/169_May_2009

New Guinness

Grandmaster

Record Holder The Basics of

Breaking Breaking Advice from the Experts Fitness and Training Tips

Street Fighter’s

Chun-Li

Maurice Elmalem

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Contents

May 2009 / Volume 29 No. 3 / Issue Number 169 Publisher & CEO Woojin Jung

Features

28 The Girl They Call Chun-Li TKDT Exclusive! Read our exclusive interview with Kristin Kreuk, martial artist and lead actress in the hit Creative Director movie, Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li. Get the Elizabeth Brown details on her martial arts background and favorite Business Director moves.

Brian Heckart Managing Editor Laura Stolpe

Copy Editors Bill Heckart Julie Heckart

34 Sticky Solutions: Training with Tape Accelerate and enhance your training experience for you and your students with these cool tips and tricks on using tape in the dojang.

Assistant to Publisher GiSeon Kim Web Site Manager

41 Buncheong Pottery View the exquisite pottery made exclusively at Mount Gyeriong in South Korea. Travel with reporter Gregory Brundage as he visits the intimate village and speaks with the renowned Master Lim on the art, history and design process of Buncheong pottery.

Midwest Dedicated

Consultant John Lee

Columnists

C. M. Griffin Doug Cook Karen Eden Master Rondy Tae Yun Kim Tom Kurz Suzanne R. Ellenberger Jerry Beasley

Contributors Dan Paulson Daniel Middleton Gregory C. Brundage Guy Larke James Nam Jamey Mills Julio Anta Lars-Einar Petterson Maha Al Menieir Norman McLinden Stephen DiLeo Tanner Wenger Vice Presidents Don Wells Eui Min Ko He-Young Kimm General Advisors Jhoon Rhee Jin Suk Yang Hee Il Cho Woon Chick Park Chuck Sereff Soo Nam Park Edward Sell Rick Rojeck Tiger Kim Kwang Sik Myung Soon Ho Lee Chun Sik Kim Public Relations Jung Oh Hwang Taek Sung Cho Michelle Kim General Education Alexander Choi Byungchul Kim Yong Bum Kim Event Coordinator Jun Pyo Choi Sung Yong Ji

51

Song Son Yu Martial Art Tech.

Jae Kyung Kim Scott Greca Barry Harmon Jamie Serio Dojang Operations Mike Menters Marshall Pereira Alex Suh Donald C. Kimm News Director Mike Zeman Marketing Director Scott Warner Lisa Warner International Department Kwang Jo Choi Jae Chul Sin David Moon Jin Suk Yang (WTF) Yong Son Ri (ITF) International Correspondents Asia: Changsub Shin Europe: Bum Ju Lee Africa: Robin Rafferty Argentina: Ricardo Desimone South America: Jose Luis Giarone Australia: Tam Fook Chee

The Renaissance Man: Grandmaster Maurice Elmalem Meet the Renaissance Man, Grandmaster Maurice Elmalem. With over forty years experience in the martial arts, GM Elmalem has been on many television shows and graced the covers of martial arts magazines worldwide. Check out why he is known for his amazing skills, can-do attitude, and spectacular demonstrations.

58 Breaking it Down:The Basics of a Break Learn the fundamentals and science behind the perfect break. Get information on breaking materials and striking surfaces to better enhance your next demonstration.

63 Record-Breaking Moves TKDT Exclusive! In November 2008, Norwegian Narve Laeret broke 700 cement blocks in 29 seconds, smashing the Guinness World Record. TKDT grabbed an exclusive interview with the new record holder to find out how he mentally prepared to make the break.

Cover Photo by John Dentato

taekwondotimes.com

Cover photo by Bill Bly.

Founded in 1980 by Chung E. Kim

67 Breaking Boundaries: TKD Curriculum in Public School Learn how one school system in California is taking TKD to a whole new level, appointing Master James Nam as its new athletic director, building a dojang in the school and teaching TKD to school kids all year long.

Tr i - M o u n t P u b l i c a t i o n s I

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Circulation & Business Offices 3950 Wilson Ave. S.W. Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52404 (319) 396-1980 FAX: (319) 396-5070 Editorial & Advertising Offices 800 388-5966 FAX: (319) 396-5070 info@taekwondotimes.com

72 An Expert Break: Tips on Breaking From the Pros An informational Q & A with experts in the field of breaking, including Grandmaster Hee Il Cho, Grandmaster Ralph Bergamo, and Master Drew Serrano. Find out their thoughts and advice to execute an expert break.

78 A Break in Self-Defense While the break is a technique that is impressive in a demonstration, its concepts and movements can also be used in tactical self-defense. Read how you can take your breaking moves and use them against an assailant.

83 Silambam: An Ancient Indian Staff Fighting Art Since the dawn of man, people have been using sticks in battle. Read how the ancient art of Silambam was developed and learn a few moves along the way.

88 Kettlebells are Back What was once old is new again as the world sees a resurgence in the use of kettlebells to strengthen and train the martial artists’ body. Check out some techniques and learn the benefits of training with kettlebells.

Columns

Departments

26 33 38 47 94 96 98

6 10 14 21 92 95 87

Traditions / Real Wealth Woman of the Times / Man on the Moon Heart to Heart / A Break with a Purpose East Meets West / Breaking Up MMA & You / Mixing in MMA Stretch Yourself / When You Have to Have Surgery Last Word / Now I’m Bionic…

Publisher’s Page / Imitation Grandmasters Readers’ Forum / Your Turn News / The Global Perspective Black Belt Beginnings / True Stories Martial Arts Directory / MA Businesses Near You Correspondent Page / Our People Everywhere Calendar of Events / Find a Local Tournament

TAE KWON DO TIMES, Volume 29, Number Three (ISSN 0741-028X) is published bi-monthly, (January, March, May, July, September, and November) by Tri-Mount Publications, Inc., Corporate Headquarters, circulation and fulfillment offices located at 3950 Wilson Ave. SW, Cedar Rapids, IA 52404 (319-396-1980). Editorial and advertising 3950 Wilson Ave. SW, Cedar Rapids, IA 52404 email: Fax: 319-396-5070 800-388-5966 info@taekwondotimes. com. Web site: taekwondotimes.com. Submissions must be accompanied by return postage and will be handled with reasonable care; however, the publisher and editor assume no responsibility for the return of unsolicited photographs or manuscripts. Submissions become the property of TAE KWON DO TIMES upon notification of their publication. Printed in the United States by R.R. Donnelley. Periodical postage paid at Cedar Rapids, IA 52404 and at additional mailing offices.

POSTMASTER, Send address changes to TAE KWON DO TIMES, 3950 Wilson Ave. SW, Cedar Rapids, IA 52404. Copyright © 2008 by Tri-Mount Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction of contents may be a violation of copyright laws.

DISCLAIMER—TRI MOUNT PUBLICATIONS does not guarantee, warranty, or endorse any product or service advertised in this magazine. The publisher also does not guarantee the safety or effectiveness of any product, service or martial art technique illustrated in this magazine. The sole purpose and distribution of some products/services may be illegal in some areas and we do not assume responsibility thereof. State and local laws must be investigated by the purchaser prior to purchase and usage of products/services and martial art techniques. Because of the special nature of some products/services and techniques, a physician should be consulted before application.

Imitation Grandmasters You see it more and more. Martial artists in their late thirties and early forties suddenly earning the status of grandmaster. How does this happen?

How is it even possible? From what organization are they earning their ninth-degree status that declares them to be a grandmaster?

Well, they certainly are not earning this status from the two largest organizations of Tae Kwon Do in the world, the International Taekwon-Do Federation (ITF) and the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF). Earning a ninth-degree black belt in the ITF requires a minimum of 39 years of experience, and that’s just from the time you earn your black belt. The WTF has similar levels of experience required to reach belt levels and also requires a ninth-dan to be at least 53 years of age or over. Most schools have very strict rules on rank promotions. It takes, on average, a minimum of two and a half years to earn a first-degree black belt. From that point, it takes a minimum of one and half years experience as a first-degree before you can achieve a second-degree; two years experience as second-degree before moving on to thirddegree; and as you move up in the ranks, it takes just as many years of experience as is the belt level; equaling a minimum of 39 years experience as a black belt alone before even being considered for promotion to ninth-degree.

Even if you do achieve the minimum 39 years experience required, that is no guarantee that you will be awarded a ninth-dan.

A ninth-dan will only be bestowed upon a martial artist if the special designated committee examines the student and reaches unanimous

6

May 2009 / taekwondotimes.com

consent. The status and rank of grandmaster is not only about physical technique, but it is seen as an all-encompassing position, one that hosts the physical aspects of Tae Kwon Do along with its five tenets: courtesy, integrity, perseverance, selfcontrol, and indomitable spirit. A grandmaster is someone who is greatly respected in his community, a person who is looked up to and in which people can believe.

The martial artists who are miraculously earning their ninth-dan rank at such young ages, are not earning this position the same way it is earned within the halls of Kukkiwon. They are achieving this rank in off-shoots of Tae Kwon Do organizations that have lowered their standards in order to grab more attention and promote their businesses.

This is not the honorable way of a martial artist.

This does not adhere to the tenets of Tae Kwon Do. It should be known that this practice is unacceptable to legitimate martial artists and makes a mockery of the martial arts. So the next time you see a ninth-degree black belt that is only 40 years of age, a status often earned in one’s late fifties or early sixties, be sure to ask him or her from where they received the honorable rank of grandmaster?

“Uniting The World Through Martial Arts.”

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10 May 2009 / taekwondotimes.com

HAPKIDO The World SinMoo Hapkido Federation “DoJuNim” (Honorable Founder of Korean Hapkido)

Ji, Han Jae v v v v v Do Ju Nim

Ji, Han Jae

Honorary Chairman

v v v

10th Degree Blackbelt / Supreme Grandmaster Over 50 Years in the Martial Arts Bodyguard to South Korea’s President Park Instructor to many of the World’s Top Master-Instructors Starred in Bruce Lee’s “Game of Death”, “Lady Kung-Fu”, “Fist of the Unicorn Palm” and “Hapkido” Founder / DoJuNim: Korean Hapkido Founder / DoJuNim: SinMoo Hapkido World SinMoo Hapkido Federation (Honorary Chairman)

“The Future of Hapkido”

Kwang Jang Nim

Ken MacKenzie President / 9th Dan

Chief-Master Scott Yates

For Information on Individual and School Charter Memberships Log Onto:

www.WorldSinMooHapkidoFederation.com Af`e Kf[Xp D\dY\ij_`g J\im`Z\j @eZcl[\1

Technical Support – Manuals – Curriculum – Certification Uniforms - Seminars – Direct Link to the Founder – Networking Training Opportunity – Rank Advancement – Instructor Accreditation Member Newsletter – Dojang Operational Support Note: The World SinMoo Hapkido Federation is the official governing body for SinMoo Hapkido world-wide as sanctioned by DoJuNim Ji, Han Jae

PO Box 262, Atco, New Jersey, 08004, U.S.A.

1(856) 719-1411

World SinMoo Hapkido Federation…..Unifying Hapkido Worldwide!

Daedo & TrueScore Merge

Silicon Valley, CA— TrueScore wireless has been providing electronic scoring systems for TKD in the U.S over the last 12 years. Now the scoring system has merged with Daedo International, the largest martial arts supply company in the world and sponsor for TKD in the World games and Olympic Games since 1988. TrueScore CEO Jin Song, electronic engineer, and Vice President Kevin McCullough, former U.S Team member, have been working on the system for the last eight years, making TrueScore the leading electronic impact sensor company and one of four companies that created the Wireless Chest Protector for sport Tae Kwon Do. Daedo International and Truescore’s goal is to have the system used in the 2012 Olympic Games and will be used in several major tournaments in Europe and the U.S., including the German Open, Austrian Open, and Belgium Open, as well as tournaments in California, Utah, Boston, Texas, and Florida.

Cane Master in the News

Incline Village, Nevada—A Wall Street Journal article by Jennifer Levitz continues to promote strong interest in Cane Master Mark Shuey, Sr. He was interviewed by Fox San Diego in late 2008 and PBS is currently interviewing students of his American Cane System in various locations and began filming a story about him and his work in the areas of defense, health and rehabilitation. Nationally recognized AARP also prepared an article on Master Shuey published in the March issue of AARP The Magazine.

School Opening Mark Shuey, Sr. Kearney, NJ—A new school offering Wushu and SanShou instruction opens in Central New Jersey. Zhaung Yuan Wushu Academy is opening a branch in Kearney, New Jersey. The head instructor is Sifu Belida Han Uckun, who has been published in TaeKwonDo Times, Ultimate Grappling, Inside Kung Fu and Kung Fu QiGong magazines. Adult and children’s classes will be taught in Kung Fu, competition Sanshou and selfdefense.

TKD Peace Corps

Seoul, Korea—The World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) held an activation ceremony for the 2008/09 Winter Taekwondo Peace Corps in Seoul, Korea in January 2009. Held at the headquarters of GCS International in downtown Seoul, the ceremony drew members of the 2008/09 Winter Taekwondo Peace Corps and dignitaries. The WTF announced a total of 32 successful applicants for the 2008/09 Winter Taekwondo Peace Corps.

The members travel to the countries of Greece, Russia, Morocco, Bolivia, Uzbekistan, Egypt, China and Kirgyzstan in teams of four, for one-month periods. The

Belido Han Uckun, second from left

14 May 2009 / taekwondotimes.com

TKD Peace Corps participants

Taekwondo Peace Corp project is promoted by the WTF and organized by GCS International, a United Nations-recognized non-governmental organization with a special consultative status with the U.N. Economic and Social Council. GCS stands for goodwill, cooperation and service.

WTF President Chungwon Choue serves as head of GCS International. “Through the WTF Taekwondo Peace Corps program, I am confident that Tae Kwon Do could contribute to the promotion of global peace,” said WTF President Choue.

Martial Artist Earns Role

MATT MULLINS Press Kit 2008

Naperville, IL—Sharkey’s Karate Studio’s very own Matt Mullins has once again stepped into the limelight in the new kids’ hit TV series Kamen Rider on WGN. Described as an upscale Power Rangers, it features 18-year-old Kit Taylor, who after his father’s disappearance, is accidentally launched into the world of the Kamen Riders.

There he is trained by Wing Knight, played by martial artist Matt Mullins. Together they set off to battle General Xaviax and the ten corrupt Kamen Riders in hopes to save the Earth and find Kit’s father. The show is loaded with lots of action, twisted plots and marital art fight scenes. Matt began his training at Sharkey’s Karate Studio in Naperville, Illinois where he earned his black belt and became a fivetime world champion competitor in sport martial arts.

Moore Teen Scores Victory as All-Star Competitor

Moore, OK—14-year-old Ashli Takashima swept through her division at the Austin Friendship Tae Kwon Do Games in early 2009, representing Combat Martial Arts Academy as a member of the ProtecUSA All-Star Tae Kwon Do Team. Her performance was consistent with her long record of tournament successes. The metro-area teen won first place in sparring and third in forms. Ashli, who won the gold medal at the Amateur Athletic Union’s (AAU) National Tae Kwon Do Championships in July 2008, dispatched her two sparring opponents quickly, winning the first match 8 to 1, and the second by a score of 9 to 1. Known for being an excellent counter-fighter, she breezed through the first match. Ashli’s success didn’t end with her sparring victory, as she also placed third in the forms competition as well.

Quarterly Practice Held

Pompton Lakes, NJ—The Korea Jung Ki Hapkido & Kuhapdo Association of America recently held its quarterly Hapkido practice session. With 50 masters, black belts, and students in attendance, the workout was outstanding.

Participants practiced traditional Jung Ki Hapkido exercises and techniques. In attendance were the Jung Ki Kwan of Maine, New Hampshire, Connecticut, New Jersey, and Massachusetts. The Jung Ki Kwan is under the direction of Grandmaster Lim and Hyun Soo, ninth-dan promoted by Founder Choi.

Quarterly attendees

taekwondotimes.com / May 2009

15

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ENTERPRISES PRESENTS

August 14-16, 2009 + Cost of Event: $95.00 Location: Temple of Certain Victory - Olympia, Washington

Grandmaster In Sun Seo

Through the training under his father Chairman Grand Master In Sun Seo, Master Steve Seo has become molded into the Director of Techniques and Skills for the World Han Min Jok Hapkido Association/World Kido Federation for the USA and abroad. This is the second time that Master Steve Seo has been hosted by Master Robert J. Ott the Chief Master of the World Kidokwan Federation. “His techniques are tight and yet vector out with Ki energy through each motion. The way he is able to take true traditional Korean Martial Arts and keep & up hold it while at the same time both shortening and lengthening critical techniques is that of a man who not only understands these skills but is ready to carry on the teachings of his father to the next generation.

This event will be 3 days of training and enjoyment wrapped up into one. From the beautiful Northwest water to the quality of food served at this function any Martial Artist will find this to be educational and relaxing all at the same time. This seminar is designed for fellow Moosa to come together and grow in both relationship and knowledge with guests from all over the country.

For information on address, schedule, items to bring, lodging and more, please contact Master Robert J. Ott the official host and Chief Master of the Temple of Certain Victory at pilsung@comcast.net. For more information and or payment visit www.certainvictory.com.

Participants will be able to pay through check, pay pal, cash at front door with a $30.00 increase for expedited processing. Our goal is to have students registered by July 1, 2009.

Master Steve Seo

Hanminjok Hapkido Association

World Kido-Hae Federation

SPECIAL GUEST

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August 14-16, 2009 + Cost of Event: $95.00 Location: Temple of Certain Victory - Olympia, Washington Each participant will be receiving certificates from both the World Han Min Jok Hapkido Federation under chairman & Grand Master In Sun Seo and recognized World Kidokwan Federation President Robert J. Ott with special guest Master Steve Seo. Awards will be presented along with photos both single and group. Signed copies of the front pages of magazines of both Masters will be available for no charge. The Biography of Pilsung/ Certain Victory by Robert J. Ott and filmed documentary are also available. (See website for pricing information)

Grandmaster Kenneth P. MacKenzie

Also featuring special guest visitor Grand Master and highest ranking American Sin Moo Hapkido certified Kenneth P. MacKenzie who will attend in a show of friendship, support and unity in the Korean Martial Arts.

Chief Master Robert J. Ott

For an informational package and FREE DVD featuring the instructors of this event, please contact Robert J. Ott at pilsung@comcast.net A deposit will be necessary to lock in your place as a participant of this seminar.

www.certainvictory.com

4th IKMAF Symposium

Symposium attendees

The 4th International Korean Martial Arts Federation (IKMAF) Symposium was held in late 2008. The event was hosted by Masters Richard Lemaster and Michael Macario at the Apex Community Center, in Apex, North Carolina. Over 70 members attended from various states.

Masters Henry Major, Richard Lemaster, and Michael Macario taught various aspects of IKMAF’s three main curriculums, Yu Shin Hapkido, Choson Kwon Bup, and Jeong Tong Taekwondo. Ian A. Cyrus, Headmaster of IKMAF, taught the basic hyung along with Shin Chong (applications) of Choson Kwon Bup, three of the more complex throws of Hapkido, and Oriental Medicine with a focus on how to treat low back pain.

Traditional Tang Soo Do Seminar

Calgary, Canada—In November 2008, Grandmaster Richard Byrne of Malden, Massachusetts, the president of American Tang Soo Do Association and the United Tang Soo Do Congress, traveled to Calgary, Alberta, Canada, to conduct the 2008 Traditional Tang Soo Do seminar. The event was held at Black Belt of Karate in Calgary. Students from all First Canada Tang Soo Do schools attended the seminar that was organized and hosted by Master Carl Tate, the highest ranking Tang Soo Do master instructor in Canada. Grandmaster Richard Byrne was the guest grandmaster instructor who taught classes in self-defense, one steps, history of training in Korea, and takedown techniques. Grandmaster Byrne was awarded the white hat, a traditional award given by Tourism Canada as a symbol of Calgary’s Western hospitality, for being the first Grandmaster of Tang Soo Do to visit Canada. He also received a custom made belt buckle for his promotion to the rank of ninth-dan black belt in the art of Tang Soo Do. Master Carl Tate also was awarded the white hat, making Master Tate the first Master in Canada history to receive the white hat for teaching the art of Tang Soo Do in Canada.

Georgia Governor Honors Young Martial Artists

Suwanee, GA—In December 2008, Georgia’s Governor Sonny Perdue met with ten-year-old Choi Kwang Do martial arts students and black belt club members, Charlie Dickson and Chris Varela, to formally congratulate them on their recent fundraising project for collecting canned foods and donations for the community food bank. Charlie Dickson and Chris Varela worked together to design, prepare, and distribute flyers to all participants at Suwanee Choi Kwang Do in order to collect cash and food donations for this special project.

As a result of their hard work and effort, they successfully collected in excess of their goals and were very proud to turn over these donations to the Gwinnett County food bank, a non-profit organization who was experiencing shortages of food for distribution to homeless families in the community during the holidays. Governor Perdue expressed his sincere appreciation for their unselfish acts of volunteering their time and energy to help others. He congratulated them on being excellent role models and community leaders in Georgia. And, he welcomed them, along with their families, to the State Capitol to receive special letters of recognition CKD students meet Governor

18 May 2009 / taekwondotimes.com

signed and presented by the Governor for their selfless acts of service.

Black Belt Promotions

Suwanee, GA—In December 2008, the Suwanee Choi Kwang Do School successfully added 16 new black belt candidates to its active base of students as a result of a very successful black belt testing at the international Choi Kwang Do Suwanee blackbelt promotions Headquarters in Kennesaw, Georgia. Of these 16 students, 11 were children and adults who earned the ranking of IL Dan, first-degree black belt, and five were children and adults who earned the ranking of EE Dan, second-degree black belt.

2nd Annual Hwang Seminar

Raleigh, NC—Grandmaster K.S. Hwang, ninth-dan and president of the Unified International Taekwon-Do Federation, performed training for the students and colleagues of Elizabeth Roshdy, host of the 2nd Annual Hwang Seminar. Grandmaster Hwang hit the ground running with a synopsis of theory of power and sine wave and then discussed stances and their body weight distribution to facilitate advanced kicking techniques. Postural alignment and procedures in which instructors may utilize to correct and perfect any student were also taught.

Grandmaster Hwang flowed into propelling free-sparring skills when he had all participants work the material with partners from different schools. Grandmaster Hwang also taught some of his unique and highly effective defenses against chokeholds.

Master Becomes U.S. Director

Batavtia, IL—Police Officer Edgardo Perez, eighth-dan in Warrior Hapkido and Founder of the Defense Training Institute in Batavtia, Illinois, was recently appointed to the position of United States Director for the International Combatives Self-Defense Association. Mr. Perez now regulates the United States regional and state directors for this international organization of combatives trainers and practitioners.

MMIʼs Best Defense

Oakwood Village, OH—Media Moguls, Inc. (MMI) announces that it has begun fundraising for an Internet series that will be the best realistic martial arts program made in 2009. This series, entitled Best Defense, will answer the question that no one has answered before: can people with disabilities, women, and children truly use martial arts to defend themselves? Nine different martial arts’ masters from powerful and diverse styles have agreed to teach people who need them the most. The producers for the series are Darryl Johnson and Brandon Fisher. Both men are martial artists and are legally blind. Both men believe that “Disabilities may challenge you, however they do not have to make you helpless.” The first episode premiered in December 2008, with Master James Ziots, Master Douglas Brown and Grandmaster Barry Rodemaker representing the Tactical Hapkido style.

Edgardo Perez

taekwondotimes.com / May 2009

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Focus On Our Readers...

Black Belt Beginnings tells the inspiring and motivational stories of students climbing the rank system and achieving black belt. To submit your story of 750 words or less, email it to press@taekwondotimes.com.

