October, 2007

The month of October is normally a very busy time for us all in Modern Farang Mu Sul®. This year is no exception. We have visitors from Europe, black belt test, color belt tests, seminars and more. Buckle up because we have lots of Modern Farang Mu Sul® news from all around the globe. Here are some updates:

FMS - WHQ: I recently found out from Asst. Inst. Mike De Alba Jr. that there was an article with FMS in Black Belt magazine this month. Thanks for the heads up Mike Jr! It is the Oct. 2007 issue, and is called a "Korean Arts Issue".

They posted 20 top Korean masters, and quoted me. That's very cool. They had interviewed me awhile ago, and I pretty much forgot about it. They took only a small part of what I explained about FMS, but at least they did a good job with what I said.

They keyed in on how our art distinguishes the 5 different fighting ranges, and the need to have a clear understanding of the tools involved in each range. And more importantly, on how to flow with the different tools as the ranges may change, all due to the dynamics of real combat. I know, you have all heard this a million times before in class, but I think it is great to get this out to the masses. So, check out the latest issue of Black Belt on the news stands now. This makes me want to get back to writing more articles....

Welcome Inst. Michael Klockner from our FMS Germany dojang to San Francisco (actually, to Santa Rosa)! Well, I am happy to report that we had THE BEST time ever. We were very fortunate to have great weather, of which we took full advantage for training as well as traveling. We made a trip down to Southern California, including Huntington Beach, Hollywood, Long Beach, Venice Beach and more. We also were very happy to make a trip to Reno for this years‘ Gathering. It was such an awesome experience (more details to follow).

On the way back we actually swung by none other than YOSEMITE National Park. Let me tell you all that it was nothing short of breath taking. Simply magnificent and awe inspiring. Words fail to express the power and majesty of Yosemite. We visited many of the scenic wonders of the park including Tuolumne Meadows, Yosemite Valley, El Capitan, Half Dome, Glacier Point, Mariposa Grove, the Giant Sequoias and so much more. You have to see it to understand and truly appreciate and experience the immense wonder of it all. And now the last item on our list is black belt testing. We'll talk more about that in the FMS Hollister news. Inst. Klockner certainly took full advantage of this trip and made sure to visit many wonderful places, and meet and revisit with old and new friends. On the last leg of this trip, Inst. Klockner met one of his good friends from Germany in Las Vegas. That's right, Viva Los Vegas baby. Don't worry Sir, what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas. They also visited Hoover Dam as well as The Gran Canyon. Wow, talk about taking in the sights. Farang!

(Pictures: 1 & 2- Inst. Klockner and Kuk Sa Nim sword practice at the Palace of Fine Arts in SF, 3- Half Dome and the spectacular view from Glacier Point in Yosemite, 4- At the Giant Redwoods - "The Bachelor and the Three Ladies", 5 & 6- In Hollywood, Ca., 7- Downtown Santa Rosa, 8- View of Alcatraz Island, SF, 9- Eating sushi in Japantown, SF)

Also in October we have the honor and privilege to be once again invited to the Annual Gathering seminar. This year it was held in Reno, NV. The Gathering is one of our favorite events of the year, and is a magnificent multi-styles seminar which hosts a myriad of Masters, Grand Masters and Founders of systems. We are very fortunate to be included in with a who's who of teachers. Since Inst. Michael Klockner was here visiting from Germany, I decided to bring him along, to expose him to this great event, and meet many of the good friends of FMS.

We got a chance to show some of the finer points of FMS, and even did a special FMS Boo Che Sul (Korean Fighting Fan) session, which was a big hit. Many of the people there had never seen the Korean fighting fan, and underestimated it's effectiveness. Well, we definitely enlightened them. We also covered topics such as the combative applications of stances, trapping into joint locks and low kicks (FMS Ha Che Jok Sul), etc. Of course, we were asked to show our FMS knife fighting techniques and drills. It was a lot of fun. Everyone really enjoyed sharing in such a warm and stimulating environment. Too much fun.

This year we were also delighted to spend some quality time with Pukulan Pentjak Silat Serak Grand Master Victor De Thouars and his wife and students. He shared lots of war stories, which eventually led to lots of impromptu training sessions (I live for these occasions). We had similar experiences with several of our other old and new friends, such as Master Saturno (who showed the diverse combative applications and advanced counters of the fundamental Cabales Escrima set. Just AWESOME). As well as several of my Kali / Escrima / Silat friends such as Guru Carlito Bonjoc Jr, Guru Phil Matedne of Pencak Silat Mande Muda, and others. I returned the favor by demonstrating FMS combat applications to the 5 point flow, using the knife in forward grip, reverse grip and mixed grips. We had a good time comparing and contrasting the many similarities, as well as some of the differences in our arts. It was all great fun, great training, and great brotherhood. It is such a pleasure and honor to work with and share deeper aspects of the martial arts with my peers and seniors. There is always an opportunity to learn, if one just closes ones mouth and opens ones eyes and ears. Well, all in all I can say again that it was a blast. I look forward to next year.

