Post by Colin Wee on Mar 1, 2004 17:19:34 GMT 8
“The given name of Admiral Yi Sun-Sin, who invented the first armored battleship in 1592 A.D.” (http://www.itatkd.com/pattern_choongmoo.html),
Breen stated, “Admiral Yi Soon-Sin is remembered as one of the greatest naval leaders in history. His innovations in naval construction and tactics yielded him many victories against Japanese fleets - generally fleets which vastly outnumbered his own” (2001 p14). Admiral Yi was also described as a “Courageous and a tactical genius, [who] seemed to be able to outguess the enemy” (http://www.tkdtutor.com/10Patterns/09ChoongMoo/ChoongmooInfo.htm).
“Yi Sun-Sin's most famous invention was the Kobukson, or turtle-boat, a galley ship decked over with iron plates to protect the soldiers and rowing seamen … The Kobukson was not only impervious to almost any Japanese weapon, it was heavy and built for speed and could overtake anything afloat … The Kobukson was very effective in chasing down and sinking large numbers of Japanese troop and supply ships as well as successfully attacking numerous heavy Japanese battleships head on. It was the most highly developed warship of its time” (http://www.tkdtutor.com/10Patterns/09ChoongMoo/ChoongmooInfo.htm).
There could be many take aways from Choong-Moo, given that Admiral Yi proved himself to be a resourceful and resilient warrior facing significantly larger opponents. However, the first point that the kata brings up is the issue about being able to ‘outguess the enemy’. By now, practitioners would have come to realize that the martial arts isn’t the summation of the number of strikes or blocks. The martial arts begins as a mental journey and will continue to test the intellect of the martial artist all the time. While we train to be resilient and strong, the key to success is to be mentally sharp, and to be able to come up with potential solutions to deal with the challenges you face. This is all about Sun Tzu’s ‘knowing your enemy’, and the knowing fighter must always seek to assess and predict the danger that he faces.
The preceding katas sometimes may overly stress the necessity of power or stability; this is especially so given the way in which we deliver the said movements. Choong-Moo proffers an integrative combative idea about getting that strike in quickly, when it counts, and using the right weapon. Speed, lightness, and maneuverability mean fighters should consider constantly moving around (which shifts the target for their opponent). Also this prompts fighters to choose the right group of tactics (this is part of strategy) for the opponent their facing. For instance, taller opponents may find it more difficult defending against side kicks coming up into the groin where shorter opponents may find it difficult blocking punches coming downwards into the head.
Breen stated, “Admiral Yi Soon-Sin is remembered as one of the greatest naval leaders in history. His innovations in naval construction and tactics yielded him many victories against Japanese fleets - generally fleets which vastly outnumbered his own” (2001 p14). Admiral Yi was also described as a “Courageous and a tactical genius, [who] seemed to be able to outguess the enemy” (http://www.tkdtutor.com/10Patterns/09ChoongMoo/ChoongmooInfo.htm).
“Yi Sun-Sin's most famous invention was the Kobukson, or turtle-boat, a galley ship decked over with iron plates to protect the soldiers and rowing seamen … The Kobukson was not only impervious to almost any Japanese weapon, it was heavy and built for speed and could overtake anything afloat … The Kobukson was very effective in chasing down and sinking large numbers of Japanese troop and supply ships as well as successfully attacking numerous heavy Japanese battleships head on. It was the most highly developed warship of its time” (http://www.tkdtutor.com/10Patterns/09ChoongMoo/ChoongmooInfo.htm).
There could be many take aways from Choong-Moo, given that Admiral Yi proved himself to be a resourceful and resilient warrior facing significantly larger opponents. However, the first point that the kata brings up is the issue about being able to ‘outguess the enemy’. By now, practitioners would have come to realize that the martial arts isn’t the summation of the number of strikes or blocks. The martial arts begins as a mental journey and will continue to test the intellect of the martial artist all the time. While we train to be resilient and strong, the key to success is to be mentally sharp, and to be able to come up with potential solutions to deal with the challenges you face. This is all about Sun Tzu’s ‘knowing your enemy’, and the knowing fighter must always seek to assess and predict the danger that he faces.
The preceding katas sometimes may overly stress the necessity of power or stability; this is especially so given the way in which we deliver the said movements. Choong-Moo proffers an integrative combative idea about getting that strike in quickly, when it counts, and using the right weapon. Speed, lightness, and maneuverability mean fighters should consider constantly moving around (which shifts the target for their opponent). Also this prompts fighters to choose the right group of tactics (this is part of strategy) for the opponent their facing. For instance, taller opponents may find it more difficult defending against side kicks coming up into the groin where shorter opponents may find it difficult blocking punches coming downwards into the head.