Taekwondo v13i01

TAEKWONDO & KOREAN MARTIAL ARTS MAGAZINE

VOLUME 13 | ISSUE 1 MARCH 2008

BTCB Poomsae 2008 Championships CIRCLE OF LIFE Instructors and the Circle of Life

EAT, SLEEP, TRAIN! An attitude that can guarentee success in Martial Arts!

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Online Edition - Contents

6 BTCB POOMSAE CHAMPIONSHIPS 2008 National Championships event report by Master Kevin Jarvis

9 EAT, SLEEP, TRAIN! It’s an attitude that can guarantee success in the martial arts...

14 CIRCLE OF LIFE Peter Jagger 5th Dan on Instructors and the Circle of Life

19 O-PRO, CUSTOM FITTED MOUTHGUARDS The importance of an oral shock-absorber!

22 BULLYING Robert Higgs on the psyschological battering that is Bullying!

26 2ND WORLD POOMSAE CHAMPIONSHIPS Improved results and ranking for the Great Britain Team in South Korea!

32 FROM BEGINNER TO BLACK BELT Master Vohra’s Black Belt grading, by Brian Ward

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9

26

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BTCB NATIONAL POOMSAE CHAMPIONSHIPS 2008 This year’s National Poomsae Championships were organised and run by The United Taekwondo Association, a member group of the BTCB headed up by Grandmaster T W Shin, last years European bronze medallist.

This competition attracted around 200 competitors, many who took to the floor hopeful of taking podium places in the various categories available to players increasing getting involved in this form of Taekwondo competition.

Since the recent medal successes at the European Championships late last year, many competitors were keen to show their potential and make their mark at the highest level nationally with the ultimate goal of beginning their quest of securing a place onto the national team.

For many other competitors however it was simply an opportunity to compete against other players in what turned out to be a very well run and enjoyable event.

Everything ran very smoothly and considering just how many categories now need to be catered for, it must be said that

By Master Kevin Jervis 6 TKD/KMA WWW.TAEKWONDOMAG.CO.UK

the UTA did a very good job in putting this event together the way that they did.

Despite last years successes, elite competitors were well aware however that this tournament signalled the beginning of a fresh start and the need to continually improve and show consistency to hold onto or gain team places but with many new faces with talent coming through the ranks it turned out to be a wake up call for some of the more seasoned competitors.

This was certainly the case for Master Con Halpin from the Brotherhood TKD group in London who for more than a decade has dominated his category with straight wins year after year only to be beaten into 3rd place this year by Master David Bailey and the categories winner, Master Derek Sumner, who has been relentless for nearly a decade in his pursuit of winning this coveted title of British Champion.

This only showed that with the right commitment and dedication that even the best that this country has to offer can still be beaten and that nothing can be taken for granted.

It was also excellent to see that those who head up this Poomsae movement in this country are more than prepared to take to the floor themselves and in this case showed by example that they are not just part of the management or coaching staff but are also very capable competitors with many of them winning podium positions such as Grandmaster T W Shin (Gold), Master Simon Negus (Gold), Master Derek Sumner (Gold) and Bill Humphreys (Bronze).

The National coach Master Des Day has also previously been a British Champion and has represented the country several times.

Chan Sau who played a major part in organising this event has also represented us at World and European level and yet again took 1st place at this event.

Similarly when you see that the judging coordinator for the event was none other than Jamie Oswin who himself has the same background and competitive success then it is not difficult to understand why things are working so well at the moment.

The excellent thing about tournaments like this is the camaraderie and respect that players show to each other.

There is just no bad feeling anywhere, only the occasional disappointment felt by the more competitive players, some very young, who had their hearts set on winning their categories but with the standard in some categories so high it was inevitable that some would feel that way despite being very very skilled and capable athletes.

As a club, Livingwell did exceptionally well at this event and were without doubt head and shoulders as a club above anyone else and all credit in that respect should go to it’s chief instructor Master Derek Sumner so it was so good to see him take 1st place in his individual category.

Likewise, The UTA did very well and overall took the majority of medals be it that the medal count up included all the clubs within their group. However, just as with Livingwell, UTA’s success was very much down to grandmaster Shin as the head of this group who just like Derek took 1st place in his individual category.

To read the rest of this article pick up a copy of Combat magazine available from WH Smith and all good newsagents.

David Bailey

Photos by www.fimpmedia.com Martial Arts Photographers WWW.TAEKWONDOMAG.CO.UK TKD/KMA 7

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EAT - SLEEP

TRAIN!

There is a philosophy that I’m sure many long-standing practitioners of the Korean Art’s have followed at one time or other here in the UK. It’s an attitude that can guarantee success in the martial arts, although the price maybe high, it’s called ‘Eat - Sleep - Train.’ The essence of this philosophy is very simple; it’s the ability to totally immerse oneself into martial art training with the exclusion of everything else, except the nourishment of the body via food, water and sleep for an extended period of time.

I would like to tell you that it is a regime that I myself still adhere to on a regular basis today, but the truth of the matter is, I just like many other committed instructors

do have a life, with a family and business to look after. I mentioned that there was a price to pay for this type of training and although in Korea many people do recognise this as a way of life, here in Britain I have seen many former classmates receive considerable amounts of stress from their significant other for this type of practice. Rather than me tell you about my own martial art exploits and experiences, I would like to share with you a great example of what can be achieved through this type of dedicated practice via one of my own students, his name is Robert Poll.

Robs Account It all started during 1991, as part of our school curriculum. We were required to take part in various activities that were run by the school to broaden our interests. With many students taking this opportunity to play more football, I was looking for something a little bit different.

