View Full Version : Iran and Hapkido
modern hapkido
04-06-2005, 09:24
I just returned from almost two weeks in Iran setting up and training with the Iran Modern Hapkido Association. As far as I know I was the first high ranking American martial artist to visit Iran since their revolution in 1979.
It is a strange feeling to see your photo in martial arts magazines with text that you cannot read in Farsi.
I will be posting more pictures and detailed articles about that visit in the near future on www.modernhapkipo.org.
For now have included several thumbnail photos (1. Group picture, Black Belt only Seminar exception the two chilrden of my bodyguard, another story for later.... 2. Caspian Sea in background behind Deputy Chief Master Reza Valinejad, President of iran Modern Hapkido Federation, myself, and Dr. Keyvan Dehnad, Senior Advisor on International Growth and Development....3. Demonstration of a type of head control....and 4. Stopping for tea in the mountains, a cultural must in Iran)
Hapkiyoosool
04-07-2005, 08:15
I have a personal problem teaching in the middle east after 9/11. Maybe I am skiddish but, I think teaching anyone over there could cause you big problems later. It could come back to bite you in the Butt.
Our Grandmaster in Korea strictly told us NOT to teach anyone from in that area.
Thoughts?.......... :bow:
I second that; I wouldn't go to that country to teach anything especially martial arts. Its a no brainier that country is not friendly with us why go were the weather is sticky, damp and hot in politics?
It will come back to haunt you………….big brother is always watching.
Victor,
Well done. Nice to see someone move beyond simple assinine blanket prejudice and train folks obviously hungry to learn. Good Job.
I never heard of anyone running to the middle of a crowded room and "blowing up with some Hapkido".
One of my long tome instructors was the first to teach in the Soviet Union - in the Kremlin and to the KGB - during the cold war no less - I guess a little Hapkido hardly held together the "Red Menace".
To the more bigoted here, will you refuse to teach Arab Americans? Are all Arabs "Bad"? You will probably say, "no, and I have some Arab Friends" right? Will you teach Black Muslims, members from the Nation of Islam?
"Our Grandmaster in Korea strictly told us NOT to teach anyone from in that area."
Only living there, from "there", national orign from "there". Rooster, you have no real clue about the world do you? Most countries in the world have created a level of hatred for the US because of the military, government or other organizational policy that only shows that the US is a "strong arm group". Individuals always have a better chance of showing the US in a good light. But, small minded bigots ALWAYS show themselves eventually.
Again, good job Victor for teaching some people that really want to learn - you obviously send positive vibes about Americans. That is what will make the US not seem like just a government policy.
I second that; I wouldn't go to that country to teach anything especially martial arts. Its a no brainier that country is not friendly with us why go were the weather is sticky, damp and hot in politics?
Ummm, have you EVER been invited to teach outside the US? The country is not friendly or the government is not friendly? How unfriendly are they when they invited him over, and made him welcome? Weather is sticky, damp and hot in politics? What does that mean - sorry, but bigots sound silly with proper English - but that statement has me rolling. Sticky damp and hot in politics sounds like any New York Summer or New Your City Hall meeting to me...grow up.
I think a good Hapkido instructor teaches a person more than how to hurt someone. They teach them the mind set that goes with the responsibility of knowing Hapkido.
I think if terrorist's had that mind set - they wouldn't be terrorists.
There will always be good people, no matter where you go in the world. I think its important to realize that.
ushankido
04-07-2005, 11:18
As the moderator it is my responsibility to intervene when discussions get very heated. Just so you know, I am half-Korean and half-Arab -- my father is from Bahrain. According to Mr. Allen’s grandmaster I shouldn’t be learning martial arts apparently because I might pose a security risk. The statement smacks of prejudice and such statements will not be tolerated on Budo Seek. I train at the IHF’s headquarters in Yong-In all the time and I’ve always been made welcome.
The World Taekwondo Federation (WTF), Kuk Sool Won, Sin Moo Hapkido, and many other martial art organizations have schools in Iran. I don’t think they would do so if they thought they were training terrorists.
Another point that has been brought up is that visiting Iran and training Iranians helps to build personal relationships that could help build trust between our nations. I couldn’t agree more. This is besides the fact that despite the hostile political climate between the US and Iran, many cultural and intellectual exchanges continue. The American and Iranian national soccer teams have played together. Our government sent rescue teams and dogs to help after the earthquake in the Iranian city of Bam.
