• Video, Podcast, or Something Else?

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    Thanks for following the site! Our Facebook following has increased drastically over the past year, and we couldn’t be happier. We’re proud to be part of the World Kuk Sool Association and excited to share with fantastic martial artists around the world.

    Since this site is largely a labor of love, it’s not updated on a very regular basis. Even so, we’re considering doing more. Here are some ideas.

    Podcast

    We’ve thought about doing Skype interviews with WKSA Masters, School Owners, Blackbelts, and students from around the world and sharing them on a monthly or biweekly schedule.

    Blog

    Along with video interviews, a regular blog or vlog might be interesting. Like everyone these days, our time is stretched nearly to the limit, so having guest bloggers would be a huge help.

    Periscope or Facebook Video

    There is an event for WKSA Masters and School Owners coming up, and we’ve thought about taking advantage and doing some videos there. Would anyone be interested in watching or participating? These would be more fun and improvisational rather than strictly business.

    Something Else?

    Have another idea for us? Get in touch through the comments section or the Facebook page and share your ideas. We’d love to hear from you.

    Again, thanks for coming to the site. Want to be featured? Use the contact form and share with us why you love Kuk Sool Won!


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  • Guest Blog: Master Gene Gause speaks about “Shanghai Dragons”

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    Master Sung Jin SuhThis guest blog is from Master Gene Gause speaking about an upcoming film project that will support the World Kuk Sool Association and will feature Su Suhk Kwan Jang Nim Sung Jin Suh.

    The Story

    Shanghai Dragons started as a story about kidnapping, political intrigue, and a heroic group of teens engaged in a rescue mission. All of this is set against the backdrop of an international martial art tourney in Shanghai. While this is still the central theme, so many adult action stars have asked to join the project, we have the delightful problem of getting them screen time.

    This film was never going to be a “tournament movie” or even a martial arts movie in the classical sense. It is an action adventure story that has great martial art scenes.

    Synopsis

    Two martial arts teams (U.S. and Chinese, ages 12-17) have been taunting one another via social media in anticipation of a pending tournament in Shanghai. During the contest, the entire event is interrupted when a team member 

    Two martial arts teams (U.S. and Chinese, ages 12-17) have been taunting one another via social media in anticipation of a pending tournament in Shanghai. During the contest, the entire event is interrupted when a team member (the relative of a U.S. Diplomat) is kidnapped.

    The two teams decide that only they can rescue the lad and set aside their petty behavior, and only if they unite in their efforts (to the chagrin of Chinese and American authorities). They use social media and a variety of electronics, to engage in hot pursuit of the bad guys. There are wild chases through the streets of Shanghai, plot twists, and intrigue; humorous situations and predicaments ensue.

    Shanghai Dragons has already secured permits to run crazy chase scenes through the streets of Shanghai, no easy task for such a booming city. To my surprise, the cost of such permits was well over a million dollars. I will have a new appreciation when I see chase scenes in a movie from now on!

    When I started hearing of all the big name Chinese stars who wanted in, I thought to myself, “Dang! This starting to resemble The Expendables meets Jason Bourne meets The Transporter!” It will be interesting to see how the storyline is adjusted to accommodate all these action heroes.

    Instead of one central star, they all have to share camera time. Of course with the likes of Sammo Hung, you can expect awesome fight scenes.

    Who’s Involved?

    Sammo Hung: Loved and recognized the world over. Shanghai Dragons will allow YOU to be a part of one of HIS movies. Supporting the Kickstarter is a way to get your music, story ideas, and YOURSELF into the film. Check out Kickstarter and be a part of this first ever U.S./China joint venture.

    Cynthia Rothrock: Martial Art Master, Actor, Producer

    Dennis Brown: Kung Fu GM

    Douglas Wong: Sifu White Lotus System

    Sung Jin Suh: Master, Kuk Sool Won – Master Suh is always a good guy. As it stands, Master Suh will play himself in Shanghai Dragons.