At this juncture in my life I was very shy, being the centre or attention was something that made me physically sick and my only real friend had left the town to join the army. I really needed something to boost my confidence, after searching through the available activities, I finally found something, self-defence. I had always had an interest in martial arts,

By Martin Ducker and Robert Poll WWW.TAEKWONDOMAG.CO.UK TKD/KMA 9

mainly through a misspent youth watching too many Jackie Chan films, so I thought that self-defence would be an ideal choice. In my excitement I somehow missed the small print; the class was actually self-defence for girls!

I was already very nervous about doing something new, even more so when I turned up to find a room full of giggling girls making Bruce Lee noises. The class was run by a local martial arts instructor, Martin Ducker, who would turn into one of the main influences in guiding the following years of my life, and a very good friend. He was an instructor in the martial art of Kuk Sool Won, an art that I didn’t know anything about, at the time the only prominent martial arts were, Karate, Kung Fu and Judo.

Over the next few weeks our class was taught various martial arts techniques including kicks, hand strikes and self-defence techniques. I was still very unfit, weight training had kept me active but my stamina was lacking. But this didn’t hold me back; I had found an activity that suited me, and more importantly, one that I enjoyed. It was amazing the difference in my progress when I wasn’t suffering under intense peer pressure. I enjoyed the classes so much that I found 10 TKD/KMA WWW.TAEKWONDOMAG.CO.UK

myself practising the exercises I had learnt in my spare time, going through each movement, seeing if I could improve on what I had done in the lessons.

When the course was nearly finished I wasn’t ready to join Martin’s Kuk Sool school, I still got very nervous at the thought of performing in front of other people. So I thought I would do the next best thing, do the course again. And that is what I did for almost a year. By this time I was already putting in quite a few hours of training, I had almost given up on the weight training as I found that it reduced my flexibility, very important when you’re trying to improve your kicking ability. Martin had started to show me techniques from the official Kuk Sool syllabus and I was helping him with the new students on the self-defence course, this really helped improve my confidence.

My first lesson at Kuk Sool Won was two weeks before Christmas in 1992, and it was very different from my self-defence sessions! There was a range of grades from white belt to black belt; everyone was very friendly and keen to help. I felt very out of place standing there in my tracksuit while everyone else wore the black Kuk Sool uniform. Everyone was bowing and knew how to react to the

many Korean commands; I wondered what I had let myself in for and thought I may have been better off staying at home in front of the TV. I had mixed feelings during that first lesson, for two hours I was put through intense martial art drills, even after a year of basic training in the self-defence classes, the moves seemed alien to my unconditioned body. What stuck in my mind was no matter how tough it got everyone was keen to push themselves and looked as if they were enjoying it. Students of all ages and body shapes where performing moves that I had only seen in films, maybe there was hope for me, I was no different from everyone else.

There were a few other beginners in the class and we quickly became friends, driven by the urge not to get left behind we all helped each other when the going got tough. I still trained at the self-defence classes, I couldn’t get enough of training and it wasn’t long before I promoted to my first coloured belt grade, which was the most important grade I ever attained. Up until this point of my life I had never done anything particularly note worthy, standing there receiving my yellow belt I felt as if I had really achieved something, and after the gruelling testing, I had really earned it.

From then on there was no stopping me. I was spending as much time as possible on my Kuk Sool training, even training while at my part time job. I wasn’t a particularly proficient student, nothing came easy to my untrained body and every new move was learnt through sweat and determination. I was still very nervous in the classes and can remember sitting around the outside of the mat waiting for my turn to perform a Hyung (martial arts form). I was shaking and going quite pale. When it was my turn, I was on the mat, done my form, everyone gives you a cheer and you sit down. I had done it, something so trivial that had seemed like such a hurdle had passed without much fuss and I really had reached a turning point in my training.

At home I would lay on the floor watching movies while doing leg exercises and kicks, or sit in stretching positions while checking my email. I found that this little and often approach helped me progress much faster than before; exercises that don’t fatigue the body could be done for almost the entire day. Boiling a kettle, walking to work, sitting in a traffic jam, all of these are opportunities to train; all of which were building a strong foundation for my martial arts.

I soon realised that there were not enough hours in the day to fit everything in that I wanted to do; I had already cut down on my sleep as I found that meditation was more beneficial than sleep.

When you sleep your mind remains active with dreaming, leaving you feeling as tired as when you fall asleep. On aver-

age you are only in the deep sleep cycle for about five hours, calming your mind through meditation can make up the for the time you spend in REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep and leave you feeling more refreshed than eight or nine hours in bed. Six months after stepping up my meditation practice managed to get my sleep down to four and a half hours a night, it was incredibly difficult to get to that point, but once your there it’s just as difficult to sleep any longer. Many a night I lay awake, buzzing with energy, not being able to sleep, even though I was exhausted from training.

My training day would start at 6:00am with an hour of stretching and yoga, I would usually be stiff from the previous days training, so it would take a little while to get to full flexibility. When looking for the most flexible people in the world I found them to be gymnasts, dancers and yoga practitioners. I found that yoga created the quickest results, and contained exercises that could be performed almost anywhere.

I would be up and about before my parents and often received strange looks

when they got up to go to work, I would usually be sitting in the splits position on the living room floor. After stretching I would find somewhere peaceful to spend an hour in meditation. During the winter this would be indoors in the warm, but the summer opened up more opportunities to get outside, outdoor practice is much more beneficial. It’s incredible the effect of meditating first thing in the morning, it can prepare you for your day and vastly increase your energy levels.

My training continued like this for a long time. Sometimes when I didn’t feel like it, or my body was telling me it needed a break, I would still follow the same routine, and to say that I was addicted might have been an understatement. If I missed a days training I would start to feel guilty, likewise if I couldn’t complete my training schedule that day through fatigue. But for the most part it was the best time of my life, eat, sleep and train.

