Last weekend I attended the 2010 Moo Do Festival in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. There were about 800 Soo Bahk Do practitioners in attendance. The weekend was jam packed with seminars, demonstrations, competitions, and chances to reunite with old friends and create new ones. I competed in the Sa Dan (4th Dan) division in Hyung (forms) and got 2nd place. I was pleased with the results and realize that I need work in making sure that my techniques are standardized.
During the festival, there was some new information about the philosophy of Soo Bahk Do. I helped Sa Bom Nim Jang compile it into essay form and will be posting it online soon so stay tuned. It was also announced that Sa Bom Nim Moonitz was promoted to 8th Dan and Sa Bom Nim Martinov to 9th Dan. Both of these masters are in our Soo Bahk Do lineage. Congratulations to both of them for their dedication and accomplishments. Without them, none of us would be training in this art.
I was also nominated by Gibbons Sa Bom Nim, our Regional Examiner, to represent Region 8 as a Youth Ambassador. I’m not completely sure what that means yet, but all 10 of us demonstrated during the opening ceremony of the Festival. We trained the day before very hard in preparation and it was a good chance to meet the other ambassadors and create relationships with them. I was honored to be counted as one of them. Many were school owners and all of them were dedicated to the art. Below is our demonstration. I think a lot of what the Youth Ambassador program is designed to inspire, teach, and lead the Soo Bahk Do youth to do great things in their young martial art career.
I hope to post more videos and photos of Nationals here soon so check back often. The other one I’d like to show is Steyer Sa Bom Nim’s demonstration of the Moo Yei Do Bo Tong Ji and Moo Pahl Dan Kuhm. He and his partner were the champions in the Ko Dan ja pre-sequenced sparring demonstration. Can you see the Pal Gwe in the demonstration?
