Three-step Sparring: White Belt, #1

After stepping to the side, the defender loads to block and strike.
Block the punch with the left hand, strike with the right to the abdomen.
Load again, quickly
Block the punch and strike to the face. Loud kiap.

Three-step sparring: White Belt #2

After stepping to the side, defender loads to strike and block. Knife-hand strike to block punch and to back of neck.
Grab back of the neck and pull down. Knee to abdomen.

Three-Step Sparring: White belt #3

After stepping to the side, defender steps over attacker's right leg . . .
while blocking the punch with an ouside-inside block.
Left fist goes into right palm.
Elbow strike with left elbow to abdomen.

Three-Step Sparring: White Belt #5

After stepping to the side, block and grab right arm
Step over left leg while bending attacker's right arm. Grab the arm at the elbow, pull down by your side, and turn it toward you, throwing attacker off balance.
Continue the throw over your right leg. Side kick and punch while attacker is down.

Three-step Sparring: White belt #6

#6 and 7 Begin with the defender stepping back with the LEFT leg and blocking with the RIGHT arm. In the above photo, the defender steps to the left, pushing the attacker's arm away using the left hand. Punch to ribcage with right fist . . .
Punch to ribcage with left fist. Loud kihap.

Three step sparring: White Belt #7

Defender steps to the left to avoid punch, grabs attacker's wrist with right hand.
Defender firmly grabs attacker with left hand, inserting thumb high into armpit while wrenching arm backward. Attacker's hand should rest on defender's left shoulder.
Defender uses right knee to smash face or exposed chest of attacker.

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!