| People have been picking up sticks to beat each | | | | middle-sized staff that many students started off |
| other since time immemorial, but the joong bong, the | | | | with, and is one of the easier weapons to master in |
| Korean Middle staff, is something really special in the | | | | the realm of Korean martial arts. She herself had |
| world of martial arts. This is the most commonly | | | | started with the joong bong, and though she had |
| taught weapon in the Korean martial art of Kuk Sul | | | | progressed to a mastery of several other weapons, |
| Won, though tournaments and ease of use have | | | | the joong bong remained one of her favorites. As I |
| brought the joong bong into other arenas, like Tae | | | | watched, she demonstrated some of the moves |
| Kwon Do. | | | | associated with this ancient weapon. |
| I got my first look at joong bong technique a few | | | | The joong bong is held at one end, rather than in the |
| years ago, when I was interviewing one of the | | | | center. My friend emphasized that that this is used |
| advanced students at a Kuk Sool Won school in | | | | primarily for striking and as such, the tip should be |
| Milwaukee. She was giving me the run down on the | | | | aimed at the opponent's neck for maximum |
| basic kicking and striking techniques used when | | | | effectiveness. Slowly, she took me through the four |
| something caught my eye. Next to the fans and | | | | basic striking techniques that make up her joong |
| tridents, most people wouldn't have given the homely | | | | bong practice and then she sped it up. As I watched |
| stick a second glance, but I could tell from the wear | | | | in awe, she became the center of a whirling storm, |
| that this was a weapon that many students had | | | | the slow exercises she had been demonstrating |
| trained with. | | | | turning into a fierce burst of activity. |
| The joong bong itself varies depending on the school | | | | She grinned at me when she finished up and asked if |
| and the preference of the user. Usually, it is made | | | | I cared to try. I was ready to go ahead so I stepped |
| out of wood or rattan and measures between 2 and | | | | on the mat to face her, but she laughed. |
| half to three feet long. My friend mentioned that | | | | "I was thinking about pairing you with one of our |
| some heavy hitters like their joong bong to be made | | | | newer practitioners of joong bong," she said and |
| out of metal, and after I did a few passes with it, it | | | | pointed at a thirteen-year-old boy, who was taking |
| makes sense; in terms of practicing, the heavier the | | | | his own stick through the motions. I was going to |
| stick is, the better the workout you'll get. | | | | laugh too, until I noticed how fast he was moving |
| She explained that the joong bong was the | | | | and how hard he could bring down his stick! |