Throughout the following years that I spent training I built up a strong foundation for anything that followed. After taking an interest in the Kuk Sool UK / European

tournaments I managed to gain the grand championship trophy at every tournament I entered, not because I was a natural martial artist but purely because I was following a life style that others were not privileged to be able to pursue. I was up against some fantastic martial artists, all of which are still great friends.

Over the last fifteen years Kuk Sool has helped me in many areas of my life and in more ways than I could have imagined. I went from being very shy and insular; being put off by any kind of physical activity, to a much more outgoing, confident, and more of a complete being with a never give up attitude. I have much to thank Kuk Sool, and my instructors for, without it, who knows how I would have turned out?

As a fitting end to this story and Rob’s dedication to follow the ‘eat - sleep - train’ regime, in October 2005 he travelled to Korea as part of the Great Britain delegation to compete in the World Kuk Sool Championships. After two days of intense competition Rob won the 3rd degree black belt World Championship title.

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Instructors and the

Circle of Life

By Peter Jagger 5th Dan

I had recently watched ‘Coach Carter’, a film based on the true story of basketball coach Ken Carter who stopped his entire undefeated team from training because of their poor academic performances. He taught them the importance of education. He used their desire for basketball to reach them, to help them create more opportunities and a future that extended beyond basketball, away from the gangs, guns and drugs.

Ken Carter helped youths make a positive future for themselves. After watching the film, I began thinking about coaches/ instructors in other sports and disciplines, in particular, those in the marital arts. I recalled instructors who gave me more than just techniques and I also looked at the reason why I became an instructor and how a person’s low self-esteem can be improved.

A student’s first instructor can be a determining factor as to whether they continue their training and study of the martial arts or whether they give up completely. Over the years, I have spoken with several people who ‘once’ tried the martial arts but decided it was not for them. I think it is a shame that they gave up after just one experience. I suggest to students, if they do not enjoy the classes, then perPeter Jagger and Glen Lawrence

haps they should try another instructor and/or a different style rather than ‘just give up’ as training in the martial arts can be so rewarding in so many ways on many levels. Unfortunately, many students who have a negative first experience of a martial arts class do give up, never to return to the martial arts.

Pleasingly, there are many students who, due to an instructor’s skill, commitment, honesty and genuine concern for them, go on to have a lifetime’s involvement in the martial arts, an involvement that leads to success and happiness in other aspects of life. I feel very fortunate that my first instructor was Paul Donnelly. I first became interested in the martial arts in 1974 but it was not until March 1981 that I actually walked through the doors of a ‘Dojang’ and started training under Paul Donnelly. The style was Tae Kwon Do. The reason it had taken me seven years from my initial interest in the martial arts to join a school was because I lacked confidence and self esteem. So, it was important for me to go to an instructor and school that could help me positively develop my character as well as learning self-defence applications. I had a lack of knowledge and understanding, so I could have easily commenced training in the

martial arts with an instructor who did not have the high level of skill and teaching abilities as Paul Donnelly; became disappointed and left the school and the martial arts altogether. Instead, largely due to Paul’s teaching, including the ‘tremendous spirit’ that he created in every class, my enthusiasm to learn (and enjoyment) became stronger and stronger. An enthusiasm and enjoyment that is still with me today. Instructors have an opportunity (some would say responsibility) to help make a positive difference to people’s lives. Paul Donnelly and Tae Kwon Do made a positive difference to mine. I will never forget my martial art roots and will be forever thankful to him for my martial arts foundation twenty seven years ago based on the tenets of Tae Kwon Do: courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self control and indomitable spirit. I acknowledge Paul’s lasting influence and wish to express my gratitude and respect for the many ways he helped me Sadly, I find it quite common for students today to be unappreciative of their instructor. Instructors are often treated as commodities. The student pays their training fees and gets something back for their money. Students often consider paying their instructor the same as going to a supermarket and buying apples and bananas. It is my experience that students with that attitude do not last long in the martial arts. For me, having students who do appreciate the time, patience, skills, care and support that is shown, offered to and shared with them, more than makes up for the one’s that don’t.

Students who are appreciative understand that respect, courtesy and self-discipline are the guiding principles.

Helping these people makes teaching such a pleasure.

I have travelled far to meet and train with some of the top names in the martial arts, but I have also ‘found’ that there are many insightful and skilled instructors virtually ‘on my doorstep’. I suggest to my students, yes, get experience and instruction from afar with instructors who have an established reputation but also do your own searching to find first class instructors who are based locally. I advise my students not to let the opportunity pass them by to get valuable experience

14 TKD/KMA WWW.TAEKWONDOMAG.CO.UK

from instructors with exceptional knowledge and ability who teach in their hometown (while reminding them, its not just about ‘taking!’)

When I first started teaching in 1994, Glen Lawrence, then a beginner, joined my school. Fourteen years later we are still working closely together in the martial arts, having developed a strong friendship and respect for each other.

Glen still calls me his instructor, but I am sure I have learnt just as much from Glen (maybe more) as he has from me. I remember the day Glen became my student. He had a low self esteem, just like I did when I first started my martial arts journey. There soon became a trust between us that was cultivated and has never been betrayed and today, it is very rewarding for me to see Glen, now a happy, confident Black Belt 3rd Dan instructor achieving success with his schools. Glen too, now helps people through the martial arts who have a low self-esteem with his personal experience and a teaching programme based on self-development. It is hoped and very likely that the chain will continue and that some of Glen’s students who start off with low self confidence and low self esteem, just like Glen and myself did, will develop positive characters and then themselves become instructors, also helping others.

Together, Glen and I co-founded ASAP Self Defence, with one of our main aims being to help and support people with low self-esteem and low self-confidence.

Quite often, at the root of someone’s problem of low self-esteem is that person thinking wrongly about themselves.

Having a low self-esteem is an unhealthy extreme, but I would like to point out that the other extreme, which is ‘self-love’ (to love only oneself- to be interested for nothing but oneself) is also unhealthy.

