Humor

This post is not specifically rank advancement related, but sometimes these serious blogs need comic relief.

When you look at martial arts through our American culture eyes, there are some things that are kind of funny--funny in the way we laugh at awkwardness. I mean, we run around in white outfits that don't necessarily fit us properly, as we learn stuff we may move with all the gracefulness of a foal taking its first steps and we shout these guttural sounds while we do it. Then there is the counting in Korean (badly). It's kind of funny.

So, about a year ago I was thinking about our one step sparring drills. It occurred to me that when you start these drills it is kind of like a knock-knock joke. The attacker steps back in a specifically outlined preparation for attack and kihaps to single that he/she is ready to attack. The attack can proceed when the defender kihaps. However, the defender does not have to kihap until he/she is ready. In that way, one steps are like a knock-knock joke.

In that joke, the "who's there?" person holds all the power. The joke cannot go on without that question. Similarly, the defender in a one-step exercise holds all the power. The exercise cannot proceed without that second kihap.

So, next time you are doing one-steps, think "knock knock". It's funny.