To develop in these areas the Moo Duk Kwan's curriculum has solo, partner and group exercises. Some of the main areas in our curriculum are;

• Meditation
• Basic exercises Combination exercises
• Prearranged patterns (Hyung) or forms
• Self Defence
• One Step Sparring
• Free Sparring
• Health (Breathing) Exercises
• Warm up and Cool Down exercises

Each week in your Do Jang a different area will be focused on. For example when Ho Sin Sool (Self defence) is concentrated on that week, you should apply that philosophy outside the school. For example; Safety at home; checking your smoke alarm, Auto Safety: Checking your cars fluids and your spare tire, Personal safety: carrying your car keys in your hand before you get to your auto, making sure your children have a password in case a stranger tries to pick them up in school, no password they don't go with them. The idea is to apply the philosophy on a practical level as well as a spiritual level, avoiding conflicts and making safe decisions.

When we are working on forms that week then the grace, personal discipline and proper posture can be applied while sitting at work, school, doing your daily tasks. When we are working on One step sparring then that week you should try to turn conflict into a positive experience by being in harmony with your partner. This can be applied when some one is rude to you while driving, in stores, at home etc. The idea here is to apply the philosophy in a practical and useful manner outside the Do Jang (School)

Meditation

The subject of meditation is a deep and meaningful one which is beyond the scope of this media. Basically a beginning student should start to learn to still his/her thoughts and centre their breathing. During Muk Nyum (meditation) breathing should be done with the abdomen. On the inhale the lower abdomen (Dan Jun) should balloon out with air, while taking care not to involve the chest during the inhale. On the exhale the abdomen returns to its normal state. After basic breathing is understood, begin to still your thoughts. A good way to start is to concentrate on an object, or place that you are familiar with. By developing you power of concentration you will then learn to keep your mind from attaching to random distractions. Once this ability is achieved you may then begin more advanced meditation exercises.

This simple concentration exercise is called a revolving count. Begin counting to yourself 1-2-3-4, then take the last number 4 and place it in front; 4-1-2-3. Repeat 3-4-1-2. Repeat with each number creating a loop. (1-2-3-4) -- (4-1-2-3) -- (3-4-1-2) -- (2-3-4-1) -- (1-2-3-4) -- (4-1-2-3) -- (3-4-1-2) etc.

Basic and combination exercises

Basic exercises (Ki Cho Sool) are the technical foundation of our art. Everything depends on having a strong basic foundation. If there is a flaw, look to the basics to correct it. Basic movements teach us how to understand our bodies and their connection with everything else. We learn to generate power, keep a good posture, harmonize our internal power (breathing) with our external movement. Basics teach us this and much more. Once each individual movement is understood then it is combined with another. This way the practitioner can learn to move his/her body in an seemingly infinite number of ways.

Soo Bahk Do's Hyung (prearranged patterns)

Soo Bahk Do's Hyungs (Kata in Japanese, Kuen in Chinese) are prearranged patterns of movements and combinations. Ancient warriors took the instinctual attack and defence methods that was natural to them and evolved them into more sophisticated patterns of movements that we know now. These evolved movements were then strung together as combinations, these combinations were then practised in various directions, creating prearranged patterns or forms (hyung).

These patterns then had a theme attached to them depending on its creators intention. Some forms may have an animal as its theme such as snake, tiger etc. others may have a strategic or spiritual theme such as; Pyong Ahn (peaceful & Confident) series, Chel Sung (7 stars), Yuk Ro (six paths) etc. Over time the Hyungs have evolved into more than just prearranged patterns. They have become a tool for personal growth . Sometimes in our lives we can become our own worst enemies, stopping ourselves from improving through conditioned bad habits. Just as we learn with sparring "victory through harmony" we learn in hyung training to promote better habits and discipline our unwanted ones. With Hyung we learn inner and outer grace.