The advetures of J and D

Well we finally did it. We took and passed our black belt test. The test was April 15th, 2007. There was a lot of nervous anticipation that both Josh and I shared leading up to this day. Two months before the big test we trained very hard everyday, perfecting our poomsae forms, kicks, and sparring techniques.

On test day, we arrived at our do-jang at 7am to meet up with our master and the other kids that would be taking the test that day. (We are the only adult students at our school, as well as the only foreigners.) We all piled into the schools van and were off. 45 minutes later, we arrived at our do-jang's sister school, owned by our Master's Uncle. Our Master is a 5th dan and his uncle a high level official in the Kukkiwon (World TK headquarters) as well as a 7th dan. Arriving at our sister school was a surprise. We didn't know that we would have to come here to practice our poomsae, in our street clothes, infront of a 7th dan, half asleep and at 8 in the morning!! That didn't go well and we were worried we had embarrassed ourselved infront of the 7th dan Master instructor.

Anyway, then it was off to the Kukkiwon. Josh and I had to wait from 9-1, for all the little kids to get tested. The adult test are some of the last tests to take place, followed by the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, ect. degree black belt tests. There were also something like 1500 kids to take there test that day. So it was quite a long wait. But we were able to do a run through practice outside and get some good snaps of the kids.

About 12:30 the call the adults down into the basement room, and make sure we are all lined up and had our numbers on. Then we waited more. Josh hates having to hurry up and wait!! When I first walked in the room, all the women took a big breathe and got wide eyes. I believe they were worried they would have to fight me, especially since I was a foot taller then them. Josh and I found out there was another foreigner couple there, and I was sure we would have to fight them. Although general they match you up by height.
So I started to get a bit nervous about this, not knowing who I would fight and not underestimating the power of someone shorter then I. Josh and I both knew instantly who Josh would fight. A 6'4" 250 Korean followed us into the room. Yup, Josh would fight the big guy, although we were sure Josh would be the biggest guy!!

We were able to get some strectching in, and to meditate a bit before we were lead into the Kukkiwon stadium. All 14 adult 1st degree black belt test takers lined up infront of the judges. We started of by showing our kicks in unison. Then, at random, the first poomsae was choosen. We had to memorize #1-8 (all the poomsaes required for the colored belts). They choose #3, and in unison we completed the poomsae. I was so glad it was a low number! Then we performed #8, the pre-choosen form we all had to master. I was a bit nervous, and made one wrong punch. It was very slight and at an angle the judges couldn't see, so it didn't matter (because obviously I've already passed). Josh of course executed with great precision. He is a master at poomsae forms. Next, we bowed and we're excited off the mat over the fighting rings.

There were two fighting rings set up. The judges match you by height and pull you immediately to get your gear on. Josh and the big Korean were pulled out first of course. And I was left standing there as the women scattered. They all ran away from me so the wouldn't have to fight me. The judge stood there dumbfounded. Some of the women tried to push the foreigner girl to me, but she refused and latched onto another woman. I was left there with a woman in her 40's and a man about 5'8". There was an odd man, so he'd have to wait for the other men to finish. Well, the woman decided she'd rather fight the man, then me, I don't know why. She pointed the the guy and she said something in Korean. At that point, I was just wanting to get it over with and pointed very abruptly to the guy and said I'll fight him.

So that was that. I was to fight a man. Over all the squabbling and nerves, I missed half of Josh's fight. The 6'4" guy didn't move around too much. He was a bit clumsy and slow. He was probably use to fighting smaller guys and not someone of his one height. So he kept throwing the same slow full round house kick at Josh, and actually kicked Josh down low where it hurts on one of the kicks...ouch!! Josh kept throwing some defensive kicks and waiting for the guy to warm up a bit. Josh got a bit tired of the defensive game and probably a bit annoyed with the crotch shot, Josh started to go in for some combinations and they stopped the fight. The fight was over in a minute. Josh was pretty disappointed and felt it was really uneventful.

