25.12.2009 / National technical course with Master Hwang Ho-yong

Last course in 2009

The next nationwide seminary with Master Hwang Ho-Yong took place in Nymburk on December, 19, 2009. It was not only the last seminary with the Master in this year but also the last before Master’s departure to Korea.
We moved to Nymburk in two cars (our in their Skoda, the rest of the group used a comfortable minivan). After a short ride we exchanged our clothes for well-ironed doboks in a tiny unisex cloakroom and went to the hall.
The seminary was attended by more than a hundred taekwondists from the whole Czech Republic and also by two guys from the Taekwondo Academy Slovakia. That amount filled the hall until its capacity and hence those in back rows probably hadn’t have enough space for exercising, good lookout to the front and sufficient acoustic conditions (estimated by my own experience while exercising approximately in the middle of the hall). Let it be a motivation for further training and gaining higher belt/degree and thus better place in the crowd.
The seminary was split into two two-hour blocks; the morning part was devoted to applications of basic techniques in pairs or triples (i.e. practicing skills known from patterns with an opponent), the afternoon part, that after finishing th
e morning stuff, were discussed some theoretical topics, especially the meaning of “DO” in Taekwondo.

In the morning we were practicing stepwise key techniques from pattern for color belts with their ongoing application in pairs/triples. In the first part after the lunch we finalized this exercise and followed up with theory. Master Hwang examined some of us on the Taekwondo tenets that should serve as a guide for each serious student. In case of any doubts those were closely explained. The final part of the session was spent with questions from the audience.

During both sessions Master Hwang emphasized potential mistakes and technical issues and explained the key principles of techniques (that was, by my opinion, very useful for everybody while we could remind many things that are sometimes silently overlooked). Let me note, for example, the importance of the “sine wave” or the explanation for the need of short in “sewo jirugi” and “doo palmok makgi” emphasized and explained by Master Hwang.

At the end of the seminary we had a possibility to take some group photos with Master Hwang (btw. it was a real challenge to form the right shape fitting everybody in the cameras lenses in the high number of people). You can check about hundred photos in the photo gallery.

By Pavel Loupal, January 10, 2010