Joong Bong, The Most Versatile And Easy To Learn Martial Arts Weapon.
People have been picking up sticks to beat each other since time immemorial, but the joong bong, the Korean Middle staff, is something really special in the world of martial arts. This is the most commonly taught weapon in the Korean martial art of Kuk Sul Won, though tournaments and ease of use have brought the joong bong into other arenas, like Tae Kwon Do.
I got my first look at joong bong technique a few years ago, when I was interviewing one of the advanced students at a Kuk Sool Won school in Milwaukee. She was giving me the run down on the basic kicking and striking techniques used when something caught my eye. Next to the fans and tridents, most people wouldn't have given the homely stick a second glance, but I could tell from the wear that this was a weapon that many students had trained with.
The joong bong itself varies depending on the school and the preference of the user. Usually, it is made out of wood or rattan and measures between 2 and half to three feet long. My friend mentioned that some heavy hitters like their joong bong to be made out of metal, and after I did a few passes with it, it makes sense; in terms of practicing, the heavier the stick is, the better the workout you'll get.
She explained that the joong bong was the middle-sized staff that many students started off with, and is one of the easier weapons to master in the realm of Korean martial arts. She herself had started with the joong bong, and though she had progressed to a mastery of several other weapons, the joong bong remained one of her favorites. As I watched, she demonstrated some of the moves associated with this ancient weapon.
The joong bong is held at one end, rather than in the center. My friend emphasized that that this is used primarily for striking and as such, the tip should be aimed at the opponent's neck for maximum effectiveness. Slowly, she took me through the four basic striking techniques that make up her joong bong practice and then she sped it up. As I watched in awe, she became the center of a whirling storm, the slow exercises she had been demonstrating turning into a fierce burst of activity.
She grinned at me when she finished up and asked if I cared to try. I was ready to go ahead so I stepped on the mat to face her, but she laughed.
"I was thinking about pairing you with one of our newer practitioners of joong bong," she said and pointed at a thirteen-year-old boy, who was taking his own stick through the motions. I was going to laugh too, until I noticed how fast he was moving and how hard he could bring down his stick!
Yoshi I Kundagawa is a freelance journalist. He covers themixed martial arts industry. For a free report on Joong Bong, visit his blog at: http://blog.martialarts3000.com
Related Articles:
Tempe Festival of the Arts, Circle K Tempe Music Festival Coming This March
Tempe Convention and Visitors Bureau welcomes Tempe Festival of the Arts, Circle K Tempe Music Festival to the Mill Avenue District.
Unique Art and Great Music Sets Stage for 3rd Annual Tempe, Arizona Arts and Entertainment Weekend Featuring the Tempe Festival Of The Arts and the Te
The Spring Tempe Festival Of The Arts And The Tempe Music Festival Come Together In The Mill Avenue District For Tempe's 3rd Annual Arts And Entertainment Weekend March 30th Through April 1st.
Art, Music and Literature Based Communities
What drives people? Some may say inspiration, our ambitions and needs; this is not very far from saying that people are driven by the inspiration provided by art and music as well as by the need to quench our literary thirst. For most people reading a book, watching a movie or listening to their favorite music isn't enough of an experience, the most important part is to interact and get validation from people with the same interests about our point of views and opinions.
Academy of Art University Offers Local Theatre $125K In Relocation Assistance
Today, San Francisco 's Academy of Art University presented a comprehensive assistance and relocation package totaling up to $125,000 to the Lorraine Hansberry Theatre.
The New York Electronic Art Festival Presents New Installation Art
NYEAF's premiere event focuses on eight digital artists who explore the poetics of sound and image/light through electronic media.
The 27th Annual Harmony Festival--Northern California’s Premier Festival of Music, Arts, Ecology, Healthful Living
27th Annual Harmony Festival features grammy award winning musicians, late night concerts, and great speakers and entertainers for the entire family!
Niagara Theatre for the Performing Arts Presents Beauty and the Beast
"Beauty and the Beast" is coming to Niagara Falls! Silver Mist Productions is proud to bring "Beauty and the Beast" to the Niagara Theatre for the Performing Arts, and critics have raved about the potential for this show to be the best production ever brought to Niagara Falls.
FestivalPreview.com Launches Music Festival News and Community Site to Serve Festival-Goers
Festival Preview LLC announces the launch of a music festival news, opinion and community website serving "involved" festival-goers, those that attend multiple festivals each year. The site, taglined, "Your First Stop for Live Music Events" fulfills the market's need for daily updated cross-genre festival information. Festival Preview employs an RSS news aggregator to collect the latest news about music festivals from across the Internet linking to articles from more than 50 content feeds representing the best bloggers and music journalists covering every genre of music.
Allied Arts of Whatcom County Presents the 3rd Annual La Bella Strada Arts Festival
Allied Arts of Whatcom County announces the La Bella Strada Arts Festival and the Chalk ArtFest August 9th and 10th on Cornwall Street in Bellingham, Washington.
Two New Videos Available for Historians, Librarians as Well as Dance, Music, Theatre, and Art Researchers and Enthusiasts
Two new videos focus on french baroque tradition in today's world:
The art of baroque dance: Folies d'Espagne From Page to Stage
The new video, The Art Of Baroque Dance: Folies d'Espagne From Page to Stage,
is enriched with French historical images, refined Baroque dancing, and legible Feuillet notation. The preservation of dance is explored in an easy-to-understand entertaining manner. The artistic sample is the well-known Folies d'Espagne, which is studied from the academic page to its transformation into a vibrant performance.
And Dance Vivaldi: A Contemporary Baroque Ballet
This ballet, choreographed to Vivaldi's "Four Seasons", combines delicate French Baroque dance technique with the vibrancy of...