Tanner’s Fall

By Tanner Wenger

My name is Tanner Wenger. I started Tae Kwon Do at the beginning of sixth grade and six years later, I am still as enthusiastic. Currently, I hold the rank of second-dan black belt under Mr. Andrew Johnson from the Northeast Iowa Branch of Jung’s Tae Kwon Do. One of the things we practice at class is falling. I never dreamed that using the correct falling technique could one day save my life!

It was Friday May 30, 2008, and my sophomore year was coming to an end. Semester tests were over and we only had half a day of school left on Monday. That night, after the baseball game, my buddies and I went up to the “Leap” which is an old rock quarry that is near my buddy’s home. We were going to have a campfire and burn all our old school papers from the past year. The Leap was/ is kind of like a little retreat. We got some old furniture from some of our houses and the doctor who lived by the Leap gave us some old wicker chairs. Everyone had been to the Leap before and knew about the 30-foot drop off. We put the rocking bench a few feet from the edge so we would know if we were getting close at night.

The time flew by and before we knew it was

Looking down from the cliff

time to start thinking about heading home. I remember looking at my watch and seeing that it was 12 o’clock. After looking to see what time it was, I took a step back, Mr. Johnson, Tanner & Lanny Kuhse but there was nothing there. At first, I thought someone had tripped me. I remember thinking this is taking me a long time to fall and then it hit me—I was falling off the cliff. I remember a little voice in my head telling me to relax and it would be okay. My Algebra 2 class figured out how long it took me to fall the 30 feet—1.4 seconds. I can tell you, it seemed a lot longer than 1.4 seconds. It seemed like everything was in slow motion.

As soon as I hit the hard ground below, I was temporarily knocked unconscious. I never yelled or grabbed for anything as I was falling. After the whole ordeal, my buddies said they heard two things. The rustling of some leaves on my way down and then a loud thump. Just before I stepped off the cliff backwards, I was standing next to one of my buddies. As soon as he heard the thud and saw that I wasn’t there, he said, “Tanner just fell of the cliff!” Everyone thought we were playing a prank on them. It didn’t take them long to realize that he wasn’t lying and they all jumped into action. The boys called 911 several times. The Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT) and firemen didn’t know exactly where we were since we were on a private drive. They couldn’t get to me from the road, so they had to hike up the hill. My buddies did everything right. They kept me still taekwondotimes.com /May 2009

+*

and helped keep me calm.

I landed inches away from a big boulder and an old school chair with its metal legs up. There was also a bush next to me that had to be cut with a chainsaw. The firefighters also cut a path through the woods so they could carry me to the ambulance.

The hospital is only three minutes away from where I fell, but it took an hour for Looking up at the cliff the EMTs to get to me and take me to the hospital. When we finally got to the hospital, my parents and sister were waiting. While waiting for the helicopter, the local doctors took x-rays to see if my lungs had been punctured. They thought I had broken ribs and a broken shoulder along with a gash on the back of my head.

It takes two hours to drive from Elkader to Iowa City, but it only took 20 minutes by helicopter. In Iowa City, they stapled the gash on the back of my head, gave me a cat scan, and took more x-rays. The doctors kept telling me how lucky I was not to be paralyzed or killed. They concluded that I had a concussion, bruised left ribs and lung, a broken left scapula (shoulder blade) and my left knee was pretty banged up. The right side of my body was fine. I was wearing my Hawkeye watch on my right wrist and it didn’t get a scratch on it.

On Saturday afternoon, they finally took off the neck brace that had been on since the EMTs arrived on the scene. While at the Leap, hospital, and helicopter, I kept asking for a pillow because my head was resting on the gash on the back of my head. I never really cried, but I did a lot of moaning which helped me relax and relieve some pain, but I am sure it was very annoying and loud to everyone else. It was a good sign though, because it showed that I wasn’t paralyzed.

After three weeks my shoulder was heeled, but I wasn’t able to do everything that I had been doing

before my fall for another three weeks. I believe that Tae Kwon Do helped save my life and prevented me from having more serious injuries, along with a little bit of luck. I feel that all the falling practice we do in class has made me naturally go to my side when I’m falling and my injuries prove it.

All of my injuries were on my left side and my right side was fine. Landing on my side also kept me from being paralyzed. Ironically, we had just practiced falling at Tae Kwon Do the night before. It goes to show that you get out what you put in, and I believe that my training paid off.

Training in Saudi Arabia

By Maha Al Meiner

I still remember very vividly the day I started training with Master JungWoon Kim in Saudi Arabia. I was overwhelmed by the moves and the stretching exercises. I had taken Tae Kwon Do classes with another master before, but Master Kim was different. His patience, his encouragement, his spirit and his teaching, made me fall in love with Tae Kwon Do (TKD).

I was about to quit TKD when I overheard a couple of friends talking about a Korean Tae Kwon Do master who lived in Riyadh. I told myself, “This is my last chance with this sport.” My schedule was already full with other sports activities and I was ready to give up on TKD. I used to get summer training while I was in college at a multinational open environment organization in Riyadh. I started my training in their recreation center. Then, after graduation, they offered me a job and I accepted it. I considered myself lucky to be part of such a place that exposed me to this kind of sport. It was then I met Master Kim. He trained me in a private compound because we didn’t have training Maha and student spar

++ May 2009 / taekwondotimes.com

places for ladies at that time.

At the beginning, training seemed boring; learning all the terminologies and the stances.

Then the fun came with the kicking, bouncing, fighting, jumping and rolling. Suddenly, I loved TKD and all martial arts and self-defense techniques. Most importantly, I have grown attached to my master, who has shown me life in different colors.

Now, I work in Saudi Aramco as I had to move when I got married two years ago. I joined the Aramco Dhahran Tae Kwon Do Group, which is also considered a multinational open environment company. But I still train with Master Kim every other weekend when I go to Riyadh to see my family and friends.

I believe things have changed since I started training.

They now have Sparring practice ladies’ martial arts training centers in Riyadh. I have seen two so far and there might be others that I don’t know about.

My body now knows when it is time for my training. Endorphin kicks into my blood stream. It is a feeling that I can never describe. I get high from training. I don’t know why people use drugs! This sport has taught me patience and focus and I have become more goal-oriented in life. I thank Allah everyday for the blessing of TKD. My dream was to Master Jung Woon Kim & Maha obtain a black belt.

Now, I am third-dan black belt. My dream is to be able to give all the children in my country the same chance that I had. My aim is to have a posiTKD class in Saudi

tion in the Saudi Taekwondo Federation and to help build children’s martial arts centers in all the cities of Saudi Arabia. Children can learn from this sport what they cannot learn in school. They will come to training instead of watching TV or playing computer games.

Last but not least, people sometimes ask me, “Are you done with Tae Kwon Do now that you have your black belt?”

I reply by saying, “This is not the end, this is only the beginning!”

My Journey Through TKD

By Jamey Mills My journey through Tae Kwon Do began on an October night in an elementary school with my six-year-old son, Nick. I signed up to take an afterschool program with him under the assumption that I would be acting as his parent partner, similar to the first year T-ball program I had participated in with both of my boys. I felt that my six years of martial arts training, that ended seventeen years prior, would make me a good partner for Nick. On our first night, I discovered that I was one of two adult students in the class and that we would be treated no differently than the kids, including the bear crawl relay race at the end of class. The next morning I couldn’t raise my arms above my head and I was questioning my decision.

Six weeks later we earned our yellow belts and I was thinking about taking the martial arts seriously again.

My seventeen year hiatus from martial arts was a result of committing myself to college, a career in law enforcement and a family.

However, the years of inactivity had a detrimental affect on my health. I was Jamey and Nick Mills

taekwondotimes.com /May 2009

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obese with high cholesterol and asthma. My feet and knees ached any time I stood for more than an hour. I had always believed deep down that the martial arts would be the one thing that would allow me to take control of my health as I secretly longed to train again. Nick was the perfect excuse for me to return to what I now call “my first love”.

A colleague of mine was opening the Milford Marital Arts Academy in Milford, Ohio, and I agreed to take a free trial during the grand opening.

I was hooked the very first night. I returned home physically exhausted but emotionally charged. I felt like I was seventeen years old again as I told my wife all about my first lesson at my new school. She completely supported my dream of returning to the lifestyle that I was so passionate about.

I immersed myself in Tae Kwon Do, constantly reading online articles, magazines and books, when I wasn’t practicing in my makeshift dojang in the basement. I ached constantly during the first month from training every day, but I knew the pain was a sign that I was transforming my body.

The pounds were melting away at a rate of about three pounds a week. I found that I didn’t need my asthma inhaler nearly as often and my knees and feet no longer ached from standing. But the most valuable benefit was the quality time I was spending with my son. The highlight of my journey was watching Nick take home first and second place trophies in the Ahn Classic Tournament. My older son, Joey, even took an interest in helping us train at home for the tournament Before and for each of our tests.

It was clear to everyone that this was more than a hobby to me; I was obsessed. I routinely admitted to friends and family that I was an addict, but I stressed that it was a healthy addiction. There were many similarities to my Karate background, which, combined with my intense training regimen, allowed me to move up through the ranks at an accelerated pace. I was very fortunate to have had the +- May 2009 / taekwondotimes.com

opportunity to be trained by professionals like Mr. Duyane Ernst, Mr. Mark Hoenle and Master Paul Woodson. Each helped me grow as a martial artist while helping me shrink physically. I will never forget my second workout with Master Woodson. The workout consisted of forty-five minutes of nonstop kicking, and other aerobic activities. I remember thinking that I was going to collapse. I could tell that Master Woodson was not impressed with my physical condition. After class, I told him that I hadn’t hurt that bad since the police academy. He responded by telling me to do twenty-five sit ups a day and to lay off the soda. I committed to doing sit ups daily and I’m now up to fifty a day.

Nine belts later, I have lost fifty pounds and am studying for my black belt exam. I’ve learned many lessons; both physical and spiritual. I consider the martial arts a lifestyle again, and I realize that a black belt is not the end but rather a new beginning.

After

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Over the past several months our country has found itself in the bull’s eye of a financial crisis.

Across the nation, mortgages go unpaid, students are finding it difficult to secure college loans, and investments made in the hopes of attaining long-term prosperity are evaporating. These challenges, coupled with others we are likely to experience in the coming years, cause many of us to ask just what real wealth is.

Is real wealth securing a job we are confident is bulletproof, only to eventually find it exported to a foreign land? Is real wealth measured by money in a bank, exposed to the whims of an erratic global economy? Or is it something more…something that is neither minted, nor interviewed for?

We, who diligently practice traditional Tae Kwon Do, are fortunate in that we realize an awakening of sorts. Not in a religious sense, although at times it can be of a spiritual nature, but in a way that cultivates passion and wonder; a desire to enthusiastically pursue something bigger than ourselves. Through Tae Kwon Do training we develop courage in contrast to danger, a trait that in an uncertain world can be translated as the strength to break through adversity, just as we would a brick or pine board during a promotion test. In the big scheme of things, these virtues may seem small. But when the standards many of us thought for so long to be unshakable begin to crumble, courage, strength and the selfassurance to overcome doubt surely counts as real wealth.

Furthermore, real wealth is seen in the eyes of our young students who are developing confidence, along with patience and self-control. Compassion, too, is a characteristic the martial artist must nurture as evidenced by martial arts schools around the world promoting fundraisers that directly benefit their local communities. Recently our Leadership Team, a group of youngsters within the Chosun Taekwondo Academy who aspire to positions of greatness, raised over a thousand dollars for our local ambulance corp.

From this it quickly becomes evident that traditional Tae Kwon Do, if practiced sincerely, is not simply about kicking and punching as it may appear on the surface. More correctly, it is about investing life’s coffers with riches that will reap dividends far into the future, immune to greed and self-interest. It is about developing ethical and physical self-defense that will result in real wealth.

Yet, one may ask, how can a discipline resonating with potential violence be expected to imbue such virtuous qualities? The answer to this question depends on the manner in which Tae Kwon Do is taught, and subsequently embraced, by the student.

26 May 2009 / taekwondotimes.com

If the practitioner is to profit from the real wealth associated with martial arts training, they must first be exposed to the vast mosaic that comprises the traditional Tae Kwon Do curriculum. This, clearly, is the responsibility of an experienced instructor acting as mentor and purveyor of the accumulated knowledge or wisdom residing at the core of traditional Tae Kwon Do. The teacher must be selfless in this transmission, putting their student’s well being in the martial arts above all else. They must infuse respect, discipline, and a genuine appreciation for accomplishment, coupled with authentic technique.

For example, advanced black belts may find it difficult to recall the first moment the realization set in that they were capable of effectively defending themselves; or the sense of connection experienced with the discovery that they share a martial tradition with over 70,000,000 fellow Tae Kwon Doists worldwide.

Moreover, learning how to remain positive when adversity strikes, in tandem with a healthy disregard for the toxic effects of self-criticism, represents an annuity far in excess of those in a bank dissipating before our eyes. These dividends of training, conveyed by a worthy instructor, are significant and act as valuable currency in the face of emotional recession.

But the legal tender of traditional Tae Kwon Do is not printed exclusively on the paper of virtue, but matures on a principle of action. The Five Tenets of Tae Kwon Do—courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self-control and indomitable spirit—lay the foundation for the art, but the structure that houses the real wealth associated with our training must be built of materials forged by orthodox technique.

Clearly, due to its Olympic status, many practitioners currently focus primarily on the combat sport element of Tae Kwon Do, an aspect steadfastly developed through the efforts of the World Taekwondo Federation. However, by highlighting the overarching requirements for successful competition in the ring, many of the techniques and philosophical underpinnings associ-

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ated with self-defense, including hand techniques, poomsae, one-step sparring, Ki or internal energy development and meditation, have been subjugated or forfeited altogether. These sadly overlooked, yet quintessential components of traditional Tae Kwon Do constitute earnings that must be presented in their entirety if the student is to be the recipient of the real wealth vested in this authentic martial discipline.

Likewise, any savvy businessperson expects a substantial return on their investment. And just as yields are often linked to risk, so it is in the martial arts. However, the risk that comes with the inculcation of traditional Tae Kwon Do doctrine is not necessarily related to physical injury as the layperson might expect. On the contrary, if the practitioner pursues the way of Tae Kwon Do with their true heart, then the only hazard they risk is the positive effects of profound enlightenment; a reemergence of the passion and purpose sadly eclipsed by age and the cynicism that frequently accompanies it.

The Buddhist concept of beginner’s mind dictates that we approach daily life with a fresh outlook while fending off brittle notions or narrow preconceptions. Subsequently, the real wealth manifest

in the fresh worldview gained through the sincere practice of traditional Tae Kwon Do and its underlying philosophy cannot simply be purchased in a monetary sense but must be earned with sweat, determination, and supreme focus.

Without a doubt, across the months and years ahead, our great nation will shake off the onerous yoke of greed perpetrated by a shameful few. The specter of fear and doubt present now will flee in the face of hope. As Americans, we have been through times such as these before. Our resilience as a people will triumph. Yet those of us who train in the martial arts will find this transition less painful supported by the real wealth we have accrued through the unquestionable virtues of traditional Tae Kwon Do. Master Doug Cook, a fifth-dan black belt, is head instructor of the Chosun Tae Kwon Do Academy located in Warwick, New York, a student of Grandmaster Richard Chun, and author of the best-selling books entitled: Tae Kwon Do…Ancient Wisdom for the Modern Warrior, and Traditional Tae Kwon Do…Core Techniques, History and Philosophy, published by YMAA of Boston. He can be reached for discussions or seminars at chosuntkd@yahoo.com or chosuntkd.com.

The Girl They Call Chun-Li Interview by Laura Stolpe

The up and coming actress of television’s Smallville, Kristin Kreuk, was cast as the main female lead in one of the latest martial arts movies, Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li (in theatres February 27, 2009). The movie is based on the legendary Street Fighter video game by Capcom and brings a new dimension to a world and characters beloved by millions. Devastated by the kidnapping of her father, Chun-Li (Kreuk) takes to the streets of Hong Kong, embarking on an epic quest for justice and hurtling toward a confrontation with a seemingly unstoppable foe.

With a background in the martial arts established early in life, Kristin was a natural choice to play the part of Chun-Li. The young actress spoke with TKDT about her role as Chun-Li and training in the martial arts.

TKDT: When did you start training in the arts?

Kristin: I did Shotokan Karate from when I was in third grade until I was in tenth grade. And then I did a year of Kung Fu, which I didn’t have as much experience in. (I trained in) Vancouver at the Y. TKDT: When you accepted the role of Chun-Li in the new Street Fighter movie, did you get back into your martial arts training? What arts did you train in to prepare to portray Chun-Li? Kristin: I didn’t (train) at home. I signed on (to the movie) pretty late in the game. I ended up doing the training in Thailand with the choreographer there. I know the character does a lot of Wushu and there was a lot of Wushu involved. But mostly it was a mish mash of…disciplines… to create the best choreography possible. It was challenging, but it was also a lot of fun. I really, really enjoy challenge physically. I think it is really amazing. Plus I like to learn new skills. So it was great that way.

TKDT: Did you do a lot of the fight sequences yourself?

Kristin: I had three stunt doubles, one of them was male. So we did some of it with me and then some of it with another person…like the falls or some of the more strong wire pulls and stuff like that, I wouldn’t do because they take more skill as a stunt person, which I don’t have. Obviously, that would put me in great danger. A lot of the fighting I did all the way through until we were near the end where it started to get really busy and I didn’t have the 28 May 2009 / taekwondotimes.com

time to do it all, but I got to try pretty much everything.

TKDT: Did you have any favorite moves?

Kristin: My favorite stuff, honestly, is the wire work because it’s very gymnastic in quality and I really enjoy figuring out movement in the air. So the work that I did on wires was really great fun.

TKDT: Did you do much research on your character, Chun-Li? Kristin: I knew who she was because of the fact that Street Fighter was so popular when I was in high school and late elementary school. I didn’t do any research on the character per se. A lot of that is in the script. I try to focus on what’s there (in the script), as opposed to what isn’t there and then go from that.

TKDT: Does Chun-Li show off any of her signature moves, like her gravity-defying helicopter kick or lightning kick?

Kristin: She did her spinning-bird kick, which is the helicopter kick; I believe it’s the same thing. And then, I don’t know what she calls it, but the energy ball (move) we did as well. I don’t think we did the fast side kick. We were going to at some point, but we didn’t have enough time to shoot it. But there’s a few signature moves in there, it’s very Chun-Li in that way.

TKDT: Did you ever play Street Fighter when you were younger?

Kristin: No, I didn’t play it. I didn’t play video games. I read Anne of Green Gables (laughs).

TKDT: Do you feel that you related to the character of Chun-Li at all?

Kristin: Definitely, I think that you always, when you’re playing someone, you’ve got to relate to them in some way…She’s an interesting girl because her father is taken away from her, and her mom dies and she’s very angry. She really wants to help people, but is just so angry at the world and is kind of in a victim mentality. So her journey is really learning to look at her emotional attachments and let go of them so she can actually see the greater good and what the greater good might be. Instead of fighting against something, she ends up moving towards something…and I can relate to that in my life as well.

TKDT: You are starting a company that will focus on teen girls, is that correct?

Kristin: Yeah, I’m building a company for girls that will be an online social network and content creation site, which is geared towards them taekwondotimes.com / May 2009

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and inspiration. I want to help them actualize their dreams in the world and help them create communities of their own and basically move us forward.

TKDT: So with your roles on television and in the movies, do you openly accept yourself as a role model to young women?

(girls) creating projects in the real world and building their self-esteem. We haven’t completed it yet, it’s still in Beta right now. Hopefully, we’ll go live in three to four months, once the Beta’s complete. I’m very excited about it. I find women, and especially young women, to be immersed in great creativity

Kristin’s New Site for Girls Girls by Design (GBD) will be an online social network and content creation site for teen girls, with the intent to build self-esteem, self-expression and encourage young women to create themselves and their lives in an introspective and passionate manner.

Founded by actress Kristin Kreuk and Kendra Voth, GBD is currently building the Beta version of the GBD website. In the interim, GBD is building a community of young women through their company blog, temporary website, social networking sites, and with inspirational workshops.

GBD believes that young women are valuable, insightful and potent human beings. Human beings who are at an impressionable age, and, if encouraged, have the capacity to change the world. GBD’s mission is to provide resources and a community to support their creativity and expression.

30 May 2009 / taekwondotimes.com

Kristin: Well, it’s interesting because I think that the minute that you choose to be in the public eye, that you are, I guess, a role model in a way.

Someone is going to look up to you somewhere. I think for me, that means just being as honest about who I am as possible and realizing how amazing it is that I am in this position. I can encourage young people to really better their lives. If I have any influence at all, I want to encourage them to be happy, joyful and create.

Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueira first person to ever hold the heavyweight title in both Pride FC and the UFC. Considered by many to be the greatest MMA fighter of all time.”

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Man on the Moon By Karen Eden

So history goes, in 1969, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin were the first human beings to ever set foot on the moon.

I’m sure you’ve probably seen the black and white video clips of these two Americans walking and bouncing around on the moon’s surface in space. There’s even a good chance that some of us remember watching it unfold live on TV. It was like “Wow!” America had really nailed a milestone and it made us all feel like there was nothing that we couldn’t accomplish as a nation.

It was so shocking, that for decades, some people thought it was actually a conspiracy by the government…an actual performance to make us look better than the Russians.

As Americans watched it unfold, it all looked so “together.” But appearances can be deceiving. Very few people watching back then knew that there was only a fifty percent chance that these astronauts would ever make it back to earth.

As a matter of fact, President Nixon had already written and signed their eulogy, praising these brave Americans for giving their lives for the sake of space technology advancement. In a nutshell, nobody had a clue of what was really going to happen once they actually got to the moon.

But they did get there. And knowing that they may not make it back to Earth alive, I am in awe of their comments as they stepped out.

If it had been me, I would have said something like, “Oh that’s great, can we try to get back now?” But there they were, making comments about how incredible the view was…and dancing around; pondering and experiencing what had just taken place. For a lack of a better way to put it, they were “seizing the historical moment.”

Personally, I have always been fascinated by people who can throw so much caution to the wind. Surely they are by design, wired differently than the average human being. I mean, it’s one thing to take big chances out there, but to actually enjoy doing it, is a whole new ballgame.

By nature, most of us are designed for “routines.” As much as we may appreciate a break or vacation now and then, we eventually will always go back to our life’s routine.

According to statistics, the average American will end up living within a fifty mile radius of where he or she grew up. I was shocked to see how many of my classmates married each other at my last reunion!

In television, producers and managers know that if a local news station has captured an audience by a huge lead….it will be near impossible to dethrone them. That’s because viewers tend to watch the same news team that they have watched most of their lives.

Change is deeply scary, while routines are deeply comforting. But I am personally making more of an effort to think more like Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin.

Whether it’s opening up our own Karate school, deciding to fight in the next Karate tournament, or making changes in our personal lives that are for the better; I just bet all of us have some sort of change we should “make that first step” toward. And I just bet that we have better than a fifty percent chance of succeeding at it as well.

Most of us can recall Neil Armstrong’s famous words as he stepped onto the moon. Today I have a different way of hearing that phrase: “One small step for man… one giant leap for all the folks out there who are afraid to take chances.”

Karen Eden is a fourth-degree black belt and master in the art of Tang Soo Do. She is also a published author, former radio personality and TV journalist, who has appeared on CNN, FOX National, and Animal Planet. She has also appeared in two major Hollywood productions. Karen has written for and appeared in many martial arts publications over the years. Her books include The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Tae Kwon Do (Penguin Books) and I Am a Martial Artist (Century Martial Arts). She is also the poet behind the popular I Am a Martial Artist product line, also available through Century Martial Arts, and Dojo Darling martial arts wear, available through Karatedepot.com. Master Eden currently teaches at-risk youth through the Salvation Army in Denver, Colorado. For contact or booking information, email her at sabomnim@toast.net.

