Tkd by video

[TrueJim]

By the way, GM Kang Jaejin and Master Kang Suji did a video series together about poomsae. The audio is only in Korean, but the subtitles are a simplified version in English. It's worth a watch even if you can't understand the audio just for seeing Suji demonstrate everyone of the poomsae! She's a special kind of athlete.

Master Kang Suji also coached the guy who does the day-to-day teaching in our dojang:

Or as somebody in this thread referred to him, our Hipster Master. (And the voice in that video is our kwanjangnim, one of the earliest K-Tigers -- which is why I'm going to be having a couple K-Tigers sleeping in my spare room when they visit the U.S. in August.)

 

[Gwai Lo Dan]

Master Kang Suji also coached the guy who does the day-to-day teaching in our dojang:

Or as somebody in this thread referred to him, our Hipster Master. (And the voice in that video is our kwanjangnim, one of the earliest K-Tigers -- which is why I'm going to be having a couple K-Tigers sleeping in my spare room when they visit the U.S. in August.)

OK seeing this guy, I know I suck.

 

[TrueJim]

OK seeing this guy, I know I suck.

The last couple of years I've kinda had to immerse myself in the world of sports poomsae. (Our school fields at team that competes at Nationals, and I sometimes pitch-in to try to help with their training.) Being steeped in this stuff lately, a couple of observations:

1. A year or two ago I would have looked at that poomsae and though, "That's absolute perfection - I don't think it's possible for a human being to do Koryo better than that." But then you watch the ~20-year olds at Nationals (or higher), and you're like: "Holy cow...they're even better!"

2. When you get to the very upper-tier of competition, it's amazing the nuances you're supposed to be looking for, and how those nuances change from season to season, or from country to country...like fashion. I find the "fashion" aspect of this annoying in fact. Like: suppose you're doing an opening block (i.e., a wedging block) -- which hand do you chamber on the outside? A couple years ago, I thought it was the hand that's on the side of the moving foot -- but now I'm told it's the hand on the side of which foot is in front (which isn't always the same thing). Apparently that sort of nuance can change from season to season, and athletes have to keep up with the latest fashions and adjust their muscle-memory accordingly. This is what made me a fan of the new Kukkiwon competition poomsae -- I wish sports poomsae competition would return to: "Can the athlete even do this movement at all" instead of "Has the athlete kept up with the latest fashions."

 

[Gwai Lo Dan]

. Like: suppose you're doing an opening block (i.e., a wedging block) -- which hand do you chamber on the outside? A couple years ago, I thought it was the hand that's on the side of the moving foot -- but now I'm told it's the hand on the side of which foot is in front (which isn't always the same thing).

I found the same thing in terms of techniques I am learning for my 2nd dan test. One instructor said one thing, one Master said another (hand corresponding to the lead foot on the outside).

In terms of poomsae, for whatever reason, front kicks are emphasised, so front flexibility is more important. I am far tighter to the front-to-front than to the side-to-side, so my poomsae is not going to look like the videos with high front kicks (and for other reasons of course!).