“Pay attention to what’s happening. It is all right before you. You must learn to see what you haven’t been seeing.” Enos
It is no surprise that Heartbreak Ridge, starring Clint Eastwood, was not nominated for an Academy Award. Unlike most Academy Award nominees and winners, much can be learned from this iconic movie. “Improvise, adapt, overcome” seasoned veterans have much to teach while often times people claiming high rank, or who have obtained their rank politically as with Major Powers in the movie, are empty uniforms. Major Powers was one of these empty uniforms with an inflated ego and minimal experience. In his position and with his ego he could get people killed. There are instructors who operate in a similar manner. They are more interested in promoting themselves than in understanding the consequences of their improper instruction. Learning is a continual process, it takes time and patience.
While in another state giving a seminar, I was contacted by a high ranking Hapkido instructor who wanted me to evaluate his Police Tactics techniques. Apparently, he had applied for and gotten a lucrative contract, with a large police agency and he was hired to teach police tactics. We worked out at one of his local schools. Mrs. G. was with us and helped by being one of the “bad guys”. It was apparent from the beginning that he had no idea what he was doing. I offered to stay and help him with a curriculum. He knew that I had been teaching Police Tactics for various police agencies for many years and I thought that is why he had asked for me to critique his techniques. What he really wanted was for me to confirm for him that I thought he was as great as he thought he was!
I was extremely fortunate in my military experience. The seniors I worked for were only interested in getting the job successfully accomplished. They were supportive, watched our backs and if necessary they expected us to adapt and improvise. However, that was not the experience one of my friends experienced prior to joining us.
He was a Marine Sergeant on his 3rd tour of duty when he joined us. On his 2nd tour, he was assigned to a Major not dissimilar to Major Powers. This Major was intent on making a name for himself, collecting medals and moving to the Pentagon. His ambition was so self-directed that he was willing to sacrifice his men to fulfill his own ambition.
My friend had had several disagreements with this Major, not unlike the interaction between Eastwood’s character and Major Powers. While Vietnam was new to the Major, my friend had the experience to keep his men from making mistakes in combat. He had a distinguished military career and because of this he had the choice of his next duty station. He chose our unit.
When he got his orders to report to our unit he was in deep enemy territory. When his Major found out that he had requested to leave his unit he was very angry. It looked bad for a decorated combat Marine Sergeant to ask to leave his unit. The Major knew that the request made him look bad and his ego superseded his command responsibility and he decided to get even with the Sergeant rather than lead him.
The major released the Sergeant on the spot. He ordered him to find his own way back to the main base. The Sergeant adapted and improvised, traveled at night and hiding during the day. It took him three nights to get back to a Safe Zone. He reported to our unit five days after he was left deep in enemy territory. I learned a great deal from his experience and subsequent experiences we both encountered. He was not particularly big or exceptionally physically strong. However, when he focused his mind there was not any obstacle that could deteer him from his goal.
When Mr. Kim enters Pacific Rim, as he did recently, the atmosphere becomes electrified. Only recently has he allowed students to get to know him the way that I know him. He has a great sense of humor, does not take himself so seriously. He is disappointed that others that he has known for years present themselves as Super Grandmasters. He read an article that I showed to him and asked me what a Great Grandmaster is and then he smiled that smile. His teaching is similar to the way he has taught for many years. During this last visit he worked with students individually.
For the past several years he has worked with me privately explaining what he was teaching in Korea and wanting me to teach the same process during seminars as well as regular practice at Pacific Rim. When I asked about these changes his response was “What change?” Then, that smile. It is obvious that Mr. Kim’s teaching strategy is to teach students how to learn by observation, thinking for themselves, improvising and adapting. I have been a student of Mr. Kim’s for over 35 years. Our relationship, and my training opportunities, has exceeded any expectations I ever had. After all these years, when he enters Pacific Rim, I always learn.
The mark of a true Grandmaster is the ability to convey information in a way to continue to explore information to help students at all levels continue to learn. Mr. Kim’s philosophy has always been that without philosophy, science and psychology martial arts cannot properly be learned. True masters think in a similar manner regardless of the art they teach. Professor Kano, the founder of Judo, “Asserted that truly physical training should be accompanied with instruction in scientific principles, mental and spiritual training. An understanding of Judo is also impossible without being familiar with the basics of philosophy and ethics.” Kano Martial arts teach us to understand basics, improvise, adapt, overcome, improve and be open to learning.
Pacific Rim Martial Arts Academy 