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ape dleton T h t i w g n i id Train

By Daniel M

s n o i t u l o S y k c i St ex Patterns

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g le’s trainin omes p m e t e h t asknks crowd te struggles and bec the have for m x o I m e s g u in t n h o Fig ple acoly ns of A comm g with com artial ing patter as a young in lp e h is e m courtyard y the complex stepp ve no problem with teran ing tap a b atterns. Ve hink about p g frustrated form. The others h . An elderly abbot in p p e t s d y ve to t empty han , remains a myster g a favored teachs rarely ha amental, but to t is t r a im fund what, to h d ambles over, pullin f his robe, one he nything so it can be daunting. a o n s a ld r im d e strate sees h th the fo the beginn udent, frustration is om benea ep on hand. The fru und as fr l o t o s t g w robe in e To a n hey have p ptively t lways to k e familiar ripping so masking a n l e h fu e w r a d c is f th magnifie omething so dece rt pieces o oks up at s If student lo ot strips several sho cing them onto lems with st walking, right? ybe la b p , b a d e n r ju ld a a the o his h ly whe simple. It’s en do that right, m the roll in rd precise v is e ’t Th n . a tape from ones of the courtya p… they c e ’t for them any t t s n s e n r r ld a o u s o t w r h e a s th nt de of m martial ling stude eally oken attitu roll of r p s ’t n n u the strugg id e d h t y is imple p. The ers, but a s ut that frustralast part u emple, but to be n t a in h g t e e b d a tape can c Okay, I m ape at the Shaolin T along without it. g in k s a m gt got le, use maskin n’t know how they e is like the Force: n in half. te styles, for examp io t o p d a t a he honest, I ld joke that duct Many Kar nce to stance in a nd binds t ing a e o n id s a a t s k ’ s r e patr a m The move fro alf-moon stepping is ide and a d ore ubiquitous mask ut it s t h g li a h is s it ha ircular or relatively simple, th er. The m h a lofty pedigree, b c h t e g o t e s r univer rn. While stepping pattern fo e with suc a whole lot easier. ep e t m o c ’t n s e al er aining e to st tape do not a norm l artists. The beginn ing and tr used to mark wher a h c a e t s is e ia h t k t r n ma ape can be dicate the target o ing to non-ma ined to understand s of tape, defining t g in k s a M rain to in an can be tra h two parallel strip weapons t o stand or ), so they c g 2 & it 1 w # n or where t t can also be used in itate complex spins s r patte il .I (see photo the steppin heavy bag placement or to fac ing, use it to mark arameters he movement until p e h t d nt teach han or tournament train of your hyung centrate o l and effortless. n the o c s F t . ol Won™, revious tura o a S n s k e u or strikes g and ending poin porary training or m K , o c be in lar style s with p the beginn , or to mark out tem the fictional monk, my particu apparent in student ern has been n I e f g patt more or poomsa as. As in the case o omplex stepping roblem is cially if the steppin e. In this case, I p e c r s a h t it g o tic spe help w sparrin s, tiny t training, e rough years of prac often use a single be used to ely young beginner er right o ls a l h t n il a d to w c it ingraine h extrem elp them rememb king tape s it a W m . f s o n r e e h n li en patt foot place s, it can ev help with ing through or tiger kid p ment, step nd defense from left. n you finish, a , e k c h a t w of And the at o N . p racteristic u a t h h c ig s r e c ls n e a e t s k it p gong kyeo ss, no wor the style ( bahng uh mess, no fu for about a d is jah sae an ectively) ries; all th What could p . jah sae, res # 3 & 4). buck a roll an that? s o t h t o (see ph be better do you use So, how l invenerfu this wond tion?

2

3

34 May 2009 / taekwondotimes.com

4

5

re Won™, the g l o o S k u in eK ost confus ling art lik In a grapp ing patterns. The m step pattern, tepp ossare other s er is probably the cr of a number of ed n to a begin simple but compos is invaluable e deceptively ments. Masking tap trips of tape, s le complex e lay out four short their partner. ly r p fo the here. Sim student and two egins with b e h e t r e r h fo d o e tw rat and ique illust e left foot The techn ss-stepping with th sharply while t o student cr usly turning his wais will then right y o e e n Th a grab. urning simult g from the ext marker before t te in g a g n e is d mple he n 9 show co across to t step back w (photos # 7, 8 & o for the thr . ) e sequenc

6

be a ns that can from r e t t a p g in d f our stepp step behin Another o eginners is the long ° turn into a rb 270 problem fo ce, preparatory to a haracteristically, n C a horse sta ( jeon gul jah sae). nough, causing the rtial e e c ups in ma o r g ic front stan r doesn’t step deep ced. A single strip h p a roemogr n e e largest d any in martial arts p oung. the beginn twisted and unbala t is more correct h t f o e n O e a emely y dren, m stance to b result in a stance th day is chil esigned for the extr broken o t s t l r il a w ique ially d ust be of tape l for techn the idea ams espec roup, basic skills m erstandable forr . fu g le e s b a u t y s ll d a an nd eg e sparring, ape is equ For this ag simple and easily u nity to bring out th Masking t xample, in one-step que angle. Again, a u o t obli or e down int the perfect oppor practice. F to the attack at an the beginner whose is ith in mat. This e. e of tape w left s u is to move natural response to ay from an attack, p d a r t a g w r in a aw mask ht and aightfo this is not eaction is to move ple and str e as a temporary rig sleeve or im s A r e can b itated n the instinctiv into it. ery young all piece of tape o ild from feelan be facil ne, v c e g h n t in a p h t p e r t m e li fs rath the ch ith a s a stepping this type o marker, w g. This can prevent lost to a watching Teaching a reference line and of attack. When le g out line the pants worse yet, appearin by taping at about 45° to the e defender follows . r d o e , t n s r th t ing lo skill is lea e h t angled ou steps in to punch, unter (see photos # il t n u o er parent, the attack g line to evade and c the steppin 5 & 6).

t n e d u t S r e g n u The Yo

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9

taekwondotimes.com / May 2009

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As with the adult student, tape can also be used to teach foot placement. Something as simple as kicking with the rear leg and then returning to the start position can be daunting in the beginning for young students. This situation can be easily remedied with two parallel strips of tape: one for the front foot and one for the rear foot, using the tape as a reference each time they kick (see photo # 10 & #11).

Masking tape can also be used for a kick-punch game that is good for balance and hand-eye coordination.

On a square kicking target, place strips of tape on three sides—one on one side, two on the next and three on the

is flashed, the target will be kicked inst ead.

For older children, tape can be used to mark levels on a heavy bag to target kicking at different levels, helping develop accuracy with the ir kicking.

Weapons Training

Masking tape can also be helpful in teaching hand placement for weapons training, such as the sword or staff. When a student first begins learning sword technique, the most basic consideration is where to grip the sword. Wide strips of masking tape placed around the handle (see photo # 14) help indicate where the sword should be gripped (see photo # 15), as well as helping, especially with a wooden practice sword, to maintain a firm grip during cuts or spinning.

In Kuk Sool Won™, staff training begins with Ki Cho Bong (Fundamental Staff )—a set of relatively complex spinning techniques to teach staff handling and control. With staff training, maskin g tape can be essential in a number of ways.

When spinning, it is essential for the grip to remain in the center of the staff throughout all of the hand changes.

A strip of tape (see photo # 16) will provide a reference point to keep the student’s hands from ‘walking up the staff ’ as it spins.

A second piece of tape

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third (see photo # 12).

No need to put tape on the remaining side; more on that in a moment.

Instruct the child to count the number of strips when you flash

13

12 16 the target, and then punch the target that many times as quickly as possible (see photo # 13). If the blank side

36 May 2009 / taekwondotimes.com

placed on one end of the staff can even help with the spins. For example, Ki Cho Bong # 1, a vertical spin, will begin with the staff parallel and the taped end pointing off to the left (see photo # 17). The first hand change will take place at a thre e-quarter spin, then change hand to hand after each full rotation. For this particular application, I gen erally use blue painter’s tape, simply because it is easier follow against the lighter staff. Begin spin to ning in a clockwise direction, changing hands whe n the taped end is pointing to the floor (see photo # 18); a full rotation, the taped end again pointin after g to the floor, they will pass the staff again (see photo # 19).

Virtually Limitless

I use masking tape regularly and keep a roll on hand at all times. On top of being cheap, readily available and easy to put down and take up, it has an almost infinite number of uses. It adh eres to almost any surface, is easy to carry with you, and is easy to store with no clean up. Best of all, its use is limited only by your imagination.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Daniel Mid black belt in Kuk Sool Won, has stud dleton, a fifth-degree styles and systems of martial arts for ied a number of different arts instructor since 1985, Kwan Jangthe past 35 years. A martial Nym currently owns and operates Upstate Kuk Sool Won in And In addition to his practice as a licensed erson, South Carolina. lance writer, publishing a number of chiropractor, he is a freearticles in national martial arts publications and currently completi arts novel called Dragons of Antioch. ng a young adult martial said that as a martial arts instructor, Kwan Jang Nym Dan has in relating his instruction to the indivhe feels that his strength is times abstract martial arts concepts idual student, taking someand translating these into a form that is easily understandable by the student. This is his first article for Tae Kwon Do Times Magazine.

18

Masking Tape • It has an almost infinite number of uses • It adheres to almost any surface • It is easy to carry with you • It is easy to store with no clean up • Best of all, its use is limited on ly by your imagination!

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taekwondotimes.com / May 2009

37

6 7gZV` L^ i] V EjgedhZ

Hello my Fellow Martial Artists, The year is still young and already we have had so many changes. This is a monumental moment in history. Mr. Obama is President of the United States of America. Think about that for a moment. Leave politics aside, and just think of what this means. As he mentioned in is inaugural speech, his own father might not have been able to go into the same restaurant that he can enjoy anytime, and now he is the President. How much we have changed! How far we have come!

Think about this: continuous change is the law of the universe. Detachment is the healthy way to regard everything you create, because it is simply an attitude in which you expect change. You look upon all you manifest as a creation, just that and nothing more. That way, whether you experience loss or gain, it doesn’t matter, because you go on to create another situation and yet another.

Clinging to a good picture you have created possibly keeps you from expanding into an even greater good.

Clinging to a disagreeable picture keeps you there! So, don’t hold onto either as if it’s the final story. You must not hate, resent, fight, or quarrel with undesirable situations. Detachment means you are always ready, open, and willing to experience change. That is how you develop. You can’t develop and grow if you hold on tightly to something you’ve acquired, no matter how good you think it is.

The same goes for our attitudes. Letting go of attitudes is just as important as letting go of your physical things. In fact, unless you let go of certain attitudes, your physical letting go won’t last very long.

Sometimes it seems easier to use your will power to change physical habits than to change mental habits.

38 May 2009 / taekwondotimes.com

You can control your body with your will power to make your body carry out your wishes, but your mind seems to act all by itself; thoughts and pictures seem to come and go without your invitation or consent. You have to learn to treat your thoughts and mental images as though they are subject to your control. Whatever you hold in your mind in the present moment tends to be created in your life. Are you holding onto yesterday’s grief, anger, and resentment? Only by strictly observing the content of your mind can you control the thoughts which, in turn, will take form as your reality.

And this mental flexibility is vital to any martial arts training. When I asked my first master student at his master testing, what was the most important thing he had learned over the years, he said, “To be ready anytime, anyplace, for anything.”

This is what life is all about! Life does not follow a script! No matter what you plan out for your life, it rarely will happen the way you envision it. Circumstances beyond your control can and will change your course.

What you should do though, is to take charge and make the best of every situation you are dealt.

And this is precisely how I teach and what I teach!

At my school we do not practice any breaking. I do not “teach” breaking as such. We do not practice any breaks for testings, demonstrations, or tournaments. But we do visualize our goals and focus on one single purpose.

We do not just go ahead and “do the break.” I require every single student, no matter if they are three or 100 years old, to announce themselves with name and age and what they want to accomplish with the break—to explain their focus.

As with anything you do, you need to have a purpose, a reason for doing it. You would not just go and change the tires on your car unless you had a reason. It is the same with breaking. We do not break for the sake of making two pieces of wood or cement out of one. We also do not break for the sake of showing off some flashy moves. When we break, we focus on a very specific goal.

For example, children will often focus on doing better in school, cleaning their rooms, or helping their parents.

Other students might focus on losing weight, getting a new job, or being a better parent. Some may even focus on something much bigger, such as contributing to world peace.

Of course, the element of change or readiness, of being open to new things, comes into play when during testings, or even performances, I challenge their plans.

For example, a student might set up for breaking three cinderblocks with their palm heel. Depending on the student and their capabilities, I will often thank them, and on the spot, change it to five cinderblocks with an elbow break.

.KGXZ ZU .KGXZ H_ :GK ?[T 1OS

Grandmaster Tae Yun Kim is the founder and head of Jung SuWon. She is also the founder and CEO of Lighthouse Worldwide Solutions, a high-tech computer control and monitoring industry located in the Silicon Valley. Grandmaster Kim is a best-selling author and motivational speaker.

As it often happens, I ask students to break in the most unexpected locations or events, such as weddings and graduations. Especially when they least expect it.

Then, I add the element of the unknown, and ask them to perform breaks that they have never done before, and in some cases, have never even heard of before.

This not only requires complete trust in their teacher, but also confidence to know they can do it if they set their mind to it. When someone tells me they can’t, I say, “Oh yes, you can do this!” If they already know they can accomplish something—what is the challenge?

What are they learning? No, the real learning starts when they have to go beyond their comfort zone, when they have to broaden their vision of themselves. It starts when they have to try something new they do not quite know how to do, when all they have is their trust and belief and not countless hours of experience. How can you discover who you are if you only keep doing what you already know?

My belief is that God put us on Earth to discover who we are and what we are capable of doing and then using that for the good of everybody. In the Bible (Genesis 1:27 – 30) it says: “So God created man is his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said

to them, ‘Be fruitful and increase in number, fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.’ Then God said, ‘I give you every seedbearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.’ And it was so.”

In other words, God gave us his passport to the world. A passport to choose what to do on this Earth, and how to do it, and to choose how we use these gifts.

We have the ability to do, the capacity to act and the capability to perform and produce. The power is in you, it is your personal choice what you do in your life!

My dear fellow martial artists, let us embrace change, let us embrace our art, and be contributors to a better world!

From my heart to yours, Dr. Tae Yun Kim Great Grandmaster

HE CAN DO, SHE CAN DO, WHY NOT ME!

taekwondotimes.com /January 2008

35

TAEKWONDOTIMES COM *ULY Y

Ἒ⬷㌆G⿚㼃㌂₆

7jcX]Zdc\ EdiiZgn

By Gregory C. Brundage

Nestled in the foothills of the magical and mysterious mountain called Gyeriong, lies an idyllic refuge of an ancient art—a fusion traditionalist/modern village speckled with wildflowers and inhabited by those who lovingly make pottery. Inspired by the nature surrounding and infusing it, Mt. Gyeriong Pottery Art Village began in the winter of 1993, when the dream first sprang to life in the visionary mind of Master Ceramist Song Ho Lim. Pottery has a long and honorable history in Korea. Gyeriong Buncheong Ware flourished from the late 15th through the 16th centuries. There has been a revival during the past 20 years thanks mainly to the efforts of Master Lim, founder of the Yiso Doye Center, the first such revivalist center in what has evolved into a small but thriving arts village.

Gyeriong Mountain is located in the west central part of the peninsula of Korea and is revered in South Korea as a sacred mountain with more qi or intrinsic energy than any other location in the nation. It is centrally located between Gyeriong, Daejon, and Gongju cities. King Yi Song Gye, founder of the last dynasty in Korea (Choson, 1392- 1905), on the advice of his geomantic Shamans (similar in some ways to Chinese Feng Shui)

started to build his capital city at the foot of Mount Gyeriong, but changed his mind and instead located it in what is now called Seoul. The modern Gyeriong city was originally built as a military town and is somewhat the Korean equivalent to the Pentagon.

Dg^\^ch VcY FjVa^i^Zh Very difficult to find, and even then only in limited quantities, Buncheong clay is found exclusively in Gyeriong Mountain. It comes in four colors: black, brown, ivory and white. Because of its rarity, unusual strength and illustrious history, Buncheong pottery is held in the highest esteem by Korean people. The white and ivory clays are even rarer than the black and brown clays. They are softer and more elastic as well, in part due to their slightly lower iron content.

Each of the ceramists at Mt. Gyeriong Pottery Art Village dig their own clay and keep the locations where they find Buncheong clay secret, even from each other. Master Lim, however, did give

Buncheong tea set

taekwondotimes.com / May 2009

41

some clues as to where it might be found. He said at or near the base of the tall rocky mountain, near a valley stream or river, can be found soil that has “matured” enough to make fine, rich Buncheong clay. He mentioned that white Buncheong is exclusively found on the Gyeriong City side of the mountain, and that black Buncheong is more commonly found on the Gongju City side of Gyeriong Mountain.

According to Master Lim, mature clay is more elastic and has a better mix of iron. “Buncheong clay is stronger; it will not break easily and is more powerful when cooked at high temperatures. Other clays, even with the same color, like Ongki Clay, are easily broken.”

Black and brown Buncheong clays are iron rich and slightly magnetic. Master Lim notes that clay found in Kangwangdo (Eastern Korea) has a reddish color and a formula of Fe2 O3 compared to the darker Gyeriong Buncheong clay that has a formula of Fe3 O4. Master Lim also mentioned that Buncheong clay has a higher than average silicon content of about 76 percent. Two kilos of Buncheong clay contains only about 1.5 milliliters of water.

Sometimes, Master Lim mixes clays to get the right working consistency. He does this by adding water to the different clays, sieving it with a fine net and then putting it in the sun to evaporate for about a week. Master Lim also stresses that while other clays are for making soft pottery, only mature Buncheong clay has the right mix of iron and silicon to make great pottery.

Because Buncheong clay is so rare and precious, it is not found on the world market.

Buncheong tea set

42 May 2009 / taekwondotimes.com

Buncheong vase with flowers

;^g^c\ i]Z 8aVn Asked about how he fires his pottery, Master Lim says he uses his liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) gas kiln. The temperature is slowly brought up to 1,250 degrees centigrade, where the clay is baked for 12 hours and then allowed to cool for six hours.

His village also has a communally owned very large traditional wood-fired kiln that reaches about 900 degrees centigrade. In this traditional kiln, pottery is typically baked for two nights and one day.

<aVoZ Master Lim usually uses a glaze made of 40 percent oak tree ash and 60 percent “Changsok” (feldspar) which are powdered, mixed and baked at 1,240 degrees centigrade. Sometimes in this process he uses “Witan Won” charcoal and seals all the holes in the kiln to make it an absolutely airtight procedure. Once the glaze is prepared, he dips his “soft” pottery into it and it is “baked-again” (“jay-in” in the Korean language). During this second baking process the pottery is slowly raised to a medium heat of 600 to 700 degrees centigrade, then the temperature is raised to 1,000 to 1,240. Again, he blocks off the chimney “so no oxygen gets in and the carbon comes out.” This makes the clay really hard and creates a speckled black pigmentation in the glaze and

a solid black pigmentation under the surface of the glaze.

After a very slow cooling process, Master Lim sorts out any imperfect pieces and burnishes or polishes the unglazed bottoms. Some pieces go to the gallery and others to be sold. He also records the results of each firing to ensure he has thorough and complete records of all his work.

E^\bZcih His pigments come from a variety of sources and he travels extensively around Asia to find new materials and colors and compare them with his stock. He reports that he currently uses about 300 pigments in his work. His doctoral dissertation contains an analysis of a spectrum of mineral particle sizes (controlled by sieve mesh), firing temperatures, at neutral or reduced atmospheres in the kiln, all factor into the different shades and luster effects in black pigments.

Buncheong jars

BdgZ EdiiZgn Master Ceramist Song Ho Lim also makes a Goryo dynasty (10th to 13th century) style of pottery with a light jade colored glaze called â&#x20AC;&#x153;Chongja,â&#x20AC;? and a white color pottery from the Choson dynasty called â&#x20AC;&#x153;Paekja,â&#x20AC;? in addition to his Buncheong pottery.

I]Z K^aaV\Z BVhiZg A^b At this time there are about 12 gallery shops in Dong Yeh Village, enjoyed by thousands of visitors each year. Collectors outnumber tourists Master Lim showing Black Buncheong traditional design on a here for one obvious soy sauce or salted shrimp jar. reason. This is the home of masters, in one of Koreaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most sacred locations. This is not a place with cheap tourist reproductions. (Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not exactly easy to find, either!)

Master Ceramist Song Ho Lim is currently completing his dissertation in Materials Science annd Engineering at Myungji University in Kyonggki Province, near Seoul.

Numerous Korean media including weekly magazines and newspapers have published stories about Master Lim and his art. Monthly Pottery magazine keeps regular stories about his life and work at the forefront of Koreaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s attention. He also holds annual exhibitions.

Though modestly claiming to have â&#x20AC;&#x153;no special skills,â&#x20AC;? Master Ceramist Song Ho Lim did reluctantly admit to having a creative nature. His wife is also a uniquely talented ceramic artist.

They have two children and live in Banpo Village, Gongju City, Chungnam Province of South Korea.

Curiously, Master Lim is Catholic, his wife is Buddhist and the children are Presbyterian.

No one during the interview process for this story referred to Song Ho Lim as â&#x20AC;&#x153;Master.â&#x20AC;? Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a plainspoken, unpretentious kind of guy. But, this reporter would be less than honest to refer to him as anything else.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Gregory C. Brundage is a retired journalist currently working as an English language lecturer at Konyang University in Nonsan City, South Korea. As a hobby he writes freelance stories specializing in Korean traditional culture, art and sports.

taekwondotimes.com / May 2009

43

(left) LPG gas kiln (right) Three Buncheong bowls

(below left) Abstract happy cat (below) Abstract vase (below right) Buncheong jar

(left) Four eras of Korean pottery (right) Black Buncheong tea set

(left) Bowl called Ido Tawan in Korean and Ido Chawan in Japanese (right) Bronze Dragon on white wine jar

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7gZV`^c\ Je I]Z '*!*)% 9ViZ

By Master Rondy

It can break your training, it can destroy reputations. I have seen it take down entire schools. I am referring to the starting and breaking up of romantic relationships within the dojang.

A perfect example is what I call the twenty-five thousand dollar date. Painful for the parties involved, expensive for me. Apparently this all started with one of the most naturally talented students I have ever seen.

David was extremely fast, intense and quick to learn—an instructor’s dream. He was very enthusiastic about his training and was determined to get his family involved. It took him until he reached his blue belt, but he managed to recruit two of his sisters and his mother. The girls in the family were not quite Olympic bound, but dedicated students nonetheless. At their first testing, one of the sisters caught the eye of one of my black belt judges. The “date” soon followed. News of the new romance quickly swirled throughout the school. The way I heard it, she was on her way to pick out a wedding gown. Since I have pretty strict rules about members of authority (black belts receive a discount membership in my school, but in return are expected to abide by a code of conduct) having relationships with students, most rumors do not make it to my ears. If a juicy rumor makes it all the way to me, it can be assumed that it has already circulated around the entire school.

