USTW

Master Wukovich, newly elected USTW President, with some of the 
Directors, Officers, Delegates and other Members attending the 
2007 USTW National Annual Meetings held in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Lessons From My Late Kwan Jang Nim  
© 2007 by George N. Wukovich, Esq.
 U.S.T.W. 7^th Dan and Master Instructor, U.S.T.W. Vice President and Director,  
Former U.S.T.W. Legal Counsel, National Events Coordinator, and Instructor Certification Chair

 TRADITIONAL MARTIAL ARTS SELF DEFENSE VS. MODERN SPORT COMPETITION

 I vividly remember my Kwang Jang Nim (the late Grand Master Kim, Myung Hwan) telling me over twenty years ago, during a warm summer afternoon workout shared between only the two of us, that he had been greatly troubled by his recent meetings with the U.S.T.U. officers.  He told me that the U.S.T.U. was planning to have Taekwondo accepted into the Olympics, and he was concerned that the traditional martial art of Taekwondo was going to become the Olympic sport of Taekwondo—just like Judo.  If that occurred, he told me, he was going to open a Hapkido school, because he was a traditional martial artist who was concerned with his students becoming successful human beings, and not simply winning sport players.  He fiercely pursued this vision of traditional martial arts goals and values, until his tragic and untimely death in May, 2000.

Master Kim would often say: “as a martial artist, you must be concerned about how badly you will hurt your attacker; as a sport player, you must be concerned with how badly your opponent will hurt you”. In other words, when we compete, we are limited by the applicable Rules of Engagement which restrict the nature and extent to which we can apply our martial arts skills in the competition. When we use our martial arts skills for self defense, however, there are no Rules of Engagement, so the nature and extent to which we should apply our martial arts skills are only limited by the damage we must inflict to neutralize the attack or the attacker.

Master Kim told me that he was a Judo champion who left Judo, and pursued Taekwondo, when Judo sensei became Judo coaches, and the martial art of Judo became the sport of Judo.  He said that when Judo was accepted into the Olympics, Judo lost its martial arts spirit.  Then, he came to America , and opened a Taekwondo school.  He felt that the U.S.T.U. was taking the legacy of American Taekwondo in the wrong direction.  Indeed, Master Kim often told me that his goal was to make a traditional martial arts program nationally available to the 97% of the American population that was not athletically gifted.  He urged that such an influence would serve to raise human existence, in this country, to a higher level. 

Master Kim would also tell me: “if the world was filled with Black Belts, then the world would be a better place”.  In other words, to teach traditional martial arts values to the members of society would serve to make better people; and, thus, a better society.  I believe, had he survived, he would have felt that the U.S.T.W. was where we could all find our future national identity for the important American legacy of promoting traditional martial artists goals and values.  I also believe that my late Kwang Jang Nim, Grand Master Kim, Myung Hwan, can now rest in peace, because the goals and vision for the legacy of traditional martial arts values in America, which he taught to me over the last 26 years of his life, are now being championed by our national organization—the U.S.T.W.  Clearly, then, our national organization is the vehicle by which the torch of leadership is being passed from the founding generation of traditional martial arts Masters to us, as the succeeding generation of traditional martial arts Masters.  Their important legacy is now coming into our hands, for the benefit of the generations which will soon follow us.  With it comes the obligation to make our founding generation proud of the lessons we will teach and the opportunities we will provide as a part of their legacy. May we, through the U.S.T.W., always try to do so, for the pride of our founders and for the benefit of our successors. This is the challenge now facing our generation of traditional martial arts Masters.

"Master Wukovich, Chairman of the USTW Instructor Certification Committee, 
announces the newly issued USTW Instructor Certificates.
 Presenting is Grand Master Sok Ho Kang, USTW President, 
at the 2006 USTW National Instructor Certification Seminar held in Cincinnati, Ohio." 

U.S.T.W Philosophy of Moo Do
© 2006 by George N. Wukovich, Esq., U.S.T.W. Legal Counsel,
U.S.T.W. National Events Coordinator and
U.S.T.W. Instructor Certification Chair

 TOTAL HEALTH THROUGH UNITED STATES TRADITIONAL MARTIAL ARTS

             The serious and active students of traditional martial arts (or moo do) training systems in the United States enjoy a high level of “wellness.”  As defined by holistic medicine, wellness is more than a state of non-illness.  Rather, wellness describes a state of total health in which a human both reduces fatigue and stress and increases effectiveness and efficiency.  Total health is the means by which human beings can experience total joy and prosperity.  (See: Donald B. Arnell, Ph.D., High Level  Wellness, Bantam Books, New York, N.Y.: 1978).

             Total health (or wellness) is achieved through “unification,” “integration,” “balance,” “harmony,” “neutrality,” or “control” of the vital energies and dynamic forces which interact and breath life into the human experience.  The vital energies (Attitude; Action; and, Awareness) and dynamic forces (Encouragement; Empowerment; and Enlightenment) exist within the self and are manifested by the self (Spirit; Body; and, Mind), within society and within nature.  Thus, for total health to be realized, the vital energies and dynamic forces of the self, as manifested in the human society and the natural environment, must be in a state of ultimate balance or integration.

             Ancient oriental moo do philosophy referred to such a state of balance or integration as “Chung Sun,” “Tae Guk,” or “Tai Chi.” Modern proponents of holistic medicine define such balance as “wellness.”  The essence of these philosophies is the same:  The interaction of the vital energies and dynamic forces of the self (spiritual confidence; physical power; mental strength), as manifested within the human society and the natural environment, must be “controlled,” “unified,” “harmonized,” or “integrated” if the highest quality of human existence is to be realized. By contrast, modern global “sport” philosophy seeks to maximize the performance skills of the player, as manifested within the artificial environment of the sports society, in order to realize the highest quality of human competition.

             In short, traditional martial arts (or moo do) training systems seeks human wellness and prosperity, through which total health is achieved, by developing spiritual confidence (in balancing Integrity and Honor for Encouragement), physical power (in balancing Posture and Motion for Empowerment) and mental strength (in balancing Discipline and Respect for Enlightenment), in order to maximize our personal human potentials. In achieving such balance of our Spirit, Body and Mind, we are able to interact within our society and our environment with greater awareness and sensitivity.  Thus, through traditional martial arts (or moo do) training systems, we can become more totally alive.

             The U.S.T.W. was founded as an umbrella organization to govern and oversee the preservation, development and promotion of traditional martial arts (or moo do) programs and Black Belt Instructors in the United States which offer a training system though which its members are able to achieve a state of total health or human wellness.  Our traditional training philosophies teach that disciplined behavior and an attitude of respect generate the dynamic forces of Encouragement, Empowerment and Enlightenment which are needed for an atmosphere where human “control,” “unification,” “harmony,” or “integration” of the vital energies (Spiritual Attitude; Physical Action; and, Mental Awareness) can occur.

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