2014 Week Long (18th Annual) Bellingham WA

“I really appreciated all the personalized attention from higher belts.”

It was fun to learn the movements and be able to pick them up a lot faster since I’ve been training for 3 yrs now. I really appreciated all the personalized attention from higher belts. They were able to give me adjustments and answer questions that without would have taken me much longer to come around to. I also really appreciated the time higher belts spent with me understanding meditation principles, and my understanding of Oom Yung Doe in general. What I am going to bring back with me isn’t just movement to work on. I have a lot to think about with how I can approach instructing, and work towards setting goals and achieving them. I have an entirely new meditation technique which I think will change a lot for me in a positive way. I also appreciate all the time and preparation that must have gone into organizing the event, and higher belts and instructors taking time away from their lives to teach us. I definitely think what I learned will change my entire year and the course of my future. I am extremely grateful for this opportunity to learn and will try my best to use what I learn to benefit others in my community and school, which in turn will also benefit me.

Video showing some of the training that took place, participants sharing their experiences.

I really liked the personalized attention from higher belts. I felt like all my questions, I was able to ask and get answered, and get even more in depth answers than I anticipated. A lot of what I learned I know that I am going to carry on with me and think about all year long. It was even more than I anticipated learning.

Danielle B.
25, hospitality

“This year I had a chance to work on leadership… helping to motivate and organize other people to get things done as a team.”

During the main seminar we learned wide ranging and balanced movements. Qi gong breathing was a great way to warm up, but also diverse and challenging. The Eagle and Red Dragon kung fu were a lot of fun, especially the eagle balancing positions where I really felt like an eagle flying through the sky. All of the movements could be applied to self-defense and sparring which is very interesting, and a great chance to practice with other people from around the country. My favorite part was the feather in air movements which used herbal equipment to build up reflexes, speed, and hand eye coordination.

This year I had a chance to work on leadership, not just getting something done, but helping to motivate and organize other people to get things done as a team. This was a good challenge for me personally, and I could see myself and my team mates growing while we went through it. Also, many of us from around the country had a chance to talk about the different successes of Oom Yung Doe in each area and share ideas on how we can all get better and improve. The Western Washington University campus was beautiful and I am looking forward to next year.

Greg M.
31, Main Instructor

“I am amazed in the changes in my posture and the constant realignment of my back…”

Coming to the weeklong I was only able to practice for about half an hour without pain. This week I have practiced two hours in the morning & evening. I am amazed in the changes in my posture and the constant realignment of my back as I practice and even when I meditate. I am sleeping better than I have in a long time. When I practice consistently I am pain free. Looking forward to a new schedule of practice each day.

Mary O.
51, business owner

“I was very surprised to discover that I could get into positions that were far lower than I have ever been able to achieve…”

This weeklong has been challenging and I have felt that I was less flexible than usual so I was very surprised to discover that I could get into positions that were far lower than I have ever been able to achieve when we were taking pictures. Attaining goals that have seemed impossible to reach is a thrilling gift of practicing with Oom Yung Doe. I feel much stronger in my back muscles after these movements.
Having the opportunity to be part of a strong group of people moving together with the same intent is very powerful.

Helen T.
50, software engineer

“I felt an amazing increase in the amount of strength immediately…”

There are two main things that I noticed after returning from the weeklong. The first is that I felt an amazing increase in the amount of strength immediately below my knees – specifically, upon returning to practice in a school as opposed to outdoors, I felt a ring of strength around my legs just below my knees. I am accustomed to gaining additional strength above my knees through training, and previous weeklongs have definitely resulted in an improvement in lower-leg strength from practicing on the uneven ground, but this is the first time I recall feeling such a great difference in the amount of strength directly below my knees. The feeling has faded somewhat since I have been practicing on a flat surface for the last four weeks, but my balance is still improved over what it was prior to the weeklong.

The second thing is that I felt an increase in my internal strength and improvement of the connection between my internal and external strengths. In the last few months I have been working on balancing my movement better through focusing on release and staying loose as opposed to focusing on speed and power, and by practicing movements such as nae gong foundations more frequently. I am working on keeping this balance in my practice, although it has been challenging with the stresses of work and other life events because I tend to practice harder when I am stressed as opposed to staying looser.

I also have gotten a lot out of the shoulder foundation that was passed. I feel that it helps to open up the muscles in my upper back while improving my upper body strength. I also have noticed an increase in the amount of energy I feel in my hands while practicing dan hyungs. I typically feel more of that energy from bagwa walk than from forms, but after adding the shoulder foundation into my regular practice schedule I am feeling more during forms than before; especially during red dragon.

