My name is Lance Clements. I currently hold a yellow belt (August 1998) in K.S.D and train on a regular basis under Master Roger Koo.
My perspective on his unique, because I have studied several different martial arts over the years, but always had trouble maintaining interest because I seemed to reach a personal plateau where I no longer felt challenged by the workout or confident in the validity of the techniques.
Like many, possibly even a majority of students, the exercise benefits and a wish to be prepared for a street self defense situation were the only reason to show up for class in the first place. Beyond that, it was just because of some silly contract.
What's wrong with "Karate"?
If I were to hand a resume to a mugger it would have a long list of styles listed: Hapkido, Traditional Tae Kwon-Do, Kwan Duk Kwan, and American Kickboxing Style Karate. (Green Belt, Blue Belt etc...)
While the thought of presenting one's credentials to a violent criminal might seem ludricrous, it is certainly no more ridiculous that expecting to align one's body at a precise angle and distance, so that a fist or weapon can be intercepted (almost as if by telepathy) with a "block". Then, referring to one step sparring maneuver number one hundred and seventeen, the Karate student delivers a "perfect" reverse punch to the two inch circle target area between the assailant's upper lip and nose, subduing him with a single blow? The attacker, of course, stood perfectly still and rooted to the ground, did not feint, follow up with a secondary blow or attempt to shield himself from the reverse punch.
If you believe that self defense can be prearranged, then you might as well believe that your colored belt has magic powers and makes you bulletproof.
How is K.S.D different from Karate & Other martial arts?
The first and most obvious difference is the appearance. The punches and stikes are round circular movements, all based on the "haymaker" type of blow.The traditional karate student, and even the kickboxer will be amazed that the very blow that they have been told not to use is the one that K.S.D begins with. Instead of trying to make traditional techniques softer and more natural, as the "neo-classical" styles do, Master Koo cultivates the student's instinctive responses, so that he/she may attain maximum power, as it it were second nature.
Kicking may be even more of a shock for those with previous expericnce, because simply wearing shoes while executing the techniques changes everything, including how the kick is initiated, the striking area of the foot etc...(as a traditional Tae Kwon-Do student, I was absolutely overwhelmed by the devastating power of K.S.D kicks... the very first kick that I learned was unlike any technique that I had ever seen, both in appearance and function, and most of all in power!)
The three biggest benefits of K.S.D
1) Physical Fitness
a) Aerobic training encompasses the first twenty minutes of training. There is no comparison to all other styles as it does not exists it in their curriculum.
b) The next twenty minutes are dedicated to stretching, breathing and balance exercises in a yoga format.
c) The final twenty minutes are all anaerobic, full speed drills into focus mitts and shields with extreme power, pushing the body to the limit.
2) Self Defense
a) No time wasted on blocking, since this only creates another target for the opponent. Dodge and counterstrike begins with the first class.
b) No technique is designed for physical beauty or form. Emphasis is on power through full and natural body movement.
c) Control is not emphasized... it is simply a bad habit that could get you killed on the street. Neither is time spent on exact targets..better to go after a moving target ith several blasts to general areas with a shogun that try and look down a riflescope and aim for a vital organ, right?
3) Stress Reduction
Since taking classes at K.S.D headquarters, I no longer suffer from the nervous and upset stomach or backaches that THIRTEEN years in the paint business have give me.
I have more energy that I have had at twenty five.
People around me, most of all my wife, have witnessed the positive impact that K.S.D has had on my life. I wish I could tell you how much weight I have lost, but since I don't own any scales and do not know my weight when I started training, all I can tell you is that I lost a lot!
Update September 27, 1999.
I am now a red belt with brown strips in K.S.D. Anyone reading this should know that my enthusiasm for the system remain at 100%. This is because the art has evolved and become something stronger and more challenging, a part of our lifestyle that Master Koo's serious students hope never to give up (we have progressed too far).
Our workout is now something not quite aerobic or anaerobic, but rather a superior hybrid combination of both. If I make it through a complete class without having to take a rest break, I consider it a true accomplishment. Ironically, if I "plateau" and start to feel comfortable with the routine, Master Koo will step up the tempo, forcing me to always exceed my own personal best.
The foundation of our style is the one constant in the system. We have realized that maximum power can only be attained by repeatedly hitting mitts, shields, etc. Master Koo changed my whole concept of terminology like "full contact" and "critical distance." I don't even know how to throw a punch at an imaginary target anymore.
I am asked a lot of questions by my friends about the system that I rate a perfect "10", so I thought it would be fun to giove people on the web a few lists of "10"s" about Koo Self Defense. (Without further delay, here they are)
WHAT KOO SELF DEFENSE IN NOT !
1) KATA (FORMS) - Even as I was writing my web page material for the first time (1998), Master Koo was in the process of eliminating yet another futile tradition.
2) ONE STEP SPARING - I have never believed that you could prearrange fighting. None of the scenarios allowed for the opponent adapting to your techniques (countering the counter).
