Lessons from Master Chang

Lessons from Master Chang Yong Sil

Our hapkido instructor is a wonderful man, who shares so many amazing stories with us!

Some of these will seem disjointed and others will seem a little strange, since I wrote them a lot like he spoke.

His English is really pretty good, but English is a very difficult language!

He gives us so much insight into Korean culture.

When a baby is born, they don't celebrate for 100 days. They watch carefully during that time and don't talk about the baby.  Many babies got sick and died young during that time period. 

Koreans used to only be excited about having a baby boy. Now some excitement for a girl too. 

3 years is important for marriage. If two people stay together for 3 years, Koreans believe they won't separate. 

Hapkido training is life way, not sport. 

His mother when he was born, she went up to Buddhas temple for 100 days after showering to pray for him. If they saw an animal, they start over. His mother was 45 years old when he was born. 

Koreans think 3 is a lucky number. 4 is an unlucky number. Many hotels don't have room 4 or the 4th floor. 

When Koreans die, everyone wears white. When Koreans get married, everyone wears black. 

Koreans definitely believe in karma

My Sa bam nim (or teacher) doesn't like flashy decorations or "selling himself." He doesn't want hapkido to change. He only wants to train the "true way." 

Some people say they trained with this person or for this length of time. Master Chang says you only have to ask: When they trained? Who they trained with? And Where they trained? To know how true their claims are. 

He won't train another instructor's student without that instructor's permission. 

He always tries to make sure training is really hard and jokes that we will say "My Sa bam nim, he kill me."

Yo bo se yo - hello

Sa rang ham ni da - i love you

Pey gu pa - I'm hungry

Po gu pa - I miss you

(Keep in mind, this is MY spelling, the way it sounds to me.)

Man is always higher than the woman.  Heaven is man. Earth is woman. Man is like the rain, essential for prosperity. Woman is like the earth where plants grow, as she bears babies.

If you want to catch a lot of first, you must make your own net first. Don't take someone else's net.

Some people have a square box with water in it, some a triangle box and some a round box. One says square box has hapkido water. Some says triangle box has only hapkido water. Water is still water. Hapkido is still hapkido.

When they got married, his wife was like a little kitten. Now she is an old tiger.

Martial artists should always have good harmony.

Master Chang calls me "Minnie Mouse," because I'm so small ;)

He loves to see me throw my hubby or other big guys around.