    Sammo Hung will star in Shanghai Dragons will lead other big name action stars we will announce later on. The secondary group includes our heroic teens and our martial arts icons.

    Some actors and martial artists will have several scenes, and some will have cameos. The main stars will get the lion’s share of screen time as you would expect. All the major stars have their list of projects in progress so creating a filming schedule to get all of them in the film is tricky. They can’t just take off from the films they are committed to finishing.

    How can you get involved?

    As far as I have determined this is the first ever audience participation campaign for this level of movie making (high budget, international film).

    1. You must be a supporter on Kickstarter

    2. Kickstarter issues each supporter a registration number.

    3. At the end of the Shanghai Dragons promo, you send the registration number, description of your material (music, demo, ideas), and your materials to a special website. Only supporters will receive this web address.

    Things you might think about:

    1. What’s the reason for the kidnapping?

    2. Are any of the major characters involved?

    3. What type of funny situations and predicaments will occur?

    4. What kinds of chase scenes take place through the streets of Shanghai?

    5. What plot twists would be interesting?

    6. What sort of music fits this adventure story?

    Although our script is already written, your good ideas can change the storyline. In this way, you can contribute to a major international film. While this would look awesome on a resume for script writers, comedians, and musicians, any supporter can participate – no experience necessary.

    For phase one (DEVELOPMENT), you will only have 30 days to register, so get your ideas and video clips done ahead of time to avoid missing this opportunity.It will pretty cool to be able to say that your ideas/music were used in this movie! Of course, it has to be good to be considered so do your best.

    Participation qualifies you to:

    1. Send story ideas for consideration. When selected, your idea gets used in the movie, and your name in the end credits.

    2. Send original music that can be used in the film soundtrack. Get a chance you go on tour with name bands and play your original work.

    3. Compose a martial arts demo (50 seconds or less), and if picked, you will be in the movie!

    People have asked if they HAVE to submit materials for the film Shanghai Dragons to support their favorite martial art or martial arts Icon. It’s OPTIONAL. Everyone can participate, and those that WANT can also offer story ideas, music, and martial arts demos for consideration. It’s a BONUS, not a requirement. All supporters still get nice rewards for helping out.

    On the Kickstarter site, all pledges made are on hold until the end if the campaign. Nobody gets charged until the successful project has met or surpassed the goal. If things go awry, nobody is charged at all. This is how Kickstarter protects the supporters of projects listed on their site.

    I am looking for our WKSA nation to join in and support Master Sung Jin Suh and his role in Shanghai Dragons in the coming weeks. This project will be huge for Kuk Sool Won and, therefore, great for all Kuk Sool students and instructors. You can let him know on the seminar, workshop, and Tournament tour that you were a part of this historic movie.

    Check out the Kickstarter Project Page HERE.


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  • JKN Sacha

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    JKN Sacha staff training in winter nature settingA little more than ten years ago in the New Year of 2004, I started to have some lower back pain. I had an almost three year old son and an active job as a veterinary surgeon, I skied and rode horses. I was getting into the car one day and one foot slipped out from under me. I slipped two discs in my lumbar spine and fractured the pars joint. After six weeks of diagnostics, I underwent a surgical lumbar spinal fusion, and twelve weeks later, after much physical therapy, made it back to my job and my life. However, a change of pace was requested by the surgeon.

    “Don’t fall off any horses or mountains. If you break that fusion you will not walk, and it will break when the metal fails. If you don’t have the muscle tone and new bone ready when the metal fails, you will end up in a wheelchair.”

    Initially, I did physio and Pilates, but I found that a bit tame. When my son turned 6, he was small for his age but academically inclined. He was bullied in his primary school, so my husband and I researched the local martial arts classes. Alex tried it out and liked Kuk Sool Won. I liked the black uniform since there would be less washing. After a few weeks of watching and chatting with the other mums and dads, four of us; three mum’s and one dad (not my husband yet,) took the plunge and joined PSBN Chris Winter’s school in Dereham, UK.

