Dear Members,

I hope this message finds you and your family in the best of health and holiday spirits. I am writing to share a few thoughts with you during this holiday season and as we approach the end of 2009 and the beginning of 2010.

Ji Min’s being away at her first year of college was a big change for my family. When she came home for Thanksgiving it made our family dinner very special.

25 participants including candidates, visitors, and officials attended the 2009 USA Ko Dan Ja Shim Sa at Ramona, California August 28 to September 4, 2009.

The WMDK TAC has recently revised the Ko Dan Ja Shim Sa evaluation process based on the concept of Oneness and PCA. The revisions were based on the following concepts:

• Picture: The KDJSS shall provide a clearer picture to candidates about what is Moo Do.
• Connection: Candidates strive to connect the picture to their training throughout the week.
• Application: Candidates are given 4-6 months (depending on countries) for contemplating and applying what they have learned to in their daily life while strengthening any areas for which they received feedback from TAC officials during the KDJSS week.

  The Ko Dan Ja Candidate’s certification presentation shall occur at the same time (4-6 months following the KDJSS) at various locations to support ONENESS of the Ko Dan Ja experience. Congratulations to all of candidates for your successful completion of the 2009 USA Ko Dan Shim Sa.

 

To continue strengthening our efforts toward Mission 2000 objectives, the USA TAC has planned a National TAC Seminar tour in 2010 and I am planning to attend most of the scheduled tour appearances to support the TAC’s activity. Thanks in advance to all who will make this event successful by planning, coordinating, and participating in these events. Your support will help make our culture and history richer.

I am looking forward to meeting all of you in 2010 to share good Moo Do experiences. You can follow the developing schedule of appearance dates and locations here:

32 participants including candidates, visitors, and officials were in attendance from Australia, Belgium, England, Malaysia, Korea, and United States at the Ko Dan Ja Shim Sa at the Neo Ri Gool Cultural Village in An Seong, Kyung Ki Province, Korea from October 30 to November 6, 2009.

As you know, Soo Bahk Do Moo Duk Kwan has suffered in growth and visibility in Korea due to political pressures since 1961. Recently, There has been a high interest in promoting the Korean traditional Martial arts "Jeon Tong Moo Yei" (hereafter referred to as JTMY) in addition to the Sport Martial art (Tae Kwon Do) for about the last 5 years. As a result, in March 2009, the house of congress of Korea passed the law to support the growth of JTMY along with the Sport Martial art. This news brought 3

high interest among Traditional Martial Arts in Korea and as a result, 550 Martial arts organizations claimed to be Korean Traditional Martial Arts.

Of course, the initial challenge for the government is to determine who out of these 500 shall be officially sanctioned and supported as the Authentic Traditional Martial Art (JTMY) of Korea. This selection challenge for the government continues today.

On October 30, 2009, the Korea Traditional Martial Arts Association (the acting agency for Traditional Martial arts in Korea as related to the law) sponsored a 2 day long JTMY Festival in Yong In City where all JTMY organizations came to demonstrate their art. The Korea KDJSS participants and I attended the festival because it was a good public visibility opportunity for our art and that day of our schedule was flexible.

We had only a few hours of gathering for overview and practicing our presentation. Although most of candidates were not yet recovered from jet leg and time changes due to their international travel, the candidates joined the Korean Soo Bahk Do demonstration team and presented a very high level of Moo Do values in their performance. I learned later that the Soo Bahk Do demonstration stimulated a very high interest and generated positive remarks among other organization’s head and many who were there.

Two important thoughts came to my mind from this experience:

• Most of candidates who participated in this performance had never met and trained together previously. However it was possible for them to present a very high level of Moo Do values in their demonstration as a result of the worldwide standardization we have today. Their impressive achievement reminded me in a profound way about what a valuable accomplishment we have made.
• Many organizations demonstrated at the Festival and although most of them were using different names of arts and wearing different uniforms, their demonstration contents were quite similar. Many common aspects of their performances included use of modern music, gymnastic tumbling and entertaining and friendly moves by children and young adults. Their presentation did not illustrate a connection to, or understanding of, a true and authentic Moo Do identity and the values inherent in it.

It is my hope that this opportunity may connect to all martial arts and improve their understanding, recognition and embodiment of Moo Do values. I can’t stop thinking about how fortunate we are to be preserving a genuine and authentic Moo Do environment in our art and my respect toward our members has become deepened with these thoughts. 4

23 participants including candidates, visitors, and officials attended the event at Mar Del Plata (east coast), Argentina from November 15 – 21, 2009.

The National seminars and championships were held right after the KDJSS. Many members attended from many sections of Argentina with most of them traveling long distances to be present. I was very impressed to see 62 members from Mendoza (west coast) who traveled by bus for 20 hours to be at the event. They were happy and exhibited high spirits during the 2 day event even though they had another 20 hours of bus ride back. They do this year after year not because they have to do but they want to do. The life of Moo Do is very strong in South America.

Thanks for your dedication and the spirits.

Il Kwan Seong, Iyon Kwan Seong, and Heng Dong Chul Hak deepen through our action, not by accident. These came from a 64 year long Vision, Planing, Understanding, Participation, and Connected effort which was initiated November 9, 1945.

Many of us had a challenging 2009 and as this year comes to end, this is an opportunity for us to look back and recognize our successes and gratefully appreciate the valuable assets we have as we prepare to transform the Mu Sang asset to Yu Sang values in 2010.

My family and I wish you and your family the best during the holiday season and Happy New Year!

In Moo Duk Kwan,

HC Hwang and Family