We made similar overtures with the Soviet Union even during the height of the Cold War. My friend remembers going to a cultural exhibition that showcased aspects of Soviet culture in Los Angeles back in the 1970s. Also, remember the young girl from Maine, Samantha Smith, who was invited to the USSR after writing to Soviet Premier Andropov asking him to help solve US-Soviet tensions in 1983? I also know several students who studied in the USSR on student exchanges. Should all of this not been allowed?
I think a lot of good came from these visits. My hat’s off to the man who went to Iran.
As Victor knows from experience, the Iranian people are not hostile towards the US. The Iranian government is. Big difference.
Victor, in one of your pictures that cane looks like something Shuey made - I've got one just like it.
Good job on your trip, sir!
Jeff Cook
Wabujitsu
Victor I applaude your efforts to teach those that are willing to learn. My caution is Iran is an OFAC country and has been on that list through many admistrations. Travel is not prohibited, but business and certain relations are prohibited.
Take for example Bobby Fisher played a game of chess (for money/for monetary gain) in Yugoslavia, an OFAC country. Bobby was cited by the United States for conducting business with an OFAC nation. I keep the Bobby story short but you can read about it URL=http://www.freebobbyfischer.net/modules/news/]here[/URL]
I am sure you completed your research prior to your visit to Iran. The information that follows is for other members to review.
http://www.treas.gov/offices/enforcement/ofac/sanctions/t11iran.pdf - A list of transactions/exchanges/travel policy that is allow or prohibited.
Office of Foreign Assets Control
Mission
The Office of Foreign Assets Control ("OFAC") of the US Department of the Treasury administers and enforces economic and trade sanctions based on US foreign policy and national security goals against targeted foreign countries, terrorists, international narcotics traffickers, and those engaged in activities related to the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. OFAC acts under Presidential wartime and national emergency powers, as well as authority granted by specific legislation, to impose controls on transactions and freeze foreign assets under US jurisdiction. Many of the sanctions are based on United Nations and other international mandates, are multilateral in scope, and involve close cooperation with allied governments.
As Victor knows from experience, the Iranian people are not hostile towards the US. The Iranian government is. Big difference....
Jeff Cook
Wabujitsu
Similarly, most Americans are probably not hostile toward Iran just because our current administration is. Remember that 49% of the country voted against the current administration.
There will always be people in all countries of the world who will support their government line without question (this is not to say that any such people are taking part in this discussion). But there will also always be people who will disagree with the government line when it clashes with their personal views, and will follow their personal beliefs rather than the government's views. Of course, this is easier to do in, say, the US than it is in, say, North Korea.
btw, I didn't see anything inherently prejudiced in Rooster's post. Seems to me that his point is that, in the post-9/11 environment, any American who goes to a country with which the current administration is at odds could be asking for trouble in the form of governmental investigations. I agree with that point, irrespective of my views about teaching hapkido to Iranians, Arabs from any country or any other group of law-abiding individuals, no matter where they're from (which I have no quarrel with).
Mr. Sogor,
Why? everytime you make a post, you always have to heat the situation up. And assume things. No where in Master Allen's post did he come off as being prejudice. When I was in Florida we had students from every race, gender color etc. And Master Allen taught everyone equally. Again, you always write stuff like this. Just stop.
Knicky please update your profile with your first and last name. Thanks.
- Sorry for the side bar.
ELBOHEMIO
04-07-2005, 18:37
:eek: You guys like to fight each other...
You start to look like my parents. (lol) :laugh:
Spend more time in the mat and not in the "Bochinches". :eek:
BE WATER!!!
:wink2:
.
Our Grandmaster in Korea strictly told us NOT to teach anyone from in that area.
This is a prejudicial statement - period - it defines all people under a single geographic area as unacceptable. This is wrong. Does that satisfy you Merchant?
kodanjaclay
04-07-2005, 20:38
Ok, here is the bottom line:
as one of my esteemed colleagues indicated, racism shall not be tolerated on Budoseek!
That being said, I can see the argument for security concerns where arabs are concerned. I really can. They are all out to get us and hate America... or are they and do they? Is it the arab people, or is it a small minority of people? Secondly, Iranians are not arab, they are occidental.
