Swimming to Fitness

Anti Social Behaviour! (Grr!) It’s amazing just how fast you can lose your fitness and how soon you can feel a difference. I haven't been going training, swimming etc to stay at home with the family. Consequently, last night saw me struggling in class with my balance, breathing and generally getting tired.

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OK, so last night was a really good lesson – we went through again some of the stuff we already thought we knew only in more detail. Hard work really, doing the same stuff over and over, but I think it will be well worth it.

The Escrima Sticks are very useful – I can use them in a fairly small place – since they are much shorter than a Mokkum.

Escrima Sticks?

I’m hoping this latest purchase – Escrima Sticks - will help my training schedule along just fine. I bought them off eBay for £2.99 and they look and feel great.

The plan is not to take up Escrima – a Filipino Martial Art (?) but just to use them to help me co-ordinate my body, in particular my hands, wrists and arms which quite often travel in the completely opposite way to which I told them to!

I’ll let you know the outcome, good or bad.

Handforged Swords

Buying a sword and all the related equipment, sword stands, cleaning and maintenance kits, and gaining all sorts of knowledge about how to fix things must always be difficult for a novice. What do you do if your hand grip wrapping comes off?

My first serious problem occurred when I was cleaning and polishing my practice sword and noticed I had a spot of rust on the blade. I polish my sword almost every time I use it but it must have become wet or damp somehow when I put it away – and when I got it out again there it was, rust! Arrrrrg!

So I need another special mention for one very helpful Rod Waterhouse of RGW Handforged Katanas, the place I purchased my very first ‘Kakum’ sword from. Rod is very knowledgeable and happy to share his knowledge. His web site is http://www.rgwhandforgedkatanas.co.uk/ and you can also arrange to meet him to ‘try’ a sword before you buy.

I got the spot of rust out by the way without any problems and have added a few more Haedong Kumdo skills to my bow (!) which are not in the book.

Mokkum and Kum Chib

Got one! A Mokkum and Kum Chib – really nice wooden training equipment – just perfect for Haedong Kumdo. My grateful thanks to Paul Long whom I met at a training seminar held by Master Mark Adlington in Sawtry, UK.

I think the total cost, including postage was £25.00 and you can get one from http://www.playwell.co.uk/ obviously subject to availability, price changes etc.

Absolutely invaluable for training and everything I thought it would be!

Guide Book - Vol 1

Haedong! Bought a book – “Haedong Kumdo – The Ultimate Guide to the Korean Sword Martial Art. Volume 1.” ISBN # 978-0-620-38112-3. Price £15.00.

Fantastic reading, in English, and includes all that is to come in the syllabus up to 1st Dan. See the Student Resources links for more details.

Mokkum and Kum Chib

Hi again, Haedong!

I’ve been doing some thinking about my training and progress to date and have decided to make some changes. The Mokkom I started with in January is fine but it is a little small and too light for me. I also feel I should train with a Kum Chib (scabbard) to help me get the draw ‘angles’ correct.

Having had an opportunity to play with a real sword (and scabbard), it’s just not the same as a wooden sword slid into your belt – and you have to put a real sword back into the right place too!

Unfortunately nobody has heard of anyone who makes one or has one in Peterborough and it may take some time to find something suitable. However, I just know this will become important if I am to progress.