Next thing I knew it was my turn to fight. Josh was already back in the grand stands, by the time I had my gear on and was entering the ring. My instructor had told me many times to initally just come out and attack as soon as the judge lowers his hand. And so that's what I decided I would do. I wanted to come out and shock the guy right off the bat and put up a good fight. So that's what I did. I charged at the guy and did a 4 kick combo. The last kick was a head shot, but I missed on purpose. We practiced so much in training, not actually kicking your opponent in the head, that when it comes time to fight I couldn't bring myself around to do it. I pushed the guy all the way to the edge of the mat. We paused for a just a second, and his eyes got all big. I guess it worked, I shocked him. I took a few steps back, letting him know it was time for him to kick back. If you don't show your kicks, then you don't pass. So he started kicking at me back with round houses, pushing us back to the opposite edge of the mat. I played defense, and the next thing I know the fight was over. All I can say is, I probably won't go very much further in Taekwondo. I'm 27, and I have a busted knee ligament. But I kicked a dudes ass!!

And that was the end. We packed up and headed to a restaurant with the team and our coach for a celebratory dinner.

Needless to say, all the students at our school passed. It was a great experince that neither of us will ever forget. We've accomplished one of our goals, obtain our black belts. And we took the test in Korean at the World Headquarters in Seoul!!!!

Another day of early rising. Our stomach's were a bit upset from the noodles the night before. We'd decided we should head to Seocho and see if we could get to an ATM before our stomachs got too rumbly. So it was time to say goodbye to Seoraksan National Park.

We packed up our stuff, grabbed our hiking packs and headed out to the bus stop. Once to Seocho, we went on a 30 minute hunt for an ATM. Once we had gotten our cash, we decided to head down to Seocho beach, eat some breakfast, and check out the beach. Our bus didn't come until around 4pm, so we had some time to kill.

Right before the entrance to the beach, we found a seafood restaurant with wonderful food. Although, we were sore and tired, we had the chance to enjoy a great fried fish Korean style meal, while soaking in the sun and the view of the beach!!

(pic infront of restaurant on beach)

Once our belly's were full it was time to lay on the beach. It was such a nice day in October (something we are not use to, being from the Pac. NW). We layed on the beach and got some sun. Unfortunately didn't have anything to wear into the water, and didn't want to be wet for the bus ride home. It was nice just to catch some extra nap time though.

(pic of seocho beach)

I would have to say that our trip to Seoraksan is one of my favorites. Seoraksan was so serene, and worth every sore muscle and long hike, just to see it. It is just so amazing to see all the cultural aspects of Korea that are held within the park. To top it off we got to spend a few hours on a beautiful beach, before heading back to work.

We woke up early on day two. Josh had this wild idea that we would hike up to the summit. However, I had other plans. Since we were both terribly sore from hiking the night before, I was convinced we would take the cable car. It took me some time to convince Josh, because he is scared of heights. But there was just no way I was going to hike for 12 hours.

After buying our tickets for the cable car, we had a few hours to kill. So, we went on a short hike to some waterfalls at the base of the national park.

After visiting the waterfalls and hiking about a bit, it was time to take the cable car. I had to tell Josh to just hang on and close his eyes. The only way we were getting to the top was by ascending about 2,000 ft in five minutes. Needless to say, Josh stopped to have a beer and catch his breathe at the top.

Once at the top, we enjoyed a magnificent view and another day of great weather. From the cable car station at the top, it was something like a quarter mile to the summit. Once there we could see the ocean. The blue skys and sea were definitely worth all the hiking, wait, and the cable car ride (even as unhappy Josh was for those 5 minutes).

We visited another temple that was about 200 meters straight down from the cable car station.

Late in the afternoon, we descended the mountain. It was time to head back to the hotel for a nice shower and soft bed. The one crazy thing that happened was we miscalculated how much cash we had on us. The city of Seoraksan, just outside the park, was much more expensive then we had thought. It was a Sunday, by then, and some ATM's close on Sunday. Also, the only ATM was in one of the posher hotels, so it was definitely not in service. We had about $5 US on us, after we dug out all the change on us. We had to walk from the base of the park about a mile back to our hotel, contemplating what we would do. That night we ended up eating ramen noodles and curry packets. We had to save $2 to take the bus back to the city of Seocho (where we would catch the bus back to our apartment.) It was a good thing we were exhausted, because we didn't have any money to go out anyway.

