GrandMaster Giacobbe - Part 2

By Master David Allerton (5th Dan)

The Tang Soo Do Interview
with Grandmaster Dominick Giacobbe

So here we are for the second instalment of this enlightening interview with one of the worlds most knowledgeable and respected GrandMasters. I was interested to find out more about mind control, special breathing techniques and meditation.

Sir, how do we conquer fear whether in terms of a physical conflict or an upcoming test or job interview ?

KJN Dominick Giacobbe: Fear is very interesting, to begin it is an emotion so if we learn to control other emotions such as anger it will teach us how to deal with overcoming fear. This is the concept, repetition develops confidence. So if you do something enough times you will gain confidence, when you have confidence you will not have fear. As for fear of a test or physical conflict breathing is the bridge between the mind and the body. Long soft breaths will help to eliminate fear.

Your demonstrations of “Mind over Matter” include piercing metal spokes through the skin of your arms and holding buckets of water plus standing on razor sharp swords ! How would you describe “Mind Power” and how do you deal with pain during such ordeals ?

KJN Dominick Giacobbe : It is going beyond the normal capabilities, it is the power to overcome human restrictions, it is the power of intense concentration, it is to overcome bodily pain, it is the ability to stay focused without distraction and it is the power of extreme discipline. It is the ability to have a sixth sense which enhances the ability to know things before they happen and it is the ability to feel without seeing. When I perform the mind over matter I am in a special state of mind, I do not feel any pain at all ! You can say I am in a physical trance, my body does not have feeling but my mind is focused and alert. Through the meditation and breathing exercises I get myself into this special state of mind as a warrior would before going into Battle.

Can you describe some of the training techniques you encountered on your visit to Korea ?

KJN Dominick Giacobbe: In 1977 Grand Master Shin advised me to visit Korea. He knew my strong love for Tang Soo Do and my determination to become a Master. At the time of my visit I was a 3rd Dan Black Belt training for my 4th Dan. He felt it would be a good idea for me to visit Korea to train there and to also learn about the culture and the customs. This was so exciting I was going to Korea to train where all the great masters trained. Although I was excited I was quite nervous not knowing what to expect. Master Shin gave me three letters and gave me addresses to visit these masters. I did know what the letters said but I was on a mission to gain knowledge. I trained in the city of Sang Tong and also on the Osan Air Force Base. It was so intense and fascinating. Training with many Masters in the class and sparring with the Black Belts was amazing. Learning several new Black Belt Hyungs was also exciting. But learning about the culture and understanding their way of living gave me plenty of knowledge and allowed me to understand the true Tang Soo Do. One of the letters was for Grand Master Um, he was the 2nd person to obtain a Tang Soo Do Black belt. He was the president of the Kuk Ki Kwan, the Tae Kwon Do world headquarters. He brought me into his office and talked to me for 3 hours explaining the philosophy of Tang Soo Do. Then he invited me to sit with him the next day for Master testing in the Kuk Ki Kwan. This was fascinating since at that time I had never observed a Master test. I sat by his side and we watched more then 50 Black Blets test for 4th, 5th, and 6th Dan. It was amazing. At the end of the test all the Masters came up to me and began bowing, they must have thought I was a senior master to be sitting with the Grand Master. It was funny as I was not even a master. Master Um smiled when all the Masters began bowing to me. If I can say the one most important thing I learned in Korea was the special breathing exercises and the meditation. I was able to continue my practice in these areas which led to my demonstrations of mind over matter.

Sir, you refer to “special breathing exercises” – we are aware of the sitting and standing sets of 8 brocade as taught by GrandMaster Hwang Kee , known as Moon and Moo Pal Dan Khum. How do the breathing exercises you encountered on your visit to Korea differ.

KJN Dominick Giacobbe: There are 3 methods of breathing. Power breathing is for strength and should be done first thing in the morning as soon as you wake up. It increases the body’s ability to absorb large amounts of oxygen. When doing power breathing you must exert physical strength by tightening your muscles. Deep breathing used in Yoga, meditation, Tai Chi and Chi Gong is taking long slow breaths deep into the diaphragm. The mind has to be relaxed and in a very calm state. It can be done with slow body movements coordinated with the breath. Relaxed breathing is the method which is used in traditional meditation and relaxation. This will help relax the mind and the entire body, it is good for stress release. It is important that you understand that all three breathing methods are very important in the development of Mind Power.

In “Ji Gam” or Energy Awareness exercises a feeling of energy, heat or tingling may be felt in the palms which can then flow into each technique. How can this energy be harnessed into useable power either for self healing, helping others or indeed in combat ?

KJN Dominick Giacobbe: Once you become aware of your Chi and you learn how to feel it, then you can direct it to parts of your body for healing. It is the same principles as acupuncture except that with acupuncture you use small needles to direct the Chi. As for healing with the use of Chi this is a very effective method of healing many injuries. The idea is that a person who is trained in the development of Chi through breathing exercises and meditation can feel the Chi in another persons body. The Chi expert can feel the injured and stagnant Chi and can remove it from the persons body. By doing this the injuries will be healed because this will allow the flow of new healthy healing Chi to enter the injured area. Chi also helps you to have a good attitude and takes away depression. When you have an abundance of Chi you will have a happy calm feeling throughout your body and your mind will be calm. Chi training will also increase your physical strength giving you more power and strength in combat. Chi is your life force and your energy. So if you have high levels of Chi, you will have the energy to train yourself very hard to reach higher levels of physical strength and power. There is no secret way of applying Chi to your punch but if your Chi enhances your spirit you will have more strength and this will indirectly increase the power of all of your attacks.

Sir, what is Chi Dao meditation and what does it entail ?

KJN Dominick Giacobbe: Chi Dao is an amazing method of meditation. You do the meditation in a standing position. When you truly fall into a deep meditation you will begin to move slowly performing Tai Chi like movements. When you reach the higher levels you will become one with the Earth’s natural forces. When you are completed you can physically feel the abundance of Chi in your body.

Sir, it has been an honour and thankyou for relating your experiences to us . I hope to continue our discussions in the not too distant future.

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