KOREAN GO SCHOOL, LEE SEDOL'S BADUK DOJANG

7/5/2011

Today is my first day of Go School. This is a very weird experience. I can’t understand anything that other people are saying, but somehow I feel like I have learned a lot about Go today. The Koreans are very strong and I like the general Korean style that most people play. They like thickness very much and they like to fight aggressively. It amazes me how dedicated these kids here are to Go. Every day they have formal Go study for 12 hours and then when they get back home they study until 11PM when they go to sleep. Most of the people here my age are 9-dan and are aspiring professionals. It surprises me the gap in skill between a 9-dan and an 1-dan professional. There are even some 9-dans that aren’t inseis because they are weaker than the other 9-dans. There are many 9-dans who are very strong, but only a few become professional every year. A bit of food for thought is that these kids are able to give their all just for a small chance of becoming  professional. They seem to live in a closed world of Go. If they have free time they study Go and they eat while they look at top Go player’s statistics for “fun.” I lost all my games today even though I am playing with their very young students.

Headmaster playing a serious go game with a student.

7/6/2011

I woke up today with a terrible backache from sleeping on the floor. There are about 20 kids who are all exceptional at Go staying in the headmaster’s apartment. They are all 3-dan and higher. Though most of them are 9-dans,  the lowest ranked out of the Koreans is a little kid I think about 6 who is a solid 3-dan. I have started to specialize my study in Korean Go to hangmae, a Korean technique which means the flow of stones. I find  it to be somewhat similar to tesuji which applies many odd fighting shapes. It really helps with fighting and simplifies reading because hangmae acts as a bookmark leading to a favorable result. Today I lost all my games as well. It‘s a bit frustrating to lose all your games to little kids.

Win some, lose some!

7/8/2011

Today, I woke up got ready and went to the dojang a little early. I’ve started changing my style from the traditional peaceful play found frequently in the States to the somewhat reckless fighting style of the Koreans. I think it’s the best way to improve because it forces you to read further. I have also found that Life and Death is a huge part in Korean Go because it comes up so often in their games. Today I memorized a pro game on the recommendation of the headmaster. He says it’s not enough to go over a pro game; you have to memorize it in order to get a solid feel of the best move on intuition. I find pro games to be much more helpful now because when you memorize them you understand why professionals make each of their moves. It’s easy to gain 2 stones in strength by putting a purpose in each stone you play. Oh it’s  a good night because I won all my games today!

Dinner at the dormitory

7/9/2011

Today is Saturday which is kind of like a break day at the dojang. Everyone participates in a team tournament. On my team was Yu Minh and Masakito, a 7 year-old student from Japan. Both of them are 9d and aspiring professionals. I felt out of place and was given handicaps against the other players. I played a 9d insei with 6 stones and won. The next game I played with another 9d insei with 6 stones and won again. Our team won the tournament, but I knew I didn’t deserve to win because they were much stronger than me.

Myongi Shopping Center

7/10/2011

Sunday the dojang is closed so I went to Myongi with Om, an 18 year-old Thai player who has been there for a year. We went by subway and bus. The public transportation in Korea is quite complicated. We had to transfer subways and buses a couple of times. When we arrived at Myongi we met with Om’s friend and we visited the Inseidong, the Korean Go Club. It fascinates me that there are no weak players to be found in Korea. The Go club was filled with people 7d+ and there was a pro tournament on the third floor of the building. After visiting the Inseidong and shopping at Myongi we went to the cinema to watch Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2.

Very clean subway!

7/11/2011

Today at the dojang there was Lee Sedol who came to teach the inseis. He seemed to be very calm and modest. He went over of the inseis’ games and I was watching the review. I was shocked to see that Lee Sedol was able to play out the whole game by just seeing the board a few times as he went around the room. I got him to sign my fan during lunch. He did so with a smile and nod. Oh and on a side note I won all but one of my games against Kang Chang Hyo, the top player in the 10^th division. I was put in the lowest league which has 2 dans to 4 dans, but through intense concentrated study for a week I was able to go on a winning streak and was able to end up 2^nd in the league.

A day at the dojang

7/14/11

Today was a pretty good day. I won 2 games against people in higher leagues. One’s name was Pakchan and the other I don’t remember his name. They are significantly stronger that the people in my league. Even though I was able to beat them, the headmaster wouldn’t move me up because of my losing streak in the first two days which brought down my record. I memorized another 3 pro games today all played by Lee Sedol. I find his games a challenge to go over because he tenukis and plays aggressively all over the board. It takes a lot of thought to follow.