The ideal is to be between the two

Peter Jagger with Steven Seagal

extremes of self-hatred and self-love (neither despising nor flattering ourselves). Part of the ‘self’ that is healthy to affirm and respect is our sense of doing right, having a feeling of compassion towards others, not the ‘self’ which would promote self-love at the expense of loving others.

Peter Jagger - axe kick

To help in understanding how students become low in self-confidence and self esteem it is valuable to look at ‘thought’.

What is thought? To put it simply, thought is what one thinks: an idea that occupies the mind. A person’s thought can be determined by their brain structure.

Mental illness or brain damage can cause negative and unhealthy thoughts, but thought can also be the response of conditioning. When the response to the conditioning becomes ‘negative thought’ it often leads to ‘negative feeling’ which often leads to ‘negative action/behaviour’ and the person can get caught up in the ‘negative cycle’.

Role models can have a major influence on the development of a person’s thoughts and attitudes (this is especially true with a child’s developing mind). So there is an important and valuable need for positive roles models. Having an understanding of this and other factors involved in the ‘negative cycle’, I as an instructor, first start to work on guiding the student to changing their negative thoughts into positive thoughts with the aim of progressing onto positive feelings and then onto positive action/behaviour and a feeling of self-worth. The process of replacing the negative generating thoughts with well-reasoned positive thoughts and attitudes is known as ‘cognitive intervention’.

A lack of support and encouragement, fear of being humiliated, not being listened to, having an emotionally deprived

childhood (starved of love and affection) or having a failed relationship (especially if abandoned for someone else), and other past experiences and failures can influence a students negative thoughts.

Being aware of this, I enhance my students self esteem by helping them in goal setting and supporting them in achieving their goals. When they are successful they get praise and I link positive comments to specific achievement. I take time to listen to my students and I encourage them to ask questions. I never cut them short when they are speaking to me and I give them positive feedback and praise. I also let them know that I believe in them. Students work on developing

Peter Jagger and Glen Lawrence

WWW.TAEKWONDOMAG.CO.UK TKD/KMA 15

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and improving at there own personal rate, where by, more realistic conditions are introduced gradually. These are all contributing factors to eliminating student’s fears and applying this understanding in a structured way generally has the effect of changing students negative thoughts and attitudes into positive thoughts and attitudes and then progressing onto the development of positive feelings, where by students feel a sense of self-worth and emotional wellbeing (character building). This is further developed by the supportive interaction (positive action/behaviour) with other students and instructors, which includes students encouraging each other to achieve their personal goals. (Simply wishing others well is not much good if it is not accompanied by action). Fear comes in many forms and types. Some kinds of fear are genuine and some are our own mental creations. Fears such as the longterm negative consequences of our negative actions can help in developing a person’s positive character, promoting us to be more considerate and thoughtful towards others. Also positively, some fears can keep us from danger and harm.

However, some fears that are our own mental creations can prevent us from living a happy, meaningful life.

Those kinds of fears were the largest block to my personal growth until I learnt and realised that fear is like a vicious cycle: we tune into it, give it life, and attract the very thing that we fear and consequently the fear becomes our reality. This understanding unlocked doors within myself, giving me creative freedom. We need to first use reasoning when dealing with fear to discover whether there is a valid basis for our fear or not. I pass this realisation on to my students, hoping it will help them in their personal growth. Well-being is linked to happiness. I have come to the realisation that it seems it is not so much circumstances that define whether a person is happy but more to do with a persons attitude towards life.

ences to my son Scott is a great pleasure. I have encouraged Scott to be a free, creative martial artist, to always have an open mind. When Scott learns new techniques from other sources, he shares them with me- we now both learn from each other. Incidentally Scott doing well in his academic studies at Four Dwellings High School, Birmingham and well in his martial arts development goes hand-in-hand. They complement each other. Scott’s academic accomplishments were recently acknowledged when he received the ‘Pupil of the Year Award’.

When children become disruptive, unruly and generally bad mannered (and getting poor academic results), I have read reports that point the finger of blame to the child’s school and the schools teachers. But why should schools get the blame for not doing the job that parents should be doing? The home is the primary educational sphere of influence on a child; the home still constitutes the formative stage in developing a child’s character. Parents and schoolteachers need to work together but so often there is a lack of support in the home.

It is common for martial art classes to consist of members of the same family (I used to teach a father, his daughter and his grand-daughter-three generations in one class!). Indeed, it is great to see the martial arts bring families together and is one of the rewards I get from being an instructor. Even when the parents do not actually become members themselves, many still play an active part in their children’s progress and development by being present at the classes and promotional testing, giving their children valu-

able support and encouragement.

Much of what my students think and feel on the inside can be seen by the way they behave on the outside. Since I have been teaching I have learnt to recognise the outward signs of a student who is low in self-confidence and self esteem. I became an instructor after being inspired to teach by those instructors who helped me and I wanted to ‘give something back’ Good actions produce good results, bad actions produce bad results. Helping students to feel happy with themselves, to believe themselves and to promote a feeling of compassion towards others, contributes towards those students having a better quality of life and being more productive members of society. As a byproduct, I too then reap benefits and consequently also have a better, more rewarding quality of life, getting satisfaction and pleasure from my student’s achievements, happiness and the good that they do for others. The nature of The Circle of Life. As Tim Rice wrote and Elton John sang: ‘You should never take more than you give. The Circle of Life is the wheel of fortune’ About the author: Peter Jagger teaches self defence in the Kings Norton area of Birmingham. He has attained the grades Black Belt 1st Dan Tae Kwon Do, Black Belt 1st Dan Wado Ryu Karate, Black Belt 2nd Dan Freestyle Karate, Black Belt 3rd Dan Choi Kwang Do, Black Belt 5th Dan Bushindo-Kai, Black Belt 5th Dan WKA and he is also graded in other styles/systems. Together with Glen Lawrence, he co-founded ASAP Self Defence.