Yes, we`ve been very slow to add any entries as of late. Well, we`ve been busy. Between the gym, yoga, studying Korean, teaching English, training for our black belts, and just general living, we`ve had no time!

Alas! I am taking some time tonight, since Josh is activing engaged in a movie I`ve already seen.

Cheosuk, Korea`s Thanksgiving holiday, fell back in October last year. (Hence, I am back dating my blog. Its currently March 10th, 2007!) So this holiday, we had a full 4 days to take a trip somewhere. A good three months after our return to Korea, a break was much needed.

We decided to take a bus over to Mt. Seoraksan. The guide books all say that it is a must see. So, we decided that we didn`t want to miss out on this and spend a good couple of day hiking and taking in nature. We were also under the impression that since Cheosuk is an important family holiday, that most Koreans would be traveling back to their hometowns, leaving the mountain crowd free. We were dead wrong. Groups of families, couples, friends and just hiking enthusiast rushed to Seoraksan to revel in the natural beauty of this park. But afterall, hiking is considered Korea`s national pastime.

Departure day to Seorak Mt. was a bit rough on my part I will admit. I`m not a morning person, and did not enjoy waking at the wee hours to take an hour and a half train ride to the center of Seoul. Nor did I enjoy running through the train station, only stopping for a bathroom break and to buy some nourishment, in order to catch the bus. The 4 hours bus ride also didn`t suit me well. However, we made it safely and were able to get a cheap, yet clean hotel for about 30 US dollars. Josh, of course, was gun-ho to hit the mountain. I, on the other hand, was convinced that much needed nap was in order.

Thanks to me, we hit the national park late. I believe it was 4p.m. when we actually hit the trails. When you first enter the national park, one of the first things you will see is a giant copper Buddha statue about 30-40 ft. high with large, lush green trees as its backdrop. The second, thing we stumbled upon, was a Buddhist temple also at the base of the mountain. I was so impressed that the monks who lived there could live in the cold of a Korean winter (and Korea is cold!) and the heat and humidity of summer, out there in nature, with out any modern conveniences. I was also quite happy to take a picture of the phalic looking shrine within the temple grounds.

The Giant Buddha Statue

Inside the Temple at the base of the mountian

After checking out the Buddha and the temple, we`d decided to take a shorter hike since we wouldn`t have much time. We planned to hike about 2 miles and that would lead to the first established Buddhist hermitage in Korea. And, so we hiked, and hiked, and hiked and became more fatigued by the minute. It seems to be a common theme that when hiking in Asia, be prepared to climb many stairs to get somewhere. Just before dark we finally made it to the hermitage. We were surprised to find that the temple was actually carved out a large boulder in the side of the mountain. We took a few pictures and of course pushed the rolling rock (a large boulder that can actually be rocked back and forth if you have the strenght to do it, and can get the right momentum. Rocked back and forth very slowly that is).

The Hermitage you can see the entrance, and inside that giant boulder it is hollow.

Since it was getting dark, we decided that it was time to get out of the park and head back to the hotel. Unfortunately, we didn`t get to climb to the top of the hermitage. Apparently it is a spectacular view. The ensuing darkness wasn`t the only reason I declined to climb to the top. Apparently there is a steep staircase leading to the top. I believe the stairs were 100+ in number.

And so we decended. About 1/3 of the way down the trail darkness fell. Luckily, Josh is always well packed, and so he took out our headlamps. That was the first time I actually had to use head lamps to hike it the dark. That was quite a peaceful experience though. Just us, the dark, and the thousands of rocks to navigate down. (Korean trails are also very rocky, and sometimes difficult to move quickly down).

As we left the park we were both tired, but refreshed at the same time. I was glad we took the time to visit, although the getting there wasn`t very pleasant. Rather then wait for the bus or walk the couple of miles back to the hotel, we got a taxi. We showered, ate at one of the many overpriced Korean restaurants, and then fell asleep peacefully in exhaustion.