Walking to school

7/16/2011

Today is Saturday, but the dojang is not open today because there is a tournament for the inseis. So Om, Chisu Yun, Cho Sun Ah, Masakito and I went sightseeing. We visited an old Korean palace which was really interesting and then we went biking near the lake even though it was raining really hard. There was also an awesome playground over near the river where we went zip-lining. Afterwards we went to the mall to eat and we spent some time inside a Korean music store listening to K-pop albums. When we got home there was a barbecue dedicated to the kids that went to the tournament. I can’t say Korean barbecue is good, but it was a good experience to be a part of a large gathering of celebration in Korea.

A Rainy Day at the Park

7/19/11

Today is the day I go back to America. It’s sad that I have to leave just when I had just started to settle in. Before leaving I got to say bye to the handful of kids that are there in the morning. It was sad to leave the dojang and Korea. It would’ve been nice if I had got the chance to stay a bit longer and learn more. I got a lot of Korean Go books as gifts when I left. I got a book each on hangmae, pae (ko), and life and death, and a Korean Baduk magazine (which are not really helpful because I don’t understand it). I left the dojang at 12:30PM on an airport bus heading back to the Incheon Airport reading the Baduk magazine that Mr. Oh had given me. One day I look forward to come back to the dojang where I have found many good friends and teachers.

KOREAN E-SPORTS

Introduction

Throughout the country of Korea, electronic games
have been a major modern culture shock and have
become a new addition to Korea’s diverse culture.

Electronic Sports

- Also called e-Sports, is the competitive playing of
video games
- Types: Real Time Strategy, MMORPG, First Person
Shooter and Racing
- Levels: amateur, semi-professional and professional
levels (professional leagues and tournaments)
- Methods: Internet and LAN

History of E-sports

- Arcade era of gaming-Starts in the early 1900’s, the
first competitively played game was Pong.
- SNES-The first console to come out followed up by
Sega Genesis and Dreamcast
- First televised Gaming show in 1999
- Blizzard revolutionizes online gaming

Cultural Influence

- Addicted gamers
- National holiday of Starcraft 2

- Gaming celebs “Thresh” and “Boxer”
- Internet Cafés and “LAN” parties.

Depth of Addiction

- Throughout South Korea many kids are addicted to
games.
- Gamers who are “plugged in” produce the same
hormones that a high drug addict would
- 97% of all Korean households have access to internet
which makes it easier to play online games.
- About 74% of teenagers in South Korea are involved in
an online game.
- Kim Lee was a 28 year old man who died playing 80
hours of games in an internet cafe

Becoming a Pro Gamer

- To become a pro gamer one must be VERY good, and
must win a division 1 or division 2 gaming title in order
to join a Pro-League.

- Most pros start out as a semi-pro where one must hold
a title of a division 3 or division 4 tournament.

Lifestyle of Pro-gamers

- The top pro gamers in Korea are treated as celebrities
and can make millions in a year.
- The majority of pro gamers in Korea either have a day
time job, or they become a paid coach for semi-pros or
aspiring amateurs.
- Most pros are sponsored by a company and it usually
pays for travel and living fees.

Pro-League Games

Conclusion

- Kids in Korea are too involved with games and the
internet, because they are constantly being
bombarded with sources of media, internet, and the
introduction of addicting games.

Works Cited

- Gluck, By Caroline. "BBC NEWS | Asia-Pacific | South Korea's Gaming
Addicts." BBC News -Home. 4 May 1993. Web. 16 Dec. 2010.
<http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/2499957.stm>.
- PBS. "FRONTLINE: Digital Nation: Virtual Worlds: Internet Addiction
PBS." PBS: Public Broadcasting Service. 13 Sept. 2007. Web. 16 Dec.
2010.
<http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/digitalnation/virtual-
worlds/internet-addiction/>.
- Monocle. "E-Sports in Korea [Monocle]." Home [Monocle]. 4 June
2004. Web. 16 Dec. 2010.
<http://www.monocle.com/sections/culture/Web-Articles/E-sports-
in-Korea/>.
- Gamers, Gosu. "Professional Gaming." Team Liquid -StarCraft 2 and
Brood War Pro Gaming News. 21 Dec. 2003. Web. 16 Dec. 2010.
<http://www.teamliquid.net/>.

HERMANN HEESSE

Hermann Hesse was a famous German Swiss novelist and poet. His works earned him a Nobel Prize in Literature in 1946. His masterpiece, Siddhartha, is well-known. He died in 1962 but remained popular in Germany and the rest of the world.

 He was born on July 2, 1877 in the Black Forrest town of Calw in Württemberg, Germany. His father came from Estonia. His mother was born in India where her father was a missionary. When he was four, the family moved to Switzerland for six years before returning to Calw. When he was about 10, he attended a Latin school in Goppingen. This is when he had started to grow a rebellious attitude and began attending behavioral institutions. In one case, he fled from his house, and was found the next day in a farm field. At the age of 15, he attempted suicide. After this, his parents immediately enrolled him into a mental asylum in Stettan Remsal. After that he went to a boys’ institution.

