The martial art of Hanmudo was formed in 1989 by Dr
He-Young Kimm. The word Hanmudo translates into
English as “Korean Martial
Arts”.
Dr Kimm started his martial arts studies in 1953. The
martial arts he originally studied were Yudo and Bi Sul.
In 1963 Dr Kimm moved
to America and began studying and teaching martial arts at the SE Missouri State
University. After he was awarded an honours degree in American history he moved
to Baton Rouge Louisiana.
In 1989 Master Kimm was encouraged by two of the top
Korean martial artists Grandmaster Han Jae Ji and
Grandmaster In Hyuk Su
(founder of Kuk Sul Won) to start his own style of martial arts.
Below are some of the topics covered in Hanmudo
Ki Accumulation and
distribution.
Ki is a form of internal energy. The Chinese translation
is chi as in tai chi. It is an internal form of energy that
flows through
channels called meridians. The central store for the Ki is called the dan jun
this point is 1” to 3”
below the navel. From the side of the body it is central
between back and stomach.
There are many ki accumulation exercises used in Hanmudo
the categories being standing, lying and seated.
These are used to increase the
amount of energy in the dan jun.
Ki distribution (Dan jun ho hop) exercises are used to
distribute the energy stored in the dan jun to various
parts of the body. This
distribution is useful for promoting good health and also for increasing power
in
techniques.
Hanmudo Philosophy
The Han philosophy goes back almost ten thousand years
and is deeply embedded in Korean culture. Within
this there are 4 meanings of
Han
The first meaning of Han is head or leader.
Great respect is shown for such figures as teachers, presidents, parents.
The second meaning of Han is big or whole.
Each member of society is considered very important as they are all part of the
whole. Emphasis is placed on
harmony within the community.
The third meaning of Han is brightness or optimism.
People are optimistic and anticipate a bright future regardless of what has
happened in the past.
The fourth meaning of Han is higher learning .
Emphasis is placed on learning to reach the individuals
highest potential. Obviously high levels of education
require discipline and
dedication.
Yu Shim Kang Kwon
This phrase is often repeated when performing multiple
moves in class for example when performing a series
of 5 kicks. On the first
kick students would shout Yu, on the second Shim, on the third Kang, on the
fourth Kwon
and on the fifth Han. The sentence translates as “relaxed mind
strong punch”. If we are tensed we will be using
more energy than necessary. If
we consider a punch with the arm tensed, the triceps may be working at 100% but
if the bicep is tensed by say 40% then the this amount of energy is working
against your punch. With practice we
realise that the more relaxed we are the
more effective and less tiring our techniques are.
Mu Shim Mu Kwon
This phrase is used by students who have attained 1st
Dan. It translates as “no mind no punch”. The state of no mind
is a common
concept of martial arts. Whatever it is we are thinking of our mind is “stuck
on” this thing. When we
spar we are at our best when our reactions are
automatic. If our minds are fixed on winning or losing our minds stop.
By
regular and diligent practice we can achieve an ability to automatically respond
to an opponents attack. One of
the initial problems with this approach is that
by concentrating on not thinking we are defeating the object. However
by
accepting this the problem should eventually dissolve.
You may be thinking “yes I understand the concept of no
mind but what about the no punch”. Martial artists go through
many phases. When
a person reaches a certain level in martial arts they have no need to prove
their abilities to others
or themselves. At the penultimate level of confidence
their ability can be sensed by others in their mannerisms. People
would not
dream of attacking them out of respect for their obvious ability. At the next
level people would warm to
them and see a person of peace from whom they have
nothing to fear and consequently the thought of harming them
would not enter
their head.
If such a person was walking around in a state of “no
mind” and as a result having and showing no fears or dislikes , the
people
meeting him saw a man they felt affection for, then there would be no reason for
violence from either party.
Hanmudo Techniques
-
Hanmudo comprises of a wide variety of hand and foot
techniques including:
-
Hand Strikes
-
Break falls
-
Kicks
-
Wrist releases
-
Joint manipulation techniques
-
Throws
-
Sweeps
-
Pressure point techniques
-
Hanmudo also covers various weapon techniques
| 
.jpg)
