Zen Man Reviewed in Black Belt

Zen Man is reviewed in the October issue of Black Belt magazine. The full page review begins: "Even though Zen Man is a new movie, its plot is an old one. That's not to say the straight-to-DVD action flick is outdated or some sort of remake. Rather, it's a new film that contains some classic Eastern mythology, as well as some enduring contemporary folklore."

The reviewer goes on to give a detailed breakdown of the film's strong and weak points, wrapping up with: "[Sang H.] Kim is the best thing about Zen Man. From his acting to his directing, the martail arts master shows us the potential of what a little money and a lot of passion can breed on-screen. With a bigger budget, better supporting players and help with the writing, Kim should be able to produce a movie to match his versatile skills."

Exclusive Interview with Sang H. Kim :: Part 4

The following is the third in a series of excerpts from an exclusive interview with Sang H. Kim, director of the martial arts action movie, Zen Man.

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Q: In addition to martial arts, Han also practices calligraphy in the movie. Are the two related?

SHK: I'm glad you asked that, because you're right, they are related. Traditional calligraphy is a significant method of mental practice. Taoists believe that writing is a reflection of the mind. Like martial arts, it requires total concentration. Each stroke in calligraphy is like a basic movement in taekwondo, a kick or punch or block. Once you learn the basics, you can combine them freely and create art. Ultimately, the goal is to write whole heartedly but without attachment to the individual strokes just as in sparring or defending yourself, you need to concentrate fully on the moment but be free from your environment. Calligraphy is a kind of moving meditation. It focuses and calms the mind.

Q: There is also a scene in the movie that makes it seem like there is something hidden in the characters that Han writes.

SHK: Many of the characters that he practices, including the one that he teaches Antonio, are actually striking techniques that can be used to attack with the short stick or sword. So while it appears that Han is a man of peace, he is secretly preparing for war.

Q: It's interesting how martial arts are part of everything in the movie, even when people are not fighting.

SHK: For a martial artist, I think our training is part of everything we do in life. I particularly found three elements that were the same in filmmaking and taekwondo. The first is fitness. I trained for over a year specifically for this movie. By the time we started shooting I literally felt like I was in the same shape as when I was competing in my teens and early twenties. Not only was I training for the fight scenes but for the long days on the set and the many repetitions of every scene. Fitness is the foundation – something solid to build everything else upon. The second is techniques or knowledge. Understanding the basic techniques and being able to apply them in a real life situation is essential. So techniques are like wings that give us the ability to fly as high and as far as we desire. And finally there's discipline, which ironically allows us to be free. Some people ask me how can you be free and be disciplined at the same time, but when you think about it, it makes perfect sense.

Q: What is it that you'd like viewers to take away from this movie?

SHK: That true revenge is not accomplished by avenging something but by resolution within yourself.

Exclusive Interview with Sang H. Kim :: Part 3

The following is the third in a series of excerpts from an exclusive interview with Sang H. Kim, director of the martial arts action movie, Zen Man.

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Q: Tell us a little about your martial arts background, especially before you came to the US.

SHK: I began training when I was four years old. I was the fourth of five brothers, so all of my older brothers were already training in wrestling, judo and hapkido. At first I mimicked their movements and tried to fight with them. My serious training began in middle school as a member of Dalsung Taekwondo team, competing against other middle school teams. In high school, when I was a fourth dan black belt, I was very reckless in my training. I had so much energy and athletic ability that I constantly challenging myself but often I ended up injured. For example, when I was training at a Jidokwan school in Daegu, I was practicing jumping spinning whip kick by kicking a piece of bicycle tire inner tube that I'd hung from the ceiling. It was very high and I tried and tried and finally kicked it but at the same time, I got my foot tangled in the tubing and I landed upside down, hitting my head on the concrete floor. Later, some of my fellow black belts found me and rushed me to the hospital.

Q: Did you ever think about quitting after getting seriously injured like that?

SHK: No, in fact in college I became even more interested in taekwondo and began teaching CID (Criminal Investigation Division) agents at Camp Walker in Daegu. Meeting American GIs sparked my interest in Western culture. I was eager to come to America but had to finish my military service first.

Q: Is it true that all Korean military personnel are black belts?

