youn wha ryu

QIGONG

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The Grandmaster Han schools are all over in my area. I too am from missouri. I do not mean to be disrespectful, but I am going to be honest. When people on this site begin talking about "McDojos", these are the schools that I think of and make my comments on. You will never be allowed to compete in an open tournament, you must buy everything through your school and it must have the Han's logo on it, you can only compete with other students within the Han system, and you had to sign a really big contract. These schools crop up in my area like starbucks on every corner. You will be a black belt within a few months.

The instructors from these schools go around to our public schools doing demonstrations for the students and when I see them, I am embarassed for them. It's terrible. Maybe it's just these instructors, but they were deemed worthy to teach at these Grandmaster Han schools. Whenever a student becomes a black belt they open up another school and let him teach there. It's like a chain restaraunt and they keep promoting managers, like McDonalds...


I think since each school varies as far as rank and file, it's easy enough for a couple bad seeds to put a negative label on a system - we might not be a "Han's" Youn Wha school but I've met people in the association who have a lot to offer and are really stepped up as far as being knowledgeable and being willing to devote time and effort to further my training. And I'm not a Han-Drone, I've studied different styles over the years and been to the worst of 'em... I wouldn't write off the whole organization/system because of that experience, although I do agree - first impressions are the most important! However our school doesn't seem to operate at all in the fashion that you explained (the ultra-fast promotions/contracts etc) although like I said, I can't speak for every school and it's instructors.
 

younwha86

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The Grandmaster Han schools are all over in my area. I too am from missouri. I do not mean to be disrespectful, but I am going to be honest. When people on this site begin talking about "McDojos", these are the schools that I think of and make my comments on. You will never be allowed to compete in an open tournament, you must buy everything through your school and it must have the Han's logo on it, you can only compete with other students within the Han system, and you had to sign a really big contract. These schools crop up in my area like starbucks on every corner. You will be a black belt within a few months.

The instructors from these schools go around to our public schools doing demonstrations for the students and when I see them, I am embarassed for them. It's terrible. Maybe it's just these instructors, but they were deemed worthy to teach at these Grandmaster Han schools. Whenever a student becomes a black belt they open up another school and let him teach there. It's like a chain restaraunt and they keep promoting managers, like McDonalds.

I'm sorry, and it really doesn't matter to me where you want to learn your martail arts, but if you want some really good stuff. Go check out Richard Osborns (Ozzie's Crew) there in Springfield. They're really top notch. I have competed against them, and they have some really good students.

The fact that you are asking these questions tells me that you already are a little skeptical of this school.


How about we get a few things straight.

The first tournament I competed in was an open tournament. Show Me State Games. A tournament with completely different sparring rules than how we spar. We spar heavy contact, this tournament was ITF style touch fighting. So maybe you can explain to me where you got the idea that we're not allowed to compete in open tournaments other than within our association?

"you must buy everything through your school and it must have the Han's logo on it"
--- my gloves that I use for sparring are UFC training gloves. As the gloves we use are basically identical to MMA style small oz. gloves. I use them for training, testing, and tournaments. So much for that claim

"you can only compete with other students within the Han system"
---- two weeks ago we cross trained with an ITF school for sparring. lol again, you lose.


"and you had to sign a really big contract"
----- i signed a one page paper for insurance purposes.

I have been training for 16 months now, and I'm a red belt. Considering I hold rank of brown belt with a black stripe in Chung Do Kwan and 2 years of kickboxing experience I moved up in rank faster than everyone in my division, passing a few people. Where's my black belt in a couple months?

People get their black belts and start teaching... uh yeah? Isn't that the purpose to martial arts? You train your mind and body, and part of your training is teaching.

Now for the sake of my enjoyment "Ozzies crew" let's compare shall we?

http://www.freewebs.com/ozziescrew/dads picture.JPG
that's "Grandmaster Ozzie"

http://www.younwha-az.com/sitebuilder/images/swordrev22-232x283_1_-249x311.jpg
Grandmaster Han

take your pick.
 

thetruth

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The Youn Wha Ryu system of martial arts is shrouded in mystery and legend. Grandmaster Han himself has stated that the actual facts of Youn Wha Ryu's history are unclear. He relates the story told to him by his Youn Wha Ryu master, Sae Chong Wang.

"Youn Wha was a legendary female martial artist living on a remote island in the Orient. She was a regognized master of alchemy and a highly skilled martial artist. Her beauty was as legendary as her skill level in the martial arts, and many highly proficient martial artists in the nations, knowing of her acclaimed beauty and skill, embarked on journeys to see her and train with her.
To reach her, the martial artists had to defeat and avoid traps that could maim and kill the unwary. It was only the best and the most highly skilled martial art masters that weathered these pitfalls and were rewarded with the opportunity to view the beautiful Youn Wha. Unbeknownst to these masters, Youn Wha would use her skills in alchemy to prevent these high level martial artists from leaving her island, by drugging their food and drink. As she was the only one who had the daily antidote, for the drug, those who left her fortress did not survive the traps. In this way, she required the masters to write down their secrets so she could gain the knowledge of their systems and train in the techniques. It is from these writings that the system of Youn Wha was formed. The Youn Wha system contains all high level techniques from all systems and is unique in that no other system contains so many high level principles in one training method."