As a young boy, he had always aspired to be a poet, but his poems were given little merit. In 1895, after he had finished his schooling, he became a bookshop apprentice. His job was to organize, pack and archive books. He had switched to becoming a mechanic apprentice, only to switch back to becoming a bookshop apprentice. This part of his life inspired him to later write one of his best books, Beneath the Wheel. While he was working in the bookshop, he released his first literary piece, Romantic Songs, a small collection of poems. Only 54 copies of the 600 printed were sold. Later that year, he released One Hour After Midnight, which was a collection of prose. His family contacts allowed him to keep in touch with the intellectual families of Basil, the city where he worked.

Through these connections, he was able to move to Italy, and started a new life there as a novelist. He became famous with his first novel Peter Camenzind. Later he married Maria Bernoulli, who was from a family of famous mathematicians and had 3 kids. He wrote his second novel, Beneath The Wheel, which was published in 1906. In 1911, Hess left for long trips to Sri Lanka and Indonesia, which influenced his later works.

At the beginning of World War I, he volunteered with the German army but was found not fit for combat. He wrote a controversial essay in which he asked Germans not to be taken by patriotism. He was criticized for this. About the same time, his father died, his son became sick, and his wife had schizophrenia. He had to leave the military and was receiving psychotherapy.

In 1922, he published Siddhartha, which showed his love and understanding of Indian culture and Buddhism. In 1923, he gave up German citizenship and became a Swiss. He spent 11 years under Hitler regime working on his novel with two volumes, Glasperlenspiel. He spoke out in support of Jewish artists and others who were persecuted by the Nazis. He also helped his friends Bertolt Brecht and Thomas Mann escape into exile.

He was awarded the Noble Prize for Literature in 1946. On his autobiography for the Nobel Prize Committee, Hermann Hesse admitted that he was influenced by the Plato, Spinoza, Schopenhauer, and Nietzsche. They, however, did not influence him as much as Indian and Chinese philosophy. His book, Siddhartha, is probably the most popular Western novel with an Eastern theme. He died in 1962 after which there was a rise in the popularity of his works.

SIDDHARTHA

I have been observing for quite a while that none of the holy priests that have been studying at this temple has ever reached nirvana. I wish to find a way to reach Nirvana, and just realized that I can’t find it by staying here and praying to the Brahmin faith. Priests have all studied these teachings and prayers perfectly and still have not reached enlightenment. The Brahmins follow books of prayer and are all following a path that does not lead to enlightenment.

I have watched the Samanas pass by begging for food. They reject the body and desire in an attempt to find enlightenment by destroying all impurities in their mind and body in order to attain what’s left, which is an enlightened embodiment. I found this interesting and will ask to join them if my father will let me. I am saddened by the thought of leaving the temple. It has been my home for many years, and I have followed the teachings of it my whole life.

            Today I have asked my father if I could leave the Brahmins to find a true enlightenment with the Samanas. At first my father seemed disappointed and told me no, and never to ask him that question again. I have already made up my mind and I’m sure my father will understand my decision through patience. I sat there on the floor with my arms crossed and meditated in anticipation of my father’s response. He seemed hesitant at first and left the room. My father checked on me every sleepless hour of the night; he was testing my resolution and patience. Then, in the morning, he told me I could join the Samanas, and to come home and teach him if I had found a path to enlightenment.

            I was surprised and pleased when my friend Govinda decided to follow and learn the ways of the Samanas with me. He has also noticed that studying from the Brahmin teachers will not show us a path to enlightenment. He is one of the brightest young monks in the temple, and he is also one of my closest friends. Govinda and I have been studying the way of the Samanas. I understand the purpose of these studies and exercises. It is to destroy all impulses of the body and mind, including ambition, greed, and happiness. I seem doubt these teachings, because even if I manage to destroy all impulses, there will still be one left. The will of the mind, which will never be destroyed because it is the will and ambition which drives the Samanas to destroy the impulses, and thus the will of the body can not ever be destroyed.

 I have told Govinda that I do not believe in the teaching of the Samanas and we will not attain nirvana this way. Govinda asked for an explanation and I replied, “We are like drunkards, we temporarily escape from the body, but we still suffer.” Govinda was not swayed by what I said, but I’m sure one day he will understand.

            Govinda and I have heard rumors while we were traveling that there was a true enlightened one who has escaped from the cycle of reincarnation. His name was Gotama, the illustrious. I was surprised when Govinda suggested we go see the illustrious one ourselves. He had heard about some of Gotama’s preaches from a Brahmin who invited him in. I felt a great pleasure that Govinda realized that the Samanas way of teaching would not bring you to Nirvana.

