New black belts

In the past three weeks a group of fourteen students from the Netherlands visited Korea to learn more about hankimuye. For four of them the crown on this visit was their black belt test on the last day of their visit.

The trip to Korea started hectic for some of them. Flights got canceled and rerouted flights got delayed. But in the end all the participants made it to Korea.

Seosan

The first week was spend at the hankimuye training facility near the city of Seosan, about a two hour drive from Seoul. Here they trained four times a day. The first training of the day started at seven in the morning. A brisk morning run followed up by breathing exercises. After breakfast a two hour striking class was part of the daily schedule, followed by a two hour grappling class in the afternoon. In the evening there was time to prepare for the exams.

Sightseeing

During the second week there was time to get to see something of Korea as well. Trips were made to Seoul, Incheon and the Korea Folk Village. On some days there would be a evening class or seminar to attend.

Exams

During the third and last week a few extra classes were scheduled to make up for the classes missed because of the delayed flights.

On Thursday morning the four candidates were put to the test. They had to demonstrate they master all the techniques from white until black belt. On top of that they were asked to demonstrate what they learned extra during the last three weeks. The exam took place under the watchful eye of master Yang Yong-seok.

After a stressful test the four candidates, Alie, Alieda, Jan and Willem, were awarded their black belt.

Next year

In the spring of 2025 we hope to host another hankimuye training camp in Korea. The camp will last two weeks, but it is possible to stay longer. More information will be posted on this site soon.