(Pictures: 1- Pukulan Pentjak Silat Serak Grand Master Victor De Thouars with Kuk Sa Nim and Inst. Klockner, 2- Kuk Sa Nim teaches FMS Boo Che Sul, 3- Kuk Sa Nim works on trapping into joint locks and low kicks, 4- Prof. Imi Okazaki-Mullins, 5- Kuk Sa Nim with the Kali / Silat players, 6 & 7 - In a spontaneous side room training session, Master Saturno goes over the finer points of Cabales escrima with Kuk Sa Nim)

FMS - Hollister : Let us congratulate all of the black belts of the 32nd FMS Black Belt testing held recently in Hollister, Ca. As those that have experienced this fabled test, it is not an understatement to characterize it as INTENSE and WONDERFUL, and even life changing. This past testing was no exception.

There was an added aspect to this testing that marked a tremendous milestone for Modern Farang Mu Sul®. At this test we not only had students going for their first dan (trust me, this is hard enough), and even students going for second dan (which we have now see a good amount in FMS), but we also had the rare pleasure of seeing students go for 3rd and 4th dan.

In case you don't know, in FMS the fourth dan is Master Instructor level. For Master Schleeter this big step was the completion of a circle he began many years ago. He had already received his master rank in Hapkido from me, but it was not to be complete until he achieved the same official rank in Modern Farang Mu Sul®. Trust me, this was no easy task, and required lots of hard work, sacrifices and patience, but he stuck it out, and made it. I am so proud of him. Also, very noteworthy was the journey that Inst. Michael Klockner from Germany has endured. Overdue for his test for several years now, and in the aftermath of much FMS turmoil in Germany, he had set his sights and mind straight on getting his official FMS black belt certification. No distance was too far, no price too high, no obstacle too great, to keep him away from his goal. And he did it! For Inst. Mark Shekoyan, this was also the culmination of a long journey which began many, many years ago, first in HRD, leading up to here. This test has been a long time coming, and he rose to the occasion, and "did the dirty deed".

Truthfully, everyone had a similar story to tell, from Inst. Hamilton down in Huntington Beach, to Inst. Gumina in San Francisco and Inst. Boyd in Hollister. Each had to overcome numerous obstacles, and focus on achieving their goals. And they ALL did it. I am literally bursting with pride and joy. So, again HUGE congratulations to all:

1st Dan
Inst. Mark Shekoyan (WHQ-SF)
Inst. Michael Klockner (Köln- Germany)

2nd Dan
Head Inst. Joseph Gumina (WHQ-SF)
Head Inst. Dylan Hamilton (Huntington Beach)

3rd Dan
Chief Inst. Earl Boyd (Hollister)

4th Dan
Master Inst. Patrick Schleeter (Hollister)

FARANG!!!!!

None of this could have been possible without the support from all the many friends, family members and FMS brothers and sisters that helped all along the way. Thank you all, and a special thanks to all the FMS black belts that joined me on the judges panel and assisted in the test. Thank you Master James De Alba, Inst. Kimberly Leith, Inst. Beth Matulitch, Inst. Nicole Miller, Inst. John Stenson, and Inst. Jim Staley. You were all awesome. You all ensured this test be one of the most memorable events in many lives.

Check out more pictures from the 32nd FMS Black Belt Ceremony - Here

FMS Puerto Rico : I got word from Master Dennis Vega that he recently took a team of Farang Mu Sul® kids to the Disney Martial Arts Festival in Florida. This was their second visit to this event. There were kids from 4 to 16 years old. The team was a total of 24 competitors. Well, they did it again!

Master Vega reports that they won an amazing 45 medals!!! WOW, you know they were on top of their game. They won 12 gold medals, 15 silver, 10 bronze and 8 4th places as well. That is so AWESOME. Congratulations to all. Way to represent. Farang!!!

Well needless to say the group made a huge and very positive impression on a lot of people. Apparently, there was a lot of questions and interest in Modern Farang Mu Sul®, so Master Vega gave as much info as he could and referred all to our official website. Good work Sir, and once again, huge congratulations to all the little warriors on a job well done.

