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2011 Tang Soo Do Martial Way
Association
Dan Preparation Training and Shim Sa
By Master Gene Garbowsky - 5th
Dan
South Hills Karate Academy, Pleasant Hills, PA
July 7th, 8th and 9th, Kwan Jang Nim Andy Ah Po,
Founder of the Tang Soo Do Martial Way Association
traveled to Pittsburgh to conduct an Association Dan
Preparation clinic and to oversee Master Gene
Garbowsky and his South Hills Karate Academy's 3rd
Dan Classing Examination. This was the 5th
consecutive year that Grandmaster Ah Po has visited
the Pittsburgh area at Master Garbowsky's
request.
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L to R -
Masters Stephen Propst, Kevin Watson,
Alan Crawford, Constantino Terrigno |
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The weekend events kicked off on Thursday evening
with a 4 1/2 hour training session under the
direct guidance of Kwan Jang Nim Ah Po. Senior Tang
Soo Do Martial Way Association Ko Dan Ja also
participated and included Sa Bom Nims Stephen
Propst, Kevin Watson, Gene Garbowsky, Constantino
Terrigno and Alan Crawford.
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Cho Dan
Candidates
Mary Cayte Reiland,
Ritwik and Sumanyu Gupta, and Steven
Harroun |
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South Hills Karate Academy's four Cho Dan candidates
were also required to participate in the training, which began for them a 3 day, 15 hour testing
experience for Cho Dan in the Tang Soo Do Martial
Way Association. The candidates included Sumanyu
and Ritwik Gupta, Mary Cayte Reiland and Steven
Harroun, all of whom have been training with Master
Garbowsky for the last 5 plus years.
Since the focus of the training was on testing the
Dan Candidates and preparation for Dan ranking in the
Association, the training was
limited to 1st Gups and Dans. Kwan Jang Nim Ah Po
began the clinic on Thursday evening with an
overview of the Association's required basic
combinations curriculum. All candidates were required
to demonstrate their technical proficiency in front
of their peers and seniors during this training
time. During the roughly 4 1/2 hour session, Kwan
Jang Nim was able to delve deeper into efficiency of
movement while executing Tang Soo Do technique.
Muscular contraction and expansion (shin chook)
were explored and well as speed control (wan gup).
The 2nd day of training consisted of three hours of
training for visiting Ko Dan Ja in the afternoon,
the focus of which was the traditional Bassai
So Hyung. That evening's training consisted of five
hours of Grandmaster Ah Po focusing on the
traditional Tang Soo Do Hyung as well as the Chil
Sung hyung required for promotion to Cho Dan in the
Tang Soo Do Martial Way Association. Kwan Jang Nim
wished to impress on the attendees that it is
important that the techniques contained in the Chil
Sung Hyung are not only executed technically
correct, but also characteristically correct in
accordance with the Tang Soo Do martial art system
developed by the late Great Grandmaster Hwang Kee.
Saturday morning's testing consisted of Cho Dan
candidates Sumanyu Gupta, Ritwik Gupta, Mary Cayte
Reiland and Steven Harroun demonstrating the Association's required curriculum
including
breaking and free sparring against individual and
multiple opponents. With support and encouragement
from Master Garbowsky and select Dan Members of
South Hills Karate Academy, each of the candidates
performed superbly as they were well prepared for
the entire experience. Saturday morning's shim sa
finished up the 15 hour, 3 day testing experience
for the candidates.
The entire weekend culminated with Association Ko
Dan Ja members Master Kevin Watson, Master Gene Garbowsky, Master Constantino Terrigno and Master
Alan Crawford being led by Kwan Jang Nim Ah Po and
supported by his most senior member of the
Association, Sa Bom Nim Stephen Propst, in the
traditional Oh Sip Sa Bo Hyung. Kwan Jang Nim
focused on the small nuances that are contained
in the hyung that might not be so apparent to all
Tang Soo Do practitioners. The training lasted almost
3 1/2 hours and was a finishing touch on a
tremendous weekend for all that participated.
Click for
complete photo gallery
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