Taking an interest in past and present happenings in the world, together with recollections of my own experiences, I can see how ‘cycles’ in various forms, play a big part in life. These range from harmless fashion and fads to life destroying conflicts and occurrences. Even though terrible events are afflicted on each generation, the seasons keep coming and going; the world still keeps on turning!

My daughter Kirsty, 18, and my son Scott, 15, have enriched my life in more ways than I can express. Scott trains with me as a member of ASAP Self Defence.

Passing on my knowledge and experi-

Peter Jaggers martial art skills were of little use on this occasion.

WWW.TAEKWONDOMAG.CO.UK TKD/KMA 17

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By Matthew Sylvester All O-Pro mouthguards are custom fitted to the individual and personalised. Dental impressions are taken either by a qualified dental surgeon visiting a school or club, or by individuals using O-Pro’s revolutionary OPro Direct System, from which they can take their own dental impression from the comfort of their own home.

The mouthguards themselves are then manufactured in whatever colour(s) required and also feature the name of the individual plus the name of their school/club on the inside of the laminate.

With no mouthguard, a blow to the lower face sends shock waves through the skull. A direct impact can fracture the front teeth. However other blows, particularly to the lower jaw, can cause other damage. A blow to the lower jaw can slam the jaws together and the sudden impact of the relatively sharp lower teeth into the back of the upper teeth is like a chisel, causing a fracture of the upper teeth by punching them forwards. In some cases, the transmitted forces can lead to a fracture of the lower jaw, or will travel through the jaw joint (Temporomandibular Joint - TMJ) into the base of the skull

causing a concussion.

Mouthguards act like a shock absorber, both spreading the force over a larger area and increasing the time for the peak force to occur.

Dissipating the energy of the blow over a larger area and longer time reduces its effect and preventing or vastly reducing any injury. Double mouthguards can be extremely uncomfortable and restrict the airway having a huge effect on performance.

O-Pro are absolutely confident that their mouthguards offer the best protection available and this is backed up by the fact that they are used by nearly all professional rugby players in England. The mouthguards are also very reasonably priced, with prices ranging between £26 and £45.

The prices cover the whole cost of the process, from the dental impression being taken to the finished mouthguard being delivered back to the individual. It even includes a comprehensive dental warranty, which is effective for 12 months from manufacture.

O-Pro supply many of the various martial arts styles and have had plenty of interest, with a number of kickboxing and karate clubs interested in contact-

ing them in order to see how they could work together to get their students wearing high quality mouthguards. This will involve arranging a convenient day for a dentist to visit their club and take dental impressions from any students who require a mouthguard. O-Pro only needs 10 orders from a club to offer this service and they employ dentists from all over the UK who are available to visit schools and clubs. Following their visit, clubs can expect to receive their mouthguards back within 7 days,their standard delivery time.

This is something O-Pro prides itself on and have their own laboratory in Hatfield, so they have complete control over the manufacturing process and ensure a fast, professional service.

Also, all the mouthguards come with a 12-month warranty from the date of manufacture. This means that should an individual receive any damage to their teeth while wearing their mouthguard during a supervised activity, they would be covered for up to £1000 of dental work.

For more information telephone +44(0)1707 261261 or email geoff.f@opro.com Mouthgards, the oral shock absorber

WWW.TAEKWONDOMAG.CO.UK TKD/KMA 19

NEW001/04

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JAMIE O’KEEFE

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All books will be sent out the day your payment is received so NO WAITING! Send orders to:- NEW BREED Publishing, Po Box 2676, Romford, Essex RM7 0WA England ALL NEW BREED BOOKS ARE PRO-MARTIAL ARTS AND WILL COMPLIMENT YOUR CURRENT CHOSEN ART

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BULLYING

As a victim of bullying the mind games were unrelenting. Bullies need the fix of confidence, they are playground predators, addicted to the power rush bullying brings. They lack empathy, and have no fear or understanding of consequence or attempts at disciplinary measure.

Bullying became a part of my life very early on - I was five years old when it started. It taught me many lessons. Not least that the passive-aggressive polarity between bully and victim makes the behaviour you learnt in the playground difficult to shake.

I didn’t see the signs when the first bully tested the water. Playing the victim became habitual in the face of those who revelled in what they perceived as a position of power. It was on my first day at a new school aged twelve that my downward spiral accelerated. I found myself threatened, putdown, punched, kicked and ostracised. Worse was the feeling of hopelessness. Life became a constant cycle of waking up to a feeling of anxiety that dragged my spirit into apathy and depression.

Everything I did met with unceasing criticism. My peers withheld their approval as all bullies do. When I sought advice I was encouraged to seek a physical resolution. A knuckle

By Robert Higgs 22 TKD/KMA WWW.TAEKWONDOMAG.CO.UK

and bone punch to kill the problem dead. “Give them a warning” dad said, “Then hit them” but it was counsel I was never going to employ. When attacked by a bully you are conditioned to stand still and take it. Your thought process runs from Anticipation: “I hope he’s not there today.” To Freeze: “Can’t handle this” and on to Recrimin-ation: “You’re such a wimp. Why didn’t you hit him?

Why didn’t you do something? You are no good. You are useless. They’re right about you.”

I tried to ignore them but a bully never gets bored. Each passive reaction draws them back for more. I intermalised my anger and withdrew from the world. At home I would lie in the dark, close my eyes and play movie director in angry vignettes. My visualisations were of violent revenge. I’d see myself in the playground with the bully pointing and threatening. The crowd would circle, chanting “FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!” I’d hear my cool reply and see myself knock him unconscious. But these angry images only increased my torment. The visions became so real the adrenaline would rush around my body, attacking my immune system, wearing me down.