FMS - Huntington Beach : We were very happy to be invited once again to do some special training and an open seminar for the FMS Huntington Beach students. Inst. Nicole Miller did a fantastic job coordinating everything. Since Inst. Klockner was visiting me here from Germany, I decided to bring him down to Southern California to meet the gang. He helped out with teaching a portion of the first training session, where he focused on FMS combative boxing and kickboxing skills. I took over and followed up with the connection to trapping, joint locks and follow ups. We even did a session on low line kicking skills (FMS Ha Che Jok Sul). The student just loved every minute.

And afterwards, we did a special advanced training session for all the advanced students to review black belt testing requirements, as well as 1st, 2nd and 3rd dan material. Too much fun. After lots of training, we all went out for some food, fun and relaxation.

That evening we took advantage and showed Inst. Klockner a little bit of Orange County, L.A. and Hollywood. The next morning, we did a special morning training session with Inst. Pinto, as he will be leaving to Portugal in the next couple of days. What a blast. Thank you so much FMS Huntington Beach crew.

FMS Portugal: As mentioned earlier, after much thought and deliberation, Inst. Nelson Pinto and his wife Vera have decided to return to Portugal. There are several personal factors involved, but all the same, we wish them well. On his last day in the US, the FMS Huntington Beach family threw him a farewell party. Inst. Beth Matulich from FMS Hollister, Inst. Klockner from FMS Germany and myself were there to share in the fun. It was a bitter sweet day, but totally filled with love and warm feelings. Everyone wishes them all the best. Farang!

(Picture: 1- Inst. Dylan Hamilton, Inst. Nicole Miller and Inst. Matt Wagner give Inst. Pinto a special present, 2- Inst. Pinto has his cake, and eats it too, 3- The FMS family share warm memories together)

Upon his return to Portugal, Inst. Pinto got to work on FMS matters right away. First on tap was a meeting of all main FMS Asst. Instructors and key FMS students. They reviewed their accomplishments from the last few years, and made more plans to expand in the near future. They have several special training sessions, demos and seminars planned, of which they have already begun implementing. A local newspaper even did a write-up on their first FMS seminar. So, they are off on the right foot. Keep up the good work Sir Farang!

FMS Germany : With the 32nd FMS black belt test now here, Inst. Michael Klockner from FMS Köln jumped on a plane to the USA for some final tune up with Kuk Sa Nim and then present his test. This is a wonderful opportunity, and they have taken full advantage.

Before Inst. Klockner left, they just had a final color belt test for the year. The students have been doing double duty, preparing for their own color belt test, as well as helping Inst. Klockner to prepare for his FMS black belt certification test in the USA.

All distractions aside, they all did fantastic. Congratulations to all the students on a job well done, and HUGE congratulations to Inst. Michael Klockner on accomplishing his dream, and going where very few have treaded before. Farang!!! I look forward to seeing all the FMS Germany family soon.

Other News: We would like to take a moment and wish Justine De Alba (aka: "kuksanet") a happy big 40th birthday. Needless to say we had a HUGE party for here, filled with tons of family, friends, and lots of presents. Happy Birthday!

Birthday News: We are happy to announce the birthdays of our FMS Black Belts from all over the world, so all of you students will know exactly when you can show your gratitude and celebrate with your teachers. FMS Black Belt Birthdays for this month:

This month of October will be: Inst. Nelson Cardona Oct - 06th, and Inst. Johnothan L. Pantoja Oct - 17th.

Next month of November will be: Inst. Cassie Van Doren Nov - 10th, Inst. Wyatt Kern Nov - 16th, Inst. Katarzyna Klepczyk Nov - 17th, and Inst. Patrick Brenan Nov - 25th.

Farang!!!

That's all for now. With brotherhood,

Kuk Sa – De Alba

Modern Farang Mu Sul® World HQ – SF

DSYSTEM.com web service (the "Service") contains material derived in whole or in part from the teachings of Grand Master Michael De Alba, the International De Alba System Confederation™, Modern Farang Mu Sul ® and their students, instructors, and associates. International copyright, trademark and other intellectual property laws protect these materials. Users, guests and visitors may not modify, copy, reproduce, republish, upload, post, transmit or distribute in any way or in any form, any material from the Service including code and software. Users, visitors and guests may download material from the Service for personal, non-commercial use only, provided all copyright and other proprietary notices are clearly visible and intact. Commercial use, reference or linkage to the Service site, without the express written permission, of Michael De Alba or his assigns, by registered letter, is prohibited.Copyright 2001® DeAlba Productions

Modern Farang Mu Sul ®

Phone: 415-661-9657

PO BOX 21

Fulton, CA

95439

Webmaster :Stuart McCalla