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A few years ago, a group of dedicated practitioners from all over the U.S. chose to challenge the darkness and midnight coldness as they gathered around a blazing campfire in the wilderness of California's Big Bear region to listen to stories of early Moo Duk Kwan® history as related by Sa Bom Nim Hwang, Seiberlich, Hanke, Ah Po, and Martinov. The day had been filled with hard training, most had left their families behind to attend this event and all were physically tired from the day's clinics, but they were still standing around this fire at midnight in the middle of nowhere. Why?
It may be hard to completely understand what motivates us to dedicate ourselves to Soo Bahk Do® Moo Duk Kwan® and it's principles, especially if we've never asked ourselves what our personal motivation really is. Usually we just keep doing that which has provided us with a rewarding experience and added order to our lives in a way nothing else can, mostly without even questioning why we are on this path or how we came to be on it, then something happens in our life which makes us ask the questions which we may not have an exact answer for, "Why am I doing this? Is it worth the effort?"
These questions usually arise when our family responsibilities, job commitments or any number of other personal priorities demand the time which we have set aside for Soo Bahk Do® in our life. Because of their conflicting demands on our time, we are forced to revaluate our priorities and make hard decisions about what must take precedence in our lives at that particular time. The decisions are never easy and the solutions are never perfect, but those who confront the conflicts and are able to apply the essence of their Moo Duk Kwan® training in it's truest form are usually able to resolve the conflict which has arisen in their life, fulfill their responsibilities and still continue their dedication to Soo Bahk Do® Moo Duk Kwan®. Those less skilled usually cannot find a peaceful resolution to the conflicting demands on their time and so they surrender to the most demanding force of the moment, often forgoing their commitment to Soo Bahk Do® Moo Duk Kwan® and leaving the path with a whispered desire to return "when things get better in their life."
As I stood by the fire, looking at those who were relating stories that happened before I had even begun training and before many of us had ever even heard of Soo Bahk Do® Moo Duk Kwan®, I knew without a doubt that sometime in the past these Masters had faced and resolved many difficult situations in their lives which must have made them ask themselves, "Why am I doing this? or Is it worth the effort?"
The attrition rate of students is a well known fact to every Instructor. They see new students embark on the path of study and just as quickly as they came, many stumble off the path because of some minor conflict which arises in their life and reorders their priorities. The conflicting forces that cause students to cease training may be boredom, frustration, disappointment, laziness, finances, job or family, but it seems the solution to the conflict that is most often tried by those without sufficient (Moo Do) skill is to sacrifice their training in the hopes it will appease the other forces.
It seems our modern society almost tends to breed the trait of NOT finishing what we start because of the diverse demands it places on our time, yet speaking to us around this fire was a handful of practitioners (now Sa Bom Nims) who had met and resolved every conflict that challenged them on their journey down the path for 40 plus years. If they had succumbed to the other forces, none of us would have had the opportunity to enjoy this experience on this day.
Sometime during their journey each of them must have encountered circumstances that made them ask those difficult questions and they had obviously answered them to their personal satisfaction or they wouldn't be here tonight. Somewhere along the way they had decided that the end results of their continued dedication would be worth all the effort. They must have also realized that unlike the ancient and simpler time in which our martial art originated, modern society demands another skill be developed by those practitioners who intend to stay on the path longer than most. That skill is "juggling".
These Masters had obviously learned how to constantly maintain a balance between their family responsibilities, their job commitments and their dedication to Soo Bahk Do®. They had learned how to put one first in their life and then the other and then the other and so on, in such a skillful fashion that as conflicting demands on their time arose, they were able to confront them like any other opponent and dispatch them with the same skill which they would have handled a physical assault. If they had ever failed to "juggle" them successfully, they probably would not be sitting at this fire inspiring others with their stories.
Every student and certainly every dedicated Instructor has been, or will be, confronted with situations where they will need to reorganize their family responsibilities, job commitment and Soo Bahk Do® activity from time to time. This is natural and must be done to keep any one of them from crashing to the floor in an unrepairable mess. Those who fail to learn this necessary skill miss the most challenging opportunity they will ever encounter to test their understanding of, and application of, the Moo Duk Kwan® philosophy of stopping conflict without succumbing to an opponent. Sadly, it seems many are satisfied with resolving their conflicts by surrendering, rather than by truly testing their skill.
"Surrendering" is one of the greatest threats each of us and the growth of our art faces. If we are to succeed in our mission of working toward World Peace through the study and Instruction of Soo Bahk Do® Moo Duk Kwan®, we must understand how to apply the essence of stopping conflict in our own lives without succumbing to the forces that would knock us off the path we are on. We must understand how to "juggle" our responsibilities and committments while maintaining a balance among those things that are important and precious to us so we can enjoy a future in Soo Bahk Do® that will be as long as the histories of these Sa Bom Nims educating us in the light of this crackling fire.
As I listened to their stories and thought about all the times they must have successfully rearranged priorities in their lives and adapted to the forces of the moment, rolling with the blows, advancing, side-stepping, strategically retreating and positioning themselves for an explosive counterattack, I gained an even greater appreciation for the title "Sa Bom" and the depth of knowledge and practical application of our Moo Duk Kwan® philosophy which they have to share with those willing to learn.
As my mind cleared and I focused on those huddled around the fire, (perhaps it was the flickering firelight playing tricks on my eyes) I thought I saw one of the Sa Bom Nims casually pick up a small juggler's ball from the ground and hand it back to one of the students standing by the fire while urging them to "Try again."
Phil Duncan
