Ancestral Skills in Korea: Why?

The first weekend of January, I taught my first group of students a primitive skills program at Mulme Healing Farm, in Jeju. It was a great experience for those kids who practiced a series of exercises and games that brought them awareness about themselves and brought them more comfortable in nature.

Primitive Skills are too often associated with survival, but the indigenous people who are born doing it thrive from them. Also, primitive skills are too often associated with machismo and that distracts them from the wisdom of indigenous people. Machismo is not what they have to offer as often their societies respect the feminine and their crucial role in the community. As a whole, the one's remaining are connected to the land in a way that is way beyond survival, struggle and suffering. According to anthropological studies, they have more leisure time.

I prefer Ancestral Skills as a description to give the reference and respect to the ancient traditions and practices of people living close to the earth. They incorporate stories, games, philosophy as a way of life in Nature and the making and use of tools that require sustainable harvesting and a caretaking philosophy.

The goal of the class was to help the kids find the forest that they where to spend time in comfortable. By the end of the weekend, they had gotten a great start. This teacher had great students as these stellar kids were hungry for it.

During the introductions, I asked the students why I did what I did. To help them I asked the farmer to give me a lighter. He gave it to me and I placed it next to the fire making kit. I asked them what is more destructive of the two: the lighter or the primitive fire kit?

After a conversion on this question, I re-asked the question.

A student named Molly said, "To remember."

And their teacher, Sunny said, "You are a true environmentalist."

Though Sunny was too nice, both Molly and her were right.  I want to understand Ancestral Skills so I can understand sustainable. It also helps me to understand my place on this Earth and keeps me humble. But more than this is the joy I get from sharing these with children. The rewards are great for children who are hungry for this. Like many places , Korea is no different for children.  Children are alienated from the land and often taught to fear the wildness of the world. No place encourages this like the city. And in Korea, where I am living, children spend day and night inside studying.

These kids need this so badly because understanding their land base will help them understand how to nourish it as well as themselves. Starting earlier then myself, they can grow to a deeper understand of the land base than I can achieve in my lifetime.

Getting back to the class, I  made a simple fire to light the incense for the introductions.





We went around and gave introductions. I was impressed by the high level of fluency of Sunny International Homeschool's students. Sunny their teacher had taught them well. They were an intelligent and comfortable with a foreigner, continuing good signs of a great weekend of sharing.



From left to right are a braintanned bag, a gourd canteen and a knife in a bambo cut holder.

They were at the Farm from Friday to Monday morning. Saturday morning we started the forest activities to get them comfortable in the forest. After the activities we sat in a circle and journaled and waited for the last student to stop writing. Often it took over 40 minutes for them to finish writing, they were so struck by the activities.

Here are some of the activities:

SIT SPOT: We walk along a trail surrounded by forest. One by one students are directed to move into a place in the forest they like and sit until they are called for.

The children shared how scared they were in the beginning of walking into the woods and how comfortable they began to feel. One student dreamed of building her own home in the woods. Another transformed hereself into an animal and starting walking around.

I was surprised by how quickly they became comfortable in the woods.



Taking picures of students while they do their sit spot in not a great idea, but the person who took the picture was sneaky enough.

String stalk

Students have their eyes taken away as

 they learn to walk using their bare feet with only a string to help lead them. Students practice Fox Walking which I had taught them in a previous exercise that allows them to walk using their feet to feel what is in front of them.





We had to make time for fun games that reinforced balance and skills. 

Along the way I introduced them to Barapo, a horse at Mulme Healing Farm. 

Meeting Barapo.

Relay Race

Rope Games

Our Night Relay Race,

 before mediation ended in laughs and fake falls.

Skipping forward to the hard skill we were going to work on this week is the fire saw. I was expecting this to be homework as the students could require hours of practice to understand how to make it work. 10 minutes could be the time it would take for a decent practictioner.

The awareness Games give a taste of the comfort but the hard work of the hard skills honors the vision to learn sustainable skills. 

We worked on Bamboo Fire Saw the method of fire making used in many places where bamboo found.

     

               I showed the students how to make a tinder bundle, the small fuzzy pieces that will be blown into flames.

Like many methods of creating fire using natural materials, friction creates a coawhich

In all friction fire making, friction creates a coal that will be put into a bundle of flammable material and blown into flames. 

The kids dilligently worked on their sets.

Though no one got fire, they learned so much about fire and learned what a gift it actually is. Once they learn it, they will get quicker and quicker at making a making a fire, but everytime it will be a gift. 

 



The students learned how to put together a fire. There was a two team competition to see which team could get their fire going. It turned into a boy vs girl competition. The boys won this time around.



These boys were the technical winners, but everyone won parts of themselves back.