Another thing I have noticed in the last few months, and especially after the weeklong, is that my meditation has gone from an average of 15 – 20 minutes to an average of 30 – 40 minutes. I don’t feel very different when I am meditating, although my thoughts sound quieter and are less insistent, but I am consistently surprised by how much time has gone by while meditating. I am pleased with this improvement and I look forward to deepening my meditative state as well as improving the duration.

Justin M.
39, IT Infrastructure Engineer

“I’m 63 years old and the Weeklong seminar from Oom Yung Doe is the single healthiest thing that I do for myself…”

I’m 63 years old and the Weeklong seminar from Oom Yung Doe is the single healthiest thing that I do for myself and my body every year. The combination of the physical training, and getting away from my normal routine, I’m a professional financial advisor, the difference in routine and the meditation during the week, all of those things combine for me to reset my spirit for the entire year.

Gary M.
63, professional financial advisor

“I feel 100% better than when I came.”

I can make some of the jumps I wanted to do. My memory is improved because of the forms. They require a lot of memory, so if I write it down it is nice to go over it and it really brings my mind and body together. I feel 100% better than when I came.

Chris D.
67, family development specialist/therapist

“This morning I woke up and I just felt very strong.”

Coming into this weeklong I was feeling really tired and exhausted and my back and my legs were really bothering me. From this weeklong I feel a lot of strength in my legs, a lot of strength in my back. This morning I woke up and I just felt very strong. That is what I liked best about this year’s weeklong.

Lindsay M.

“This weeklong was really special for me because I got to practice with my whole family.”

This weeklong was really special for me because I got to practice with my whole family. It was my kids first year at the weeklong and it was just special to be able to share this kind of movement with them.

Robin M.
35, Apartment Manager

“I felt a lot of stress relieved from my body.”

Practicing at this weeklong I felt a lot of stress relief from my body. Each day my body gets a little bit calmer, a little bit more relaxed. My mind has also become a lot clearer. I’m able to see not only my physical limitations, my weaknesses and where I can build from there, but also my mental limitations and weaknesses. Instructors have given me a lot of adjustments and support but also pointed out things I need help with. And that is the main thing, I feel like I’m improving a lot each day and that is a really good feeling, just to be able to see yourself change so fast. To see yourself one day, two days, three days later and now your back is relaxed, now your mind is a little clearer, and then just to be able to see where you can take that back home. You take that back home to your family, to your business.

Will H.
26, Instructor

“I just recently had a baby last year, she’s just over a year old now, and…. I wanted to get back into training, get back into shape.”

I just recently had a baby last year, she’s just over a year old now, and I completely dropped off of practice. I was completely a full time mom taking care of her, and I wanted to get back into training, get back into shape. My back has been in a lot of pain and my upper neck from carrying her constantly, and I wanted to target those areas, and I felt like on the second day of my training, already I felt huge relief. I could move my neck all the way around without pain, and at the end of the week now I can move my back a lot better. It felt like just a log before, and now actually I am back close to the condition I was before. My back is nice and flexible and I feel less pain. So I am very thankful for that.

Ksenia B
31, psychotherapist

I really enjoyed the location of this weeklong. I think doing practice in between the trees and the breeze has been really helpful for not only my physical improvement, but for my spiritual growth as well.

Shaena A.
30, restaurant chain manager

“I’ve just come off a pretty excruciating muscle tear in my thigh…I really feel a lot stronger.”

I was a little apprehensive about coming to the weeklong because I’ve just come off a pretty excruciating muscle tear in my thigh, and of course I am older so it takes a little bit of time to heal. On the first day, when I saw some of the movements I absolutely froze. I just couldn’t even move. Now that I have had modifications to my movements I really feel a lot stronger. I am able to do all of the movements now thanks to the modifications.

Toni M.
63, administrative assistant

Benefits for continual practice thru the day over 6 days have built up my strength and stamina
My breathing is deeper and I am able to do meditation/warmups easier
Having multiple instructors assist with learning the movements and making adjustments was fantastic. Each instructor has different ways to look at teaching when I was struggling with a point in the movement.
Kindness & patience plus confidence was expressed all the time by instructors
Liked the setting & group being more together
Heat difficult on 2 occasions so glad there was flexibility to move & reschedule.
Higher belts sharing herbal practices and suggestions for schools to run more smoothly helped me to think about alternatives

Chris D.

In addition to all the form and movement taught at the Week Long Moo Doe Seminar, students and instructors had an opportunity to learn more about the history and legends of Traditional Moo Doe, including a reading and discussion of principles from the “Master Key of Wisdom”. They also had time to practice together and enjoy the many attractions of the area.

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