Midwest World Kuk Sool Won Tournament

Every year, we try to get to one Kuk Sool tournament as a school. That tournament is coming up at the end of April.

Midwest Tournament
April 27, 2013
University of Missouri
St. Louis, MO

Now, if you’ve never been to a Kuk Sool tournament, you need to cleanse your imagination of what you’ve seen in the Karate Kid movies. You won’t hear the phrases “Get him a body bag!” or “Finish him!” from the sidelines.

Kuk Sool Won tournaments are very well run, very safe events. Most of you can compete in any of three events: Forms, Techniques, and Sparring. To compete in Sparring, you need to have purchased protective sparring gear that usually runs about $100 to $150. Advanced ranks may also compete in weapons and breaking.

The tournament will be on a Saturday and will begin at about 9:00 am. Since it is about a five-hour drive from Muncie, you could certainly get up early on Saturday and drive to St. Louis. The whole event (they plan to have a Masters Demonstration at the end, which is always worth staying for {but which has been cancelled the past two years because of weather delays}) will last until 8:00 pm or so. I have known people to drive back on the same day of the tournament to save a hotel bill, but I don’t recommend it.

Master Harvey has secured rates in a very nice hotel for $75 a night. With taxes and parking it might come out to $85. This is a very good deal and it is the same hotel that Kuk Sa Nim and most of the competitors will be staying in. It is very close to the tournament site as well.

My family and I will be staying in a hotel that is thirty minutes away, is slightly less expensive, but perhaps quieter with a better swimming pool. You may email Shil Jahng Nim Krystal if you want information about that hotel.

If you need to buy equipment like sparring gear or a staff for competition, please let me know as soon as possible. We still have plenty of time, but I would like you to have time to practice with your equipment before the tournament.

As with the St. Jude Demo, we should schedule extra practice time to prepare for the demonstration. Email me at Ken@KukSoolWonOfMuncie.com to let me know that you would like to take part, and that you would like extra practice. As a gift to my students, I won’t charge extra for extra practice sessions. Please take advantage of this!