There was no respite. Not even in sleep. I had a regular nightmare of being chased by one antagonist. I’d be sprinting down the street, lungs burning, arms pumping but my legs wouldn’t move. It was like running underwater or being knee deep in sand. Eventually I’d turn and punch him with every last ounce of spirit. He’d just stand there and laugh. Continual verbal abuse made me feel like a tent peg being bashed into the ground and I developed a habit of putting myself down. I found physical outlet for anger by weight training instead. A move inspired by a bully’s comment in the changing rooms when he mocked my skinny frame.

The psychological battering eventually manifested in physical illness in my late teens. The recovery was good for reflection. It was the first time I admitted to myself that I had been bullied. That small dose of self - honesty was a revelation. I started to analyse my experiences and learn. And who’d become the biggest bully of them all? Me! I stopped the visualisations and identified the

fears that had kept me passive, beginning a long process of working to confront and exorcise them. And the anger was my saving grace. It became a priceless store of energy that I learned to channel in positive ways. I felt I’d reached my nadir and the only way was forward. I suddenly had this desire to live, to make up for lost time.

I faced my fears of speaking to people enough times to actually make public speaking my living. And my fears of physical confrontation were beaten when I joined a boxing club and stepped through the ropes to spar. The first session was one I won’t forget.

They took it easy on me, but after every round I was struggling to breathe, fighting panic and had to remove my gumshield such was the adrenaline rush. I would stand on the outside thinking “You don ‘t need to do this” I’d look at the other lads putting on the headguards, pick out the better fighters and hope I wouldn’t have to box them. But I always did. I found it uncomfortable being hit, frightening to face a barrage of blows and it was a battle with those victim thoughts just to get into the ring.

But the struggle was rocket fuel for my confidence. I found it much harder to talk myself down knowing I was there facing my biggest fear.

And changing that thought process and leaving my victim state was something I had to do because some people never grow up. They continue to live by playground rules. They take the ‘bully’ into the pub, the workplace, the home.

And bullies are not just the people we live and work with. Life itself can bully in the guise of fears and imaginings.

Bullying was no rite of passage but it taught me about myself, about life, about other people. Bullying took my identity and self- image and moulded it to the bully’s vindictive design. But I took many positives from it and used the knowledge gained to turn my life around. It’s been a long and inspiring journey from the frightened, bullied teenager I used to be. And it isn’t over yet.

Robert Higgs is the author of ‘What Have I ever Done to You?’ reviewed in Combat this issue and is available for Anti-bullying seminars Email: roberthiggs77@hotmail.com

Playground Rules!

WWW.TAEKWONDOMAG.CO.UK TKD/KMA 23

THE FUTURE'S BRIGHT THE FUTURE'S YOURS!!!

For the first time EVER the doors of access to the UK’s most senior graded WTF Master are NOW OPEN!!! ●

Would YOU like to train with the UK’s most senior WTF graded exponent?

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Are you looking to study WTF style Taekwondo without getting involved in politics?

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Are you looking to grade up to Kukkiwon 7th dan kup and dan Certification?

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by Kukkiwon?

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Available for; Gradings, Courses, Seminars, Presentations, Training camps, Referees courses, Advice, Help and Support.

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If you study WTF style Taekwondo, are sick and tired of the politics and restrictions placed on you and your development then contact me NOW!!!

Lets work together to develop WTF and Kukkiwons presence throughout the World WITH THEIR SUPPORT!!!

Please contact me on the numbers below or arrange to visit my full time school, I would be most pleased to meet you and help you in any way I can.

Grand Master Tony vohra. 8th Dan. Kukkiwon registered.

Nottigham School of Martial Arts, Ilkeston Road, Nottingham, NG7 3FX

Tel: 0115 9780439 Mob: 07980041864 E-mail: info@martialartsvohra.com Fax: 0115 9785567

Web: www.martialartsvohra.com I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU! SSV001/01

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2nd World Taekwondo

Poomsae Championships - Incheon, South Korea

The Great Britain Taekwondo Poomsae Team returned from the 2nd World Poomsae Championships in Incheon, South Korea with improved results and ranking from last year.

However there is still much to do if the country is to seriously contest for a medal at World level.

Marks given to each contestant at the tournament were as a result of combined marks for accuracy and presentation with a maximum of 5 marks for each.

In relation to accuracy, marks were deducted for mistakes that were

by Master Kevin Jervis 26 TKD/KMA WWW.TAEKWONDOMAG.CO.UK

made which generally meant 0.1 was deducted for a minor infringement such as striking at the wrong height, being in the wrong stance or performing the wrong technique. In more serious cases, competitors could expect to loose 0.5 of a point.

Marks for presentation were added on a sliding scale where for example a low score would be given for the overall impression of the performance where techniques were performed for example with little power, rotation or acceleration.

Generally speaking the GB players scored good marks in accuracy but

like many other countries the marks that were given for presentation were average and what let us down in the end. The major teams such as Korea, Spain and Iran showed speed, finesse and power as well as the clinical and crisp finishing that was needed to gain a podium place.

The team arrived in Incheon on 1st November and immediately began their preparation by taking part in several training sessions at local gymnasiums. This particularly included a session with Master Seong 9th Dan, a senior and very well respected Korean Master.

Master Seong is a lecturer in Taekwondo Poomsae at the Kukkiwon as well as an instructor who demonstrates several Poomsae in the official Kukkiwon textbook. The team also had an opportunity to train with and get advice from several members of the Korean National Poomsae Team. Some of the members of this team won gold medals at last years World Championships and went on again to take gold medals for the second time.

The 2nd World Poomsae Championships began on the 4th November 2007 at the Samsan Gymnasium, Incheon, South Korea.

The Samson Gymnasium is a very modern arena and the event was opened in spectacular style with an amazing demonstration of breaking, gymnastics and self-defense by the Kukkiwon demonstration team.