 I told the Samana elder that we were leaving, and we were going to go see Gotama, the illustrious. He got angry and scolded us strongly. I looked into his eyes mesmerizingly; the elder looked into my eyes, sensing my will to leave. He stood dumbstruck, and soon let us leave with his blessing. We then left in anticipation of hearing the wise words of the illustrious.

            We have searched for Gotama, following the rumors and answers of our questions. One day we came to the town of Savathi, and received food from the very first house we begged silently. We gratefully took the food, and I asked if she knew where Gotama, the illustrious was. She said we have come to the right place; Gotama, the illustrious was sojourning in Jetavana, in the garden of Anathapindika.

            There was no need to ask for directions to the garden, for there were many pilgrims and monks that were on their way to Jetavana. When we arrived there were many people inquiring and asking for shelter, but Govinda and I have been ascetics and quickly found refuge inside the garden to stay through the night.

When we awoke, we were surprised by the mass of people that had gathered. There were Muslims, Arabs, Samanas, and even Brahmin priests that came to hear the teachings of the illustrious. When he came to greet the mass of people, everyone seemed to stare at him in awe, wondering if he had actually reached Nirvana. He spoke of the noble eight path truths, and the suffering of the cycle. These teachings were excellent, they showed that suffering could not be avoided, and that salvation is attainable by the balance of the mind, body, and soul.

            I however, could not take in these teachings. My friend Govinda was enticed to the illustrious’ teachings. He decided to join the pilgrimage and follow his teachings. I gave him my blessing, and could not help feeling robbed of a friend. I meditated in the forest and was approached by the illustrious. I asked if I could talk to him about my feelings about his teachings. He nodded and listened to me. I then said, “Your teachings are very good, it speaks of the world in complete unity, and the world is crystal clear, whether it is good or evil, or pain or pleasure, it doesn’t matter, but there is one loophole, something that can not be explained, something new that breaks the unity: which is your teachings of attaining salvation.” He then smiled and praised me for finding a flaw, I explained that I would attain salvation by going my path, without teachers and left with his blessing.

            I stumbled upon this small village, and a woman washing clothes in a brook approached me. I called across a benediction, customary as a traveler asking how far it was to the nearest big town. She stepped on my right foot enticing me. I was being seduced, and I was about to fall for it, but there was an inner voice in me that said “NO!”, and all the magic disappeared, and all I saw was a passionate young woman.

            I left disgusted at myself, but still also curious about sex. I was relieved when I reached a large town, because I was alone for a long time. As I was entering the town, I saw a beautiful lady carried on a chair by her servants. I looked at her in awe and bowed as she passed. She smiled, and nodded as she disappeared into her groove. I stopped the last servant, and told the servant that tomorrow a Brahmin son wishes to meet her. The servant looked at me strangely and then nodded his head. He told me she was a famous courtesan called Kamala. I then meditated in the nearby bamboo forest, waiting.

             I met with Kamala the next day, she looked at me surprised and asked me what I wanted. I replied “I want to have you as a teacher, and friend of love.” She laughed at me and told me “I have not been asked to teach a Samana of the forest before. Many people approach me, but they have money in their pockets and fine shoes.” I asked how to obtain these things. She replied, “ You have to earn them, by doing things you already know. What do you know?” I laughed and said “ I can think, I can fast, and I can wait.” She told me that there was a merchant, by the name of Kawasami, and that she would mention me to him. I smiled and thanked her as I went on my way to the house of Kawasami.

            I met Kawasami, the merchant and I managed to impress him with my clever, and intelligent responses. I was invited to live in his house, which is a haven of pleasures. Gambling, dancers, food, and company. I came back to Kamala, smothering her with gifts and money. She taught me everything about love. One cannot take pleasure without giving it. This material world of desires and pleasures is disgusting, this is just like living with the Samanas, but instead of living in a world of the soul, it is the world of material. They both give a temporary relief, just as a drunkard drinks to escape his life.

            I have left the way of living with the rich, I have left the way of living with the Samanas, and I have also left my Brahmin home. I now live with a ferryman, who took me in as a guest. He has taught me that the river is holy, it flows, but it is there, always the same, but at the same time it is always renewed. I have learned many things from the river. It all flows crystal clear in unison, just as the Illustrious had described the world. The world is just like a river, everything is different, but also the same. Everything sins, and everything is holy. The universe is everything, everything is the universe. The universe is one, but the universe is also everything. Everything is me, I am everything. And everything is in unity, and unity is Om.

I am in unity, I am a sinner, I am holy,

I am the universe.

                        I am Om.