The Youn Wha Ryu, therefore, is an advanced system of fighting techniques from almost every available style of martial art. Due to its complexity, Grandmaster Han integrated Tae Kwon Do into his teaching system.
Tae Kwon Do is considered a basis for Youn Wha Ryu and it can be learned by nearly anyone. Youn Wha Ryu, however, is extremely complex and requires several years of basic martial arts training before its concepts can be understood. Training in the Tae Kwon Do system that Grandmaster Han teaches enables his students to observe the weaknesses of their own personal styles and that of other martial art systems. Thus, students are well equipped to deal with any fighting method they may encounter.

.
Is this believable to you??? GIVE ME A BREAK!!!!! The fact that it makes claims about containing techniques from ALL martial arts just tells me it is a McDojo who is just trying to suck people in and take their money. What a ridiculous thing to claim.

Cheers
Sam
:asian:
 

tshadowchaser

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younwha86

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Is this believable to you??? GIVE ME A BREAK!!!!! The fact that it makes claims about containing techniques from ALL martial arts just tells me it is a McDojo who is just trying to suck people in and take their money. What a ridiculous thing to claim.

Cheers
Sam
:asian:


Show me a traditional martial art today that does not contain techniques from various martial arts. It's quite clear that the word all means general popular martial arts, wushu, shotokan, JJJ, Judo, etc...
 

YounWha

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I am a Youn Wha instructor that has trained in capoeira and USTF before training in Youn Wha. You need to not take everything you read so literal people. Go to a class - try it out - and then form your opinion - plain and simple. Again just to recap some false truths here:

1) We do NOT have contracts
2) We can compete in open tournaments
3) We can buy gear from outside the organization (I have)


I like training in this system because it's a true training art AND we do most of our advertisement by word of mouth. We also want to bring martial arts to towns and cities that are generally smaller because big "chain" martial art
schools won't go near the small towns and thats not fair.
Also - 90% of our instructors in my area have a full time job OUTSIDE
of teaching martial arts. Our instructors are not in it for the money because teaching martial arts will NOT pay the bills. Before I started teaching I knew that. I wanted to teach, I wanted to pass along knowledge...and that is what is expected - you do not become greedy in your training - you pass along your knowledge in some way.

Did you ever think that schools are opening up (in small towns) because it may be a GOOD system? Small towns generally can smell fraud coming a mile away and I think having schools in small communities allow a closer bond to your students.

We have flaws - but everyone does. This system is not for everyone - we know that. But don't take what you "translate" from just reading on the internet and go meet some of these people.

You want to get more info - I can give you my email address and I will try to answer any questions. BTW - I have been training in this style for 5 years.
 

allenjp

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Brown belt in 16 mos. huh? Sounds a little quick to me...combine that with that ridiculous story about the origin, and well, I'm not so sure but I think I smell some salmon in the oven.

BTW an alchemist is someone who tries to turn common metals into Gold or Silver. Not someone who makes potions and such. They can't even get their false stories right.
 

YounWha

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Brown belt in 16 mos. huh? Sounds a little quick to me...combine that with that ridiculous story about the origin, and well, I'm not so sure but I think I smell some salmon in the oven.

BTW an alchemist is someone who tries to turn common metals into Gold or Silver. Not someone who makes potions and such. They can't even get their false stories right.

Which story of origin are you talking about? GM Han or of Youn Wha?
If it's about Youn Wha - yeah it's a story, a legend, no one said it was a real event. Again don't be too literal in your reading.

But again any Joe Blow can talk smack about a martial art and never step inside a school. I say don't say anything and keep your mouth shut (too people in general - not focusing on one person here) until you take some classes.

It's like ATA - I know the people that teach in ATA. I have spoken with higher ups in their organization. I dated an instructor in ATA. I have seen their contracts. And I can say that organization is in it for the money as of right now. You know why - cause instructors of schools get commission on X number of students they have and X number of people they test. Now this is in Arkansas - the Headquaters of ATA.
Taken into all this is NOT saying their instructors are bad people in any way. Just the organization in general is just bad.
 

allenjp

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Fair enough...I would check out one of the schools, but I don't think there are any in Socal. But I make no apollogies for what I said. You have to understand the kind of patent BS that we get around here. And with stories of mystical alchemist princesses tricking all of the world's MA masters into giving up their secrets, well...you get the point.
 

YounWha

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Fair enough...I would check out one of the schools, but I don't think there are any in Socal. But I make no apollogies for what I said. You have to understand the kind of patent BS that we get around here. And with stories of mystical alchemist princesses tricking all of the world's MA masters into giving up their secrets, well...you get the point.

I do understand -
Remember that word, written or spoke, correct or incorrect, has collapsed
nations and built empires. I just get heated up with incorrect information is passed from non-reliable people that have nothing to do with the subject. And yet many people will listen to that one person...craziness.

There is a school out in California - it was started by a student that trained in Arkansas (I know her personally). I think it's around Berkeley.
 

jks9199

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Why should it be necessary to invent such a fantastic tale?