3) BLOCKS - As Master Koo has said " If they work, then why don't professional boxers like Mike Tyson or street fighters use them instead of simply covering, dodging, and shielding? "
4) CONTROL ? - Why would anyone want to learn to stop or slow down a punch? It is almost comical that the karateka is told that stopping short of contact has any benefit whatsoever. (In K.S.D. , we believe "control" means learning to make contact with the desired target with the maximum possible force)
5) STANCE - All of the other style continue to alter and refine something that has no street value whatsoever. When will they realize that everyone's build is different, and that noone remains stationary in a fight except the loser.
6) APPEARANCE - Master Koo will NEVER criticize any student for the way his or her technique looks. He has repeatedly emphasized that all techniques become self corrrective upon perpetual contact with a solid practice target. He also is realistic enough to know that personal physiology affects the way a kick or punch will look (i.e., I am flat footed, so I stand a little differently that someone with a good arch).
7) CEREMONIAL - Very recently, master Koo discontinued yet another ancient tradition. We were told to stop bowing to our partner at the end of every set of drills, or upon slight discomfort or injury. The traditional bowing "Pil Sung" could become a habit that could get you killed in the street.
8) COMPETITIVE - We don't spar. We don't go to tournaments. There is no point scoring in real life. As Jackie Chan said in his book, I am Jackie Chan , "in a tournament, the first person to land a punch wins, but in the street the person who lands the last punch and is still standing is the winner!"
9) THEORETICAL - Master Koo broke his knuckles . He devoted his life to the martial arts. He learned the hard way so that we don't have to. He spent enough years in traditional, and neo-classical styles to learn why they didn't work.
10) CONDITIONAL - Survival can't be an algebraic formula of: Attacker A throws a left hand punch type Y, then you throw block type X etc. Blows will be exchanged ! You can;t count on anything to be expected, only on your power, speed, and conditioning from Koo Self Defense.
WHAT KOO SELF DEFENSE IS
1) A HIGH INTENSITY WORKOUT - Come try it for a couple of weeks or buy the K.S.D. video series. I dare anybody to say they didn't get their money's worth.
2) WELL BALANCED - Other forms of exercise can't compare. Where else can you get aerobic training, anaerobic training, flexibility, and work both fast twitch and slow twitch muscles at this level ?
3) ADAPTABLE - This is a critical tenant of the system. Since everyone does not share the same physiology or initial level of fitness, the workout has ben designed so that each individual can train at his/her own pace. The result can be proven when on observe 50+ year old students with no previous martial arts background. After only a few months of regular classes, they are able to perform at a level that fourteen and fifteen old novice students cannot maintain until they also have exercised at our studio for several weeks.
4) AGGRESSIVE - The best defense is an unmerciful offense. Master Koo teaches you to assume the role of the attacker when under assault.
5) REALISTIC - What will happen to you when your one-step technique fails ? I am already programmed to accept the fact that I will get hit. I might even lose. But one thing for sure, the other guy is going to know that he has been in a fight.
6) REVOLUTIONARY - As a student, Master Koo listended to what his teachers said, he learned it, refined it and then tested it. Not only he has dared to question the most widely accepted practices in other fighting arts (such as blocking), he has also proven how similar they are all really are. Koo Self Defense is not about modifying or "modernizing" techniques. It is about discarding the past and inventing the future of martial arts.
7) EVOLUTIONARY- I am amazed at how different our workout is today from when I started at the studio slightly over a year ago. The fundumentals of the art remain unchanged, but Master Koo continues to refine the exercise routine to make it better. He does not do this because of some new trend at a gym down the street, but rather because everyday he strives to make K.S.D. a better workout with enormous challenges.
8) PRACTICAL - It is refreshing to know that what I am doing in self corrective. While pushing me to the max, each technique is adaptable to my own anatomy and physiology. Master Koo has never tried to make any student believe that we are all created the same. His style is not customized to fit him, but rather customizable to fit the needs of each individual. (Individuality is not taken into consideration in traditional karate, allowing only those of specific athletic abilities to excel.)
9) FRATERNAL - I feel a closer bond to the people I work out with here in Cartersville that anywhere I have ever trained before. This is because of the non-competitive nature of what we do. Every student here wants to lend a helping hand to make his or her colleague achieve a personal best. Sadly, this feeling of teamwork was absent from other dojos I trained at in the past. The instructors allowed students to be roughhoused during free sparring, resulting in a loss of self esteem or a sense of over confidence. It is obvious to me now that many of these instructors were misguided individuals who had never been of any genuine concern to their own chief instructor. Learning to make friends is important whereas learning to "take a punch" is futile or a myth.
10) FUN - No wonder so may people drop out of Karate Studios after training only a short time. It is bad enough to get beaten-up, scolded and injured. Most studios put more emphasis on how to starch and press a uniform (gi or dobok), than on how to smile and be courteous. A most special thanks goes to master Koo for helping me learn how to enjoy the martial arts again. We stand at attention and bow with the beginning and end of each class only, but we also take time to say hello to our fellow students and engage in friendly conversation.
