Drop it!

I am thoroughly convinced that it is more strenuous to use "no speed and no power" and drop your body weight into every strike and block during a form than it is to go full blow but not drop.
My legs will be complaining tomorrow morning!

It occurs to me that centuries ago, masters wanted to teach their students certain techniques: strikes, blocks, kicks, avoidance, breathing, rotation, penetration, etc. So, they arranged them into forms, progressively more advanced, as memory tools, to engage interest and simulate events where these techniques may be of benefit and provide insight and opportunities to use them in different ways.
The goal was, and is, not to learn the form, but to perfect the individual techniques.
In essence, the technique is a stand-alone form in itself. From the beginning of its execution to its culmination it is a series of angles, positions, muscle contractions, weight distribution and delivery, timing, turning and twisting, raising up and dropping down. A simple Soo Do Bahng Auh is a mind blowing symphony of nerve synapses and muscle memory.
How can one do it justice by breezing through it - anxious to get through the larger form and onto the next? Only to absentmindedly fumble through another one, two, ten or fifty techniques in order to complete another form and so on.
And still, your Soo Do is not much better than when you were a yellow belt because you've been doing the same thing for --- how long?
Give the technique its due. After all, we want it to accomplish what we send it out to do, not just fill space between two other techniques.
SUN! I will improve myself through self-reform and self-refinement!

Injuries

I think a lot of consideration should be given in regards to long term training and injuries. Just as typist, etc. deal with carpal tunnel syndrome and tennis players have elbow problems and baseball pitchers have shoulder problems, basketball players have knee problems, we martial artist tend to have all of the above. The problem is, where the other sports and professions eventually retire, we tend to see our training as a life long endeavor so we generally "tough it out", probably to our detriment. Stretching will help to some degree, but the repetitive movements involving twisting, jumping, squatting, high kicks and hard punches take their toll over the years.
Master Rhee often says "no speed, no power" referring to doing a form with proper movement and technique and not get caught up in speed and power. Now I "feel" the wisdom in that.
Any thoughts?

Belt Testing

I often wonder what people/students expect or want from a belt testing. As a student, I always wanted to have at least several chances to show my best techniques and I liked to be challenged to step up to a new level. But as an Instructor, I get to see everyones best and worst in class every day and everybody is prequalified to promote so I don't really need to see anything specific on the promotion day. I think that the majority of our belt tests are excellent, but I still worry that maybe we should do more....or less....or different.
I'd like everyones thoughts on what they would describe as the ideal belt test.

CWMAI Online Store

Check out our new online store! Just go to the GetConfident.net home page and click on the shirt icon toward the bottom of the page. Theres some pretty nice clothing items in there and its delivered right to your home. You guys let me know if there is anything else you would like to see in there.

Handgun Disarms

This is a clip of some handgun disarms I was teaching at Mr. Wolfs class a few years ago. We still use this set.

Confidence or Arrogance?

At what point does confidence in your knowledge and abilities crossover into arrogance? Is arrogance backed by solid skills and knowledge neccessarily a bad thing?
Thoughts??