Attached below is a letter from a senior Dan who attended camp. We sincerely appreciate the candor and feedback. Open discussion of concerns is the only way to go! And we appreciate the compliments, too.
The letter has excellent insights, ponders some very good points of how the camp was conducted, and has nearly the exact same concerns that the camp organizers wrestled with. In the spirit of openness and teamwork among peers, the concerns have been extracted and responded to below.
Q1: What does it mean to honor an old tradition and begin a new one? Is it, as I understand, to uphold whatever the common Son legacy is, and also to promote cross-fertilization of techniques and camaraderie among related schools? The forms called out by Frank in the sixth workout, though clearly presented as optional, to me indicate both the potential and the possible drawback of the camp example of 2010 for the viability of future camps. I myself am very interested in learning more of the Chung Do Kwan forms and drills than I know at present and find them challenging and stimulating. However, they are not yet in common use among the participating Son-tradition clubs. I am sure Mr. Son would never have offered or permitted them on his own. To me this situation raises the question of what, apart from slogans, really IS this Mr. Son legacy to which we all (or almost all) appeal at present?
A1: Mr. Son's legacy is subject to almost as many interpretations as the people he influenced. The common theme that emerged from debates on what the camp organizers liked about the camps at Storm King was the work ethic. This resonated so well among all the camp organizers that, using a broad brush, it is fair to say that Mr. Son's foremost legacy is one of training very vigorously, always pushing yourself. Regarding forms, for whatever reasons he had, Mr. Son limited the number of forms within the Eastern US WTA schools. The WTA Redbook, published many years ago, details nearly all the additional forms that Frank called out. Most of these are practiced by (now former WTA) schools in the Western US, with a few exceptions. At tournaments in the Western US, Mr. Son never objected to these forms.
Q2: As the clubs develop on their own, styles will inevitably develop and grow apart. Will people want to continue to claim Mr. Son's name and example as the source of whatever they practice or not?
A2: This is indeed a general concern to which there are no easy answers at present. By bringing people together regularly, we can maintain a basis of common training and standards that
enables a greater future. The era of a single strong leader has passed. By mixing at events, we will see things that motivate, challenge, and inspire us to renew our own efforts. Among other things, the events will serve as forums for the exchange of ideas. Wise leaders will stay close to the core values of hard work, simple and powerful techniques that we learned from Mr. Son. The primary goal of Camp 2010 was to create a positive experience showing that we
can carry on. We believe this to be the greatest honor to Mr. Son. We actively encourage all who have an interest to get involved in the shaping of future events. Please visit the web site for the
next camp.
