First Post!

Wow.. So here it is.. my first BLOG post. You know there was a time when I never would have considered writing a blog. Now though... it seems like a good way to air my thoughts and such.



The primary decision for this blog however was to chronicle my advance through Haidong Gumdo. Please note that I will try not to make mention of anything regarding the dojang (school) or other students and masters. This blog is strictly my thoughts and observations about martial arts in general and specifically about Gumdo.



Secondary to this reason, I will most likely also use this space as a sounding board regarding my writing and sometimes just random thoughts.



So I'm sure the handful of people who are directed to this site (or perhaps who stumble onto it) are wondering who I am.



Well, I'm a late thirties Korean-American adoptee. From a martial arts stand point I've been a practitioner since I was six. I started in Tae Kwon Do but changed styles a number of times as my family moved from state to state and city to city. Tae Kwon Do, Kung Fu, Wado Ryu, Shotokon, Kempo, American Karate... I forget sometimes how many styles I've been in. After all of my experiences I've become a big believer in individuals finding a style that fits them rather than trying to fit into a style.



What do I like about Gumdo? Well, for starters its all new to me. With all of the styles I've been in I've always felt that I've got nothing new to learn, that in order to get to a point that I might start learning something new again, I have to grind my way through every belt color again, waiting for the appropriate amount of time to pass, paying my monthly fees, and not being motivated by the prospect of coming into each class and learning something brand new. I've never taken a pure weapon style before and that means that every class I go to I'm learning something new, I'm discovering something I didn't know before, either about myself or about the sword. Not to mention the fact that as part of my heritage Gumdo appeals more to me than Kendo does.

Well, I think that's enough rambling for my first post.

Have a great day everyone!