The first member of the GB Team up was 20 year old Melissa McSorley who contested the 1st Senior Female (19-30) division on the first day against 29 players. She performed Taeguek Yukjang (6) very well and managed to get a place amongst the 15 semi-final places and came 11th.

The next round was much more difficult though as Pyongwon was the pattern required and although Melissa again performed very well, it wasn’t her strongest pattern. She finished 14th overall in her division

knocking out several good European players and puts her in good stead for the European Championships in December.

BTCB national coach, Master Des Day commented, “Melissa took first place in a recent international in Manchester and although this was her first event at this sort of level I am very pleased with her performance.

She showed excellent ability in her first round performance and gained solid marks in respect of the accuracy shown and I’m sure that with additional work to improve in other areas such as speed, power and the final execution of technique she will have every chance of making the finals next time around. I believe she will do that at the Europeans and as the coach I will now be expecting that from her.”

Chan Sau and Stephane Roth were up on day two both aiming to match if not better Melissa’s achievements the day before.

Chan contested the 1st Senior Male (19-30) division against 34 players and again had to perform Taeguek Yukjang (6). With 17 places available Chan unfortunately didn’t quite make it into the semi’s losing out by 0.14 to France who took the last spot. Chan finished 18th overall in his division with much to do before

the Europeans.

Master Day stated, “Coming 18th in the world is still a very respectable placing. However I know that Chan will want to do better. He came 7th out of the European competitors there and with being so close to getting into the next round his placing could easily have been higher. He is a very committed and determined individual and a pleasure to coach.

The Europeans will be an interesting event for him. Just like Melissa, I will be looking for him to challenge for a podium place there.”

Stephane contested the 2nd Senior Male (31-40) division against 35 players and again like both Melissa and Chan also had to perform Taeguek Yukjang (6) which he did well enough to give him the last of the 18 qualifying spots and take him through to the semi-finals. Pyongwon again, like Melissa, also proved to be his downfall and he finished 17th overall in his division.

This was Stephan’s second world championship and he has gone down in the rankings in respect of his performance last year. This can often be seen to be a decline in form but it must be remembered that competitors can now be asked to perform from a whole range of Poomsae so can no longer choose a particular

one in which they excel. Players from many of the European countries have also been a little confused over the many changes that have take place prior to the competition, all of which can have an effect on a player’s performance.

Master Day commented, “Stephane has been a very good competitor for a number of years now and is a very motivated individual and like me will have learned a lot from this competition. I know he won’t sit back. He will do whatever it takes to develop himself further and become a world class competitor. He picks things up very quickly and has the ability to change his style to meet the requirements for podium places.

Hopefully he will have time to do this ready to challenge the European talent next month.”

Master Tong Wan Shin was up on day three, the final day of the competition, with a lot of expectation and the final hopes for Team GB on his shoulders. He also had the additional pressure of a number of his fellow Masters, International Judges and peers from the WTF and Kukkiwon in observation. He contested the 2nd Masters Male (51+) division against 18 other athletes. With there being less than 23 players Master Shin had an automatic bye into the semi-final WWW.TAEKWONDOMAG.CO.UK TKD/KMA 27

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and his pattern for the round was Hansu. He performed the pattern amazingly and for two minutes before Korea followed him he was number 1 in the world! However the eventual medalists in Korea and Spain pushed him into 3rd place of the 8 qualifying spots for the final although he did convincing beat Netherlands who has been his European nemesis this year and whom took the gold from him at both the Masters Cup and Dutch Open earlier this year. This put him in strong contention for a medal and podium position going into the final.

Master Shin unfortunately had a bad final caused by a technical issue with the electronic scoring. This kept him delayed on centre stage on live TV for more than 2 minutes and when he was eventually asked to start he unfortunately made a mistake with the opening section of Shipjin seriously effecting his marks.

Many other players would have gone to pieces at this point. However Master Shin showed his experience and finished it in great style. His second pattern for the final, Jitae, was performed very well despite no real break to gather his thoughts from the unfair distractions imposed on him.

Because of the mistakes which robbed him of a full point, Master Shin had to settle for 8th place overall in a closely contested final. Had the mistakes in Shipjin not been made Master Shin would have no doubt finished with a bronze medal.

However because of the experience gained as well as the fantastic achievement in beating a number of class European players, Master Shin is now in strong contention to medal at the European Championships.

To finish off the visit to Korea Master Shin and Chan had extended their stay in Korea by a few days and arranged additional Poomsae train-

ing sessions at the Kukkiwon with Master Lee Jong Kwan (9th Dan), Training Director of the Kukkiwon Academy. Chan and Master Shin were presented with diplomas from the Kukkiwon to commemorate the training they received there.

They were also privileged to be given an opportunity to train and get advice from twice World Champion and gold medalist Master Kim Hee Do (9th Dan) at his personal dojang.

Master Kim took gold in Master Shin’s division at the World Championships as well as at last year’s competition. To top off the training the athletes were also given an opportunity to train with Master Lee San Ki (8th Dan).

All the Masters gave invaluable advice and training in areas which needed improving and to hopefully assist in bringing a successful result from the European Championships in Antalya, Turkey in next month.

Master Day concluded by saying,” The standards at this competition have been very high and we are going to have to raise our game in order to get some silverware.

Looking generally at the perfor-

mances of athletes gaining medal places I can see that the Poomsae overall needs to be performed with more emphasis on presentation.

Medal winning Poomsae were being performed with patience taking into account the accuracy aspect of each move with clinical finishing.”

The European Poomsae Championships are taking place on the 8th & 9th December.

Poomsae UK are now totally committed to developing our Poomsae athletes and as a result would welcome any enquiries by interested parties wishing to be involved in Sponsorship to help support the efforts of theses world class athletes.