10 WAY TO COMPARE OTHER MARTIAL ARTS SCHOOLS TO KSD
1) THE PYRAMID SCHEMES - It starts with signing contracts, then it goes to selling extended contracts with new membership features. It ends with the student purchasing a dojo, paying royalty fees, testing fees.. Even selling merchandise unrelated to karate, so that his Master can skim off the top and make more profits. The only way for the student to survive is to find his own students and do the same thing. STAY AWAY FROM STUDIOS THAT EMPLOY THESE TACTICS.
2) "THIS IS HOW MASTER JOHN DOE SHOWED ME" - If after years of training your instructor can show 100% confidence in the very technique that he (or she) is teaching, it means that somewhere in the back of his mind he forced himself to accept something that he is not really all that sure about. Worship of the chief instructor helps create an atmosphere where the emphasis is on imitation. BLIND FAITH IS AN ELEMENT OF RELIGION, NOT A TENNANT OF HAND TO HAND COMBAT.
3) HOW DOES YOUR SIFU VIEW OTHER FIGHTING ARTS ?
Master Koo is totally honest that Western Boxing, Muay Thai, and other systems have many strong merits.. That is why we use many of the smae kick and punches, with other more street orientated elements added. DOES YOUR INSTRUCTOR ACKNOWLEDGE THE SIMILARITIES BETWEEN STYLES OR DOES HE POINT OUT THE MOST MINUTE TWO INCH ADJUSTMENT IN STANCE OR TARGETING AS THE FOUNDATION OF HIS STYLE ?
4) HOW MUCH RESEARCH DOES YOUR INSTRUCTOR DO ?
Master Koo constantly reviews other forms of martial arts and exercise in general. Does your instructor ? More importantly, if he found something new that worked better would he use it ? WITHOUT QUESTION, MASTER KOO WOULD ASSIMILATE ANY TECHNIQUE OR FORM OF EXERCISE THAT COULD BE USED TO IMPROVE K.S.D.
5) IS YOUR SIFU IN GOOD PHYSICAL CONDITION ?
This should be a "no-brainer". If the person teaching you is not fit, how can they help you become a better athlete ? BEWARE OF THOSE WHO DON'T PRACTICE WHAT THEY PREACH.
6) DOES YOUR MASTER EMPHASIZE THAT TRADITIONAL STYLE MUST BE LEARNED FIRST BEFORE PRACTICAL APPLICATION CAN BE IMPLEMENTED ?
Do you need to learn on a 386 computer before you use a Pentium? Does the U.S Army start soldiers off using single shot weapons ? WAKE UP ! THIS TYPE OF INSTRUCTORS DOES NOT HAVE THE ABILITY TO TEACH PRACTICAL APPLICATION, THAT IS THE REAL REASON FOR THE EMPHASIS ON TRADITION.
7) DO YOUR TECHNIQUES VARY OR APPEAR DIFFERENT IN ONE-STEP, SPARRING, OF FORMS ?
It took me far too long to come to the realization that blocks did not work in free sparring, and that the "control" factor made sparring unrealistic. As for one steps, does anyone really believe that fighting can be arranged (except for the movies) ? THEIR CAN BE ONLY ONE RIGHT WAY TO APPLY YOUR ART!
8) DO THE UPPER COLORED BELTS AT YOUR DOJO CONTINUE TO GET THE MAXIMUM WORKOUT?
Most studios are afraid that if the regular students begin to seat and breathe too hard, they might leave. Just as professional bodybuilders constantly vary their workout and shock their system, Master Koo never allows any student, even the black belt, to become comfortable with training. Every belt advancement mean an additional or more difficult set of drills. We never get "used to it" DO YOU WANT TO CONTINUE TO EXCEED YOUR OWN PERSONAL BEST, OR ARE YOU CONTENT WITH IMPRESSING THE YELLOW BELTS AT YOUR DOJANG ?
9) IF YOUR LIFE DEPENDED ON IT, AND YOU WERE SCARED OUT OF YOUR WITS, COULD YOU STILL EMPLOY YOUR ART ?
Most people are afraid to be honest about this. I realize now that I could have never have employed any of the pretty high kicks or complicated grappling techniques I was taught by my previous teachers. SELF DEFENSE MUST BE AUTOMATIC. TAKE TIME TO THINK AND YOU DIE !
10) DO YOU TRUST YOUR INSTRUCTOR AS A GENUINE FRIEND ?
This is the person that you quite literally are trusting with your life (if you ever need your art). I admire Roger Koo as a father, husband, businessman and member of my community. If I became physically incapacitated and could no longer train, I would keep in touch with him. I talk with him about other matters unrelated to martial arts. IF KARATE TRULY IS A WAY OF LIFE, THEN ALIGN YOURSELF WITH THOSE WHO LEAD AN ADMIRABLE LIFE.
