Review of the Dutch seminar 2026 by Ben De Busser

[HAEDONG]

Review of the Dutch seminar 2026 by Ben De Busser, Belgian JSKR Haedong Kumdo Representative

For years I have trained Haedong Kumdo. I started in 2015 in Mudori Lanaken and was trained by masters Harrie Beckers and Martijn Beckers.

In 2018 we joined the JSKR of CJN Kim. Since then I trained in countless international seminars and even hosted the 1st Belgian seminar with championships, started my own club Haedong Kumdo Herenthout and created a group of students who live and love haedong kumdo.

Dominic and I have a connection from the very beginning. We trained together, organized seminars, weekends and trainings together and already did black belt exams together.

The way he organized this seminar again was brilliant like always.

The octopus knows what he is doing!

The championships gave me a big insight into next year for the organization of the European Championships in Belgium in 2027.

The connection we share is special, really good. We help each other were we can and continue to make each other better.

The growth in Belgium is starting to show on an international scale of witch I’m very proud!

I get to see them grow and make a network of there own with students of The Netherlands, Germany, Greece, USA, … just like I did all those years.

I am being welcomed as one of the their own with a great hospitality from all the students.

The way they share and train with other students, remember each other from different seminars… I love it!

The community is growing.

The students of The Netherlands and Belgium specifically start to know each other better and better trough the trainings and seminars.

It’s wonderful to see!

That is what gave me the most joy this weekend. I learned a lot, some new kumbops, some key details about the stances, …

Also I got to teach a few bits like last time in Belgium, Bulgaria and the Netherlands.

The way the seminar is split up into groups based on grade and knowledge, makes sure everybody gets the most out of this part of the training.

It was nice to see all of the international haedong kumdo practitioners around the world again.

Keith all the way from the USA, Chris from Greece, Li from Germany and of course everybody from The Netherlands and Belgium.

I would like to invite them all to the Belgian seminar next year.

There will be a seminar in 2027 with a championship, a European Championship.

It is an honor to organize this event, but also a great challenge.

Next year April,
a little after Easter,
everyone is invited!

I hope to see you there!

----
Commentary

Growing Together as One Family

Thoughts on Ben's Reflections from the 2026 Netherlands Seminar

Reading Ben's reflection, one word remained in my mind from beginning to end:

Community.

Although he mentioned techniques, seminars, and championships, what touched him most was not the training itself, but the people.

He wrote about friendships that have grown over many years, about students from different countries becoming friends, and about the joy of seeing Belgium and the Netherlands growing together as one family.

To me, this is one of the greatest achievements of JSKR.

When I first began teaching internationally, my dream was never simply to spread sword techniques.

My dream was to build a worldwide family connected through respect, friendship, and a shared passion for learning.

Reading Ben's words, I felt that this dream is slowly becoming a reality.
One sentence especially made me smile.

He called Dominic "The Octopus."
I think many people now understand why. (Haha!)

An octopus has many arms, and Dominic seems to have enough arms to organize everything at once.

But behind that joke lies something much more meaningful—the willingness to help one another.
Ben and Dominic have grown together for many years.

They have trained together, organized events together, taken black belt examinations together, and continued supporting one another.

That is exactly how true leadership grows.

Not through competition,
but through cooperation.

Not by standing alone,
but by growing together.

I was also very happy to read about the Belgian students building friendships with practitioners from the Netherlands, Germany, Greece, the United States, and many other countries.

This is something that cannot be measured by medals or trophies.

These friendships are one of the greatest gifts that martial arts can offer.

Ben,

Thank you for your dedication, your leadership, and your sincere heart.

Over the years, I have watched you grow—not only as a martial artist, but also as a teacher who genuinely cares about his students and about our international family.

Now you are preparing to host the 2027 European Championship in Belgium.

I know this will be both a great honor and a great responsibility.

But I also know that you will not carry this responsibility alone.

Just as Dominic discovered this year, every successful seminar is created by people working together.

I wish you every success as you prepare for next year's event.

I look forward to seeing our JSKR family gather once again in Belgium, creating new friendships, sharing new experiences, and continuing this journey together.

Our greatest achievement is not how many champions we create, but how many good people we bring together as one family.


HAEDONG!

--------
July 12, 2026
Jinyoung Ssangkum Ryu HK
JS Kim