Chief Instructor

Dr. Daniel A. Middleton
6^th Degree Black Belt Chief Instructor
Joo Im Kwan Jang Nym (Master Instructor)
South Carolina Kuk Sool Won™

http://www.danielmiddleton.com

Daniel Middleton, Head Instructor and Program Director at Upstate Kuk Sool Won™, is the highest ranking Kuk Sool Won™ instructor in the Carolinas, Tennessee and Georgia and has been training in martial arts for 34 years – nearly 30 of those years in Kuk Sool Won™. A licensed chiropractor, Dr. Middleton brings his understanding of human anatomy and physiology into his Kuk Sool training and instruction, adding a unique insight into the program at Upstate Kuk Sool Won™. KJN Dan teaches courses in Anatomy and Physiology at Tri-County Technical College and at Carolina School of Massage in Greenville.

Kwan Jang Nym Dan’s favorite techniques in Kuk Sool are Poh Bohk Sool (Rope Techniques) and Ji Pang Ee Sool (Cane Techniques), although he is also interested in the use of the Korean bow, another aspect of the growing curriculum of Kuk Sool Won ™.

Dr. Middleton began his martial arts training in Chinese kung fu in 1972 in Charlotte, North Carolina. After relocating to Columbia, South Carolina to attend the University of South Carolina he was introduced to Kuk Sool Won™ for the first time by his first instructor of Kuk Sool, Gene Gause (now a Kuk Sool Won™ master in California). Except for a brief hiatus in the early 1980s when no Kuk Sool Won™ schools were available in his area -- and during which time he studied Northern Shaolin kung fu and Tang Soo Do -- he has been an avid student and instructor of Kuk Sool Won™ ever since.

A student of a number of different martial arts over his career (including Tang Soo Do, Judo, Kali, Taijiquan – Yang and Chen styles, and a number of different kung fu styles such as Li Gar, Tien Shan P’ai, Northern Shaolin, Wing Chun, Xingyi, Bagua, etc) Kwan Jang Nym Dan didn’t simply “stumble into” Kuk Sool Won™ as the only style available to him – he made a conscious decision to specialize in Kuk Sool because of the comprehensive nature, the natural movements and the underlying philosophy of the system. With this background, it is his conviction that Kuk Sool Won is the single most comprehensive system of traditional martial arts available in the Upstate area.

Left:
Kwan Jang Nym Dan demonstrates rope techniques at the World Tournament in Gwangju, South Korea

There are many important factors to consider when looking for a martial arts school for you or your family -- and one of the most

important of these is both the quality and the experience of the instructor.REMEMBER THAT A BLACK BELT IS NOT ENOUGH. The Black Belt is not an indication of teaching ability, only an indication of rank within a particular style of martial arts. The same caveat applies to titles or awards like 'World Champion' or even 'Master' as these are often accolades that have little or no relevance beyond a particular style or school and certainly have no bearing on the quality of instruction that they will be able to provide.

Beware also of 'inflated' ranks or ranks that signify little more than 'time in.' What we mean by 'inflated' ranks are high black belt ranks that have been awarded as 'honorary' or 'reciprocal' ranks (ie. rank that hasn't been earned over time in the traditional sense); 'time in' rank is that rank that has been awarded simply because of the passage of time at the previous rank -- in this situation what you have is not really a '5th degree black belt' but a '1st degree black belt five times.'

The most important thing to look for in an instructor, however, is not rank or title but the more intangible 'people skills' -- how well does the instructor relate to his students, is he able to motivate the student to try new things and push them beyond their comfort zone, is he open to questions and able to supply helpful and pertinent answers, are his communication skills up the the level they need to be in order to get his message across? ALL of these things are important when choosing a teacher and a school.

When you are considering martial arts, look around -- visit a number of different schools, ask questions (open-ended questions are best: 'What do you teach?' rather than 'Do you teach ______? -- it is far too easy for the disreputable instructor to promise things that end up always being 'at the next belt level'). If the instructor teaches a certain aspect of martial arts that you are interested in, then they should be able to demonstrate that to you or (even better) have one of their students demonstrate it.

The BEST option is to observe a class in session or even better TRY a class before you make your decision -- this Trial Class should either be FREE or at least at an easily affordable one-time fee with no obligation. If any instructor will not allow you to at least watch a class before enrolling (for whatever reason) the best option is to 'run away' from that school as fast as you can.

All instructors at Kuk Sool Won™ schools throughout the United States have been approved by the World Kuk Sool Association and all instructors at Kuk Sool Won™ have been personally trained by Master Instructor Daniel Middleton, a martial artist with over 30 years experience.