But Mr. Black Belt did not call as promised. All of a sudden, a place the sister had loved to train and spend time together with her family, became a place of embarrassment and humiliation. She no longer felt comfortable and wanted to quit. When I played my “commitment” and “contract” card, she played her “but I felt pressured by someone in a position to judge me and determine the outcome of my promotion test” card. I folded. Liability and a sense of compassion won out.

Family is stronger than financial responsibilities. She left, took her sister, mother and brother with her. After all, they had to support her. But I’m not done. She did eventually find her Mr. Right. He was also a student at my school, along with his brother. When this new relationship started to become serious, he was told about the bad man in her past. Unable to face this man as his senior rank, Mr. Right and his brother terminated their memberships at White Tiger.

When all was said and done, Mr. Wrong, tired of being used as the poster boy for the dojang dating policy, left the school as well.

Lost tuitions alone cost the school over twenty-five thousand dollars. Even more, White Tiger lost a great fighter and many very nice people. David ended up joining the Army but was discharged when he incurred a back injury.

My story is not unusual. There seems to be dojo drama in every school. I have lost instructors due to relationships in my school and gained instructors due to relationships they had in their former schools. Despite wearing doboks, possibly the most unflattering attire ever, in an environment where everyone is sweaty and stinky, with hair pulled back and make-up smeared, romances somehow seem to prevail.

I am as guilty as anyone. I married one of my teammates from the Korean Tiger Team. I like to think of myself as a focused and disciplined martial arts practitioner, but there I was, making goo-goo eyes with one of the guys on the team.

Master Chang and I were in Korea at the time and played by Korean rules. Absolutely no public displays of affection, the culture does not permit it. When we did spend time together, it was carefully orchestrated away from our training and out of the sight of our teammates. If this relationship did not work out, and everyone knew about it, it would become very uncomfortable. Teammates would feel like they had to choose sides and support one or the other. Being the only American and girl on the team, it was not a mystery to me whose side would be taken if the relationship went south. Also, being the only American to ever have the opportunity to train with the Tigers, I was not willing to risk my fortunate position.

This secret was so well kept, that when Master Chang announced that he had been married while on tour, the team asked, “To whom?”

When told, they did not believe him. He had to show our marriage license to prove it.

Even after the secret was revealed, the Korean cultural behaviors enabled this relationship to function within a team setting. During my time performing with the Korean Tiger Team, we traveled the world and performed our martial arts shows. Venues were usually large with audiences ranging in the tens of thousands, many performances were televised. We opened with a custom choreographed form. Unlike traditional Tae Kwon Do forms with 20 to 30 movements, this set consisted of over a hundred moves, containing a mix of many styles. Also unlike the rigid and distinct movements of Tae Kwon Do, this pattern’s movements gracefully flowed one into another. This made the form with its traditional flute solo beautiful to watch, but difficult to synchronize with 20 members.

We performed in a giant V formation with me at the forward apex. The rest of the team could all see me, but in a stadium without the aid of the dojang mirrors, I could not see them. My greatest fear was that I would miss a movement and go off on my own, while the rest of the team remained in sync. I explained my concern with my teammates but received little sympathy. I asked if I were to mess up, if they would follow me. They only replied, “Don’t mess up.”

Shortly after our marriage, Master Chang became captain of the team. Finally my chance! During our next form practice (usually the first three to four hours of the day), I made the suggestion that I be moved down in line in the V formation. I was told, “I am not your husband here, I am your captain. Get back to your position.”

Embarrassed and not pleased, I returned to the front. This was not a wise move for a new husband, but a crucial move for the captain of a team. His impartial treatment enabled us to train and perform as a team without rivalries.

I learned a lot about how to treat others to avoid favoritism and how to be more discreet with relationships in the dojang, school and place of work. I also learned some nifty tricks, like peeking under my armpit when bowing to ensure my synchronization with the rest of the team.

Master Rondy is a sixthdegree black belt in WTF Taekwondo, a fourth-degree in Hapkido and a seconddegree in Kickboxing. She was the only non-Asian member of the Korean Tigers Professional Martial Arts Team, spending two years in Korea, living in Seoul and YongIn. Master Rondy successfully blends the cultures of a Korean teaching staff and an American management staff for her 24,000 square foot superschool located in Cary, North Carolina. For more information visit whitetigertkd.com.

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taekwondotimes.com / May 2009

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Photos by John Dentato

At first glance, you’ll find Grandmaster Maurice Elmalem an inspiring individual with a myriad of talents. As if it weren’t enough to hold the title of seventh-dan black belt with the WTF (World TaeKwonDo Federation) and be known worldwide as the greatest martial arts “daredevil” alive, he also holds a doctorate in martial arts philosophy from the University of Asian Studies in Virginia and is an eight-time Guinness World Record Holder. But, it doesn’t stop there. Maurice is also an avid painter, musician, sculptor, marathon runner, real estate developer, architect, general contractor, photographer, author and editor of Budo magazine, inventor, craftsman, great idealist and is fluent in six different languages.

In his forty years as a Tae Kwon Do stylist, he has become the consummated martial artist, generating praise and fame with numerous World Championships and has participated in fighting

and breaking in the Olympic Games.

His can-do attitude, outstanding self-discipline, hard work and dedication to always give his personal best, has awarded him many honors. A role model to many, Maurice has charmed, mesmerized and mentored audiences all over the globe with his unbelievable fighting and breaking demonstrations. His gift has been featured on several television shows such as ABC’s Wide World of Sports, David Letterman, and The Guinness Book of World Records. Networks like the Discovery channel, Spike TV, Channel Plus, Telemundo TV and the MSG Network have also highlighted his abilities. His personal documentary has even aired worldwide on the Prime Time Fox 5 network. With a dynamic personality, vivacious energy and boundless optimism, Maurice has a way of captivating everyone around him.

A fierce competitor, Maurice doesn’t mind a challenge, even if it’s dangerous. In defending his World Champion titles in fighting, Maurice makes sure to knock out his opponents hard and fast, guaranteeing a vote from judges despite taekwondotimes.com / May 2009

51

Bhbjotu!b!Hvo!Buubdl

Lenny points the gun. Maurice raises a hand, asking him not to shoot, to confuse Lenny.

Stepping to the right, he blocks the gun with his right hand, grabbing the attacker’s hand with his left.

His right hand applies a wrist lock

politics or favoritism. To avoid competition in breaking and maintain his championship standings, Maurice has attempted and succeeded in performing some spectacularly audacious stunts.

Though defending his titles with intensity, Maurice has always remained a sportsman first, with the greatest respect for his opponents, grandmasters, and instructors alike. He will be the first to admit that they are his most valued source of information to the martial arts community. He understands that all martial artists use different styles, techniques and ways on their journey toward perfection and greatness. Each grandmaster and martial art legend creates unique ways of utilizing and applying their techniques. This is achieved through the hard work of practice in school and in championships. Maurice admires these martial art legends, as well as the status and achievements of his peers. He strives to emulate them for the better, with innovative ideas, inventions and enduring performance, which has resulted in him being dubbed the “Houdini and Architect of Martial Arts.”

He then grabs attacker’s right hand to eliminate a counterattack.

Executing a left kick to the attacker’s knee.

But Maurice knows that he would not be who he is today without great sacrifice, dedication and most of all, perseverance. The will power of a good fighter will not let one quit and compels one to survive under any circumstances. One must try and try again, until unable to commit to finishing the fight. The importance of will power weighs heavily on our society in these violent times. There are many hurdles in life these days; business relationship issues, the war in Iraq, natural disasters and crime, that make it almost impossible for the public to rest easy, knowing that they could be a victim at anytime, anywhere. Maurice stresses taking pride in ourselves, walking tall, and never giving in to anyone or anything, in order to combat these foes.

One way that Maurice suggests to contend with these stresses of daily life in modern times is through martial arts. Using flexibility and meditation helps one control the mind and body, preventing anger from invading and controlling one’s life and spirit. Good philosophy and positive attitude has taught him that anything is possible with a

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Attacker points gun to opponent’s head.

Opponent steps to his right simultaneously executing double high knifehand block, grabbing attacker’s right hand.

52 May 2009 / taekwondotimes.com

Opponent executes a swivel arm lock in circular motion to his right, applying pressure with wrist lock on attacker’s right hand.

Keeping the swivel arm and wrist lock pushing attacker’s arm backward, he grabs gun and points it away.

He then executes right hand strike backward to attacker’s face using the gun.

Bhbjotu!b!Diplf!Ipme

Attacker executes a choke hold around Maurice’s neck.

Maurice responds with a punch to attacker’s jaw.

He follows with a strike to attacker’s jaw, pushing the neck backwards and executing a wrist lock.

good deal of effort and guidance from a solid master, who watches over the progress of his students’ dreams. This philosophy is something he has gained through the experience of training day after day for forty years.

Competing in over 750 championships all over the globe, two Olympic Games (1976 and 1988) and three Macabi Games, Maurice has accumulated over 700 trophies, fifty gold medals in fighting and breaking and has been inducted into over 150 Hall of Fames internationally. Maurice has also performed hundreds of demonstrations in several different nations. Often questioned about his great abilities and achievements, Maurice explains that using his internal power, speed, intense focus and dynamic force helps him combine and coordinate moves and techniques for successful application.

His methods, gleaned from years of training with prize-winning fighters and grandmasters from all over the world has taught him several things. He now uses psyching elements to stay on target and concentrate, while maintaining awareness of his

Dropping his head, he holds a wrist lock, then executes an instep front kick to attacker’s face.

Bringing the right leg back, wrap attacking right arm backwards for an elbow and wrist lock.

surroundings. He also knows that gaining momentum on your attacker will help you redirect the attack. Always executing strikes upon vulnerable areas of the body is when one’s defense becomes one’s offense. Taking your opponent’s attacking tools out of commission will close the gap and allow you to fight effectively.

Maurice’s deadly breaking techniques are worldrenowned. He has performed historical and dramatic breaks to achieve his standing. In September of 2000, at the Oriental Word of Self-Defense in Madison Square Garden in New York City, Chuck Norris presented Maurice with a World Champion Belt engraved “World’s Extreme Daredevil Champion.” In 2003, Maurice set the new world record in Madrid, Spain, with a single downward elbow strike, breaking 105 sheets of glass measuring over 13 inches high. He has even performed before Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger at the Arnold Classic in 2004. Maurice performed a flying side kick through a burning tire, only to come out the other side to break five one-inch boards.

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Francisco, attacker on left, Maurice defender on right.

Attacker attempts a strike with baseball bat, but defender uses a double high block to stop attacker.

Grabbing attacker’s striking hand, he executes a swipe kick to attacker’s knee.

Then he executes a wrist lock downward to attacker’s right hand.

Applying more pressure by pulling attacker’s right hand backward, Maurice holds baseball bat.

taekwondotimes.com / May 2009

53

Bhbjotu!b!Txpse!Buubdl

Francisco attempts to strike Maurice with sword.

Maurice moves to the left, blocking striking sword hand.

Opponent quickly executes a wrist lock using a circle strike upward.

Governor Schwarzenegger was mesmerized and told Maurice, “Even in the movies, we don’t see that.

You are amazing!”

Maurice has studied at Columbia University and New York University and has been listed among the “Who’s Who” in the eastern United States for his architectural designs. Engineering Report Magazine recognized him as one of the country’s top general contractors. He has published three books, produced and created 20 martial art DVDs and is the inventor of several patented products. Maurice’s motto is “Go for your dream and just do it.” He believes that you must take chances in life. To sum it all up on this great “renaissance man” who has had much success in life, we asked Maurice if he had any advice for our readers. “Remember you only live once. So do your best, take fear with pride and use it to generate extra energy in a positive manner.”

He grabs the striking hand and ridge hands attacker’s neck, then a wrist strike, taking attacker off balance.

Opponent positions himself to attacker’s back, wrapping sword around attacker’s neck for a choke hold.

For more information on Maurice Elmalem, check out taekwondotimes.com for more photos and additional information!

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Attacker strikes opponent with a hammer fist to head. He blocks attacker’s striking hand using a belt and both hands with high block technique.

Attacker attempts a front punch strike to opponent’s middle section. Opponent moves to his right, blocking the striking hand with his belt.

54 May 2009 / taekwondotimes.com

Opponent wraps belt around attacker’s striking hand to trap attacker.

Then quickly releases belt from attacker’s arm, applying choke hold to attacker’s neck.

Breaking through 50 sheets of glass to earn a new Guinness world record.

Photo by Alfredo Tucci

“After I broke eight Guinness World records, On May 17, 2003, Grandthe organization decided to do a biography on me. master Maurice Elmalem They asked if I could break a new world record returned to break a new live on Guinness World Records: Primetime at Guinness world record Hollywood Universal Studios, March 12, 2001. I at the Black Belt Martial agreed to go on the show. The show assigned a pro- Arts Festival at The Palace ducer, cameraman, director and anchorwoman to of Vistalerge, the largest visit me in New York City and follow me for three arena in Madrid, Spain. days. They interviewed my Grandmaster Dr. Richard Chun, my students, family and In front of 35,000 people cheering “Maufriends. They carefully watched everything I rice! Maurice!,” he was set to break 95 did, filming me as I broke boards, practiced pieces of glass. Before his break, Maurice forms, and even what I ate. took the microphone and asked the spectaThen I went to Los Angeles to film the tors for more cheers. show. There, I first agreed to break only 35 sheets of glass, but when the show started, producers approached me and asked if I could break 50 sheets of glass. I was nervous and knew that saying no would risk losing my title live on television. It would have ruined everything I had worked so hard to establish. So, I had to overcome this fear and regain my confidence. My turn came. As an opening, I did a flying side kick over chairs, breaking boards. Next, I was interviewed by anchorman Marc Thomson. He kept looking at the stack of glass then asked, “As a renaissance man, are you sure you can break this enormous amount of glass? And why would an intelligent man like you want to do that?” I told him that I would be crazy not to.

The crowd roared and I took my position and started focusing using Maurice announced meditation to energize myself. The stage was set that he will increase the and the atmosphere was calm. I took my stance. At amount of the glass to that moment, I could think of nothing else but to 105 pieces. This totaled break that stack of glass. My hand traveled through a 13.5 inch-high stack the eight and a half inch wide stack of glass at an of glass. With one single approximate speed of 125 miles per hour, breakblow, an elbow strike ing the entire 50 sheets of glass with one single downward, and a strong knifehand strike. They placed five cameras in every yell, Maurice broke the direction so they could capture such an electrifying world record. moment. I was overjoyed as the Guinness World Record judges checked the broken glass and confirmed the record valid.”

Photos on this page courtesy of Budo International

taekwondotimes.com / May 2009

55

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TIGER-ROCK © 2008 International TaeKwonDo Alliance, Inc.

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By Stephen DiLeo

Breaking is perhaps one of the best ways to demonstrate the destructive power of martial arts.

Although this practice is usually associated with Korean systems, almost every martial style employs some form of breaking as a means of testing a student’s ability or technique. Of course, this tradition is not without its critics who use as their mantra, the late, great Bruce Lee’s famous line in Enter the Dragon, “boards don’t hit back.” But then again, neither does a heavy bag, a focus mitt or an air shield.

The point is that knowledgeable martial artists use breaking as a means to an ends and not an ends in and of itself. That is, this practice is simply another method of training used to provide immediate feedback on the way to measure a student’s skill level. In fact, when done correctly, breaking can prove a safe, valuable part of any system.

Example of using an air shield for power

The air shield is positioned for a reverse punch.

&OH>;G?HN;FM Because breaking is really just an extension of a student’s basics, there is very little in the way of specific training. The best way to prepare for a successful break is to practice fundamentals. What are the fundamentals? The answer should be familiar to serious martial artists: focus, distance, power, and the correct striking area of the body.

Focus is defined by Webster’s as “the ability to concentrate or direct.” The best thrown punch or kick is, in effect, worthless if it misses its mark. Accuracy is essential; without it, power is misdirected, reduced, or completely lost. Every legitimate system stresses and incorporates this fundamental technique as a routine part of class. What better way to test focus than to place a board in front of a student.

Distance plays an important role in breaking as it often determines how much a technique penetrates the target. Imagine a punch thrown with terrific accuracy and tremendous power, but just short of its mark. Without the correct distancing, the punch does relatively little damage. Again, most instructors should include this fundamental as part of the normal training regimen for self-defense, as well as sparring.

58 May 2009 / taekwondotimes.com

The student executes a reverse punch at full power to build the basics necessary for breaking.

The importance of power is self-evident; without it, martial arts become little more than an elaborate dance. Instructors recognize the value of lessons that create strong technique and thus generally include drills that promote power, such as heavy bag training.

With respect to breaking-specific training, students can turn to the controversial practice of using a striking post. Commonly referred to as a makiwara board, this type of training requires a student to strike a wooden board (sometimes wrapped with thick rope), in order to harden the various striking surfaces of the body. In addition to conditioning those surfaces, this drill forces a student to under-

Example of breaking with a punch using support blocks instead of human holders

stand the limits and vulnerabilities of certain strikes and kicks.

3NLCECHA 3OL@;=?M Every kick or punch has a specific point of contact, which is known as the striking surface. There are a variety of striking surfaces throughout the human body, each with distinct characteristics that make them suitable for the particular techniques that employ them. Some of the common striking surfaces for hand techniques include: the first two knuckles of the fist for a punch; the outer side of the hand for a knife hand strike; the elbow for an elbow strike; and the palm heel of the hand for a palm strike. Some of the more unique areas are: the fingertips for a spear hand strike; the thumb for a thumb strike; and the inner side of the hand for a ridge hand strike. For kicking technique, the choices of striking surfaces are more limited. They include: the knife edge of the foot (the outer edge of the heel) for side kicks; the ball of the foot for front kicks and round kicks; the top of the foot, also for round kicks; and the back of the heel for ax kicks and heel kicks.

Generally, the choice of technique necessarily dictates the choice of striking surface. Obviously, some areas of the body are more durable than others forcing a student to carefully choose what techniques make sense and which ones may cause injury. For instance, it would not be very wise to use a spear finger attack on five boards. However, for a side kick, five boards would be a very reasonable break. Clearly, most injuries in breaking result from bad decisions in terms of technique and the number of boards or bricks being attempted.

"L?;ECHA -;N?LC;F For the most part, there are two basic categories of breaking material: wood and blocks. Each has advantages and disadvantages that make them more or less desirable, depending upon the technique in question. While any type of wood can be used, for purposes of this discussion, we will assume the most commonly used type, white pine.

The specific characteristics of wood that are relative to breaking are size, grain, and moisture content. Generally, boards are cut to a size where the width does not exceed the height, for example,

eleven inches wide by eleven inches high.

The less the width, the easier the board breaks. The grain of the board also has implications. If the grain is tight (the lines are close together), the board may snap easier than if the grain is not uniform or widely dispersed.

Finally, the most important characteristic which determines how difficult a board may be to break is the moisture it contains.

The more moisture, the more likely the board will bend before it breaks, similar to a green tree branch. One way to determine the “toughness” of a board is to gauge its relative weight; heavier boards contain greater moisture.

Boards have an advantage over blocks in that they usually break cleanly, making them ideal for handheld breaks or breaks that require unique angles.

On the down side, because of the characteristics described above, no two boards are the same, which means judging the difficulty of a break is guesswork, at best.

Standard eight inch by sixteen inch cement blocks, on the other hand, are generally very consistent and do not have the problems

Student lines up for the break by positioning his hand at the exact center of the boards.

Student draws back with good hip twist and concentration.

The punch strikes on target with destructive power and the boards break. taekwondotimes.com / May 2009 59

Example of breaking with a knife-hand strike using a board rack

with size, grain, or moisture. However, there are disadvantages that limit their use. For instance, because of their weight, blocks may be difficult to hold when the break requires unique angles. Additionally, blocks will fragment into numerous pieces when they break, possibly injuring the holders or spectators.

The final choice of which breaking material to use is a personal decision, or perhaps, something decided by a student’s instructor. Many times, the type of material is dictated by the technique being attempted or whether human holders are required.

In the end, if a student uses good judgment, the choice of boards vs. blocks is less important than sound execution of their technique.

Student lines up for the break by positioning his hand at the exact center of the boards. Note how only the outside edge of the hand is making contact.

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The physics of breaking is not rocket science; in fact, there are only a few principles that apply.

The size of the board or block has a great deal to do with the material’s breaking point. The more narrow the width, the easier the break. Focus is also important because hitting the center of the board or block creates the highest probability for success.

Placing spacers between the breaking material often ignites a debate. Simply put, if spacers are used, the amount of force needed to break multiple boards or blocks is constant for each piece of material used.

With no spacers, the boards or blocks support one another; each piece of material in the stack will require increasing amounts of force to break, making this scenario more difficult. Finally, although it is more a matter of common sense when using multiple boards, be sure to align all of the grain in the same direction. If not, you will be attempting to break plywood, which usually doesn’t work out too well!

Student chambers the technique, making sure only the knife-edge of the hand makes contact.

(IF>?LM Perhaps the greatest variable in breaking is the holder, particularly if it is a fellow student, or worse, a willing spectator or parent. There are two types of holders: human and non-human. Human holders almost always move at the point of impact—it is unavoidable. Even the most experienced holders will flinch, slide, or simply buckle if enough force is applied, especially if a student accidentally misses the boards and strikes a hand or finger. Additionally, us60 May 2009 / taekwondotimes.com

With good focus, the technique finds its mark and does its job.

ing people will limit the number of boards or blocks attempted, depending on the size of your holders.

Using large support blocks or some type of board rack is becoming more and more popular as technology improves. Support blocks and racks provide a clear advantage in that they can generally hold more breaking material than fellow students.

Of course, when a non-human holder is employed, there is no movement or give which may not always be a good thing. While no movement provides 100 percent support, missing the boards or blocks and hitting the holder, in this case, may result in injury at the point of contact. Failed attempts may also cause further damage as the student doing the break is forced to absorb the recoil shock when the holder does not move.

Of course, one of the most impressive breaking techniques is one in which the target is not supported or suspended. When a board or block is free standing or held with only one hand, the break requires an extreme amount of speed for success.

Depending on the technique, this is not an easy feat.

Again, selecting the type of holders should be a decision based on the choice of technique and the number of boards or blocks attempted.

"L?;ECHA @IL 2;HE Because of the difficulty in providing identical breaking material to each testing candidate, using breaking as a test requirement is a tricky proposition. Holding a student’s rank as a result of a failed break may not be fair and will certainly destroy that student’s confidence. Instead, instructors should consider limiting the number of blocks or boards to make the break achievable. Another strategy may be to increase the number of attempts for a particular break or offer a “make-up” day for students to try without the pressure of test judges or spectators.

Perhaps the best idea is to make allowances for the differences in breaking material and holders by scoring a student on the attempt in terms of accuracy and overall technique. After all, breaking is simply another way of testing a student’s basics and not a separate skill with its own specific application.

"L?;ECHA @IL #IGJ?NCNCIH Breaking is most controversial when it is incorporated as a competitive division in tournaments.

Almost without exception, tournament breaking generates controversy, disappointment, and ultimately, anger. Why? The short answer is scoring. In addition to inconsistent scoring and the disparity in breaking material, breaking competitions tend to take on a carnival atmosphere where some techniques resemble a circus act rather than martial arts.

Tournaments need to have some level of uniform scoring so competitors can train and compete accordingly. Generally, forms are scored with a relatively consistent scale based on stances, kicks, rhythm, etc., even across different styles. Fighting has a simple standard which awards a point when contact is made to a legal target area. Breaking, however, usually relies on an applause meter, regardless of how ridiculous a technique may be or how little it has to do with combat application. To be sure, breaking competition can be very dynamic and a real crowd pleaser. Adding obstacles to a break or performing a difficult technique is very legitimate and enhances the competition; but when a competitor’s routine leaves the realm of martial arts and enters fantasy, those techniques are better left for public demonstrations, not tournaments.