My personal feeling where arabs, Iranians and the like are concerned is quite simple. We are people. If we treat each other like people and give respect to one another, we would see alot less bull stuff in the world. If we are cut we all bleed red. Period. Let politicians be politicians and let us as martial artists teach through example. Just make sure you follow the law and do the best you can in life and that will bring you respect no matter what race or creed you are.
On the other hand, Master Allan has a right to his personal feeling and I will admit for a long time I was very anti-arab. I lost some good friends in 9-11. But even the exact plans were kept from all the terrorists. Why? Because once again, a minority wanted to affect the majority simply because THEY were upset.
Michael Tomlinson
04-07-2005, 21:05
Iranians are not Arabs...they are Persians...I'm not getting into this fray...I have my own beliefs and they are mine and no one elses but have fun guys....
Michael Tomlinson ;)
kodanjaclay
04-07-2005, 22:23
Actually if we really do want to be technical:
there are Jews, Kurds, Turks, Arabs, Occidentals and just about every other ethnicity in Iran. I worked on a project where my PM was an Iranian Jew. Interestingly, and someone else may be able to comment clearer, it seems that all the Iranians I met seemed to mumble which hurt my comprehension of what they were saying. Anyone else have this experience?
Anyhow, my point was solely that you can't blame an entire culture for a few miscreants.
Anyhow, my point was solely that you can't blame an entire culture for a few miscreants.
Well said.
American HKD
04-08-2005, 08:00
Greetings
I agree and I'm jewish.
I don't believe all "the arabs are bad".
The terrorists if you will are mainly some kind of twisted religous freaks who are bent on destruction of ANY culture outside of thier own believes.
They put down women rights, personal freedoms, open societies, education, to rule as dictators.
Polpot killed ober 1,000,000 in Cambodia for the same reasons.
You also have Uganda, The Sudan, Serbia was like that, the list continues.
One of the problem we do have, is there are terrorists in the US operating and posing as friends or neighbors or business owners and you don't know who they might be.
I don't think teaching a undercover terroist MA (which is a 1,000,000 to one shot) is going to make them any more problematic than they already are for the free world.
DragonMind
04-08-2005, 09:14
First off, well done, Master Cushing. It takes courage and compassion to take what was surely going to be an unpopular course of action to some. Isolation and ignorance are the best breeding grounds for prejudice. You have taken a big step in combating both.
Secondly, Iran has a very rich and diverse culture, including indigenous martial arts that actually do date back thousands of years, unlike certain others that like to cast stones. If you'd like to learn a little more try these:
Kirkpinar (http://www.kirkpinar.50megs.com/oil05.htm )
Pahlavani (http://www.pahlavani.com/ish/html/ph/new/phmain.htm)
reply,
Mr. Sogor,
(Master Allen) I have a personal problem teaching in the middle east after 9/11.
this is what Master Allen said. Anyone with intelligence can see that all he is saying is that after 9/11 he does not feel it's right to go THERE and teach.
(Master Allen)I think teaching anyone over there could cause you big problems later. It could come back to bite you in the Butt.
Again, no where is he saying anything prejudice, or saying not to teach a certain minority. He is refer ing to not going over to a foreign country, one which has openly denied certain issuse with our goverment.
Mr.Sogor, time and time again you find someway of twisting reality. You do it on every forum your a member of. And to think that some people in your own organization don't want anything to do with what you say.
...The terrorists if you will are mainly some kind of twisted religous freaks who are bent on destruction of ANY culture outside of thier own believes.
They put down women rights, personal freedoms, open societies, education, to rule as dictators...
Stuart, very good points. imo you've summed it up nicely.
There was an eye-opening program on PBS this week about an extremist group in Israel called Shabbas, if I recall correctly. This group of ultraorthodox settlers is bent on the destruction not only of the Palestinian people, but of the current Israeli state as well, because the latter does not conform to their view of what the land of Israel should be like in their interpretation of the Bible. They commit murder of innocent civilians. They build illegally not only in areas in the occupied territories, but also in areas that are unquestionably part of Israel proper. The Israeli internal security people believe that they are a grave threat to the security of the country, and are constantly trying to infiltrate them, but with little success. This group is as committed to their cause as Al Qaeda.
Then we have American "patriots" like Timothy McVeigh and Matthew Hale...
So terrorists can come from any religion or national group, as can (and do) genuinely good people.
This topic drifted way off course (partly by me) from Mr. Cushings' original intent. Please let's watch calling each other racists or biggots as one's words can easily be twisted on what was intented and what was interpreted.
