When parents hear that a martial arts school has Korean drumming, the first reaction is usually curiosity. What does drumming have to do with martial arts? Here is what it is and why it is part of the culture at Kuk Sool Won of St. Louis.
What Is Korean Drumming?
Traditional Korean drumming is a percussion tradition built on rhythmic patterns played on traditional drums. Playing well takes focus, timing, and coordination, and playing as a group takes listening to everyone else at the same time.
Kuk Sool Won is a Korean martial art, and drumming is one of the ways the school connects students with Korean culture beyond technique.
How Drumming Connects to Martial Arts Training
Timing
Martial arts depends on timing. Drumming gives immediate, audible feedback. You can hear when you are off the beat and when you are on it.
Coordination
Drumming often asks each hand to do something different in service of one rhythm, similar to the coordination many martial arts techniques require.
Group awareness
Playing in a group means holding your own part while staying in time with others. That is a useful habit on the mat, too.
Is Drumming Part of Every Class?
No. Korean drumming meets the first Saturday of every month. It is open to students 13 and older and to all black belts, regardless of age. Questions? Call the school at (636) 928-0035.
The Cultural Side
For students who take part, drumming adds a connection to a living Korean tradition, and a shared experience with the other people who train at the school.
Written for families by Kuk Sool Won of St. Louis, an official member school of the World Kuk Sool Association, teaching at 1 Sutters Mill Rd in St. Peters since 1995.