With just a few simple rules and adjustments, breaking can become a fair and competitive division.

First and foremost, breaking material should be inspected prior to the competition to ensure everyone is on a level playing field. Many tournaments either require a specific type of breaking material or force competitors to buy their material on site. Second, limit setup time and the number of breaks, as well as the number of attempts at each station. Third, use non-human holders where possible or provide experienced holders, in the same way a tournament director would solicit ring judges. Finally, establish the ground rules (prior to the tournament) for the types of permitted breaks and their relative difficulty—don’t assume your judges somehow know.

Clearly, no tournament is perfect, but implementing a few of these suggestions will certainly help breaking become an accepted part of competition.

In the final analysis, breaking plays an important role in the development of practical skill. Instructors and students should embrace this traditional practice as a valuable means for testing technique and building confidence, but only if it is employed as a training tactic, rather than a final goal in itself.

The act of breaking a board or a block, like everything else in martial arts, is only as valuable as it is applicable to combat or self-defense.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Stephen DiLeo is a fourth degree black belt in Tae Kwon-Do and a first degree black belt in Tang Soo-Do. He is one of the chief instructors at the Altoona Academy of Tae Kwon-Do with over 30 years experience and has taught at numerous seminars and summer camps. Mr. DiLeo is also a freelance writer and photographer.

taekwondotimes.com / May 2009

61

Norwegian Narve Laeret has proven himself as one of the world’s finest cement block breakers, responsible for ten world records and seven Guinness records. TaeKwonDo Times had a close talk with the farmboy who’s crushed several tons of cement blocks in his lifetime, and secured himself the Guinness record in November 2008 by breaking 700 concrete blocks in 29 seconds.

The hard punching viking from the little town of Horten in Norway, has been studying and gaining knowledge from different martial arts since 1984, and is currently running his own Kyokushin Karate Club. But first, he considers himself to be a martial arts practitioner. “To me, it’s more important that you actually practice martial arts and have a good spirit, than the style you practice. Dedication, selfcontrol and an insane drive is what makes a good martial arts practitioner. One of my best friends and opponents in martial arts is actually the Tae Kwon Do practitioner Ali Bahcetepe (sixth-degree black belt) from Turkey,” says Laeret.

Demolition Machine In his career, Narve Laeret has demolished and broken his way to ten world records and seven Guinness records. The records are earned breaking standard concrete blocks, which Laeret breaks with his head and both hands. During the Guinness attempt in Turkey in November 2008, Laeret went beyond his own expectations and broke 700 blocks using both hands in 29 seconds. Before the competition, most people thought it would be impossible to break that many concrete blocks in such a short time. Even Narve Laeret was unsure of himself, “I never thought I would make it through the entire line of blocks within the time limit of 60 seconds.

But I was mentally prepared and activated my auto pilot.”

Narve Laeret starts his preparations two months prior to participating in big tournaments or shows.

Every night, before going to sleep, he runs through everything in his mind. He visualizes every move and succeeds every time. Physically, he toughens his body parts on a makiwara board and other harder elements. “I´ve been doing this for the last 20 years and have built a strong physique and strong mind that handles a lot. In addition to breaking, I do patterns, kata, ride my bike, do sparring and a lot of strength training. I have always trained in an extreme manner and pushed the limits of what I can handle.”

When Laeret Guinness World Record started, it was holder, Narve like watching a Laceret machine made for one purpose only; breaking concrete blocks on a production line. For 29 seconds he moved like a piston in an engine, breaking parallel with both hands.

The movements were perfectly synchronized and Laeret’s power worked its way through the concrete blocks. “To do this with no injuries and at the same time, break all the blocks in all the piles, with every single punch, taekwondotimes.com / May 2009

63

everything must work out perfectly,” explains Laeret.

When he was done breaking, Laeret did not know how much time he had taken to complete the task, but was completely unharmed.

Laeret explains he had a strange sensation of not being there while it happened. “The experience of completing the task, unharmed, not quite being there, was undescribable. But I was so mentally prepared for the job, that it literally went by itself,” he states.

(Above) Narve poses with the 7oo blocks he broke to earn the Guinness Record.

(Right) All 700 blocks lined up for Narve to crush.

(Below) After the break

Tough Farmboy Narve Laeret grew up as the oldest boy on a small farm in Norway. His parents divorced and Narve took on the difficult duties of the farm. Hard labor, both in the evening and in the morning, developed Narve’s strong stamina to accomplish his goals. “Sometimes I worked a bit too hard, I guess.

School, homework, duties on the farm and training occupied most 64 May 2009 / taekwondotimes.com

patient, train smart but hard, and remember that a true martial arts practitioner finds strength and growth in what he or she is doing.”

To see video of Narve Laeret’s Guinness record break, visit taekwondotimes. com.

Narve holds up his awards.

of my day, and I sacrified a lot of time I normally should have spent with my friends. But I did everything I could to help my mother on the farm and I took great pride in accomplishing goals. The result is a strong will and a physique that helped me reach high goals in the martial arts. The Guinness record I won in Turkey in November 2008, was one of the highlights so far,” explains Laeret.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Lars-Einar Petterson started his International Taekwon-Do Federation training with late Master Lehn in Norway in 1987. He also tried other styles and focused on winter sports for about ten years before he got back into TKD. He holds a second-degree black belt and has won several medals in national competitions. He now trains in Oslo, Norway with Master Svendsen. Find out more at www.itf-academy.no.

Good Advice Record breaking is not for beginners, and Narve Laeret emphasizes the importance of building a strong foundation with hardening of striking surfaces and strength training before his students are allowed to do breaking. Narve, on the other hand, made all the beginner mistakes in the book. “Being young and watching films starring Bruce Lee inspired me to test my skills on my own—with bad results. I once ran my hand through a pile of roofing tiles and ended up with a bloody and damaged hand,” Laeret says.

The breaker from Norway recommends those who want to be successful in breaking, to be patient and listen to a seasoned and experienced instuctor.

The danger of hurting oneself increases the younger you are, so starting out with too much, too early, is not a good idea.

Laeret ends with this, “Respect others, be

Ali Bahcetepe, Guinness rep, and Narve.

taekwondotimes.com / May 2009

65

After many years of anticipation, the Southern California Charter School (SCCS) for junior and senior high school is under construction and is scheduled to open in September of 2009. The new school will be located in Victorville, California, at the Southern California Logistics Airport. SCCS is a new public school in California that is going to focus on science, math, and engineering. The school will also be implementing a ground-breaking physical education program that will focus on the art and sport of Tae Kwon Do for the major portion of its curriculum.

While there have been other schools that have incorporated martial arts into their physical education programs, SCCS will be diďŹ&#x20AC;erent, being the ďŹ rst public school known to have its own dojang within the school walls. The dojang will be approximately eight thousand square feet of mat space with state of the art equipment as well as a running area, observing area, locker room and shower room.

Heading the program will be Master Ji Mahn Nam of Victorville Tae Kwon Do. Master Nam has been training in Tae Kwon Do for over 27 years and

The current school with 2000 square feet of mat space.

taekwondotimes.com / May 2009

67

Erick Banfield

idang Leilahni Dang

o Marcos Zermen

currently runs a successful Tae Kwon Do school in southern California. Master Nam was approached by the CEO and the Vice Principal of SCCS, Dr. Gary Wilkins. Dr. Wilkins, along with his wife and two children, are current students of Master Nam and have been for years. According to Dr. Wilkins, “The reason I approached Master Nam was because of his great reputation with the community, as well as the experience. I got to see his quality of teaching through the years and I believe we share the same vision of creating a better public school where the students are benefiting mentally, physically, and spiritually.”

or Aden Temblad

“As the new athletic director I am excited to focus on Tae Kwon Do for exercise, but most importantly, I feel this will help the kids with character development to help them through life,” states Master Nam about the unprecedented program. The Tae Kwon Do program plans to have traditional doboks or uniforms for its students, as well as a belt rank system allowing each student to achieve black belt rank by high school graduation. “We want to give the whole experience of being a martial artist, not just the athleticism. We are also planning to certify the students through World Taekwondo Federation,” explains Master Nam. The SCCS physical education curriculum will also teach many other sports, such as yoga, golf, swimming, water polo, gymnastics, and wrestling.

While these different sports will rotate in and out of the curriculum every eight weeks at SCCS, Tae Kwon Do will be taught year long. The Tae Kwon Do program will have two to three instructors on the floor with the students for most of its classes, consisting of approximately sixty to seventy students per class and six classes scheduled throughout the school day.

Master Nam plans on implementing Tae Kwon Do philosophies and terminologies into the public school curriculum as well and notes that students will be graded on their attitude and effort more than anything else. He also notes that “mat chats” will be part of each class as in his Tae Kwon Do school Master Nam’s dojang

68 May 2009 / taekwondotimes.com

Karen Galvan

The Victorville Tae Kwon Do competition team

now. “I know it will not be easy at first…but once we show them (the students) we care…they will accept it,” explains Master Nam about the character building aspects of the anticipated Tae Kwon Do program at SCCS. Master Nam also addresses working with disabled students in the new SCCS program. “We have a program that works around their disability. Our goal is to have each individual reach their full potential, so whether it is a kick or a punch, we focus on the individual,” states Master Nam. The junior and senior high school students of SCCS will be learning from the curriculum that Master Nam has developed over his years of teaching and tested by Master Nam himself. “We are planning to build more schools in the future and would like Master Nam to head out the program for the entire region. We are expecting great results from him,” notes Dr. Wilkins.

Many martial art instructors have asked Master Nam how to achieve the implementation of a major Tae Kwon Do program in their local public schools and his answer is a quote from the famous American author and motivational speaker, Zig Ziglar: Master Nam and Dr. Gary Wilkins

“You can have everything in life you want, if you will just help other people get what they want.”

Master Nam reminds everyone to “work with your heart and work for your students with their best interests in mind. They will see it and many good things will happen to you even if you don’t plan it.” He notes that it is important to always be helping in your community, doing school chats about bullies, self-defense seminars, motivational talks, and demonstrations.

He stresses that you should not do these things for money, but to help the community.

Tae Kwon Do is really coming into its own in the United States. It is being recognized as a great means of exercise and even more importantly, as an effective way to develop good, moral character.

As martial artists, it is exciting to see our society and public school system embracing Tae Kwon Do’s integrity, honor, hard work, discipline, selfconfidence, leadership and other life-changing and beneficial skills.

Good luck to Master Nam as the new athletic director of this revolutionary new physical education program at the SCCS and to Tae Kwon Do in our public school system.

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By Norman Mclinden

It was a hot Sunday in the summer of 1987. I was being examined for my third-dan. Being a Tae Kwon Do stylist, I had broken my share of boards through the years. However, on this day I felt a hesitation as the instructors and students started setting up for my next break. They were bringing out cement blocks! I closed my eyes to prepare myself. I could hear the thick solid “click” of the concrete blocks being stacked. You start to question yourself: Why am I doing this? Why is this part of an exam? And, of course, the biggest question of all—can I really do this?

“Experience tells you what to do: confidence allows you to do it.”

—Stan Smith, Tennis Champion If you mention martial arts to a non-practitioner, the first thought may be of someone smashing boards and breaking bricks. But, the art and science of breaking is an internal part of martial arts. Tae Kwon Do, Karate and many more martial arts systems utilize breaks in rank advancement, competition, and public demonstrations. Sometimes it is the most memorable part of a demonstration.

Breaks by great martial arts masters are legendary. Gichin Funakoshi, founder of Shotokan, is said to have been able to puncture a metal kerosene jug with his toes. Mas Oyama, founder of Kyokushin Karate, reportedly broke the horns off of a raging bull! In 1952, at the height of the Korean War, Syngman Rhee, the President of South Korea, attended a Tae Kwon Do demonstration. There, Nam Tae Hi smashed thirteen roof tiles with a forefist strike. Following this, the South Korean President instructed Tae Kwon Do founder Choi Hong Hi to introduce the martial arts to the entire Korean Army.

Today, we see martial artists smash bricks, boards, and cement blocks. Practitioners shatter ice and even baseball bats. What is it we are trying to accomplish here? Why do we practice this art of breaking? I spoke with three world-class breaking experts to find these answers.

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Too learn le ear arn more m ree vvisit mo isit isit is it eastcoasttrainingsystems.com. eassttccooaast sttr traaini tr aini ai n ng ngsy gsy syst syst s em mss..co com m..

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Physically, art trains work most sspeed sp eeed an aand nd ffo force orc rce po ppossible. ssssib sib ible le.. W Wh When hen en ttaught au ugh ght co correctly, orr rrec rrec e tl tly, lyy,, tthis his ab his hi ability billiitttyy iss eeasily assilily ad adap adapted dappted ted ttoo ccombat te om mbaat situ ssituations. si ituat tuat tu a io ions n . Me M Mentally, en nttal allyy, the th he art aarrt of of bbr breaking reaakkin re ing can can teach ca teac te ach a practitioner prac pr acti titi tioon ner er h how ow ttoo rre reach eac ach h ul ultimate lttiima mate tee ffocus ocuss aand oc nd m mental en ent nta tal fortitude. ffoort r it i ud dee.. B Breaking, reaakkin re reak ng, g, w wh when hen taught tau augh g t correctly, gh corr co rrrec ectlly, y requires reeqqui uir ires res the re tth he practitioner p ac pr actiti titiion ti onerr ttoo bl bloc block o k out oc out al ou aallll outside ou uts tsid ide d di distraction ist straacttiioon an and nd fo focu focus ccu us on only nlyy oon n th tthee tta task ask at at hand. haand h nd.. IItt aalso lsso requires rreequ quiiirres the the he practitioner pra rac act ctittioone ctit n r too oovercome verc ve rrccom me na nnatural atu tu ura r l fe fear fears arrs an and nd rre realize eal a iz ize th the he tr true rue u aabilities bili bi ilil ti ties es ooff th the he human body. needed any hu uma man bbo odyy. This Th s builds Thi builild bu ilds ds the the he inner inn nner nerr strength sstr ttrren engt gth th ne n eed eed ded d to to survive su surv urvviv ive an ny situation. siitu uaattio ion n.. n T TK TKDT: KDT T: What Wh hat at w were erre so ssome om mee ooff yo yyour ur m most ost chal os ch challenging hal alleeng n in ing bbr ing breaks? reeaaks k?

G Gr Grandmaster ran ndm dmaste dmas asste t r He H Hee ee Ill C Cho: hoo: I am m vver very erry co ery cconfident onfide nfi fide d nt nt iin n po ppower ow weer breaking. b eaaki br king ng. Mi M Mid-air d-ai dair breaking, breeaaki br king ngg, th that hat at ccan an n bbee a cch challenge. hal alleeng nge. e.

W Wi With th h ppo power ower ow er bbreaking reak re a in ng yo yyou u ha have h vee ttoo us uusee po powe power ow weer aan and nd prec pr precision. rec e iissio sioon. n In In an an aerial aer e ia ial br bbreak, rea eak, eak k, yyou ou um must ust also us allsoo eenter ntter er tthe he eelehe leeme ent n ooff pr prop oper op eerr ttiming. imin im ing. ing. in g. You Yooou Y u must mus ust hit h t at the hi the he precise preeciise moment mom omen men e t too bbee eff ffec ectiive ve! In nm iid id-a d-a -air aiirr bbre r akkin re ng yo you u so ssoon oon on ment proper effective! mid-air breaking d di discover issccov o er not not ot all allll boards boa o rd ds or o bricks bri rickks are arre the th he same. s me sa me. Yo You u ma m mayy ha h have ve the ve th hee right right igghtt ccombination oom mbbiina nattiion n ooff po powe power wer an we aand nd co corr correct rrec rr ect taekwondotimes.com / May 2009

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technique, te ech chni chni niqu niqu que, ue, but but ut tthat h t bbo ha board oard ard ju ar just ust d doe doesn’t o sn oe n’tt ggiv give. ivve. e. Of Of course, cour co urrssee, that urse that a doesn’t doeesn n’tt d dis discourage isco is cour cou urage urag agge me. shatter myy ta m me e. I ke kkeep eep eepp ttrying rryyin ing ti ttill illl I ssha hatt ha tterr m ttarget! rgget! ett!

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Maasstterr D M rew Se re S err rrano an no: o: S hin ki hin hi kkicking ick ick ckin ingg th thre rreee bba ase sebbaalll bbats seba ats at Master Drew Serrano: Shin three baseball at once onc nce wa w as a ch hal alle leeng nge ge. e. B r ak re akin ng ei eigh gh ght ht ce ccement em meent bblocks loock lo cks ck at was challenge.

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Karate Association) World Breaking Championships, I was was th wa he on nly ly pperson errso son too u son see a palm pal alm m during duri du riin ngg the the h competition. com ompe peti tition tion ti n. the only use TKD TKDT TK DT T: Wh haatt w ere th er tthee rre esult su ulltts of of a break breeak ak ggone oon ne ba bbadly? dly? dl y?

TKDT: What were results Gran Gr an ndm dmaasste ter He Hee Ill C Hee Ch ho: Every ho Ever Ev ver e y professional p ofes pr offes essi sion nal a aathlete th hle lete te gget e s in et nju j re red. d Iw iilll ag aagain agai gai ain n ci ccite ttee Grandmaster Cho: gets injured. will m mi id-- aair ir breaking. ir bre reak eakkin ing.. I h ing. had ad tthrown hrow hr own n a board booar ard into in nto to the thee air airr and and nd instead ins nste teead a of of connecting coonn nne nec ecti ting in ngg midw wi ith ith hm knif kn ifee hand, haand nd,, I hi h it th the he edge edge ed g ooff my my w rist ri isstt. Ass w ma art rtiaal aar rtia rti t st stss kkn now w, th the he with myy knife hit wrist. wee mar martial artists know, w wr ris ist ca ist can n be be vvery ery vulnerable er vvu uln lner ner erab able ab le in le in our our training. ou trai tr trai aini n ng ni ng. This Th s injury Thi inju in nju ury ry was was annoying ann nnoyyin ng for f r quite fo quitte some quit qu soom mee time. tim me. e. wrist Gran Gr andm an ndm mas aste ste teerr Ra R l hB lp Be erggam amo: amo o: One One ne ooff ou ur tte eam eam a m eem mbe bers rs bbroke rooke roke ke bboth oth his ot his ar hi arms mss. He ccontinued ms. onti on ntinu ttiinu nued ed d ttoo fin finis ish hi is h is is Grandmaster Ralph Bergamo: our team members arms. finish his rroutine ro rou out utin ine ne an nd th hen e ssaw aaw w tthe he m he ediccs. ed s. Th This i w is was ass a rremarkable emar em marrka k bblle display disppla di lay ay off perseverance. pper erse er seveeraanc se seve nce. e. Other Oth her er than tha h n that thatt incident, in ncciid den e t, t, and then medics. wee h w hav a e been av been be en pretty pprre rett tty fortunate. fort fo orrttun una nat ate. ate e. have Ma M astter er D rew re w Se S errran ano: o Th o: Thee brea bbreaking br reeaaki kingg tteam eaam an aand nd I ha avvee seen ssee e n the ee th he usual usu us uaal run rru un of o bruises bru ruiissess and and d bbroken roke ro ken knuc kn nu ucckklle leess.

Master Drew Serrano: have knuckles.

K Ke epin ep ng the th he mind miind m d and an nd d bbody od dy conditioned ccoond n ittio ione ned is ne is vvital ital it al w hen breaking. he breea br eaki eaki king ng.. Tr T rai aini ai ningg, focus ni focu fo ocu c s and an nd proper pprropper er breaking bre reak akin kiin ng techtteech c Keeping when Training, ni iqu queess aare ques re eess re s en ss ntial tiall ttoo pr ti ppreventing even ev even e ti ting ing ng iinjury. njury nj urry. y. niques essential TKD TKD TK DT T: Doo yyou ou h ou ave an av aanyy ti ttips ipss ffor or m or arti ar arti tial al aartists al rti rt tis ists ists ts tthat haat ar hat re go ggoing oin ing to to bbee do ddoing oin ing br bbreaks? rea e ks ks?

TKDT: have martial are G Gr andm an dmas dm aste as t r He te ee Il Il Cho: Choo: Conditioning Cond Co n ittiooni ningg iiss an n absolute abs b ol olut u e ne n cesssit cess ce ity.. Y o ccannot ou anno an not ju just just st Grandmaster Hee necessity.

You go oout u aand ut nd dh hi it bboards it oard oard oa ds an aand nd br bbricks. ric ickkkss. Itt iiss an an entire ent ntir tiirre tr trai ain ai niingg ppro roce ro cess ce s . Yo Y u mu m ustt cchoose hooos oe hit training process.

You must th he areas a eeaas you ar you want yo want ttoo de wa d eve vveelloop fo fforr br bbreaking. brea reaaking kkiing. ngg. I ha ave ve a ssolid ollid d ccallous allo al lous us bbarrier arrri arri rier er aacross er croosss myy cr the develop have kknuckles. kn uckkl uc kles kles es.. It took toook years yeear ars of conditioning con ondi dittiion onin onin ing too d dev evvel elopp tthi elop his ar hi area ea. On ea. ea Onccee d Once dev eveello ev lop oped d, itt develop this area. developed, ne n eeds ed ds too bbee maintained. mai ma aiin nta tain ined ined ed. Hi H it a hard h rd ha d bboard oard oa r softly sof oftly tlly then tth hen e continue ccon on nti tinu n e with w tth wi h more mor ore re po ppower powe owe wer too needs Hit oother ot her ma he m ate teri rial als. al s I aalso lso lilike lso ls k to ke to use usee a traditional us trad trad tr dit itiioonaal ma akiiwara wara wa ra ((aa pa ppadded add d ed sstriking trik tr ikin ik ikin ng po ost). stt). ). materials. makiwara post).

Ass yyou A ou do ou do these tth heesse exercises, e er ex erci cisees, s, concentrate con once cent ce ntra nt r te ra te on on the t e areas th area ar eas of eas of the the h hand han nd yyo ou wi willlll utilize; uti u tiilil ze z; you knu knuc kn ucckl kles es,, knife, kn niffe, e, ridge rid dge g hand han a d an nd pa ppalm. lm.. Pr lm P Prop rop o er er cconditioning ondi ondi on diti dit tion ioon nin ng co ccoupled oupple led d knuckles, and Proper wiitth h power power owerr equals ow eeqqu qual qual a s a successful su ucc cces eesssful sfful ul break. bre reak ak.. ak with Gran Gr nd dm masste t r Ralph Ralp Ra alp lph h Bergamo: B rg Be rgam amo: moo:: A practitioner pprra ract ctit itioone n r sh sho ould ou ld approach appppro roaacch brea bbreaking br rea eaki kkiing ng slowly. sloowl wly. y. S Som om ome metim etiim et meess Grandmaster should Sometimes the mind th miind m d says sayys “yes”, “yyeesss”,”,, but but ut tthe hee cconditioning oon ndi d ti tion on nin ng of of tthe he body he bod ody dy and a d th an tthe he bbu uilildi ding ng ooff de d dens ens n it ity ty in in tthe he bbones ones on es the building density i essential ess ssen en enti nttiial for foorr success…and suc uccceess ss…a …an …a nd that nd tha h t takes t ke ta kes es time. time ti me. For For example, Fo exam ex mpl ple, e a new e, neew w student stu tude ude dentt sshould houl ho ould ulld no n aattempt tte temp mptt is nott at jump ju umppin ing, g, spinning g, sppiinnin nn nin ing hook hook ho ok kkic iccks k iin n th he fir first first st cclass. l ss. la sss. It ttakes a ess time ak tim ime fo or th tthe he bo bbody ody dy ttoo be bbecome eco come me aaccuscccu ussjumping, kicks the for toome to med ttoo tthe me he m he any de an dema maands nd n ds th that at ssuch at uch a mo uc m ovvee rrequires. e ui eq u re res. s. tomed many demands move 74 May 2009 / taekwondotimes.com

Master M Ma sstter er Drew Dreew Serrano: Serrrran Se anoo:: A ppractitioner raact ctit i iooner it neer sh n should hou ould ld d start ssta tart ta r ttheir rt heeir h eiirr conditioning coon nd diiti t on nin ing ng wi w with th hah heavy eavvyy bbag ea agg aand nd d work.

