maximum force in one or a series of dynamic acts. Example: Breaking a board with a punch.
  • Static power – Static power is the maximum force a person can exert for a short period. Example: Bench press.
  • Dynamic Power – Dynamic power is the ability to exert muscular force repeatedly or continuously over time. Example: Heavy bag workout.

 WHERE DOES IT COME FROM?

Power is derived from muscular ability. The human body contains over 400 muscles that can be broken in two classes: smooth and striated. Smooth muscles are those that perform the involuntary functions of the body like circulation and digestion. Striated muscles are those that can be voluntarily contracted, such as the muscle groups in the arms and legs. These muscles are the source of power.

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 Slow and fast twitch muscle fibers

Striated muscles are made up of two types of fibers: slow twitch and fast twitch. Slow twitch fibers are designed for activity that must be sustained over a long time like distance running. They have a high capacity for aerobic energy production and can remain active for a long time while producing relatively small amounts of lactic acid. This is important because lactic acid build-up in the muscle tissue causes the muscle to fatigue and eventually renders it unable to continue working. Low levels of lactic acid mean more capacity for work. People who have a high percentage of slow twitch fibers excel at endurance activities. Continue reading →

Junsado Strategy

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Double Blade Strategy

In two words, the core Junsado combat strategies are perception and deception. Perceiving what the opponent intends is the primary goal. Then analyse and plan your actions. But do not allow your opponent to perceive what you intend to do. Deception comes into play at this stage. There are obvious deceptions and unseen deceptions. Both are good for combat. Sometimes the most obvious deception is the best. Skillful interaction of perception and deception paves the road for your success.

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Introduction to Two Basic Strategies

1. Primary Response. The primary response is the instinctive animalistic safety response that you are born with. It has four goals:

1) To gain time to escape;
2) To secure the stability to fight back;
3) To establish mental and physical superiority over your opponent;
4) To create the opening for your secondary response.

2. Secondary Response. The definition of the secondary response is the actions necessary to end a confrontation. There are simple techniques and complex techniques; single techniques and multiple combinations such as lateral and planar combinations. Some forces are often unified or opposed, therefore you must be able to perceive the condition of the forces to unify or oppose them in 9 different ways.

Junsado Fundamentals

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Five Stages of Movement

Every movement in Junsado goes through five different stages in a simple flow :

1. Preparation
2. Execution
3. Impact
4. Follow through
5. Finish & Repose.

Your stance, footwork, mobility, hand skills, kicking skills, and joint immobilization skills are critical for combat preparation. (For details, refer to the book Combat Strategy – Junsado: The Way of The Warrior.)

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Junsado Basics

1. Stance is divided into two fundamental types: full stance and half stance.

2. Hand skills areclassified in two types: open and closed.

3. Elbow techniques are linear and circular.

4. Take-down techniques are static and dynamic.

5. Joint locks are standing immobilization and ground pinion.

6. Footwork is classified in two ways: offensive and defensive.

Junsado Concepts

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Simplicity is a Blend of Complexity

30bannerTo gain victory, it is essential to understand the nature of the conflicting forces. Forces either attract or repel each other. When you are able to grab and let go of the force, you may attain the unity of your action that can blend all happenings into one great flow without losing your perspective on the ultimate victory. This is the way of combat expert.

Combat is conflict between opposing forces. Opposition, resistance, competition, and discord are the nature of conflict. Once they take over your action, you will be opposed, resisted and in discord. The emotional reaction should be replaced by total concentration and dedication to a single reality at hand.

Junsado Principles

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Junsado is the way of combat expert. Junsado techniques are grounded in the principles of change: changes in you, changes in your opponent and changes in the environment are all considered in Junsado strategy. It is a living art that evolves and adapts to the individual fighter and environment. Junsado is the system of no system that is necessary to meet the challenges of combat.

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Junsado Fundamentals
Junsado Strategy

No system includes every way: freethinking and bound by no limit. Once being bound by styles, one thinks in narrow ways missing the true way. Favoring one system is as dangerous as not knowing any system at all. One must not favor any style, weapon, nature of self, but be free to think and walk the way of no way. Ultimately you should not be a molded product but be the handler of you that is only guided by your will that is free from the rules of this and that. That is what Junsado stands for.