    Alex grew in confidence, and I found a straight back and leg mobile exercise, with the mental stimulation of the Korean language, it offered the challenge I needed. Neither of us was great at it, but Kuk Sool Won is not a race. Alex and I promoted to red belt in Dereham, just prior to our relocation to the Midlands in 2009, when Alex was 8, going on 9.There was and still is, no Kuk Sool Won school in Northamptonshire, so we travelled West for 1 hour every Saturday morning, Tuesday evening and one Sunday a month to train with PKJN David Johnson in Hinckley. No two schools could be the same martial art and so different. Dereham in a sports hall, with a light hand on discipline. Hinckley in a cold, drafty old boxing club type industrial building with almost only Korean spoken and a physical, tougher approach, when 200 push ups for forgetting your belt was not unusual. But, that makes it sound bad…it was fun. It was hard and rough and ready and strongly team building.

    There was, and still is, no Kuk Sool Won school in Northamptonshire, so we travelled west for an hour every Saturday morning, Tuesday evening and one Sunday a month to train with PKJN David Johnson in Hinckley. No two schools could be the same martial art and yet be so different. Dereham had been in a sports hall, with a light hand on discipline. Hinckley was in a cold, drafty old boxing club type, industrial building with almost only Korean spoken and a physical, tougher approach, (where 200 push-ups for forgetting your belt was not unusual). But, that makes it sound bad…it was fun. It was hard and rough and ready and strongly team building.New Jokyo Nims

    I made some life long friends, met Asad, then about 13, and Alex and I promoted through brown belt stages. I took up veterinary acupuncture as a result of learning Maek Chi Ki and then meridian theory and pressure points and it has remained a part of the anaesthesia and analgesia veterinary anaesthesia service I offer. Hinckley school saw us through a hard few years in regard to work, and my first experience of stress that was almost depression, and the team started to be like family.

    In about 2011 Sir relocated to a new unit, and we all clubbed together to decorate and build and make it a Doh Jang. At that point, my husband declared that if the club made it into the better building he would join. With Ivan as a white and yellow belt and Alex and I new DBNs we had the worst year of our marriage. Ivan’s sister died after a short illness with cancer, and his mother had heart surgery. Kuk Sool friends helped us through, we got to know Asad and supported him in his move from foster care in Hinckley to independent living in Northamptonshire, and he joined the group of 5 students who now made the regular 2 hour round trip to train.

    Apart from our group, Hinckley member numbers started to fall, and for reasons it is not yet possible to discuss, the school in its original form closed in late 2013. We trained ourselves in a hired hall, in Peterborough, Tamworth, and Bedworth as guests while KSN Mark, and others like JKN Ian, worked hard to save the Hinckley school.

    Alex and I, along with Asad promoted to JKN in the summer of 2014. With the leadership of JKN then KSN Mark Hinckley, our school started to recover. My work position, and the need to offer more support to Ivan’s mother took Ivan, now a blue belt, and 2 JKNs to sell up and move again and in the odd hand fate plays you, back to Dereham!

    So, Alex and I are now training for the European championship tournament next month, Asad still lives in Northamptonshire and trains in Hinckley and Tamworth. Ivan had to retire as a red belt, in his 50s, with a hip injury. He still drops Alex to cadet class while I join them for the adult class after work. At work, I am an RCVS Advanced Practitioner in Veterinary Anaesthesia. Alex is 5 ft 3 and 13 years old, I am 5 ft and the wrong side of 40, and our Kuk Sool Won stories are not finished yet!

    With an honourable mention to Ivan, Helen, Josh, Amy, Emily, Jordan, JKNs Alex, Tammy, Ian, Asad, Steve, Helen, Mike, Raj, Cory, Ian, Haley and KSN Rebekah, Mark and PSBN Kirsty and Richard, and PKJNs David, Chris, John, and so many more.

    Peace and Long Life, and Kuk Sool Won…

    JKN Sacha

    Kuk Sool Won of Hinkley


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