Next, concrete.

After ppad pa ad wo w ork rk. k. Ne N xtt, they xt, th hey ey should sh hooul u d try trry wood w od wo d and and d make makke their th heir eiir way way up wa p to to co conc onc ncreetee. Af A tteer th tthe he bo bbody d dy has ha h as adapted, aad dappte ted, d, larger lar arggeer st sstacks tac acks ckkss aand nd uunique nd niqu ni q e ma materials ater teri te rial als ca can n be be attempted att ttem empt em pptted d with wit w itth less lleess cchance h nce ha ncce ooff iinjury, njur nj urry, ury, eeven ev e if en if th tthe he break he bbrrea reaak iss unsuccessful. uns nsucc nsuc ucce uc cess s fu full.. The The highest high hi ghesst in inci cide ci cide dent nt ooff inju nt in nju jury uryy occurs occ ccur ccu urs during urs durriingg aan du nu un nsuc su ucincident injury unsucccessful ce esssfu f l break, breaak, br k tthe hee energy eneerg rgy is i transferred tra ran nssfe f rrrred ed back bacck into into in to the the h body. bood dy. y The The stronger sttro rong nger tthe ng he bbody he ody od dy is, is, the is thee less th l sss le lillikely kellyy that ke tth haat it w h illl inc in ncu cur injury. inju inju in jury ryy. will incur

FE;@K@FE@E> ,FN<I %EK<IE8C FE=@;<E:< /L::<JJ=LC I<8B Doing a successful break is a mighty satisfying thing in the martial arts. I had practiced hard for that third-dan test. As I approached my target I remembered a simple phrase my instructors said repeatedly, â&#x20AC;&#x153;See your hand already through the target.â&#x20AC;? I blasted away and the cement burst in a cloud of dust.

This panel of experts has some serious expertise in the science of breaking and I would like to thank them. Their expertise and willingness to share their knowledge is a credit to the entire martial arts community. Anyone who is developing their breaking talents should visit the expertâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s websites to continue their training. To witness their awesome exhibitions of breaking, visit taekwondotimes.com.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Master Norman Mclinden is a seventh-dan black belt in Tae Kwon Do, UniďŹ ed Tae Kown Do International. He holds a ďŹ fth-degree black belt in the Joe Lewis Fighting System and a fourth-dan in Combat Hapkido. McLinden is a Professor of Management Studies at the University of Phoenix, Boston Campus, and is the owner and Master Instructor of NorthEastern Tae Kwon Do Academy, located in Bellingham, Massachusetts. He can be reached at nmclinden@msn.com.

taekwondotimes.com / May 2009

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By Master Dan Paulson

78 May 2009 / taekwondotimes.com

A real world confrontation can be the most stressful situation a person can encounter. It is truly a make or break deal (no pun intended). To be properly prepared to deliver a blow with maximum power, focus, timing, and speed under duress requires special training. A major component of this training is breaking. It requires a shift of your thought process to consider breaking as a training component as opposed to being the final result of our efforts.

When we look at breaking as a training aid, it changes how we select materials to break.

Instead of trying to find the board that will break the easiest so that we look good, we should view boards as being similar to weights when strength training. As with weights, an incremental increase in training load is the path to greater success. Taking on too large of a load without being properly conditioned will lead to certain failure.

There are many ways to train for breaking, but when we narrow our focus to self-defense training, some of the â&#x20AC;&#x153;normalâ&#x20AC;? breaking procedures need to be modified. It is important to get a good level of experience in the basics before attempting to move into more advanced training.

One of the main challenges of using breaking as a training tool for self-defense is to make it less of a static situation. True self-defense is fluid and constantly evolving. Simulating this can be difficult due to the necessity of having board-holding helpers or board-holding devices. One of the ways to overcome this is to eliminate the obligatory lining up and warm-up attempts before a break. Simply step up and throw your strike to break. An added training factor that will enhance target recognition and proper distancing is to turn away before your break attempt, then turn to face the target and strike immediately.

Speed breaks can be an excellent training method.

Speed breaks can be an excellent training method. This can be modified for more realism by having a training partner toss the boards, as opposed to doing it yourself.

This will again aid in the distancing and timing of your strikes. Combination breaking routines bring up the aspect of synergy when one technique adds power to the next, creating a situation where one plus one is greater than two. An excellent example of this is the roundhouse kick / turning back kick combination. The follow through from the roundhouse kick actually leads to a stronger turning back kick.

One of my favorite ways to enforce good technique is to combine breaking with forms practice. A helper will need to be moving about holding boards for your hand strikes, kicks and some blocks. Yes, some blocks can be used for breaking. When applied to self-defense, a block that is powerful enough to break boards is quite an asset. Forms and breaking practice allow you to develop excellent technique while moving.

If you have mastered the more common breaks, such as punches, chops, and basic kicks, and learned to apply them to self-defense, and you feel the need for more, it is time to move on to more challenging territory. There is a broad spectrum of techniques from which to choose. On opposite ends of the spectrum lie the big ballistic style breaks like shin kicks to baseball bats or the precision breaks with fingertip and toe tip strikes. The shin kick

taekwondotimes.com / May 2009

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attacks the thigh and the fingertip and toe tip strikes are for pressure points, eyes and throat attacks. Although these breaks seem completely unrelated, their training protocol is almost identical. At first both seem impossible to the beginner, but with proper and methodical training, they are not only possible but easily applicable to self-defense. Both ballistic and precision breaks rely on perfect form with special attention to stance, sequence of movement, proper position of the striking hand or foot, and follow through.

Breath control is an integral ingredient along with the ki force that it develops. An often overlooked aspect of these breaks and overcoming a larger more powerful assailant is having the unshakeable confidence that you will prevail. This is an absolute must when performing feats that go beyond what seems impossible.

Much attention is given to body conditioning and toughening. This does play a part but, when performing breaks or facing life or death confrontations, training the body simply is not enough. I learned this lesson as I was attempting to do spear hand breaks. A finger can only be made so tough. There had to be more to it than fingertip push ups and striking sand bags. The answer is twofold. Ki development through dantien breathing exercises allowed me to extend my ki through the board, while visualization allowed me to gain the confidence needed to drive my fingers through pine boards. Consequently, this gave me a very effective spear hand and toe kick for precision attacks.

Another lesson I learned about modifying my training came when I wanted to break multiple baseball bats with a single shin kick.

For many years I broke a single bat per kick.

When the time came to up my game, I just upped my training load with more bag kicking and more shin conditioning. This worked to an extent, as I was then able to break two bats per kick. The breakthrough finally came when I made a commitment to break four bats at once for a demonstration and promptly injured myself by overtraining. After that, the only practice that I could do was to perform the kick in the air concentrating on perfect technique. I was unable to hit anything with my shin because it was extremely painful. As the weeks went by,

80 May 2009 / taekwondotimes.com

Master Paulson begins spear hand attack, concentrating more on proper technique than on the board to be broken.

The transition of stance provides the power through skeletal alignment.

Striking through as if the board does not exist, targeting the person holding the board as the destination of the spear hand strike.

Absolute confidence in your ability to perform your break is necessary I focused on perfect form and throwing my kick with total abandon. I thought about how Hapkido philosophy dictates that we should focus a strike to infinity instead of picking a spot just past the target. This sets up the “no limitation” mindset, enabling some amazing results.

The deadline was looming and I was feeling undertrained. I missed the sense of security of my usual routine. This forced me to focus more on perfect technique and to visualize success with my mind instead of preparing with hard physical striking training, body conditioning, and practice breaks. When the day came, things went well. I explained to the crowd that I had not been able to practice properly but felt serene and confident. It turned out to be an awesome demonstration. I was able to come to a more complete understanding of the role that the mind plays in breaking and how to focus through the boards, bricks, bats or whatever to the full extension of technique. This is the same philosophy that can be applied to striking an opponent and achieving a “one shot-one kill” opportunity.

All breaking should be approached in a safe manner. Never attempt to “go big” without first slowly and incrementally working toward your goal. Giving yourself a series of small victories as you pursue more difficult breaks will help to build confidence and keep those nagging doubts out of your mind. Absolute confidence in your ability to perform your break is necessary when attempting the truly difficult breaks. The confidence and perfection of technique gained from these difficult breaks will transfer into your ability to deliver the devastating power required to defend yourself and others.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Master Dan Paulson is a member of the World JinMooKwan Federation and is a student of Grand Master Jason Lee. Master Paulson credits Grand Master Lee with giving him a new perspective and renewed desire for the martial arts. For more information visit hapkidogear.com.

Master Paulson is poised for a fingertip strike.

Using circular motion to create more energy for the attack enables him to strike from a close range.

His fingertips strike the board as they would to the temple or neck of an opponent.

Visit taekwondotimes.com to read a full interview with Master Dan Paulson.

taekwondotimes.com / May 2009

81

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Silambam: An Ancient Indian Staff Fighting Art

By Guy Larke

Whether it’s TV, movies, comic books, video games or a martial art school, one weapon rules over all others in terms of popularity…the staff.

The staff truly is the most ancient of weapons. Prehistoric humans used sticks, tree branches fashioned as spears, for hunting and warfare. Sticks were the easiest and most malleable things at hand. As humankind’s intellect developed, so did his versatility in his arsenal of weapons and his ability to wield them effectively.

Numerous empires employed the staff as a weapon or used it in conjunction with other materials; examples include the halberd, spears, the Chinese Kwan Dao, the Japanese Naginata, and the three-sectional staff. It could be argued that many sword and axe techniques owe at least partial credit to their predecessor, the humble staff.

Even before the martial arts boom of the 70s and 80s, the stick or staff has always been apparent. Who hasn’t seen some sort of re-enactment of the quarterstaff duel between Robin Hood and Little John upon their fated meeting? More recently, martial arts fans were treated to Jet Li’s portrayal of the infamous Monkey King of Chinese legends, in The Forbidden Kingdom. His staff skills mesmerized thousands of viewers.

Why the Staff?

It is a natural weapon. Outside of your empty hands, what feels more natural than a shaft of wood, rattan or bamboo? It is non-threatening when used as a walking stick or as a pole, but when whipped around or spun in an arc, it can give quite a scare. It is difficult to break and can come in a number of lengths and thicknesses. If one really understands stick fighting, a baseball bat, a pool cue, a broomstick or a rake can be employed devastatingly. Even if it does break, you have a sharpened implement that can do further injury. In olden days, it could be used to disarm swordsmen and crack or smash through helmets, shields and armour. The options and variety of techniques possible are overwhelming. You can thrust, crush, trap, unbalance, swing, poke, sweep or deceive an opponent with a simple length of wood.

What other weapon can do all that?

As previously mentioned, it is perhaps the most common weapon to be found in the fighting arts. It exists in French Savate (La Canne), Burmese Bando, Okiniwan Kobudo, Philippine Tapado, Korean Kuk Sool Won and a myriad of Chinese martial arts to say the least. Most, however, are oblivious as to the country which has developed stick skills to the highest degree—India.

In ancient India, in the early days of the Dravidian Empire, the yellow filled bamboo found in the Kurinji Hills was employed to make staves of the highest quality. Yogis who sought alternative methods of exercise to yoga, practiced ancient exercises passed down from even older times with these implements. The yogis, and those who followed their ways, further developed the primitive techniques into an art.

This art became name known as Silambamboo or Silambam.

Silam, being the Tamil equivalent of “from the hills” and bamboo obviously indicating the materials used. Ironically, it also grew to have two other meanings. One meaning is to do with being devious taekwondotimes.com / May 2009

83

and the other to do with “playing” with a stick. All these things played a part in its development.

Over time, word and legends spread about the yogis’ prowess with the stick. Rulers and people of power sought them out to instruct their elite guards and officers. The syllabus expanded with time and became refined with practical experience and numerous trials on the battlefield.

The same techniques used with the staff were adopted into spear and sword play; in addition to various grappling (Pudi Varusai) and striking arts (Kuthe Varusai) that started to evolve in the region. It found its way into religious festivals, events and festivals as well. Although Silambam was definitely evolving into a combat art, certain aspects stayed in it; such as breathing techniques, awareness, self-control and concepts such as self-realization. Gurus (masters) passed their knowledge down to disciples along with lectures on etiquette, philosophy, religion and self-development. This continues to this day.

Silambam was, and still is, linked to traditional Indian religious practices. Disciples underwent an acceptance ceremony which involved prayers to goddess Sakthi (who represented strength, courage and guidance).

The Indian deity, Hanuman, is also revered for guidance in spiritual manners. Chinese legends, especially the epic novel Journey To The West, refer to this being as the Monkey King. There are actually quite a few differences. To briefly state a few, the Indian Hanuman was quite filial and loyal to those he served. He was also far braver and less reckless than the Monkey King. In theory, perhaps the Chinese variation was more of a rascal to appeal to the common people’s desire for entertainment; while the Indian version was meant as an exemplar for youth to follow and model themselves after. One last variation is that the Chinese version used a long staff, while his Indian counterpart wielded a heavy war club.

Experts maintain that Bodhidarma, the Buddhist monk credited for bringing Zen to China, brought more than simple yoga techniques and his faith, when he traveled to the Shaolin temple so many centuries ago. Elements of Silambam and other martial arts can be seen in various other nations’ arts. The famed hoplologist, an expert in the study of human combative behavior, Sensei Donn F. Draeger, researched and began to study Silambam during his time in Malaysia. Also National Geographic has given quite a bit of credit to Indian martial culture for the development of the martial arts as we know them.

As far as defining the system and differentiating it from other methods of stick fighting, there are decidedly major differences. The stick is gripped at the very butt of one end, with the other hand grasping further up on the stick, two to three hand widths apart. It resembles the way European swordsmen wielded large blades such as the claymore or the flamberge.

The most basic techniques involve large forward and backward rotations that serve to simultaneously block and strike the front, back and one side of the artist. Further strikes and blocks are learned at higher levels. In motion, attacks and defenses are simultaneous and come from a wide variety of angles. Strikes are made to the head, but unlike most moves, it is not the primary target. The ankle, instep, knee, elbow, forearm, wrist, thumb and knuckles are far more favored areas for striking.

84 May 2009 / taekwondotimes.com

The blocks resemble fencing blocks and other methods of swordplay in some ways, where the blocks and strikes are not static. You never stop moving till the fight is over. Although a long stick is employed, it is used to get closer to an opponent, hence limiting his options and enabling the striking of vital points.

Another trademark of Silambam is the footwork. The stances are constantly changing and are unpredictable. This is especially true of the Nilaikalakki system of Silambam. The term, Nilaikalakki, translates to “disturbing the posture.” This has a dual meaning. From a martial standpoint, this means to keep moving, advancing and evading so as to confuse, intimidate and basically trip up your opponent. You choose the rhythm that the conflict follows. In essence, you lead the dance and your opponent follows, or rather, falls.

The more spiritual meaning is that you go against the temptations and indulgences of society and seek out your own truth. In essence you are fighting your own culture and ultimately yourself to become stronger. In a very loose point of view, it sounds a bit like aspects of Bruce Lee’s philosophy of Jeet Kune Do. One more major point is that since this developed from a battlefield art, the attacks and defenses are done fast and at many directions. It assumes you are surrounded and are against all odds. It may seem to be impractical for a one-to-one conflict, but actually it’s better to train this way as you are more alert and aware of your surroundings.

Lastly, although a heavy bamboo stick is used typically in training (1.68 meters in length typically or approximately five to six feet long), the techniques are easily adapted to much shorter sticks; even handbagsized sticks. This increases Silambam’s worth in the modern world.

taekwondotimes.com / May 2009

85

Training is done in small groups or on a one-to-one basis. There are no uniforms and definitely no black belts. There is a ten-part syllabus that is followed strictly. There is no set time for each step, but it usually takes a period of seven years to complete. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s as follows: 1. Otthai vitchi: essentially conditioning, especially muscles, nerves and tendons 2. Yiretthai vitchi: basic spinning and rotating techniques 3. 96 Silatgu varusai/Silat varusai: spinning techniques at 96 different angles 4. Sandai marutham: angled striking technique sequences 5. Othukal murai: defensive and evasive strategies 6. 36 Piruvugal, adi kambugal: 36 sets of 12 striking techniques each 7. Kurivaithiu adipethu: pressure point attacks and counters 8. Kanthan: essentially strategies for combat 9. Narikaru: animal techniques (especially stances, typically the fox and the tiger) 10. Utchekattha nillai: the highest level of the syllabus, a special test will be tailored to test the individual Following that is much more involved training involving things such as traditional healing, massage, other weapons and the actual crafting of your own swords and spears. There are no set patterns or forms.

The individual is encouraged to express himself in how he practices the art as he or she progresses. In a sense, that means making oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own forms.

It is interesting to note that there is no sport version of this art; at least of this particular branch of the system. The association sees martial art as serious business and therefore real Silambam cannot be done as a sport. There are no points in battle. There is only live or die. Sparring is done only when the student is ready and is done with great caution.

This particular branch of Silambam was brought to Penang, Malaysia from South India by Mahaguru (Grandmaster) Mariapakiam. The art was passed on to Master Anbanthan in the 1960s and was refined to what it is today. Master Anba has a small handful of devoted disciples. One of them is my brother in martial arts, Aravindan Kamalanathan, who is solely responsible for this work in spirit and soul. A book is in the works and there are two websites crammed with much more detailed information about this fascinating and exacting art form.

The best thing for the individual is self-research if there are any doubts or suspicions about this or any claim by any master or association. Feel free to ask and inquire at the source of the information. Often their reaction says a lot for their reliability of their information. Some groups react hostilely at any inquiry about validity. In my opinion, this association is one of the most humble and open associations I have met in many, many years. They welcome any and all correspondence. Any and all stylists, regardless of martial background, are warmly invited to experience their art with them.

For further information on Master Anba and Silambam, visit silambam.com.

For more photos of Silambam, visit taekwondotimes.com.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Guy Edward Larke Sabumnim has been in love with the martial arts all his life. It eventually led him to move to South Korea in 2000. He now holds a fourth-degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do, Hanminjok Hapkido, Kuk Sool Won, and Cheon Ji Muye Do. He also holds black belts in Taek Kyon, Karate-Do, Korean Kickboxing and Bon Kuk Kum. His other passions include public speaking, economics, hoplology, Asian culture and travel. He currently resides in Daegu, South Korea with his wife GiRyung and their son, Alexander. Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also the founder of Kisa-Do Martial Arts & Marketing. He can be contacted at kisa_do_muye@ yahoo.ca

86 May 2009 / taekwondotimes.com

Calendar of Events April

25 40th Annual U.S. Eastern Regional Karate Championship to be hosted in Rockville, Maryland. For more information please email tkasudo@verizon.net.

May 8-9 Omaha National Martial Arts Championship. To learn more visit omahanationalmartialartschampionship. com.

12 EITF European Championships in Slovenia. For more information please check out itftkd.org.

June 6 Intercontinental Cup at Algonquin College Woodroffe Campus Gymnasium Ottawa, Canada. For more information call (613) 837-4123 or e-mail phaplu@rogers.com.

6 2009 Taekwondo Leadership Summit Weekend in Las Vegas. For more information call (212) 595-1256.

12-14 4th Annual Battle at the Beach International Martial Arts Tournament to be held in St. Croix Virgin Islands in the Caribbean. For more info call (340) 6432265 or email fermin1952@yahoo.com or lmfricke@ hotmail.com.

30 2009 USAT National Championships / Junior Olympics in Austin, Texas. For more information visit us-taekwondo.us.

July 10-15 2009 Chuncheon Open Internation/ International Taekwondo Championships to be held in Chuncheon City, Korea. For more information please visit koreaopentkd.org.

25 1st Annual All-Star Specially Challenged Martial Arts Championship & Banquet to be held at Salem Lutheran Church in Tomball, Texas. For more information visit AllStarMA.com.

November 19 IX Pan-Am Games in Yauco, Puerto Rico. For more information visit ptc-games.com.

+ETTLEBELLS ARE "ACK

By Julio Anta

Kettlebells, also known as girya in Russia, KBs and K-bells, are the ultimate training tool for the martial artist. They will help you build up your strength, speed, conditioning, endurance and work capacity. As a martial artist, whether you are traditional or in quest of an Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) title, winning gold in the Olympics or defending yourself in the streets, perfecting your forms to kick higher, faster and stronger or just staying injury free, kettlebells are your perfect training companion. Kettlebells are the perfect workout for the martial artist regardless of style, age or gender. They will help you build power, cardiovascular fitness, and flexibility to make you a better and stronger martial artist. Kettlebells are growing in popularity with pro and amateur athletes and the Hollywood elite. You might have seen them in scenes from the movies Rocky Balboa and Never Back Down or possibly in pre-fight clips of UFC fighters training.

My fascination with kettlebells began over five years ago. Being a former competitive bodybuilder, fitness I believe belilievve that be beli th hat at martial marrtiial artss and an nd fi fit tne nesss aare one. I’m ness great aalways al ways wa ayss llooking o ki oo king ng ffor ng or a ggrea or at workout. woorrkkoout ou utt. t. As As a kid, my two were and twoo loves tw loovess we w ere bbodybuilding od od martial mart rttia ial ar aarts. rttss. s. I first heard about in the abboou ut ke kkettlebells ettt early ea ly 70s, earl ea 70 but it wasn’t until oover 30 years later laate t r tthat I finally saw saw a kettlebell again. agai ain ai in As a kid and teenager, teeen na I read all a l the al tth h muscle and Karate Karat magazines available availaabl in the 70s.

Back Baack c then, the hen the muscle magazines m gazi ma gaziin all sold ga barbell barb ba r el rb elll and a dumbbell sets sets se t with wit i kettlebell handles. hand ha ndllees I would also a soo see al seee the vintage 88 May 2009 / taekwondotimes.com

photos of the turn of the century strongmen lifting kettlebells. In 2003, a friend of mine from Clearwater, Florida, called me to assist her in a women’s self-defense seminar for a fitness conference in Miami. While at the conference, I participated in a kettlebell workshop and was hooked. Yet, it wasn’t until 2004 that I was able to train with kettlebells again. That year, the first kettlebell instructor training in the state of Florida was held at my school by Kettlebell Concepts, making me a kettlebell pioneer in South Florida.

"ENEFITS What makes kettlebells unique and a power tool for the martial artist is that they are usually not meant to be lifted like weights but instead are swung. Life in general is full of movements and KBs mimic many of these real-life movements. They incorporate the six natural movements of humans, which are the squat, push, lunge, pull, bend and twist. KBs are unlike the two-dimensional, chromeplated, weight machine workouts that are popular in today’s modern gyms. These machines work only one specific muscle group at a time, as opposed to the kettlebell which works most muscles all at once.

Real-life movements, such as carrying groceries, getting out of bed or slamming on the car brakes, and martial art movements do not isolate muscles.

In the martial arts and in everyday movements you utilize numerous muscles at the same time. You need balance, flexibility, explosiveness and ballistic power and speed. So, why workout specific muscles separately, controlled and slow, when our bodies don’t function in that way?