SHK: Yes they are. When I was in the military, we woke up at five AM to run. Then we did taekwondo training for an hour and then in the evening we had small group training for combat specific skills. Since I was a special agent in a counterespionage unit, we trained not only in taekwondo but in firearms and lethal hand-to-hand skills. At one point during my service, I was assigned to a prison detail which was a very dangerous job. There were thousands of violent criminals held in an isolated area in the mountains. During that time, my life was threatened many times and I had almost daily opportunities to use my martial arts skills. It was during this time that I began formulating Junsado, which I used extensively in Zen Man.

Q: What is Junsado?

SHK: Junsado is the way you see a conflict and resolve it efficiently. The means include direct and indirect tactics to neutralize or subdue the opponent. Jun means combat, Sa means expert and Do is the way so it is literally The Way of the Combat Expert. It is about finding the right strategy to resolve the given situation.

Q: Why did you use Junsado in Zen Man?

SHK: In many of the scenes, Han fights against multiple assailants at once. He needs strategy to survive. He uses the terrain and takes advantage of range fighting. Junsado has four ranges: neutral, long, medium and short. At long range, he positions himself to manipulate the formation of the assailants to his advantage. At short range, he uses surprise tactics, for example turning his back on an assailant then thrusting to the rear with his wooden sword. He also uses his Ssang Bong (double sticks), which is a style of using two sticks in a symmetrical way that I've developed over the past twenty years. It's a uniquely Korean style, the only Korean art that uses two sticks at the same time.It's very different from Kali or Arnis because it uses two different grips: one straight grip and one reverse grip. This allows you to initiate action with one stick and then accelerate the movement of your body for the second strike and third strike and so on, making it a fast powerful versatile weapon. It's a very unpredictable way of attacking and defending. Well, if you want to see what I mean, watch the movie.

Exclusive Interview with Sang H. Kim :: Part 2

The following is the second in a series of excerpts from an exclusive interview with Sang H. Kim, director of the martial arts action movie, Zen Man.

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Q: This is your first movie, but you've had a lot of experience in front of and behind the camera, right?

SHK: I've produced over a hundred martial arts instructional DVDs and documentaries and I've made a few short films for classes and workshops, so I'm familiar with the technical aspects of filming but making a movie has been a great change of pace.Writing the script, designing shots, making storyboards, scouting locations, organizing the crew, auditioning actors, supervising the editing and music composition are all very complicated in film production, much more so than any other project I've done to date. It's been a great learning experience and I've gotten to work with a lot of knowledgeable and talented people.

Q: Tell us about the martial arts that you used in the film.

SHK: I used a mixture of taekwondo, which has exciting kicking techniques that look impressive on the screen, and my own system called Junsado. In the beginning of the film, the villain injures Han, taking away the use of his left arm. For two years, he trains with only his right arm using a variety of weapons. For many of the film's fight scenes I was limited to using only one arm. I have been fighting all my life with two arms, so it was strange to do everything with one arm for this role. To move as fast and powerfully as the men I was fighting, I had to adjust my stance and footwork and develop a lot of unorthodox fighting skills. So in the movie, Han's fighting method is very strategic and relies on a mixture of kicking techniques and weapons.

Q: That is an unorthodox mixture.

SHK: It is but it works surprisingly well. I wanted to give the audience an idea of how a skilled martial artist can switch gears fluidly, using whatever is necessary for the situation. Han is not as big or as ruthless as some of the villains he faces, but he gets the job done in the end. A true master should be able to adapt to any situation and use what's at hand to prevail.

Exclusive Interview with Sang H. Kim :: Part 1

The following is the first in a series of excerpts from an exclusive interview with Sang H. Kim, director of the martial arts action movie, Zen Man.

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Q: Tell us a little about your film, Zen Man.

Sang H. Kim: Zen Man is the story of Han who is a master of martial arts and traditional calligraphy. He is living his life in seclusion, taking care of his niece, when the son of one of his former students shows up. The young man, Antonio, is seeking revenge against his father's killer and he asks Han to resume his martial arts training. When Han refuses, Antonio decides to take matters into his own hands and Han is ultimately forced to act before Antonio endangers anyone else.

TKDT: Where did the idea Zen Man come from?