Rather than point out faults what are the positives to teaching abroad? What did Master Cushing learn from experiances in Iran? Just my two cents to get this back on track.
Mr. Cushing,
Did any of the martial artists you met in Iran use club swinging as a form of physical conditioning?
I have read about some of the club swinging done by the traditional Iranian wrestlers and wondered if any modern Iranian martial artists continue to use the same protocol.
Respectfully,
DragonMind
04-08-2005, 14:25
Mr. Cushing,
Did any of the martial artists you met in Iran use club swinging as a form of physical conditioning?
I have read about some of the club swinging done by the traditional Iranian wrestlers and wondered if any modern Iranian martial artists continue to use the same protocol.
Respectfully,
Take a look at the links I posted above.
kodanjaclay
04-09-2005, 00:47
I'm going to intentionally drift this off course a little further...
my martial brothers have illustrated that Hapkido goes beyond culture. Thank you. I hope that I can learn to live up to the example that you have set.
Politicians will be politicians. Let us refine our art for the next generation. Masters Ji and Choi would be proud of such a tradition.
Hapk Ki!
Take a look at the links I posted above.
Mr. McConnell,
There is alot of information on those links, thank you! I browsed both and the Pahlavani site has some historical and basic competition information on club training. However, I was wondering if club training is used by Hapkidoin, and if so, what type of swings they use in training.
I have started to consider swinging clubs myself instead of performing power and olympic lifts for strength, and the practices and perspective of people swinging would be welcome. Please let me know if or anyone else has experiences to share.
Thank you,
modern hapkido
04-09-2005, 09:36
Interesting to see what kind of reaction was stirred up by the posting about Iran. Now I am going to avoid the pitfall of getting into debates regarding whether I should or should not have traveled and trained there and respond instead to the positive inquiry as to what did I learn and what experiences did I have on the Iranian trip.
To keep this post to some kind of reasonable use of bandwidth, I will try to keep it short
Hapkido is Hapkido wherever you practice it. Footwork, balance breaks, circular motion, lowering your center and using your whole body to execute a technique are no different on the Caspian Sea or next to Lake Michigan.
I now have more appreciation for the pioneer Korean instructors who with a limited command of English arrived in the United States to teach Hapkido in the late 1960's and early 1970's.
I made heavy use of several phrases which were almost the entire extent of my Farsi....."Bale!" = Yes, 'Naa" = No, "Chap" = Left, "Rast" = Right, "Moshaa, Moshaa" = softly, slowly,
and most importantly your test question to see if you are making sense to people....
" Showmaa Meefaahmeen?" = You understand?
There is more, but my main point is learn the language so you can communicate better, you are there to teach Hapkido, not English.
Farsi by the way has some characteristics of both Hebrew with guttural G and C/K sounds and the musical flow of rapidly spoken Spanish. The written language reads from right to left and remains for now a mystery to me.
Farsi is not Arabic though it uses the same alphabet and Iranians are not Arabs. They are Persian (55%), Azeri (24%), and a mix of many other ethnic and racial groups. In the next to last election a sweeping majority of the legislature was either liberal or moderate which upset the religious right so much that in the last election they used their power to rule out some 75% of the candidates on religious grounds thereby ensuring a landslide victory for their ideology even though completely non-representative.
There has been a battle going on for two years or more and the new elections may not be as burdened with constraints from outside the democratic process. We shall see. Inshallah, the Iranian majority will prevail (Inshallah = God Willing). Perhaps the more vociferous of us might take a moment to consider that this is, if it happens, the best way to arrive at democracy.
Back to the lanuage...Some words are derived from English the most important of which is Toilet. "Coja toilet" (where's the toilet?) can be a virtual lifesaver for any traveler with a queasy stomach.
Anyway you can't talk and explain unless you have a very skilled interpreter who also happens to be a good martial artist since while you will find educated people who speak English, their English is likely to be more like formal written British English than the rapid flow of idiomatic American English.
You must slow down the technique and pantomime the movements and point (and sometimes grunt) to make sure the students are with you and that you are understood. It re-emphasizes how personal and hands-on you need to be to share what you know about Hapkido with new students/friends.
