For those who may have never heard of the Art of Tang Soo Do, it is a Korean Martial Art, and came to Korea from the Shaolin Temple in China . Not nearly as pretty as Kung Fu, Shotokan, Kempo or even Aikido but very effective just the same. Tang So Do means "The Way of the Knife Hand." It is the Korean National Martial Art. Tae-kwon Do is the Korean National sport, and is a combination of several Martial Arts.
The following article was written for the Alaska World Tang Soo Do newsletter. dated April 1993. I have edited it some, and included some of the Korean terminology for particular items.
Although I was still very much a beginner when I wrote this, the principals and conduct of routine exercises began to show me a "New Way" or a "New Me" as I discovered what Pyang Ahn really is - The confidence in yourself to face whatever is out there, with the best possible defense at your disposal.
I was once prepared, qualified and competed Internationally as a Cho Dan Bo - Dark Blue Belt (Candidate for the Black Belt test) in 1994.
I bid you, 'Ko Map Sum Ni Da' (Thank You, Very Much) and 'Shominaio' (You Are Most Welcome.)
Gundogsnorth - 2006
" PYANG AHN "
WHAT IT MEANS TO A BEGINNER
Over the years, I'm sure, there have been countless articles and lectures presented by the MASTERS and the DAN's, (Black Belts) hundreds of demonstrations and lectures presented by the same on what PYANG AHN is, what it means and where it will lead us. All concerned the Do's, Don't (s,) Why's and Why Not's from this same perspective.
What I'd like to present here, is what Pyang Ahn is or offers to us from a beginners point of view. Perhaps this perspective will help us to see how this technique applies to us as we grow into Tang Soo Do and continue beyond our present abilities.
The Masters and the Dan's all tell us that Pyang Ahn means calm and relaxation, confident and sure, or at ease. These are the things we are supposed to learn as we go along, and continue to grow in our chosen Martial Art. We are told that we must seek that level of calm, confident, relaxed surety about ourselves and our abilitiies so that when we have reached our maturity in the Martial Arts, it will already be a part of us.
However, as we begin to sprout our initial roots as an Orange Belt from the 'seed', White Belt, we are fortunate to be given the opportunity to learn and practice the forms (Hyungs) that are designed to teach Pyang Ahn, and thus are given an extraordinary glimpse of what is in store for us as we continue to progress toward our ultimate goal of attaining the Dan, or the Masters Belt.
During this initial stage of growth, all of the techniques that we have learned, all of the hours of practice and instruction in the Dojang (Practice Hall or Studio) and at home, all of the forms and terminology begins to fall into place. It is during this stage that we begin to achieve a new style. We've learned to say "I CAN DO THAT!" and not, "I CAN'T!,"
We also learned that we've become somewhat more graceful in our performance rather than being "Granite Stiff" in our exercises. This modest amount of grace, along with better technique, better control, more power, greater accuracy and speed begins to show our instructors where we are headed as Martial Artists. "Wow! When did I learn that?", is a phrase recently overheard from the mouth of an Orange Belt. "I can do that, too!", came from a fellow Green Belt. Both statements are indicative of our new growth. Our drive toward the DAN has definitely begun.
It seems that even though we are just beginning students of Tang Soo Do, maybe a year or so invested so far, we are beginning to show our potential and we are consistently growing more confident in ourselves and our abilities, more relaxed with our style and our awareness of the new us.
What? You mean we are actually beginning to display and develop a sense of Pyang Ahn? But, we didn't even know what it meant! How could this happen? These are the questions that race through our minds. The answer, from that old television show "Kung Fu" - Ah So, Grasshopper, You begin to see what was before invisible! Very Good! You're learning!
Calm, relaxation, confidence, readiness, knowing within one's self that you are confident in your ability, technique, your knowledge of the Tang Soo Do principles, tenents, and codes which we all strive to abide by. These things begin Pyang Ahn for you, and in you. You may not be a Master or a Dan, yet, but you are something more than you were a short time ago. You are growing, and in growing you are beginning to demonstrate Pyang Ahn.
Obviously, there is much yet to be learned about the Art of Tang Soo Do, and more yet to be learned about the concept of Pyang Ahn. The forms (Hyungs) that we learn as we progress will help us to develop strength with relaxation, calmness with power and speed. Through our practice of the principals of Pyang Ahn, we will surely develop a confident, ready, relaxed and capable attitude; an inner peace if you will, light-years away it sometimes seems, that will enable us as future Dan's and Masters, we hope, to teach our students this same Pyang Ahn principle as our instructors (Sah Bum Nim's) do for us now.
Pyang Ahn seems to be an almost perfect way to approach life's troubles. I just didn't know that I'd find it in a particular set of forms, or a Martial Art called TANG SOO DO.
TANG SOO! (Traditional Salutation)
Submitted by
Richard (Rick) Taylor
6th Gup - Green Belt (2nd)
Fairbanks World Tang Soo Do
Fairbanks, AK
April 1993