Poomsae UK in return would offer a generous marketing campaign from website links, advertising and by raising profiles at domestic and International championships.

Members of the management team for Poomsae UK can be contacted as below:Bill Humphreys Tel. 07976457672 / E-mail: bill.humphreys@btcb.org Master Des Day Tel. 07901 555824 / E-mail: des@daystkd.freeserve.co.uk

WWW.TAEKWONDOMAG.CO.UK TKD/KMA 29

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From Beginner

To Black Belt

By Brian Ward

To many, the name and face of Grandmaster Tony Vohra will be a familiar sight as he has written numerous articles on such aspects as, stretching, conditioning, and kicking to name but a few. For those of you who are not familiar with Master Vohra let me continue by telling you that Grandmaster Vohra is 8th Dan in WTF Taekwondo as certified by the Kukkiwon world Taekwondo Headquarters, which makes him the UK’s highest ranked WTF instructor.

I have been studying martial arts for more than ten years so, I recently decided to sit in on one of Master Vohra’s Black belt Gradings to see how it was conducted and how the format differed to that of other black belt gradings I have seen over the years.

The grading began with a warm-up and then the students went on to perform basic techniques such as stances,

32 TKD/KMA WWW.TAEKWONDOMAG.CO.UK

blocks, punches, kicks and jumps. As every martial artist will know these are the foundations for which everything else is performed.

The next stage of the grading saw the students performing several poomse.

Ranging from Taegeuk Il Jang to Pyongwon poomse. Next the students went on to one-step sparring which is 18 combinations of fixed attacking and defending.

After finishing the one-step sparring, the students performed self defence techniques, which was of their individual choice. As they were performing the techniques they also had to explain why it was chosen and step-by-step what they were doing. All students should feel proud as they were able to call on their instincts with techniques that genuinely worked.

The students then began the next phase of the grading, which was spar-

ring. As I sat there I began to get excited at the prospect of seeing high quality black belt students fight and let me tell you I was not disappointed. The students who were going for their 1st Dan had to fight with two other students at once, while students who were going for their 2nd Dan had to fight three students at once. There was one student in particular who stood out and that was Master Jeff Scott-Smith who was grading for his 5th Dan and had to go against five other students at once. I spar a lot myself and know it’s hard enough against one person let alone five.

Grandmaster Vohra then announced that the students may take a fifteen minute break.

When the students came back from their rest period they were asked theory questions to show they had a sound knowledge of Taekwondo, past and present.

Well done to the following students who had taken part and passed: Benjamin Moore - 1st Dan Sumin Kim - 1st Dan Cameron Nind - 1st Dan Glen Roe - 1st Dan Timothy Gerrard - 1st Dan Jemel Athar - 2nd Dan Zenn Athar - 2nd Dan Chang-Hun Kim - 2nd Dan Joseph Turner - 2nd Dan Robert Shacklock - 2nd Dan Jeff Scott-Smith - 5th Dan

The grading was coming to a close but the students still had to under go one last test and that was destruction.

They began by breaking wood using basic Taekwondo techniques and then went on to more difficult techniques such as jumping over 4 people before executing a flying sidekick. The most impressive was that of Robert Shacklock, one of the more elderly students and Robert broke every piece of wood that was put before him. Next the students went on to break brick, and

while not every student managed to break the brick they did give it a go, several times in fact. In particular two students stood out those were Joseph Turner who was grading for his 2nd Dan and had broken the brick with one fast powerful strike. The second was Robert Shacklock who after breaking the wood with ease seemed to break the brick also with a relative ease.

With the testing over, all that was left to do was present the students who had passed with their belts and certificates.

The day ended with a party and even though the students were shattered they were still in high spirits, which was great as family and friends could join in with their success.

In closing I would like to say a huge well done to all the students, who really did perform with an indomitable spirit.

Grandmaster Vohra is always pleased to advise individual students or clubs and instructors and is happy to arrange courses/seminars to suit at home and abroad.

For further details of future examinations or for individual training programmes designed for you, or Kukkiwon certification, Call 01159 780439 or visit: www.mar tialartsvohra.com or www.mastervohra.com

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WWW.TAEKWONDOMAG.CO.UK TKD/KMA 33

AMA Amateur Martial Associations

AMA is the largest Martial Arts Organisation in the British Isles. It is the Governing Body for over 6,000 clubs and 150,000 members. Most of these have been with us for over 32 years. We must be doing something right!

Join the AMA now and get the best national and international recognition, the best access to courses and competitions, national and world-wide.

Over 32 years experience of growth.

Whatever the size or style of your group or club you are welcome in the AMA. We are here to serve you.

DAN GRADES & CERTIFICATES VALIDATION ALL GRADES COMPETITIONS: REGIONAL, NATIONAL and INTERNATIONAL BEST INSURANCE (and I mean best!)

CLUB AND COMPETITION GRANTS ALL STYLES WELCOME CLUB AND COMPETITION GRANTS CRB CHECKS (Criminal Record Bureau clearance)

AMA is affiliated to:

Sole mandate GB

ICKF - International Chinese Kuoshu Federation

WCJJO - World Council Ju-Jitsu Organisation

WKEA - World Kali Escrima Associations World Pencak

WAKO - World Association Kickboxing Organisation (81 countries)

To see national ama/wako listings of over 13,000 instructors/clubs on the web, type: www.bt.com/thephonebook then in ‘business’ type: martial arts and town For an information pack without obligation, call us, alternatively you can fax or post the coupon to the address below.

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Tom Hibbert MBE, FSMA - AMATEUR MARTIAL ASSOCIATIONS 66 Chaddesden Lane, Chaddesden, Derby DE21 6LP Name: Address:

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E-Mail: tom@amauk.co.uk Tel: 07973 507716 or Fax: 01332 280286