SHK: When I was a little boy, I was hyperactive and sleepless. My grandmother used to tell her bedtime stories to keep my four brothers and me quiet. One of her stories has stuck in my mind for a long time, the story of my grandfather who survived in a foreign and hostile environment in Japan as a Korean traditional master. Based on her story of the heroic actions of my grandfather, I adapted parts of his life for the screen.

TKDT: So this is something that's been a long time in the making.

SHK: I've loved movies since I was a little boy. My father used to show "one penny movies" in many of the villages surrounding ours in the 1960s. He would carry a projector in his truck and set up a white sheet for a screen and charge a penny for admission. Then, when I was a bit older, one of my brothers took me to the theater to see Enter the Dragon, with Bruce Lee and I was fascinated. I was a third degree black belt in taekwondo at the time and I was amazed by Bruce Lee's skills and screen presence. So I guess movie making is something I've wanted to do since childhood, as a dream, and in a professional sense, it's something I've been preparing for over the last 15 years.

Defending against a possible knife attack

Loren Christensen, veteran law enforcement officer and martial artist and co-author of Timing in the Fighting Arts shares this advice about defending against a street thug with a knife:

Say a street person is threatening you and you notice a knife sheath on his right hip. It’s time to move the potential target - your body - but you have to decide in which direction. Since we aren’t there to see all the variables that can affect your decision, here is some food for thought. You can:

• Sidestep to position yourself away from the weapon.

• Since it’s arguably easier for him to slash with the blade across his body than it is to slash to the outside of his body, see if moving to the same side as the weapon is an option.

• Step in close to the weapon in preparation to jam the blade should he reach for it. The negative with this option is that you are close and can be punched with his other hand. No one said life would be easy.

• Look for something you can use for a weapon: chair, lamp, your belt, coat, and so on.

• If your avenue of escape is blocked, assume your deescalation stance and use your verbal judo as you maneuver yourself to where you can flee.

• Consider attacking. If he says he is going to stab you, know that his brain is either occupied with noting your reaction to his threat or with the process of reaching for his weapon. That is the moment you jam his arm and strike his eyes or throat.

• The instant he reaches for the blade and you are close to that side of his body, jam his arm, gouge his eyes or punch his throat. If you are on the other side, out of reach, go for the eyes or throat. In either case, make your move the instant he moves. Don’t wait for him todraw the knife.

Martials Arts DVD Preview Disc

Not sure which DVDs are best for you? Preview 60 of our most popular martial arts instructional DVDs and get a $5.00 coupon good on your next order.

The Turtle Press Preview DVD features a 30-90 second highlight clip from each of 60 martial arts titles. View the complete list here.

New Lower Price: Zen Man 2-DVD Set

The price for the special 2-disc Zen Man DVD set has been reduced to $19.95. In this special 2 disc deluxe edition, you get the full length wide screen version of Zen Man plus a second disc loaded with behind the scenes footage, "making of" featurettes, a look at the martial arts used in the movie and more. Don't miss out on the debut feature film from Sang H. Kim.

Just Arrived - Bargain Basement Books

We've just received a shipment of slightly damaged bargain basement books. If you don't mind a little scuffing, wear, or creasing on the cover of your book, you can pick up some great books at half price or less. But remember, bargain basement books are very limited in number and they go fast. If you see something you want, grab it and head for the checkout. See what's in stock in the Bargain Basement

SAVE 10% ON EVERYTHING WE SELL - NOW THROUGH SUNDAY

It's time for our once a year, end of summer sale - save 10% off all purchases now through midnight Sunday. Just fill up your shopping cart and enter coupon code SAVE06 in the coupon code box below the cart. No limitations! Save on already discounted sets, clearance items, everything on our site! This is a once year sale, so don't miss out. > Start Shopping

New Martial Arts Book and DVD Sets

Jujitsu DVD Set: Instructor James Kodzis teaches the complete art of jujitsu, combining no-nonsense striking skills with highly effective grappling techniques. Nearly 3 hours of systematic instruction in this 2-disc set.

Martial Arts Instructors Book and DVD Set: Hundreds of teaching and school management tips, ideas, strategies and variations you can start using immediately in this 2 book and 1 DVD set.