The method for working on any techniques followed the same process:
(1) Demonstrate the technique several times from different angles at slow and 3/4 speed
(2) Let the group practice with a partner while you walk around and coach them in pairs
(3) Then have each pair show how they perform to the seated group and correct or modify for the whole group so they learn both by doing and by critically observing others
(4) Make sure you enforce safety rules regarding spacing and direction of throws so no sets of partners throw two people to the ground in opposite directions and bang heads (didn't happen there, but has happened to me in US...and you really do see stars)
(5) Adjust technique on the spot for pairs where there may be such a size disparity that something has to be changed to make it work
I was met with the same questions everywhere I went,
"What did you think about Iran before you came here?"
I have a friend who was here before the revolution and he loved Iran, so I came expecting to find what made him like Iran
"Were you afraid to travel to our country?"
I had some concerns, but life has risks and if you want to grow you have to look at life as an adventure.
"Now that you have been here what do you think of Iran?"
Everyone I have met has been friendly and helpful to me, I hope I am invited back.
A little personal history a friend of mine, a landsman, was with the Peace Corps in Iran at the time of the revolution in 1979 and was smuggled out of the country by Iranians to avoid arrest and capture. His impressions which I now share are that this is a people full of life, laughter, and a real energy for new information and change. That is why I went.
I do not consider the people I met to be potential enemies, rather potential friends.
I do not make American policy and certainly do not want to see the spread of atomic weapons anywhere.
I was interviewed by several martial arts magazines and only wanted to show the qualities of open acceptance that are the best of what we as Americans can offer. If and when the interviews and pictures are published I will post an update (and someone who knows Farsi can see if I was misquoted).
The moment (if it happens) that Iran is actually an enemy of ours (I pray that doesn't), I would break off contact.
However, if the door to training and growth through Hapkido, a martial art that we all love, stays open, I will keep walking through it to the mat.
The picutres below are just a small sample:
People enjoying the sun on the Caspian Sea,
Husbands and Wives having lunch with me,
A Father and Son practicing Hapkido,
Women and Children watching seminar
Culture will not allow men and women to pracice together
Family groups on Holiday
Iranians are just human beings.
Showmaa meefaahmeen?
.
modern hapkido
04-09-2005, 12:14
Jeff Cook, good eyes, and yes the cane was made by Mark Shuey.
I travel everywhere with a cane, the one weapon the airlines are not yet nervous about.
Have only had to use it twice... both times in Subway systems, once in UK on Boxer day 1997 to persude two drunks to stay away from my wife and child, and once during 2001 in NY to discourage a potential robber.
Great job,Vic and OMG how good was that food!!? My mouth is watering just looking at it.
Mr Cushing, very nice and informative post about Iran. Thanks.
I admire your commitment to Hapkido teaching and hope that you suffer no negative consequences from having visited an "axis of evil" nation. It's reassuring to hear that people all over the world are willing to come together to practice this art that binds us all together.
Michael Tomlinson
04-13-2005, 13:37
Having met Vic Cushing and sharing some very sweaty mat space with him I have no doubt that wherever he goes and whatever he teaches will be on the up and up. I can't imagine Vic compromising anything to do with our country or ideals. I saw Vic finish the two day 8 to 10 hour a day training session with Doju Nim Ji and not give up. This training will put you through the ringer and I've seen several "so called hardcore Hapkido people", throw in the towel and sit it out, or leave. Vic never did that so he has my respect because he EARNED it. Cool pictures Vic, looks like you had an awesome time. Hapki brother...
Michael Tomlinson :wink2:
Interesting to see what kind of reaction was stirred up by the posting about Iran. Now I am going to avoid the pitfall of getting into debates regarding whether I should or should not have traveled and trained there and respond instead to the positive inquiry as to what did I learn and what experiences did I have on the Iranian trip.
To keep this post to some kind of reasonable use of bandwidth, I will try to keep it short
Hapkido is Hapkido wherever you practice it. Footwork, balance breaks, circular motion, lowering your center and using your whole body to execute a technique are no different on the Caspian Sea or next to Lake Michigan.
I now have more appreciation for the pioneer Korean instructors who with a limited command of English arrived in the United States to teach Hapkido in the late 1960's and early 1970's.
I made heavy use of several phrases which were almost the entire extent of my Farsi....."Bale!" = Yes, 'Naa" = No, "Chap" = Left, "Rast" = Right, "Moshaa, Moshaa" = softly, slowly,
and most importantly your test question to see if you are making sense to people....
" Showmaa Meefaahmeen?" = You understand?
