Moo-do

Moo-do "Warrior's way" is a new, eclectic style founded by Grand Master Chae T. Goh. It is built on Taekwondo but incorporates a much wider range of techniques than most Taekwondo schools.  In 1972, Master Goh came to America after a remarkable history of success as a student, teacher, and innovator in several martial arts in Korea, Japan, and Vietnam. Moo do combines Taekwondo kicking, Karate punching, and Hapkido grappling and throwing techniques. The style focuses on Street techniques and patterns, as both technique practice and a way of pursuing the "do" or self-improvement aspect of the art. Sport and competition fighting are not encouraged.

Movements and forms are basically linear, but with a lot of training in 45-degree shifts for evasion. A wide range of grappling and throwing techniques designed specifically for common self-defense situations on the street are included. Each class begins with stretching and aerobic exercise. The classes are physically challenging, but there is a strong tradition of adapting to what the student's body can handle. Kick-punch combinations and multiple technique attacks are pushed hard from the beginning. Sparring begins at intermediate levels.

Basic meditation is part of the curriculum. Students are instructed in the ethics of the Hwarang-do, including loyalty to nation and family, truthfulness, keeping one's word, loving kindness to one's spouse, and the necessity to "justify your means" when using force. Senior students are required to research and write essays on various topics in the art to pass belt tests.

Muay Thai (Thailand)

Muay-thai, or Thai boxing, is the national sport in Thailand. It is renowned for its overall simplicity and practicality, using powerful roundhouse kicks, elbow strikes, knee thrusts, and basic boxing style punches. Practitioners are known for their high level of physical conditioning. Although Muay-thai is primarily practiced as a ring sport, mostly by teenage boys in Thailand, it has numerous self-defense applications. It is a very hard, external style, however, because of its roots in heavily Buddhist Thailand, it has some spiritual aspects. Thai boxers typically perform some Buddhist rituals before beginning a match.

Modern Muay-thai boxing originated from Krabi Krabong, a Thai weapons art roughly meaning "stick and sword." It is called "the science of the eight limbs" because the successful fighter uses hands, elbows, feet, and knees, When the Thais lost their weapons or fought close quarters with weapons, they used knees, elbows, feet, fists, and head butting. They became famous for their toughness on the battle field with constant wars with their Burmese rivals. King Ramkamheng (1275-1317) wrote the Book of War Learning "Tamrab-Pichei-Songkram" about the Thai war art, the basis of which was weaponless fighting.

The biggest Thai boxing hero of Thailand is the "Black Prince" Nai Khanom Dtom, who was captured by the Burmese and had to fight against 12 of the best Burmese fighters before he was released in 1560. The Thais still have annual Muay-thai tournaments to salute him.

In the old days, the fights lasted until one of the fighters was dead or seriously injured. There were no rounds and the fights could have lasted for several hours. No protective gear was used and sometimes they wore rope over their knuckles and glued broken glass on top of it. Before the 1940's, Thai fighters fought bare-knuckled. After World War II, the Thai government became concerned due to the high number of fatalities in the ring and and forced some rules to be used, such as no groin shots or eye pokes, and they started using weight classes, boxing gloves, and rounds. The Thais felt this watered down their sport. As a result, Thais place more emphasis on kicks (particularly to the legs), knee strikes, and grappling. These skills score higher points than hand strikes.

Muay-thai involves boxing techniques, hard kicking, and knee and elbow strikes. Low kicks to the thighs are a distinguishing technique. Stand up grappling is also used and allowed in the ring. Training involves rigorous physical training, similar to that practiced by Western boxers, including running, shadow-boxing, and heavy bag work. Much emphasis is also placed on various drills with the so-called "Thai pads". These pads weigh five to ten pounds and cover the wearers forearms. In use, the trainer wears the pads, and may hold them to receive kicks, punches, or knee and elbow strikes, and may also use them to punch at the trainee, similar to the way boxing trainers use focus mitts. The characteristic Muay-thai round kick is delivered with the shin, so the shins become highly conditioned by this type of kicking.

Full contact, full-power sparring is usually not done in training, due to the devastating nature of the techniques employed. For training, Thai boxers may box, hands only, with ordinary boxing gloves. Another training drill is for two fighters to clinch, and practice a form of stand-up grappling, the goal of which is to try to land a knee strike. However, full-power kicks, knees, and elbows are typically not used in training.

Promising children will enter dedicated Muay-thai training camps as young as six or seven. Where the fighter will be put on a plan aimed at making him a national champion while still in his teens. The Thais fight frequently, a 20 year old fighter may have had 150 fights. Typically, half the purse from each fight goes to the training camp, with the remainder being split between the fighter and his family. The sport version has been popular in Thailand for decades, and it has recently spread to Japan, the United States, and Europe.

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