Martial Science Book Set: Discover the scientific theories that make the martial arts so effective and learn how to apply them in your daily training.

Armlock Encyclopedia book now available

The Armlock Encyclopedia by Steve Scott is now in stock and shipping to those customers who have preordered. If you placed a preorder, your book will be shipping from our CT warehouse tomorrow morning.

Cane for Self-defense DVD Shipping today

If you preordered a Cane for Self-defense DVD, you should be receiving your order in the next 5-10 days. All of the preorders shipped from our warehouse today.

We've moved!

Turtle Press is now located in sunny Santa Fe, NM. New contact information:

Turtle Press
PO Box 34010
Santa Fe NM 87594-4010

phone: 800-778-8785
fax: 815-572-9533

Our website and email contact information remain the same.

Preorder and Save: Cane for Self-defense DVD

Save $5.00 of the regular retail price when your order the Cane for Self-defense DVD before it's release in August. The cane is the only weapon you can legally carry with you everywhere you go and on this comprehensive DVD, Gordon Oster shows you exactly why the common walking cane is one of the most effective self-defense weapons you can learn.

Making Armlocks work in Sport Grappling

Two core skills for every successful armlock are (1) Position and (2) Set-ups. Following is an explanation of these two core skills and why they are so important.

We all have heard the old saying in real estate; if you want to sell property, the three most important things are location, location and location. It’s the same thing in judo, jujitsu, sambo, and any form of grappling. It could also be easily said for any form of personal combat. If you’re not in the right place at the right time, and don’t put your opponent in the wrong place at the wrong time (for him), your throw or hold won’t work...period.

Read the complete Armlock Fundamentals article by Steve Scott, author of the Armlock Encyclopedia.

Preorder and Save: Armlock Encyclopedia

Save $5.00 when you order Steve Scott's new book Armlock Encyclopedia: 85 Armlocks for Jujitsu, Judo, Sambo and Mixed Martial Arts. In a follow-up to his popular Championship Sambo: Submission Holds and Groundfighting, Steve Scott teaches you 85 essential armlocks for jujitsu, judo, sambo and mixed martial arts. The armlocks taught in the Armlock Encyclopedia apply to gi and no-gi combat sports, allowing you to use them in a wide variety of situations, including self-defense and street applications.

Coming soon: Cane for Self-defense

The much awaited Cane for Self-defense DVD is being edited for an August release. Check out a sneak preview here.

What is the difference between pushing kick and front kick?

We recently recieved this question through our author forum:

Master Kim,

I purchased your Complete Kicking DVD. One quick question: The Pushing Kick is not on the DVD, but it is used in the Top 100 DVD that I also have. Is the Pushing Kick really like a front kick but you push the opponent with the entire bottom of the foot? I can't tell from the Top 100 DVD. Any thoughts are appreciated. Thanks.

Matt

Sang H. Kim answers:

Pushing kick is different from front kick in two ways: Front kick's trajectory is simultaneously circular and upward to the target; pushing kick has two segments - you chamber the leg by bending your knee then push the target with either the ball of the foot or entire bottom of the foot. The targets are the lower stomach, pelvis, or chest.

The variations are: side pushing kick and diagonal pushing kick. The diagonal pushing kick is done from fighting stance by pushing the opponent's thigh with your toes facing out/upward and heel facing down/inward. It is often dangerous to use for your own safety, thus rarely used, but effective. Caution: it can hurt your knee joints and your opponents' too.

7 Scoring Tips for Taekwondo Sparring

Olympic Gold Medalist Kuk Hyun Chung and co-author Kyung Myung Lee share these scoring tips in Taekwondo Kyorugi: Olympic Style Sparring:

1. Counterattacking has a better chance of scoring than attacking for advanced competitors.
   
2. Beginning and intermediate competitors are most likely to score with single direct attacks.
   
3. In a close match, an attacking fighter is more likely to win that a counterattacking fighter unless the counterattacker can score a knockout.
   
4. The most frequently used attacks are roundhouse kick, back kick and axe kick.
5. Successful competitors can effectively counter these kicks.
   
6. The side kick and front kick are rarely used in competition any more and are highly unlikely to score points.
   
7. The roundhouse kick is the preferred kick for scoring, followed by the back kick and axe kick.