There is more, but my main point is learn the language so you can communicate better, you are there to teach Hapkido, not English.
Farsi by the way has some characteristics of both Hebrew with guttural G and C/K sounds and the musical flow of rapidly spoken Spanish. The written language reads from right to left and remains for now a mystery to me.
Farsi is not Arabic though it uses the same alphabet and Iranians are not Arabs. They are Persian (55%), Azeri (24%), and a mix of many other ethnic and racial groups. In the next to last election a sweeping majority of the legislature was either liberal or moderate which upset the religious right so much that in the last election they used their power to rule out some 75% of the candidates on religious grounds thereby ensuring a landslide victory for their ideology even though completely non-representative.
There has been a battle going on for two years or more and the new elections may not be as burdened with constraints from outside the democratic process. We shall see. Inshallah, the Iranian majority will prevail (Inshallah = God Willing). Perhaps the more vociferous of us might take a moment to consider that this is, if it happens, the best way to arrive at democracy.
Back to the lanuage...Some words are derived from English the most important of which is Toilet. "Coja toilet" (where's the toilet?) can be a virtual lifesaver for any traveler with a queasy stomach.
Anyway you can't talk and explain unless you have a very skilled interpreter who also happens to be a good martial artist since while you will find educated people who speak English, their English is likely to be more like formal written British English than the rapid flow of idiomatic American English.
You must slow down the technique and pantomime the movements and point (and sometimes grunt) to make sure the students are with you and that you are understood. It re-emphasizes how personal and hands-on you need to be to share what you know about Hapkido with new students/friends.
The method for working on any techniques followed the same process:
(1) Demonstrate the technique several times from different angles at slow and 3/4 speed
(2) Let the group practice with a partner while you walk around and coach them in pairs
(3) Then have each pair show how they perform to the seated group and correct or modify for the whole group so they learn both by doing and by critically observing others
(4) Make sure you enforce safety rules regarding spacing and direction of throws so no sets of partners throw two people to the ground in opposite directions and bang heads (didn't happen there, but has happened to me in US...and you really do see stars)
(5) Adjust technique on the spot for pairs where there may be such a size disparity that something has to be changed to make it work
I was met with the same questions everywhere I went,
"What did you think about Iran before you came here?"
I have a friend who was here before the revolution and he loved Iran, so I came expecting to find what made him like Iran
"Were you afraid to travel to our country?"
I had some concerns, but life has risks and if you want to grow you have to look at life as an adventure.
"Now that you have been here what do you think of Iran?"
Everyone I have met has been friendly and helpful to me, I hope I am invited back.
A little personal history a friend of mine, a landsman, was with the Peace Corps in Iran at the time of the revolution in 1979 and was smuggled out of the country by Iranians to avoid arrest and capture. His impressions which I now share are that this is a people full of life, laughter, and a real energy for new information and change. That is why I went.
I do not consider the people I met to be potential enemies, rather potential friends.
I do not make American policy and certainly do not want to see the spread of atomic weapons anywhere.
I was interviewed by several martial arts magazines and only wanted to show the qualities of open acceptance that are the best of what we as Americans can offer. If and when the interviews and pictures are published I will post an update (and someone who knows Farsi can see if I was misquoted).
The moment (if it happens) that Iran is actually an enemy of ours (I pray that doesn't), I would break off contact.
However, if the door to training and growth through Hapkido, a martial art that we all love, stays open, I will keep walking through it to the mat.
The picutres below are just a small sample:
People enjoying the sun on the Caspian Sea,
Husbands and Wives having lunch with me,
A Father and Son practicing Hapkido,
Women and Children watching seminar
Culture will not allow men and women to pracice together
Family groups on Holiday
Iranians are just human beings.
Showmaa meefaahmeen?
.
Salam Agha Cushing, Chitori? Congrats on your trip to Iran. I havent met any Americans over there. Although, I did meet a lot of Japanese and Koreans visiting Urumieh. How was it you were able to go as an American?
It looks like you went to one of the most beautiful parts of Iran The Northern Part. Its been years since I have seen that beautiful sea. I'm sure you had a great time there. I haven't met nicer folks, than when I went to Iran. Although the dutch(?) from Holland were super nice too.
I'm glad you got to see how the Iranians really are instead of believing what you hear on TV. Bush is crazy. Iran will be liberated with or without Americas help. I really can't see this regime last too much longer.
