KSW newbie...

**Decadoice** · Posted On: 4/14/2010 9:15am

So i've recently (past 3 months) started training in Kuk Sool.

To be honest, TMA's aren't really my thing, but the closest MMA gym is 2 train rides away each direction, and i don't drive =P

In saying that, The instruction here seems really solid. The conditioning is a bitch and the leg work is murder.

The joint locks seem pretty basic, but my instructor is more than open to modification of the techniques. When i asked him about the practical application of the forms he told me they were good for stretching and getting you used to learning to distribute your weight in certain ways, but that they're not something you should learn and then try to act out in an actual fight, which seems fair enough.

Sparring takes place 1-2 times a week, and contact is essentially left between partners to decide. usually i spar with the yellow/blue belts and we go about 80%, unless we're doing kicking only in which case i tend to go much slower (Because i can't throw above waist height kicks for ****)

We also do grappling sparring (from the knees) And my instructor seems to have a pretty solid knowledge of BJJ. I've read quite a few books on it, and watched plenty of vids on it as well. Ground fighting doesn't seem to be the strong point of KSW though - I can tap half of the black belts in there using nothing more than solid positioning and armbar/triangles from the bottom and kimura/americana's from side mount.

Seems not to be a focus since the european/UK KSW competitions don't have grappling included (boo)

Instructor said that take downs do come into it after red belt, but a lot of it is flips and throws, so learning to take a fall is essential (thats why it waits till red belt) Apparently some korean wrestling is mixed in (seems similar to greco-roman clinch work) But that it's not neccesarily part of the syllabus.

A lot of the hand strikes i've been shown are pretty much identical to what i learned in my brief time doing boxing training before the gym doing it closed. Difference is in the footwork, but the basic principles are all the same.

The techniques (wrist locks etc) are all taught non-resistive, but the instructors have no problem showing you how to combat resisting techniques, and allow you to practice those.

So, thats my experience of Kuk Sool at the place close to me. I have a suspicion that some of what we are taught isn't part of the KSW cirriculum, and from what i've read on here that's frowned upon, so i'll avoid giving names just in case.

Just wanted to know what your opinion was of this particular place, if you think KSW on the whole i just too stupid/restrictive and i should go elsewhere, or if you think this place is open enough and sounds like a good thing.

My previous experience:

3 months of Karate when i was about 9
About a dozen lessons (i use the term loosely) in a boxing gym
A shitload of BJJ videos and books watched/read (and a pretty decent technical understanding of it)
Some sparring with friends who had trained in some martial arts (Judo black belt, TKD black belt)

That will give you an idea of how qualifid i am to judge this stuff i guess =P

Please feel free to ask me any questions if it'll help you gauge how useful the place is, It's members and my instructor have one quite a few European/UK championships in KSW, for what that's worth =P

Thoughts/Advice/Opinions/Questions?

**jkdbuck76** · Posted On: 4/26/2010 10:18pm

Who is the instructor? Not Darren Hart is it?

**Decadoice** · Posted On: 5/02/2010 7:00am

Originally Posted by jkdbuck76

Who is the instructor? Not Darren Hart is it?

Nope, though he has trained at our school and hits like a train in sparring haha.

**jkdbuck76** · Posted On: 5/15/2010 12:59pm

I've met him. He was nice to me. But I've heard other people on this board say that he is a real douche captain.

***DerAuslander*** · Posted On: 5/15/2010 2:19pm

"Douche captain"?

I like it.

**jkdbuck76** · Posted On: 5/16/2010 9:42pm

You may use, my brother.

Douche hat.
Douche baron.
Douche nozzle.

**averykess** · Posted On: 12/03/2010 4:41pm

If the World Kuk Sool Association catches wind that there is a school teaching non-approved techniques (the BJJ stuff you mentioned) there could be some trouble. They are very strict on what they allow in to be taught by their franchisees.

**Wolf** · Posted On: 12/11/2010 8:57am

Jan Butler's been teaching BJJ with it for years (or at least up until I left KSW). It was always just called "groundfighting," but it's textbook BJJ. The WKSA knows about it for sure as well.