All, I've read most if not all of the Kuk Sool Won threads on the site, and I definitely understand much of the criticism and would normally fall 100% in line with many of those concerns.

Here's the thing. Where I live my options are extremely limited. If I were to drive an hour-and-a-half each way, I would have more options, but frankly that's not much of an option for me at this point in my life, certainly not with enough frequency to get good training.

My choices within 45 minutes are almost all Tae Kwon Do, and I have little to no interest in Tae Kwon Do. I would rather be studying a more traditional art like judo or kung fu, but I don't have those choices. Alternatively, I might even rather be studying something like BJJ which is not traditional but seems to offer a bit more more fight-readiness.

When I lived for a while in another location with limited options, I was able to study aikido. While not especially fight-ready, I did at least appreciate the benefits to my overall physical and mental well-being, and picked up a few things that I can apply defensively.

Acknowledging all the downsides to Kuk Sool Won, do you see any value you in it as a place holder until my options change? No, I don't expect to come out ready to brawl, but it seems like it still offers many of the health benefits of martial arts study and that there would be some techniques and principles that might give me a few more tools for my defense bag.

In my circumstances do you see Kuk Sool Won as an okay option for me to enter with eyes open, or do you think the negative baggage is just too much to make it worth while?

Where do you live? These posts come up all the time, and no one ever seems to list where they live! It's better to get people looking into your area to find a good place than to try to get people to accept a bad compromise based on what you've been able to locate yourself.

I live in the middle of nowhere in central Indiana.

For what it's worth, just about halfway between Indianapolis and Fort Wayne.

I would rather be studying a more traditional art like judo or kung fu,

Really, why? Which traditions in particular do you find attractive?

Generally speaking, I am attracted to the deep roots of traditional styles because of personal satisfaction in connecting to the history but also because I (perhaps misguidedly) see value in having stood the test of time and having been refined through generations of masters.

More specifically, I appreciate a mixture of soft and hard, inner and outer. I like the discipline of forms, but I would prefer it to be combined with true fight-readiness. That said, I do like the balance that a modern art like hapkido offers between strikes and locks/throws. In an ideal world if I were an ideal me, I would love to cross-trainin shaolin kung fu and judo, but I don't see that happening any time soon.

Thanks for being patient with me.

Boxing is hundreds of years old. Wrestling is older than speech. But if you get off on the idea that it's traditional then I can see that only a certain kind of school will appeal to you. Combat sports are continually being refined whereas non competitive "arts" either don't change or allow absolutely any crap in because there's no reality check to cull the crap.

This is noobietown, we have to be nice.

For what it's worth, just about halfway between Indianapolis and Fort Wayne.

Can you be more specific? It looks like there are a couple of judo places in between the two, but given that I don't know how far off the highway you are, or where "halfway" actually puts you, I can't help out any more than that.

Besides, even the ancient Egyptians practiced judo. I mean, just look:

http://www.wirraljudoclub.com/News/Entries/2009/4/20_Ancient_Egyptian_Wrestling,_20_04_09_files/makkikomiold.jpg

and:

http://www.wirraljudoclub.com/News/Entries/2009/4/20_Ancient_Egyptian_Wrestling,_20_04_09_files/tominagi.jpg

I'm not sure I get off on it... but okay.

At any rate, I did indicate that I'd pursue BJJ or something like that if it were available here as an alternative, but everything here is TKD, except for one Kuk Sool Won school with a good reputation (I'll be visiting them soon to see firsthand). There are two schools that bill themselves as MMA training, but in reality only teach TKD.

In all honestly, there is one Shorin-Ryu school, but it has an iffy reputation.

U1ysses, I'm in the town of Upland, which is about ten minutes from I-69, about 55 miles up the interstate from the northern-most side of Indianapolis and about 45 miles from the southern-most side of Fort Wayne.

How far are these guys from you?

http://marionjudo.datapitstop.us/cgi.exe

or:

http://judanjudo.datapitstop.us/

?

U1ysses, thanks for the links. I haven't driven to Portland in years, but I think it's about an hour and a half. I'll double-check, though. The first link you sent, though, is pretty close to me. In my past experience police athletic leagues have not seemed to offer much for adults, but I will check with them anyway.

The Marion place looks pretty promising. You could probably try them out for free for a class or two (most judo places are friendly about this) and it looks like they've got kyu grades from age 5 to 55 in their scrapbook gallery, so I'd say worth checking out. You can check out the Kuk Sool Wan place, too, of course -- I just figured it would be worth checking other options so you wouldn't feel trapped in one place or another.

I definitely appreciate it. I know I sound like I'm sort of wandering around half-blind, but in a way I am. That's what makes me a n00b. lol

Thanks again.

U1ysses, I'm in the town of Upland, which is about ten minutes from I-69, about 55 miles up the interstate from the northern-most side of Indianapolis and about 45 miles from the southern-most side of Fort Wayne.

Upland. The home of Taylor University.

I grew up just south of Richmond.

Son, yo' ass IS in the middle of nowhere.
Kuk Sool, eh? The guy in Muncie? Ken Ring?
Avoid the kuk00l. Just my personal advice.

Find the judo school.