Using the Game of Baduk/Go/Wei-chi

to Teach Across the Disciplines

A game that is easy enough for a toddler to learn, but can

be complex enough to stump a genius.

G. YakmanJinsoo KimISETL 2007

What is Baduk/Go/Wei-chi?

Ancient Asian strategy game • Developed in China about 4000 yrs. ago

Originally played only by royalty

•Kept from commoners to hinder intellectual development

Why Baduk/Go Stayed East•High Class controlled game•600AD from China to Korea & Japan•Tibetian book Qi Jing 550AD references it•Chess pieces - representative of European culture•Baduk/Go pieces – simplistic•Difficulty for foreigners•Restricted foreign travel -1842•Gambling culture

7th Century 1st Baduk Painting in Tibet

How the West Got Baduk/Go•300 AD Danish grave •925 AD Saxon Hnefatafl similar•Jesuit missions into to elite•Matteo Ricci d. 1610 wrote on topic

10th Century Hnefatafl

Montanus

Compared to chess

• Easier to learn, harder to master

• Built in Handicap System

• Unlimited possibilities• No computer yet able

to play at master level

Baduk/Go Schools• K-12 devoted schools• Baduk/Go/Chess Clubs at schools (50+ across US)• Professional Development Schools

Collegiate LevelMiddlebury – Huang & Schumer – (see syllabus)• One collegiate Department of Baduk, at Myongji

University: Korea Founded in 1998 by Asso. Prof. Jeong, Soo-Hyun - 3 faculty

• Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees, Nam, Chi-Hyung & Choi, ll-Ho.

• Baduk Education, Baduk Research Methodology, Baduk History, Baduk Culture, Baduk Techniques and Education, Baduk Psychology

Integrated STEM education

The concept of teaching across the disciplines of

• Science• Technology • Engineering• Mathematics

with activities that cover content and application from each of the fields

Einstein with professional Baduk/Go player Fukuda Masayoshi.

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.media.mit.edu/quanta/people/kenbrown/Einstein.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.media.mit.edu/quanta/people/kenbrown/other.html&h=430&w=503&sz=76&hl=en&start=93&tbnid=annuJaRBn0u8VM:&tbnh=111&tbnw=130&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dbaduk%26start%3D90%26ndsp%3D18%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26sa%3DN

What is STE@M Education

The concept of teaching across all the disciplines by formally tying the STEM disciplines to the Arts fields, including;

• Fine

• Physical & Performance

• Manual

• Liberal & Social

(Education, psych., phil., socio., etc…)

.

FUNctional Literacy

Teaching across the disciplines directly supports transference of knowledge.

Students not only learn to be literate in a singular (silo) field, but they become life-long learners who are much more capable of being functionally literate and advancing society.

AND IT’S MORE FUN & ENGAGING!

Science RelationshipsBoards: Katsura wood

Stones: Slate, Shell, Glass, Plastic & Jade

Bowls: wood, woven & decorativeThe number of possible games playable on this board has been reckoned to be more than the number of molecules in the universe.

Technology Relationships

http://www.hanjimadang.co.kr/make/baduk.jpg

Creativity Strategy DesignMaterials and processes

Engineering Relationships

Excellent for;•Cognitive development•Balance of design•Computer programming

•Since the aim of a move is to control the most territory, the optimal move yields the maximum amount of territory -- a simple counting procedure and a chore computers excel at. Yet, the level of computer Baduk/Go remains about that of a human who has studied Baduk/Go for a month. - Richard Bozulich - http://www.kiseido.com/

Mathematics RelationshipsPattern recognitionBinary mathematicsMovie - Pi

360 intersections plus one. • occupies the ultimate position and governs the four quarters. • number of days in the [lunar] year. • four quarters symbolizes the four seasons. •72 circumference points represent the [five-day] weeks of the [Chinese lunar] calendar.

* Arts relationships

History Ex: WWII Japanese strategy & US camps

Literature ex: compares the four quarters to the four seasons, the stones to night and day, the 361 intersections to the days of the year, and the center point on the board to the Pole Star - 17th C Japanese playwright, Chikamatsu – Graphic & Other Novels

Education Ex: Studying Baduk/Go is a wonderful way to develop both the creative as well as logical abilities because to play it both sides of the brain are necessary.Cho Chikun, one of the three great prodigies in Go history - http://www.kiseido.com/

Philosophy Ex: The balance of Yin and Yang is the model for the equal division of the 360 stones into black and white. LaTour - ANT

From The Classic of Go, by Chang Nui - 11th C

Hold the stones between first and middle fingers, like chopsticks & snap them down on the board with a sharp click•Musical Boards

The Art of Playing

The traditional Baduk/Go board has a 19-line grid. Beginners play on small 9 or 13-line boards.

Games

Goal: Create territory by surrounding open space

Built in handicap system – 9 points

Players take turns putting stones on the intersections

Black goes first

Begin Game

Each intersection is a point of territory

Once a stone is put down it does not move unless it’s captured – Atari = Check

Each captured stone is also worth one point.

Playing Stones

One may not play a move which repeats a previous board position.

Ko- Repetition Rule

Fenceposts & Walls

Claiming Territory

A safe group of stones must have two eyes•two or more, internal but separate empty points

Living Groups

Game End: when all the walls defining the territory is taken, and there are no plays left to make.

Captured Stones: Are filled in

Counting: Pieces are moved

Game Over

Top 4:•American Go Association - www.usgo.org •American Go Foundation - http://www.usgo.org/agf/index.html •Sensei Go - http://senseis.xmp.net/•Goshawk Herron’s Curriculum & promo materials

•See accompanying 35 page list

Resources:

Most major US cities have Baduk/Go clubs.