Well it has been a while since we have posted on here. This blog will bring you all up to date since the last blog. Of course we try to travel to Seoul and look around every weekend. However, some weekends are just lazy days at the house, reading and cleaning.

So the last nice day that we into Seoul we had high hopes of visiting a Palace and watching a reinactment of the "changing of the guards." However, when we arrived at the palace we saw that there was a demonstration of some sort happening. After looking around for a few moments we realized what was going on.

After we watched the demonstration for a few moments we decided it was time to go inside the Palace grounds. We went inside and saw Korean War veterans walking around in their old uniforms.

We continued to walk around the Palace and see the sites. This Palace was very interesting in the design. It mixed old style temple buildings with modern architecture. Deoksugung Palace was used by ruling kings and royal family members untill 1919. The last of the Josoen family members living under Japanese colonial rule lived here untill 1910, ending the Dynasty of more than 600 years.

The small stone carvings that are lined up along the pathway to the main thrown hall are to show the places of where heads of government and military officials would stand during important meetings.

Since the North Korean demonstration was happening outside, they had cancelled the changing of the guards ceremony for the day. I guess that we will just have to go back another day and see if the ceremony has resumed.

On to another topic; drunk old Asian men. We have encountered a few of these guys while in Asia. Mostly harmless and definetly off their rockers, they have been very entertaining. Our first encounter happened in Japan. We had been in the country for only three days when we decided to go visit Osaka Castle with our friend Emily. Dee was followed all around and propositioned at the lookout of the castle by a four foot tall Japanese man. Emily spoke a little Japanese and helped Dee understand the one sided conversation. We saw various other Japanese men being carried home by their friends after a long night of drinking. Here in Korea however, they are more entertaining. While we lived in Jeju we rarely had any run-ins with these surly old men. However, one time we were eating dinner at our favorite BBQ restaurant, when two old men who had drank about 10 bottles of soju began to argue and fight each other. While here in Seoul we have seen a few more. In our small neighborhood I had been followed by an old guy, who was looking to play a game of hide and seek. He watched me go into a convienience store, while I was inside he ducked down by the door in an attempt to spook me. However, I saw him standing outside and watched him duck down, so I was expecting him when I came out of the store. While in the same area a day later, we were looking for TaeKwonDo schools when an old man came up to Dee. He was looking for someone with cigarettes, but needed to work on his approach of asking for them. Instead of just asking, he proceeded to walk up behind Dee and poke her up the butt with his cane!!!! The latest addition to our old man files happened on the train into Seoul one afternoon. An old man reeking of alcohol, sat down next to me and began to try and talk to me in Konglish (Korean English). He noticed that I have hairy Western arms, and began to make a few comments regarding his arm hair. One of the comments was that I was like a dog and that I would stay warm in the winter because of the body hair. At that point, we decided to de-board the train and wait for the next one.

Lastly we have found a Tae Kwon Do School. The school is in our neighborhood and is run by Moon Dae Sung. Master Moon was an Olympic Gold Medalist in the 2004 Olympic games in Athens. There is also another teacher in the Do-Jong as well. She is our main teacher. Master moon runs the Do-Jong and works with students more on a one on one compacity. We think that he may charge more to those students to get trained by him exclusivly. The other teacher is equaly as skilled and we wonder why she isn`t training for the Olympics.

We have about ten other students in our class, mostly all middle and high school students who are Black Belts. We do of course have a favorite in our class. The student is about six years old. His parents own a local clothing store in the area. He has free reign to run around the neighborhood. On numerous occasions we have seen him rollerblading around the local area. Dee calls him the little warrior.

Well thats all for now. That should bring you all up to date. It is currently Korea`s Thanksgiving Holiday or Choseuk. We will have a four day weekend. During this vacation time we are going to travel to the North Eastern corner of the country and visit the largest National Park in Korea. We will try to Blog the trip as soon as we get back. Stay posted for the next edition.

J