Good job, Mr. Cushing. Please keep us up to date. I for one would love to hear more.
Thanks
jahun Moayedzadeh
Another heated Hapkido thread...
Congrats again on your trip. I know that this has stirred up some controversy here and I have kind of layed out while I was coming to my own conclusions.
I will say that initially I did have a few concerns about the trip based on where it was and the type of training being provided. However, after I thought about it, I realized that the only thing that is likely to move our two countries together is to understand each other better.
I think in the long run, things like this might be the way that countries with governments like those in Iran are forced to become more open to other ideas. When people see that all Americans are not out to get them, to destroy their culture, and pervert Islam, only good things can come of it.
Change and understanding come in small increments. Who knows what the persons whom that group came into contact in Iran will do later in life? Who knows what the children who Victor came in contact with will grow up to be? At least this way they have a positive, face to face experience with Americans that they will probably never forget!
Good for you!
Jason
Hapkiyoosool
04-14-2005, 11:53
KUDOS to Victor Cushing and his trip to Iran. I am glad you had the experience. I was in that area due to my military service in the Gulf War. I had good times and bad. I am NOT against the trip. I simply shared something that we should all think about.......
First let's go back to my original statement if you don't mind. I don't want to be misrepresented.
I have a personal problem teaching in the middle east after 9/11. Maybe I am skiddish but, I think teaching anyone over there could cause you big problems later. It could come back to bite you in the Butt.
Our Grandmaster in Korea strictly told us NOT to teach anyone from in that area.
Thoughts?..........
Hmmm....I am skiddish about teaching anyone I do not know, even in America. We had a student from Russia who was Islamic. He seemed like a nice guy until we found out he was learning martial arts to "beat people up for money". Was he bad becasue he was Muslum? NO! He was bad because he was a thief. I kicked him out of our school immediately! As far as what our Grandmaster said, he simply wants us to be careful as to who we teach. Some people do not have the ability to tell who is good or bad, so our Grandmaster (being in Korea and being Korean) made a blanket statement for our federation instructors to help protect them.You never know who you are teaching. Especially now days. It seems that only here in America are we far too caught up in the "political correctness" garbage. Just be careful.
We all have personal convictions, you can't be angry or lash out for how someone feels. I have seen that destroy marriages.
I know that our Grandmaster is not a racist nor does he hate anyone based on race, creed, religion, or where they come from. He would have never taught anyone except Koreans if that was an issue. I know the school in Incheon very well. Great school and I applaud you ALi. We have talked before about all this stuff. You are more than welcome at our school! ^_^
Watch out for sactioned countries and doing business with these restricted area. It could get you in hot water if you do something that the USA considers "unethical" under international law. Look for OFAC countries.
There was a local martial artist in the Hollywood, FL area with a big school. He was teaching some young fellows some martial arts who turned out to be the TERRORISTS who flew into the World Trade Center. The very same terrorists who lived in my neighborhood in Hollywood, FL. The same men I refused to teach because they did not seem right. All we are saying is don't accept students just because they are money. Choose your students wisely. This same instructor had his name and face all over the news as "the terrorist teacher" and his school went sour. It is hard to be a good judge of character all the time.
I don't see a problem with anyone going to other countries and teaching, just be careful WHO you teach. Then again, you never know someone until it is too late sometimes.
If you can weed out the bad guys, more power to ya!
Teach them all anything they want to learn. Spread the art! :bow:
When a new student starts training you may not know them but watching and observing how they act with others and how they react to pain will give some good indications of who and what they are! It takes a while before a level of trust is earned, it does not happen over night. :bow:
Hapkiyoosool
04-19-2005, 11:11
Absolutely! I agree whole heartedly! :bow:
atyabchabe
04-19-2005, 16:36
what happened on the 9/11 was dramatic and catastrophic not just for america but for all the world. All the terrorists was arab persons, but it does not mean that all ur fingers are the same. Some of you are generalizing that we are terrorists,90%of the arab population are with american and against the war,hundreds of american live in my country Lebanon and they have never been attacked, even the one who are against the american and israelin never touched an american and believe me if you asked them if they want to go to the STates they will tell , i adore to visit this great country, believe me the reality in our country is different from what the media is showing.