I know the origins of my style; I know when and why it went through several changes and restructuring events. While parts are descended from a temple-style martial art used by monks, other parts were developed in particular regions by the people living and defending themselves there. All of this was later combined and systematized into the modern style, including influences from the West, like boxing and wrestling. No fancy stories, no pipe dreams of stolen techniques.

If someone feels a need to come up with that sort of thing, I've got to wonder why. Why not simply say "I studied X-do, Y-jitsu, and Z-tao, and used my own experience to combine them into what I teach today." I may question whether you really needed to combine them or whether your combination is as valid as you think -- but it's an honest statement.
 

Josh Oakley

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Brown belt in 16 mos. huh? Sounds a little quick to me...combine that with that ridiculous story about the origin, and well, I'm not so sure but I think I smell some salmon in the oven.

BTW an alchemist is someone who tries to turn common metals into Gold or Silver. Not someone who makes potions and such. They can't even get their false stories right.


actually that's not true about the alchemy thing.
 

YounWha

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Why should it be necessary to invent such a fantastic tale?

If someone feels a need to come up with that sort of thing, I've got to wonder why. Why not simply say "I studied X-do, Y-jitsu, and Z-tao, and used my own experience to combine them into what I teach today." I may question whether you really needed to combine them or whether your combination is as valid as you think -- but it's an honest statement.

GM Han did not invent the story. It was told to him by one of his instructors. Again - it's a story. It's kind of like the bed time stories parents tell their kids. Anyway - talking about this is beating a dead horse. I don't repeat this story to my students but maybe once and I tell them that it's a "story- not true - a legend - a myth".

Our training is not mystical or holy or whatever. Maybe the misconception is that we are like the Dim Mak guys that say they can hit you and kill you with one tap of the finger.

We train like many Korean styles train. We practice judo techniques and hapkido techniques. We also practice chinese style punching drills. No smoke and mirrors - no mystical hokey pokey.

Many people seem to be dancing around what they read and "interpret" over the internet. And think about how people reacted when TKD first came to the United States...about how people "said" it was not effective and it looked stupid and many other things I am sure. But it took time to establish and for people to see it for what it truly was. We are such hipocrits when it comes to new things being introduced.

All in all I will continue to train/teach and we will continue to grow IF we stay true to ourselves and our style. One day when we are "established" and the truth is revealed then that may make some of you at ease. But there will still be those who say this or that online. But saying anything online is not hurting the growth of this organization.
 

YounWha

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actually that's not true about the alchemy thing.

Agreed -
Look up a defnition of alchemy
.
  1. A medieval chemical philosophy having as its asserted aims the transmutation of base metals into gold, the discovery of the panacea, and the preparation of the elixir of longevity.
  2. A seemingly magical power or process of transmuting: “He wondered by what alchemy it was changed, so that what sickened him one hour, maddened him with hunger the next” (Marjorie K. Rawlings).
The elixir of longevity is a "potion".
 

Josh Oakley

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Chinese Alchemists focused more on medicines. Europeans focused on lead turning into gold. BOTH, whoever, had their hands in many things: tincturesm potions, glassworks, extracts, essences, and liquors. Especially liquors.
 

Brian S

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Which story of origin are you talking about? GM Han or of Youn Wha?
If it's about Youn Wha - yeah it's a story, a legend, no one said it was a real event. Again don't be too literal in your reading.

But again any Joe Blow can talk smack about a martial art and never step inside a school. I say don't say anything and keep your mouth shut (too people in general - not focusing on one person here) until you take some classes.

It's like ATA - I know the people that teach in ATA. I have spoken with higher ups in their organization. I dated an instructor in ATA. I have seen their contracts. And I can say that organization is in it for the money as of right now. You know why - cause instructors of schools get commission on X number of students they have and X number of people they test. Now this is in Arkansas - the Headquaters of ATA.
Taken into all this is NOT saying their instructors are bad people in any way. Just the organization in general is just bad.

I'm in Rogers,AR. Where are you located? I'd like to come by your school and check it out!
 

Daniel Sullivan

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Why should it be necessary to invent such a fantastic tale?

I know the origins of my style; I know when and why it went through several changes and restructuring events. While parts are descended from a temple-style martial art used by monks, other parts were developed in particular regions by the people living and defending themselves there. All of this was later combined and systematized into the modern style, including influences from the West, like boxing and wrestling. No fancy stories, no pipe dreams of stolen techniques.

If someone feels a need to come up with that sort of thing, I've got to wonder why. Why not simply say "I studied X-do, Y-jitsu, and Z-tao, and used my own experience to combine them into what I teach today." I may question whether you really needed to combine them or whether your combination is as valid as you think -- but it's an honest statement.
Sadly, fabricated history is also seen in several other martial arts. As a TKD practitioner, I can't really throw stones, as the KKW claims on their site that taekwondo is 2000 years old, somehow forgetting about the shotokan ranks that taekwondo's founders had.

The style does sound interesting, and if any schools pop up in my area, I'll definitely go look just to see what its about.

The origin story would make the basis of a kickin' martial arts movie. And I am not in any way being flipant or sarcastic in saying that.

Daniel
 

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