Kettlebells are great for martial arts specific training. The moves, such as swings, snatches, power clean and presses, are explosive just like when you kick, punch, block, throw your opponent, or execute a takedown. They work the body in a wide range of angles. Kettlebells involve the entire body

through core stabilization, flexion, extension and rotation in numerous planes. They strengthen and condition the martial artist’s grip and core, where strength, flexibility and athletic ability originate in the human body. Great athletes Julio Anta in South Beach possess impressive strength, power and flexibility in the core. Kettlebell training going to the gym and then doing a cardio workout. can take you to the next level and help you achieve You can train with kettlebells as your sole workout your full potential as a martial artist. It will also since it works strength, muscle tone, cardio and enhance shoulder rotation, stability, strength, and flexibility or you can add kettlebells to your existing flexibility to enhance and prolong a martial artist’s workout. career. I’m 51 years old and getting stronger training with kettlebells.

KBs are compact, taking up very little space.

With approximately an eight by eight foot space and two kettlebells you can get a full workout in a Kettlebells have a rich international history. short amount of time. You can do a full beginner Kettlebell training, as we know it today, stems from kettlebell workout in Russia. They can be traced back to Russia over 300 only 20 or 30 minutes, years ago. KBs have been utilized for athletic and which is less time than warrior training throughout the world. There is weight lifting. KBs also speculation that kettlebells were used by Greek athgive you an aerobic and letes and gladiators thousands of years ago. There anaerobic workout. This is now evidence that legendary fighting monks of will give you more time the famed Shaolin Temple used granite padlocks as for your martial arts a training tool to enhance their Kung Fu fighting training as opposed to skills. Padlocks are rectangular looking kettlebells, also known as Chinese Kettlebells. Could they have been the forefather of today’s kettlebells?

Kettlebells were the training tool of choice for the early 1900’s strongmen. Kettlebells were mentioned in the early bodybuilding and muscle building manuals and the weight sets all had kettlebells.

(Above) The Turkish In the mid 1900s, handles to transform dumbbells Get Up to kettlebells came with all weight lifting sets. That’s (Right) Windmill how Bruce Lee began using them. Bruce Lee was ahead of his time, training with kettlebells over 30 years ago. The handles came with the barbell set that he ordered. As per the book, Bruce Lee, The

(ISTORY

taekwondotimes.com / May 2009

89

Hand to Hand Swings

Swing the kettlebells

Let go of the kettlebell in mid air

Switch hands to grab the kettlebell

Art of Expressing the Human Body, Lee trained his back muscles with the KB attachments. John Saxon, co-star of Enter the Dragon, and martial artist Dan Inosantos were introduced to kettlebells by Bruce Lee. Today, they continue their kettlebell training.

In the early 1900s, musclemen, bodybuilders and strong men of Europe, Canada and America like Arthur Saxon, Sig Klein, Louis Cyr and Eugen Sandow, all trained with kettlebells just like the Russian strongmen and athletes. Yet, while KBs disappeared in the West, they began to flourish in the former Soviet Union. Everyone from common people to the military to Olympic athletes trained with kettlebells. Kettlebells were known to be the USSR’s secret weapon in their athletic dominance.

In 1948, the first kettlebell competition took place in Russia. Thanks to Pavel Tsatsouline, a Russian kettlebell trainer, kettlebells were reintroduced to the U.S. A military study was done in Russia which compared kettlebell training against specific forms of physical training. The study divided the participants into two groups. One group only practiced the testing protocol of push ups, pull ups, a run, a sprint, etc. The other group only lifted kettlebells. In spite of no rehearsal of the testing protocol, the kettlebell

90 May 2009 / taekwondotimes.com

group actually posted better scores in all of these events. That goes to prove that kettlebells truly enhance athletic performance. It’s a whole new level of training.

4RAINING

A kettlebell set should consist of five to twenty repetitions. When learning and perfecting a move, stay at five reps—with a higher number of reps, fatigue hits and you’ll sacrifice form. A kettlebell workout can be classified by three types of drills: ballistic, grinds and hand-to-hand. Ballistic moves are what make kettlebells unique. They are dynamic and explosive. They help build strength, cardio and endurance. Grinds are the slower pressing moves similar to barbell and dumbbell training, even though they are more intense.

Hand-to-hand moves are similar to juggling. You pass the kettlebell from one hand to the other. This is great for hand-eye coordination, grip training and weapons training.

Kettlebells are growing in popularity in the U.S. Yet, kettlebell training is not the latest fitness or infomercial fad. They have been around for over 300 years and will surely be around for the next few hundred years.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Julio Anta is a Hung Gar Kung Fu Master and owner of Anta’s Fitness and Self Defense in Miami (Doral), Florida. He is also certified in Haganah F.I.G.H.T., SABER Edge Weapons Combatives, personal training, kettlebell, fitness Kickboxing, youth fitness and a Bully Buster instructor. He is the video author of Shaolin Physical Conditioning DVD. This year his new DVD Kettlebells and Indian Clubs for Martial Arts will be released. His web sites are AntaKungFu.com, MiamiKettlebell.com and MartialArtsandFitness. typepad.com.

For more kettlebell techniques visit taekwondotimes.com

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Best Martial Arts Supply 7120 Alondra Blvd Paramount 90723 (562) 251-1600 sangmoosa.com Black Lotus Martial Arts Academy Kuk Sool of San Diego San Diego 92117 (619) 723-1592 KukSool.net DeAlba Productions PO Box 641286 San Francisco 94164 (415) 661-9657 Kenʼs Trading Golden Tiger 9528 Richmond Place Rancho Cucamonga 91730 (909) 980-0841 GoldenTiger.com Kuk Sool of San Diego (BLMAA) 3901-B Clairemont Drive San Diego, 92117 (619) 723-1592 KukSool.net Jung SuWon World Federation 4150 Technology Place, Fremont, 94538 (510) 659-9920 jungsuwon.com

DELAWARE

Korean Martial Arts Institute 2419 W Newport Pike Stanton 19804 (302) 992-7999 KMAIWEB.com

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American TKD Union 1303 E Busch Blvd Tampa 33612 (313) 935-8888 Aruba Karate Institute 7440 NW 79th St Miami 33166 ecco@setarnet.com ATU Headquarters 1303 E Busch Blvd Tampa 33612 (313) 935-8888 Choi Kwang Do Largo 13819-C Washington Rd Largo 33774 East Coast Martial Arts Supply 1646 E Colonial Drive Orlando 32803 (407) 896-2487 NKMAA- Florida Master Thomas Gordon Gordon Martial Arts PO Box 1966,Crestview 32536 Jun Kimʼs Martial Arts Center 10024 West Oakland Park Blvd Sunrise 33351 (954) 741-8000

Kuk Sool Won of San Francisco 1641 Fillmore Street San Francisco 94115 (415) 567-5425

Independent TKD Association 2919 E North Military Trail West Palm Beach 33409 (561) 745-1331

Robinsonʼs TaeKwonDo Center 2155 Fulton Ave Sacramento 95825 (916) 481-6815

USNTA National Team Training Center 5720 Old Cheney Hwy Orlando 32807 (312) 443-8077 USNTA.org

World Hapkido Federation PO Box 155323 Los Angeles 90015 (714) 730-3000 World KIDO Federation 3557 Valenza Way Pleasanton 94566 (510) 468-8109 kidohae.com World KukSool HKD Federation PO Box 16166 Beverly Hills 90209 (310) 859-1331

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United Martial Arts Center 11625 S Cleveland Ave # 3 Ft. Myers 33907 (239) 433-2299 Yeshá Ministries(14 NE FL locations) Grand Master Charles W. Coker 904-399-0404 or 904-838-8585 Yeshaministries.com

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Choi Kwang Do Suwanee 4285 Brogdon Exchange Suwanee 30024 (770) 654-1510

US TaeKwonDo Federation Chuck Sereff 6801 W 117th Ave Broomfield 80020

HAWAII

CONNECTICUT Turtle Press 403 Silas Deane Hwy Wethersfield 06109 (860) 721-1198 turtlepress.com

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Great River Martial Arts 1647 Hwy 104 Quincy 62305 (217) 257-9000

International Hapkido USA 1385 N Milwaukee Ave Chicago 60622 (312) 225-4828 K. H. Kimʼs TaeKwonDo 3141 Dundee Rd Northbrook 60062 Kimʼs Black Belt Academy Grandmaster Tae H. Kim 2230 Ogden Ave Aurora 60504

Ottawa Martial Arts Academy 500 State St Ottawa 61350 (815) 434-7576

LOUISIANA

Han Do Group 4816 Jamestown Ave Baton Rouge 70808 (225) 924-2837 hanmudo.com

MARYLAND

World Combat Arts Federation PO Box 763 Owings Mills 21117 (410) 262-2333

MASSACHUSETTS AAU Taekwondo Mr. Mike Friello (518) 372-6849 mfriello@aol.com

Universal TKD Association 1207 W Main Peoria 61606 (309) 673-2000

Myung Kimʼs Acupuncture 347 Massachusetts Ave Arlington 02474 (781) 643-3679

US National TKD Federation 9956 W Grand Ave Franklin Park 60131 usntf.com

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INDIANA

B.C. Yu Martial Arts 5204 Jackson Road Suites F & G Ann Arbor 48103 (734) 994-9595 BCYU.com

IOWA

D.S. Kimʼs TKD-Milford 125 Main St Ste 500 Milford 48381 (248) 529-3506 www.dskims.com

Self Defense America 2450 Lincoln Street Highland 46322 (219) 545-7894 Ancient Memories Academy 2600 E Euclid Des Moines 50317 (515) 266-6209 Chung Kimʼs Black Belt Academy 1423 18th St Bettendorf 52722 (563) 359-7000 Jungʼs TaeKwonDo Inc. New Life Fitness World Cedar Rapids 52404 (319) 396-1980 Jungʼs TaeKwonDo 501 Panama St Nashua 50658 (641) 435-4920 Martial Arts America 621 S. Ankeny Blvd.

Ankeny, Iowa 50021 www.martialartsamerica.net Raccoon Valley Martial Arts 104 S 7th St Adel 50003 (515) 993-3474 Two Rivers Martial Arts Inc. 2017 Southlawn Des Moines 50315 (515) 285-5049

KANSAS

Choon Leeʼs Academy of TKD 11453 W 64th St Shawnee Mission 66203 (913) 631-1414 Ryu Kyu Imports 5005 Merrian Lane Merriam 66203 (913) 782-3920

Choi Kwang Do Trenton 3010 Van Horn Rd Suite A Trenton 48183 (734) 675-2464 International TKD Association PO Box 281 Grand Blanc 48480 (810) 232-6482 itatkd.com Universal American Natl TKD PO Box 249 Sturgis 49091 (574) 243-3450 uantu.org World Martial Arts Association 37637 5 Mile Rd #348 Livonia 48154 (734) 536-1816

MISSOURI

American Midwest TKD Academy 315 W Pacific St Webster Grove 63119 (314) 968-9494 Choon Leeʼs Black Belt Academy 121 NE 72nd St Gladstone 64114 (816) 436-5909 Kuk Sool Won of St. Peters #1 Sutters Mill Road St. Peters 63376 (636) 928-0035 Master Jeʼs World Martial Arts 6204 NW Barry Rd Kansas City 64154 (816) 741-1300

NEVADA

Cane Masters Intl Association PO Box 7301 Incline Village 89452 canemasters.com

East West Martial Art Supply 2301 E Sunset Rd Suite 22 Las Vegas 89119 (702) 260-4552 Wheatley Intl TaeKwon-Do 1790 W Fourth St Reno 89503 (775) 826-2355

NEW JERSEY

Cumberland County Martial Arts 531 N High St Millville 08332 (856) 327-2244 International Martial Arts 10 Main St Woodbridge 07095 888-IMATKD1 www.IMATKD.com Ki Yun Yiʼs Karate Institute 560 S Evergreen Ave Woodbury 08096 (609) 848-2333 Richard Chun TaeKwonDo Center 87 Stonehurst Dr Tenafly 07670 (201) 569-3260

NEW MEXICO

Grandmaster Hee Il Choʼs TKD 8214 Montgomery Blvd NE Albuquerque 87110 (505) 292-4277

NEW YORK

Black Belt Fitness Center 54-10 31st Ave Woodside 11377 (718) 204-1777 idlokwan.org Dynamics World Martial Supply (800) 538-1995 dynamicsworld.com Intl Taekwon-Do Academy 54 Nagle Ave New York City 10034 (212) 942-9444 itakick@aol.com Iron Dragon Fitness & SelfDefense 88-8 Dunning Rd Middletown 10940 (845) 342-3413 New Age TKD & Hapkido 2535 Pearsall Ave Bronx 10469 (347)228-8042 Pro Martial Arts (866) 574-0228 mauricepromartialarts.com Queens Taekwon-do Center 89-16 Roosevelt Ave Basement Jackson Heights 11372 (718) 639-6998 TʼaeCole TKD Fitness 909 Willis Ave Albertson 11507 (516) 739-7699 taecoleTKD.com

NORTH CAROLINA

NKMAA - North Carolina Master Monty Hendrix Essential Martial Arts, Inc (336) 282-3000 Lionʼs Den Martial Arts 413 N Durham Ave Creedmore 27522 (919) 528-6291 sajado.org World TaeKwonDo Center 112 Kilmayne Dr Cary 27511 (919) 469-6088

OHIO

NKMAA-Ohio Master Doug Custer Nacient Oriental Fighting Arts 608 S Platt St, Montpelier 43543

OREGON

NKMAA-Oregon Master Kevin Janisse NW Korean Martial Arts 12083 SE Eagle Dr,Clackamas 97015

PENNSYLVANIA ICF Hapkido 7252 Valley Ave Philadelphia 19128 (215) 483-5070

Intl Tang Soo Do Federation 3955 Monroeville Blvd Monroeville 15146 (412) 373-8666 Mark Cashattʼs TKD School 30 West Broad St Souderton 18964 (215) 721-1839 Pan-Am Tang Soo Do Federation 1450 Mt Rose Ave York 17403 (717) 848-5566 Red Tiger TaeKwonDo-USTC 1912 Welsh Rd Philadelphia 19115 (215) 969-9962 red-tiger.com The Martial Artist 9 Franklin Blvd Philadelphia 19154 (800) 726-0438 World Tang Soo Do Association 709 Oregon Ave Philadelphia 19146 (215) 468-2121

TENNESSEE

World Black Belt Bureau Grandmaster Kang Rhee Cordova (Memphis) 38088 (901) 757-5000 worldbbb.com

TEXAS

Alakoji Knife & Martial Art Supply San A 302 W Madison Ave Harlingen 78550 (956) 440-8382 Central Texas TKD Council Master Danny Passmore (254) 662-3229

Champion Training 522 W Harwood Rd Hurst 76054 (817) 605-1555

ALBERTA

Kim始s Academy of TaeKwonDo 4447 Thousand Oaks Dr San Antonio 78233 (210) 653-2700

First Canada Tang Soo Do 209 3400 14th St NW Calgary T2K 1H9 (403) 284-BBKI

Kuk Sool Won of Austin 13376 Reserach Blvd #605 Austin 78750 (512) 258-7373

QUEBEC

COM-DO Direct (780) 460-7765 comdo.com

Intl Bum Moo HKD-Hoshinkido 111 Laurentides Blvd Pont-Viau Montreal Laval H7G-2T2 (450) 662-9987

Kuk Sool Won of Baytown 805 Maplewood Baytown 77520 (281) 428-4930

ONTARIO

Kuk Sool Won of Sault Ste. Marie 40 White Oak Dr E Sault Ste. Marie P6B 4J8 (705) 253-4220

Kuk Sool Won of Clear Lake 907 El Dorado Blvd #110 Houston 77062 (281) 486-5425

NKMAA- Ontario Master Dusty Miner Sidekicks School of MA 2421 New St, Burlington

Progressive Martial Arts 112 E Sam Rayburn Dr Bonham 75418 (903) 583-6160

GERMANY

World Martial Arts League Klaus Schuhmacher Rhoenstr 55 Offenbach 63971 wmal@mail.com

World Kuk Sool Won 20275 FM 2920 Tomball 77375 (281) 255-2550

GREAT BRITAIN

Great Britain Tang Soo Do Headquarters for Europe TSD Tel: 01234-766-468

VERMONT

Stadion Enterprises Island Pond 05846 (802) 723-6175 stadion.com

INDIA

Martial Arts Academy of India 30 GF DDA Flads, Sarvapriva, Vihar, New Delhi 110016 Tel: (011) 686-1625

VIRGINIA

USA Tiger Martial Arts 48 Plaza Drive Manakin Sabot 23103 (804) 741-7400

Martial Arts Training Gulmohar Sports Center New Delhi 110049 Tel: 9111-467-1540

World Famous USA Tiger Martial 3941 Deep Rock Rd Richmond 23233 (804) 741-7400

PAKISTAN

World Martial Arts Group Dr. Jerry Beasley Christiansburg 24068 aikia.net

Zulfi TKD Academy of Pakistan II-B 10/2 Nazimabad Karachi Tel: 9221-660-5788

WASHINGTON

SOUTH KOREA

Robert Ott Martial Arts 9235 Piperhill Dr SE Olympia 98513 (360) 888-0474

Korean MA Instructors Association SongSanRi 661, BonJi JonNam JangSongKun JangSongUb Chollanamdo Kmaia.org

Sim始s TaeKwonDo USA 9460 Rainier Ave S Seattle 98118 (206) 725-4191

WISCONSIN

American Martial Arts Center 2711 Allen Blvd Suite 82 Middleton 53562 (808) 831-5967 amac-tkd.com J.K. Lee Black Belt Academy 12645 W Lisbon Rd Brookfield 53005 (262) 783-5131

CANADA

To list your school or business email info@taekwondotimes.com or call 319-396-1980.

NKMAA- Headquarters Master Rudy Timmerman 1398 Airport Rd,Sault Ste. Marie, P6A 1M4

It was reported d that h the h recent Penn Vs. St-Pierre S fight f h received more than one million pay-per-views. At a cost of $39.95 per purchase, the January 31, 2009, fight brought in more than forty million dollars in TV buys and another few million in attendance receipts. MMA (mixed martial arts) has now replaced boxing as America’s most popular spectator fight sport. Martial arts are more popular than boxing and MMA is the most popular martial art in the world.

Modern MMA can best be described as a mix of boxing, Kickboxing, Muay Thai, Brazilian Jujitsu, and wrestling.

As the arts are “mixed” they lose their individual status and become merely an interpretation of each fighter. Few fighters rely on just one art. The champions in each division are a compilation of many arts and training methods.

On occasion, an Asian martial art like Karate or Tae Kwon Do (TKD) is identified with the MMA sport. For example, Georges St-Pierre (often called the top pound-for-pound fighter in the sport) earned his black belt in Karate before evolving into the MMA superstar he is today. Joe Rogan, commentator for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), often mentions how Karate-trained MMA fighters, such as Lyoto Machida, display a type of rhythm that makes other fighters unsure of how to best approach them. MMA superstar Chuck Liddell wears a Kempo tattoo on his shoulder to identify his affiliation with the martial art. Modern MMA certainly can identify traditional TKD and Karate in its evolutionary lines.

In January 1970, Karate legend Joe Lewis created the modern sport of American Kickboxing, a forerunner of MMA. Lewis recalls that in the first few title defenses there were few if any rules. The fighters could wear shoes and kick to the face, legs, or body. In some matches, Lewis was hit with elbows, knees, and head butts. It was not uncommon to see a fighter be stomped after being swept to the floor. Certainly, the first NHB (no holds barred) fights were represented in those early Kickboxing events, if for no other reasons than the fact that fighters were unprepared to follow the rules and referees were not properly schooled in ways to stop rule infractions.

In the fall of 1993, Brazilian entrepreneur Rorion Gracie introduced the next version of NHB fighting. The first few Ultimate Fighting Championships were best described by the popular advertising slogan, “There are no rules.” Within a few years, the NHB fight sport had evolved into a method of fighting which utilized the most efficient mixture of full contact stand-up and ground fighting skills. In modern MMA training, it is common to train under one instructor for standup, another trainer for ground work and employ still another coach for conditioning and nutrition. The specificity of the MMA fight sport requires a diversity of instructional methods.

Some individuals might argue that TKD is not at all like MMA fighting. TKD is for self-defense, fitness, sport, and character development. This is true. Because TKD practitioners already excel at self-defense, fitness, sport, and character development, many still do not consider MMA as a viable art from which to extract skills that can be learned and applied

94 May 2009 / taekwondotimes.com

h dojang. d ff T in the But MMA h has a llot to offer TKD schools in terms of practical fighting skills, conditioning routines, and nutritional information. MMA is first and foremost about mixing skills that work and rejecting the concept that only one country can provide realistic fighting techniques.

When I began TKD instruction in the summer of 1968, my American instructor mixed TKD with boxing skills. My Korean TKD instructor mixed Judo with his TKD lessons.

We were expected to be at least equivalent to the green or brown belt level in Judo before taking the TKD dan exam. In effect, we were taught a mixed form of TKD and boxing for our stand-up and combat Judo for our ground fighting skills.

Today, many TKD instructors mix Judo, Jujitsu, Kickboxing, Muay Thai, and other arts with their TKD classes. It’s only a matter of time before more TKD instructors begin to investigate MMA to extract the skills that are most adaptable to their TKD programs. Many are already ahead of that curve.

MMA combat strategies seem to focus more on combinations than the one strike victory skills associated with classical TKD. We can learn to advance our punching and kicking combinations by combining MMA methods with TKD. Certainly, an area of weakness for most TKD schools can be found in the preparation phase for ground fighting. If your TKD program is intended for reality self-defense, then you have to have a few tried and true ground submissions skills before you can pronounce your method “street ready.”

Why not teach MMA stand-up skills in the dojang? Why not include some MMA ground skills? We don’t have to convert to MMA simply to benefit from their research and training. Consider attending a few MMA seminars or purchase a few MMA instructional videos and determine for yourself how you might adapt a few MMA skills to your dojang instruction.

MMA is a new martial art that combines the most practical performance based skills from many arts. Just as it was once popular to adapt Judo and boxing skills to the TKD programs, it is now necessary to investigate MMA methods to be sure we are constantly updating and improving our individual systems of TKD. Dr. Jerry Beasley is Professor of Exercise, Sport and Health at Radford University in Virginia where he heads the Asian Martial Arts Minor and produces the world famous Karate College MMA training camp. Dr. Beasley has earned an eighth-dan in Tae Kwon Do Moo Duk Kwan and an eighth-dan in Joe Lewis Kickboxing. Visit his MMA trainers’ association at aikia.net.