What I wanted to say that if an american comes to teach us Hapkido or any style he will be more than welcome, we will train hard with him not because we want to kick your *** as someone mentioned up, because we have the spirit of martial art and we are eager to learn, because we don't have what you have in the states, in my country they just teach,aikido,judo,karate,taekwondo,kungfu,jujutsu, but if you look to the techniques of some master :bow: you would prefer stay at home and don't train.
I would like to congratulate Master Cushing for the seminar in Iran and I hope this will be a push and motivation for other american master to come to my country Lebanon and teach us what we are looking for.
gaby
kodanjaclay
04-19-2005, 21:28
Gabriel,
Nevermind. After I refreshed everything showed up just fine. Sorry for any confusion.
Thank you.
kodanjaclay
04-19-2005, 21:32
If martial arts are meant to better society, should we not offer our hands in peace? The best way to combat ignorance is to confront it with truth. There are zealots on both sides and so that is life. That being said, we can teach people not to hate and fear but to respect.
Arab culture is a rich one and they have contributed much... from Algebra to tremendous architectural works. They have a rich and varied culture and it is a shame that the media poisons both sides.
If martial arts are meant to better society, should we not offer our hands in peace? The best way to combat ignorance is to confront it with truth. There are zealots on both sides and so that is life. That being said, we can teach people not to hate and fear but to respect.
Arab culture is a rich one and they have contributed much... from Algebra to tremendous architectural works. They have a rich and varied culture and it is a shame that the media poisons both sides.
I'm sorry Mr. Clay, but the Persians and Persian culture is very different than Arabs. The only thing in common really is Islam, but even Iran has a different sect of Islam. Some Persians I know would take that as an insult. LOL. Be careful of how you clump cultures together. After all is the Korean culture a rich Japanese culture?
Michael Tomlinson
04-26-2005, 13:16
jahun,
I knew this exactly like you said it when I wrote my post but I left that info out. One of my affiliates is Iranian and I ask him once if he was arab,,not meaning any harm or bias at all. He then gave me a ten minute diatribe on the history of Persia, Iran, Arabia, etc... we both had a good laugh afterwards and I told him I didn't mean any disrespect..he laughed about it but was very very vehement that you shouldn't group everyone together in that region and that they are all different. I learned a lot about the region from him.
Michael Tomlinson :wink2:
GodofGamblers
04-26-2005, 19:54
Hello my MA friends across the Atlantic. I am a muslim from Indonesia and we are not your enemies. there are over 240M people in Indonesia, the largest muslim nation in the world and yet people seem to always equate Islam with angry blind imams in Saudi Arabia or the Sudan or somewhere.
I applaud Mr. Cushings trip to Iran and the spirit in which he went. I'm sure his actions will not be forgotten by the good people or Iran.
Peace
kodanjaclay
04-26-2005, 20:12
gentlemen...
Please re-read my posts. I never said Iranians were Arabs. I actually said that the area is composed of several ethnicities and listed a few. I did switch gears, represented by the change of paragraph as is customary in English. My point being that there is some anger in the Arab culture because they have gone from being leaders to a third world state. If you read all of my posts, I noted that I had workd for Iranians... once of them being a Jew and since Jews are a different race than Arabs, the distinction should be quite clear.
ushankido
04-26-2005, 21:07
Yep, not all Iranians are Muslims. There is a large Iranian Jewish population here in Los Angeles.
kodanjaclay
04-26-2005, 21:26
Ali,
I was working in TO when I met him. Know any Darakhs?
ushankido
04-26-2005, 21:39
Ali,
I was working in TO when I met him. Know any Darakhs?
You mean Thousand Oaks? No, I don't know many Iranians.
kodanjaclay
04-27-2005, 05:54
Yeppers. Nice place. Had my first earthquake(s) there.
ushankido
04-27-2005, 09:59
I remember my first quake; it was not long after moving here from Minneapolis. I also remember hearing the reentry of the space shuttle at Edwards Air Force Base for the first time. I did not know what the sound was. Funny looking back now.
Michael,
LOL. thats funny. I wanted, at first, to do the same as your affiliate. But thats totally not needed. No worries!
Mr. Clay,
I understand how paragraphs work. Thanks for tring to clear that up for us! Its hard to know what your saying when you are not clear. I understand what you meant now, but only after you explained yourself. Title of thread is Iran and hapkido and your talking about Arabs. You probably wouldn't be suprised how Persians get clumped with Arabs all the time. Happens to me everyday. Everytime I correct them. I glad you know the difference.
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