Sutton Schools of Tae Kwon-Do

Suttontkd and TelfordTKD meet the Legendary Master Willy Lim

On Saturday, 18^th March, 2009, at the Phoenix Centre in Telford, TKD Master Willy Lim conducted a seminar on the practical application of patterns. Richard Nutt and the Sutton Schools of Tae Kwon-Do were delighted to attend the event, organised by Robert Bayliss of Telford TKD Club.

Master Lim was born in Malaya to a family already well known in the world of Kung Fu. From 1963 he trained under General Choi Chang Kim in Penang. In the 1970s he taught Tae kwon-Do in New Zealand whilst at university. Since that time, Master Lim has been associated with many famous martial arts exponents in the USA. He now teaches students what he calls ‘The Classical Dimension’ - or ‘Bunkai’, the hidden application of forms. Tae Kwon-Do, in this view has been watered down and the essence of its Patterns and their true possible applications should be rediscovered.

Master Lim was very quietly spoken and his movements surprisingly smooth, flowing and deceptively gentle, but it became quickly apparent that behind the charming smile lay many decades of martial arts knowledge. With the slightest wave of his hand, it seemed, experienced black belts could be effortlessly subdued. The look of surprise on their faces at this was mixed with evident admiration.

Our Forms or Patterns were questioned and shown to us in new ways as they might be used in combat. The three knife-hand guarding blocks from Do San, for example, were used to control a single punch so as to turn it in three swift blows and grabs into an arm-breaking lock.

A turning kick was not only blocked but also grabbed, struck, twisted, stepped over, and the opponent flung face forward into the floor.

Grabbed from behind, Master Lim showed us how to duck out of trouble, throw a twin outer forearm guarding block, grab the hands to twist the opponent’s arms in a powerful lock.

Each example was shown to us with great wit and humour and then we went off with partners in two long lines to practice. It was soon clear that what Master Willy Lim made look effortless required great skill and each move kept us so busy that the three hour session flew by.

At the end, Master Lim was kind enough to allow us to take group photos and many of us were proud to be able to shake his hand.

We came away with three things: firstly we were honoured to have been taught by so famous a fighter who has inspired generations; secondly, we took home some techniques derived from patterns that we wished to discuss and perfect, and – finally – we took with us his main recommendation that we should see the patterns as practical things to be used in action, and to open our minds to all such possibilities.