Tiger Kum Do class at Hughes

Master Hughes has started a new swords class, Tiger Kum Do, for children. It meets Tues and Thurs from 6:45-7:30. The students are learning some simple strikes and blocks, as well as doing forms and sparring!

Here they are practicing simple combinations:




They also like hitting the dummy--it doesn't hit back!


For sparring, the students wear helmets with face guards, mitts, and hogu (the chest protector. They use swords made of flexible PVC covered with a thick layer of foam so they can whack away at each other and not get hurt. Boys seem to love this!



Master Hughes sometimes spars with the students. Below is a movie you can watch of one of these sparring matches. Note that Master Hughes lets Larson, the boy in the match, score some points. He told me that not all teachers let students score on them in a match--out of pride. "But how else is he going to learn?" asked Master Hughes.

I'm glad to be at a school where teachers put pride aside and let us "score on them" now and then to increase our experience and self-confidence.

To view the movie, click on the link below. You'll need a good connection and a Quicktime player (it can be downloaded after you click if you don't have it)

Enjoy this movie of Master Hughes and Larson sparring in Kum Do class!