33' GTJ ?U[ H_ *X 0KXX_ (KGYRK_

TKDT Correspondents Iowa Dan Spangler Jason Amoriell Julia Freel Ron Johnson Soyang Kwon Wallace Cooper Zoe Verchota

United States Alaska Lucinda Miller Arizona Jerry Laurita

Arkansas Johnny D. Taylor

Louisiana He-Young Kimm Ronda Sweet Maryland Dylan Presman Eric Frederick William Blake

$ % . . / 4 0 3 Florida Arthur Pryor Cynthia Breed Mel Steiner Sang Koo Kang Steve Blanton Thomas Gordon Victor Fontanez

South Carolina Daniel Middleton Hyo-Won Choe Michelle Kim Texas Dennis McHenry Don Kirsch Greg Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Neal Richard Sacks Robert McLain

New Zealand Rua Kaiou Nigeria George Ashiru

Bulgaria Robert Haritonov

North Korea Bong-Man Ra Jae-Hun Chung

Canada Marc-Andre Roy Mounir Ghrawi Phap Lu China Dong Yong Zheng Liang Huiyu Costa Rica Carlos Orozco

Norway Dag Jacobsen Jessica Stenholm Pakistan Rizwan Zubairi

Croatia Nenad Seferagic

Russia Alla Rabkina Nazarenko Ekaterina Yong Hun Kim Slovenia Zeljko Gvozdic

!002/6%$ !00 $

Georgia Michael Wilson Seong Young Ji Susan Whitfield Suzanne Ellenberger Illinois Aaron Wayne-Duke Fernan Vargas Jeremy Talbott Michael Curtis Indiana James Theros

Mississippi David Higgs J.R. West

Pennsylvania Charles Vaughn Chong Su Kim Gregory Bruno Jennefer Pursell LaClaire MitchellNzerem Michael Aloia Stephen DiLeo

Missouri Dan Perry Joshua Paszkiewicz Nebraska Jeffrey Helaney Sue Sands-Buss

New Jersey Anthony Roure Belida Han Uckan Benjamin Paris Michael Robinson Quoc Tran Taek Sung Cho

Virginia Arlene Limas Carol Griffis Chuck Thornton Joseph Catlett Jr. Pamela Justice

Washington Aaron Rayburn Joshua Dylka Kathrin Sumpter Robert Ott Sang B. Yun Susan Mix

# /2 2 %

Delaware Frank Fattori John Godwin

Michigan Stace Sanchez

Oklahoma Edward Smith

Nepal G.L. Chapain Krishna Balal

Brazil Ricardo Capozzi

New York Elvis Mendez Erica Linthorst George Vitale Kalynn Amadio Maurice Elmalem Sidney Rubinfeld Wee Sun Ngiaw North Carolina Jun Lee Master Rondy Steven Childress Ted Abbott

Wisconsin Erik Richardson Koang Woong Kim Tarryl Janik Argentina Nicolas Toboada Ricardo Desimone

Egypt Azza Ahmed Fouly Mohamed Riad Ibrahim France Pierre Sabbah

Germany Byonho Won Klaus Schumacher India Sanjay Sachdeva Shammi Rana

$%

Connecticut Kenneth Hilliard Robert Beaudoin

$ + 4 4

Massachusetts Gilbert Woodside, Jr. Norman McLinden

Colorado Dan Piller Karen Eden Renee Sereff

Ohio C.M. Griffin David Hamilton Joon Pyo Choi Shawn Hamblin

Australia Joon No Steven Luxmoore Tam Fook Chee Bangladesh Mohammad Sikder

,$ 7/2 7)

California Alex Haddox Daniela Camargo Federico Luna Jodi Lasky Man Tran Oscar Duran Peter Dallman Ray Terry Ron Shane

North Dakota Jere Hilland

Iran Bahmanyar Roudgarnia Hossein Farid Sabbagh Japan Pak Chong Hyon

Mexico Angel Flores Gerardo Rosales Jose Lozoya Jose Velardes Marco Cardenas Roberto Mendoza Sonja Patratz

South Korea Chan-Mo Chung Chang Sup Shin Dong Young Park Gregory Brundage Guy Larke Hyun Chul Kim James Yoo Jinsung Kim Jung Doo Han Seok Je Lee Sook Kyung Moon Young Mi Yun Sweden Daniel Lee

Tanzania Lawrence Masawe Pascal Ilungu Uganda Sang Cheol Lee United Kingdom Alasdair Walkinshaw Anthony Aurelius David Friesen Ralph Allison

*List does not include all worldwide correspondents

Become a Correspondent! Learn how at taekwondotimes.com taekwondotimes.com / May 2009

95

Recently, an accomplished female martial artist asked me for advice on regaining her strength and flexibility after an upcoming surgery to replace both her hips.

Her hips were destroyed by the common methods of stretching and teaching kicks in the martial arts. This is not unusual, even for martial arts legends like Bill Wallace (both hips replaced) and Chuck Norris (one hip replaced). I gave her my thoughts and information on preparing for the surgery and on rehab. My advice applies to any kind of orthopedic surgery, not just hip replacements. Here is what I wrote: Most injuries, certainly the chronic ones as well as many of the sudden ones, are end results of muscular dysfunctions that, through a chain of compensations, culminate in the most vulnerable body part. So you need to realize that the damaged body part is at the end of a chain of compensations for a dysfunction elsewhere, sometimes quite far from the place of your symptoms.

Examples of this are lower back pain due to poor head position, upper back or shoulder pain due to a foot injury, or hip joint damage due to imbalance of thigh muscle activity.

Now that the damage to your joints is so severe as to require surgery, you need to realize something else—a surgeon is not going to correct the cause of your joints’ damage, only fix the damage itself. So the surgeon will remove damaged cartilage or bone spurs, or put in artificial joint surfaces, but will do nothing about the muscle imbalance that caused you to need the surgery.

The surgeon also will do nothing about the secondary imbalances caused by the damage to your joints. When your joints hurt, you use your muscles differently than when your joints are normal. If this lasts, the abnormal pattern of muscle use becomes so ingrained it may not go away on its own after the surgery.

Here are three things you must do to ensure you regain normal function after surgery: 1. Choose your surgeon well. Find the best available specialist. A lot of things can go wrong in the operating room, so check references. Ask how well this surgeon’s patients function after surgery. Are they active in sports? Do they need other operations

96 May 2009 / taekwondotimes.com

later on—for example, after a knee replacement, will you eventually need a hip joint replacement? This is a bad sign.

2. Prepare for the surgery. The surgeon will tell you that you need a certain level of strength and mobility prior to the operation to increase your chances of a good outcome. But you need to do even more than that.

Prior to the surgery, you need to find and fix muscular imbalances—those that caused your joint’s damage and those that resulted from your joint’s damage. If you don’t, the post-surgery rehabilitation will be an uphill struggle, and you might not regain normal function. The specialist who will work on correcting these imbalances will tell you when you are ready for the surgery. I recommend you seek the help of someone certified in Muscle Activation Techniques (MAT) and Active Release Techniques (ART) or at least one of them.

3. Do rehabilitation after the surgery with the same people who prepared you for the surgery. Some physical therapists are certified in MAT and ART, some even know applied kinesiology, but a sports chiropractor with either ART or MAT certification seems like the best choice. You can learn more about Active Release Techniques at www.activerelease.com and about Muscle Activation Techniques at www.muscleactivation.com.

I close with a list of questions a prospective patient should ask the surgeon: 1. What is the diagnosis, and can I recover my full strength and flexibility without an operation?

2. Do you have experience with this type of injury?

3. If not, do you know a surgeon who has such experience, and can you help request an emergency second opinion?

4. When should this be operated on?

5. How long before it is too late?

6. What should I do or not do before the operation?

7. How long is the planned hospital stay after the operation?

Thomas Kurz is an athlete, a physical education teacher, and a Judo instructor and coach. He studied at the University School of Physical Education in Warsaw, Poland (Akademia Wychowania Fizycznego). He is the author of Stretching Scientifically, Science of Sports Training: How to Plan and Control Training for Peak Performance, Secrets of Stretching, and Basic Instincts of SelfDefense. He also writes articles for Stadion News, a quarterly newsletter that is available from Stadion Publishing (stadion.com or stretching.info). For self-defense tips visit self-defense.info. If you have any questions on training you can post them at Stadion’s Sports and Martial Arts Training Discussion at stadion.com/ phpBB2.

9ZXKZIN ?U[XYKRL H_ :NUSGY 1[X`

Calendar of Events April

25 40th Annual U.S. Eastern Regional Karate Championship to be hosted in Rockville, Maryland. For more information please email tkasudo@verizon.net.

May

8-9 Omaha National Martial Arts Championship. To learn more visit omahanationalmartialartschampionship. com.

12 EITF European Championships in Slovenia. For more information please check out itftkd.org.

June

6 Intercontinental Cup at Algonquin College Woodroffe Campus Gymnasium Ottawa, Canada. For more information call (613) 837-4123 or e-mail phaplu@rogers.com.

6 2009 Taekwondo Leadership Summit Weekend in Las Vegas. For more information call (212) 595-1256.

12-14 4th Annual Battle at the Beach International Martial Arts Tournament to be held in St. Croix Virgin Islands in the Caribbean. For more info call (340) 6432265 or email fermin1952@yahoo.com or lmfricke@ hotmail.com.

30 2009 USAT National Championships / Junior Olympics in Austin, Texas. For more information visit us-taekwondo.us.

July

10-15 2009 Chuncheon Open Internation/ International Taekwondo Championships to be held in Chuncheon City, Korea. For more information please visit koreaopentkd.org.

25 1st Annual All-Star Specially Challenged Martial Arts Championship & Banquet to be held at Salem Lutheran Church in Tomball, Texas. For more information visit AllStarMA.com.

November

19 IX Pan-Am Games in Yauco,/Puerto Rico.

For 97 taekwondotimes.com March 2009 more information visit ptc-games.com.

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C. M. Griffin holds black belts in several martial arts. He is involved in many facets of the performing arts from stunt coordinator to director. He has written, produced and directed projects for television and for corporations. He owns and operates his own Hwa Rang Do school in Ohio.

.IQ )Â&#x2026;G "CIHC= Check this out: back in January of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;08, I met with Dr. Michael Welsh and decided to have a total left hip replacement in roughly three months. We had an immediate rapport and for me thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going some. I admit, I am hard on doctors. In â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;04, when I first heard that I would need a hip replacement, the physicianâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s assistant only saw me for thirty seconds. He acted as if I was 70! He said that I would be able to swim, play tennis, golf and mall walk, but nothing more strenuous. I told him I was a martial arts instructor. He said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Not anymore.â&#x20AC;?

Excuse me?

I asked more questions, but he danced around them. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s when the actual doctor ran in, told me I needed the surgery and should speak to the nurse to schedule it. I asked if there were any other options, but he had already run out of the room to see the next patient.

I left a bit angry. I had questions and they were unwilling to answer them. I had to get more information. I wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t satisfied with someone peeking their head into a room, giving me a life-transforming diagnosis with a bleak prognosis and leaving it at that. I saw other doctors.

One young lady actually told me it was time to think about retirement! I wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t even 50 yet. According to her, as long as I had my family and reasonably good health she would prescribe medications to ease my pain! Are you serious?! She also told me I was â&#x20AC;&#x153;way too heavyâ&#x20AC;? as she walked into the room reading my chartâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;before she even laid eyes on me! I weighed 235 pounds at that time; when I played football, I was 250; when I was competing, I weighed 225.

When she said that to me, I was still very active, training two hours a day, six days a week. I mean hard, sweat-breaking, muscle-aching, make Kuksa Nim smile type of training. I admit I was slowing down because of the pain, plus I couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t do certain movements. Kicking techniques, particularly sidekicks, were difficult to do. I developed a different fighting stance based on traditional Chinese medicine and practice. I found a way to continue training. Instead of a traditional fighting stance, I worked out of an hourglass stance, a version of Nae Kulip Debe Jasae, with my feet slightly pointed inwards. This took the pressure off my left hip and I was able to move.

Anyway, the point was she didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t look at me, nor find out anything about my lifestyle, before she made those decisions about me.

The most aggravating thing about that time period was the fact that most of the doctors insisted I was on some sort of narcotics. I had to be in order to be mobile and tolerate the pain. They gave me multiple tests and it always came back negative. I do not take drugs if I can help it. It was very annoying. (Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll tell you at another time what happened between a doctor and I who insisted martial arts and ki power were a lot of garbage. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m sure heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fully recovered by now, and there were no lawsuits.)

Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve said it before and Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll say it again: if you are a martial arts instructor, actively teaching classes, then you are a professional athlete. We should be treated the same as pro athletes like Brett Favre, Kevin Garnett, Oscar DeLaHoya or Cung Le; we make a living using our bodies. We may not make as much money as those guys, but the mentality, the psychology is the same. Executing precise, accurate techniques, putting combinations together and doing forms, maybe even sparring with the students; we need our bodies to do this, our life is our bodies. We are professional athletes and should be handled by the medical profession as such. But I digress.

Based on friends and references in the martial arts and sports community, I went to see Dr. Welsh. As I said earlier, he was different. He is a relatively young man, but he is â&#x20AC;&#x153;old schoolâ&#x20AC;? in his methodology.

He actually spoke to me! He treated me as a person, not just another name in the appointment log. He understood about my pain management having worked with a number of professional athletes in the NFL, NBA, MLB, boxers and martial artists. He knew the difference between Ju-Jitsu and Tae Kwon Do and the injuries inherent in both.

He told me about some of the other athletes and martial artists he had treated, some were world famous. We spoke about my training and why this condition may have manifested. Hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s something; he knew the body mechanics involved in order to execute a side kick!

98 May 2009 / taekwondotimes.com

I trusted him, so we set the date for the procedure. He also told me what types of drills and training I could continue to do up until the surgery. Yeah, he understands what we do and our psychology.

Before you go in for surgery, there are tons of procedures and tests.

For example, I needed to have my own supply of blood so they drew a lot of blood from me. Then they kept sticking me and taking more blood for tests. They took so much I wondered if there was a black market demand for my blood!

Then you need to inform folks that you are going to be out for awhile. When you do, everyone wants to tell you tales of their surgery and how it ruined their life or their cousinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s brotherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s friendâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wifeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s uncle who had the same procedure and died from it! Why in the world would I want to hear that mess before I go into my first major surgery? The old adage â&#x20AC;&#x153;misery loves companyâ&#x20AC;? does not apply here.

Do you tell someone taking a train trip about all the train crashes youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve heard about? The person is nervous enough as it is. Wish them good luck and God speed.

Dr. Welsh informs me about my recovery, saying it may be more painful due to the amount of muscle that has to be cut. The recovery time may be between four and eight weeks. For the first few weeks Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be â&#x20AC;&#x153;house-riddenâ&#x20AC;? and not completely mobile.

Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m trying not to think about the surgery, but every time I try to tie my shoes or stand for a period of time, my hip reminds me that I will be going under the knife in a matter of weeks. A week before the surgery, I go the hospital. I fill out a pound of paperwork and then I go to a surgery group. The nurse informs us about our surgery, what will happen that day, the anesthesia, how we may feel, going to the bathroom, etc. She then tells us that we will have to give ourselves daily injections in the belly for 21 days. Oh, that really sounds like fun! She also tells us that we need to wear loose clothes because of the packing, the bandages covering the incision. She also gives us a little preview of the type of aftercare we will need.

The Friday before my surgery I go to the hospital for some final tests. They also mark my hip and legs to make sure the doctors operate on the correct side. It is very uncomfortable in that room. I feel like Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m on Star Trek as this huge revolving piece of equipment orbits my prone, almost naked body. It is operated by all these women with â&#x20AC;&#x153;reassuring smilesâ&#x20AC;? and a saccharine manner. I wonder if they speak to their friends and family in the same tones. After that, I meet with a doctor who asks various health and social questions.

The weekend goes by without incident. Sunday I have a fitful sleep.

Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m going to have major surgery, be under anesthesia and all that. I will wake up hours later and be in pain according to the doctors, but the pain will go away after a few days. In a few months, I should be able to move, to bend, to train, to teach, to do my martial art again without pain. All this plays through my mind as I try to drift off to sleep.

:NK 2GYZ =UXJ H_ ) 3 -XOLLOT

Tel (562) 251-1600 Fax (562) 251-1611 7120 Alondra Blvd., Paramount, CA 90723 www.sangmoosa.com, info@sangmoosa.com

May mix different color combination. Custom make for your school logo and Silkscreen printing, Cloth lettering, Name embroidery, Sew on patches, Special line trimming on custom uniform. NO MINIMUM ORDER !!! (Call for more information)

PRIDE UNIFORM

We specialize in all kinds of custom works done in-house.

Silver NANO& Multi-Functional textile TKD Uniform

MOOTO HEADGEAR

KTA Approved CHEST PROTECTOR

TKD NEW POOMSAE BOOKS MOOTO FOREARM

MOOTO GRION GUARD

MOOTO SHIN GUARD

MOOTO SHIN & INSTEP

Make with your own logo.

WTF Approved Hand Protector KTA Approved Foot Protector

MOOTO WINGS SHOES

Picture showes how Table Cover will be displaced for any Occasion.

Any design or logo can be done.

We’re also carry ADIDAS products.

Adi-Cham II Fabric Detail

Champion II Fabric Detail

ADI-CHAMP II TKD UNIFORM ADIDAS CHAMPION II TKD UNIFORM (WV,BV, SIZE:000଩8)

taekwondotimes.com / May 2008

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TKD Enterprises

Catalog

Martial Art Products

Featured DVDs

WTF Standard Taekwondo Poomsae

North Korea Demo DVD with Bonus Still Photo DVD

The only WTF-recognized standard poomsae video textbook available used by instructors, demonstrators and referees.

Each DVD contains full-length poomsae instruction. Multilanguage version (Korean / English / French / Spanish / German). Item D035 / 4-disk set / $99.00

Exclusive video footage authorized only for sale by TKDT. View the full color DVD of the entire Cedar Rapids demonstration as the North Korea TKD Team dazzles and delights with high-flying kicks, devastating breaks and self-defense skits that will have you on the edge of your seat. Witness this once in a lifetime show in your home today and receive a bonus DVD with full color photos of their historic trip to the U.S. Item D047/ $15.00 Reduced to $4.99!

ITF Tul ITF Basic Posture, Chon-Ji, Dan-Gun, Do-San, Won-Hyo, Yul-Gok, Joong-Gun, Toi-Gae, Hwa-Rang, Choong-Moo. Vol. 2:Kwang-Gae, Po-Eun, Ge-Baek, Eui-Am, Choong-Jang, Ju-Che, Sam-Il, Yoo-Sin, Choi-Yong. Languages: Korean, English and Japanese. 210 minutes.

Item D043 / Entire 2-disk set / $55.00

17th Spain World TKD Championships Watch gorgeous techniques of top-level players as they compete in Madrid. Witness the introduction of “sudden death” and how changing the matches from three to two minutes intensifies the bouts! 240 minutes. Item D040 / $32.00

Master Jung’s Know-How of Actual Gyeorugi This 4-disk set, featuring the Bible of Taekwondo Gyeorugi is taught by Professor Jung. Amongst his highest achievements are being a four-time consecutive World Taekwondo champion and a gold medalist in the 1988 Olympics. Vol. 1: Basic Skills. Vol. 2: Step and Feint Motion. Vol. 3: Strategy. Vol. 4: Real Competition Strategy. 480 minutes. Language: Korean Subtitles: English, Spanish. Item D038 / $99.00

Flow and Flexibility These carefully chosen techniques from the Budokon System will teach you to address areas of weakness and limited range while cultivating kinetic chains of energy and seamless transitions. Props recommended: fitness mat, yoga brick. Item DPP01 / $25.00

World Taekwondo Hanmadang 2005 Watch 2,899 TKD players from ten countries compete in diverse events like poomsae, breaking, aerobics, hoshinsul, and more. New events such as ‘consecutive turning and kick-breaking’ and ‘jumping kick-breaking’ appear for the first time and set new world records. Languages: Korean, English. 140 minutes. Item D037 / $19.00

Arirang Festival DVD This multi-million dollar production takes all year to create and incorporates thousands of performers. View the full color extravaganza as you see superior artistry and coordination, wonderful singing and spectacular dance. Item D046/ $10.00

Revolution of Kicking II This product is a two volume set. When you grasp the knowledge and skills in this DVD set, you will possess the skills to be a master! Now Mooto reveals the know-how of Tae Kwon Do Air kicking on the master level. This easy explanation with classified kicking can be modeled for your training. Vol 1: Pine board breaking, single breaking, breakfall breaking, and combination. Vol 2: Breaking with turn, In air dwi-chagi, obstacle breaking, and general breaking. Item D048 / $43.00

2001-2003 World Taekwondo Matches A four-disk set showcasing the World Taekwondo matches from 2001 to 2003.

Vol. 1 (200 min.): The 2001 World Cup in Vietnam. Vol. 2 (240 min.): The 15th Jeju World Taekwondo Championships. Vol. 3 (235 min.): The 2002 Tokyo Taekwondo World Cup. Vol. 4 (240 min.): The 2003 World Taekwondo Championships.Item D039 / $109.00

Strength and Balance This program is designed specifically to strengthen and tone the entire body while cultivating incredible arm and single leg balance. Props recommended: fitness mat, yoga brick.

Item DPP02 / $25.00

Power and Agility This is the preferred training tool for experienced yogis, MMA fighters, martial artists, and Olympic athletes alike. Props recommended: fitness mat, yoga brick. Item DPP03 / $25.00

Essential Defense System This three-disc DVD set with Michael Aloia delivers a simple, effective approach to self-protection. Vol 1: methods of E.D.S. Vol 2: striking, takedowns, joint locks, controls and theory. Vol 3: falling, confined spaces and weapon defenses. Item DPP04 / $32.99

Secrets of Stretching Learn what determines how flexible you are, how to choose your stretching method for any sport or martial art, and have full flexibility without any warm-up.Multi-language version in English, French and Spanish. 92 minutes. Item DPP06 / $49.95

The Power High Kicks with No Warm-Up! Learn to kick high and with power without any warm-up! Kick “cold” without injuring yourself or pulling muscles and put more power and snap in your high kicks. 80 minutes.

Item DPP07 / $49.95

Order online at taekwondotimes.com or call toll free: 1-800-388-5966

Featured DVDs Clinic on Stretching and Kicking

The Complete Library Set -17 DVDs

See the dynamic stretch that is most important for kickers; plus step-by-step drills for front kick, side kick, roundhouse kick and for combinations. 101 minutes. Item DPP08 / $29.95

Commando Krav Maga (Vol.1-5): Survive Vicious Ground Attacks (Vol.1&2): Survive Any Gun Confrontation (Vol. 1&2): Best Of The Israeli Fighting Systems (Vol. 1&2): Vicious Knife Attacks (3 Disc Series): Military Krav Maga (One Vol.): Street Survival (One Vol.): Combatant (One Vol.). Item DPP12 / $392.95

Basic Instincts of Self-Defense Learn defenses against unarmed attacks, including 55 common attacks that turn the attackerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s force against him. 104 minutes. Item DPP09 / $39.95

The Quick Fit Library: 6 Dvd Set + FullColor Book

Acrobatic Tumbling Step-by-step instruction for one-hand, two-hand, and aerial cartwheels, round-off, front and back handspring, and front somersault. 105 minutes. Item DPP10 / $49.95

6 Training Dvds: Over 6 hours of revolutionary training drills: Over 300 proven techniques: Solo and partner exercises: Step-by-step progressive routines: PLUS The Elite Combat Fitness Book with 240 full color pages.

Item DPP14 / $239.95

The Platinum Set-23 Dvds + Book !"#"# $%$3) , +, ) , )) ) !"#"# 1 ) ) . ) ) ) ) 4 ) ) 56 , 7 ), * * ) ) 5/ 7 ) ) ) 8 - +, ) - )) ) 9 & :; ) , . ) ) 4 ) ) * )

Elite Israeli Combat DVD Set

The Complete Library Set with 17 DVDs with the Quick Fit Library with 6-DVD set and book. Item DPP13 / $594.95

The 3-disc set includes: defense and disarm techniques for firearm threats; edged-weapon defense; â&#x20AC;&#x153;on the groundâ&#x20AC;? survival defense; handto-hand techniques; military, police and counter terrorism CQB; combat conditioning essentials; and applicable defensive tools for every person. Item DPP11 / $99.00

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Featured Books The Book of Teaching & Learning TaeKwonDo 12 chapter book details how TKD was introduced as an Olympic sport and the tasks facing TKD people to maintain its Olympic status after the 2012 London Olympic Games. Also with 68 pages of poomsae diagrams.448 pages, Hardcover. Item B041 / $69.95

Taekwon-Do: The Korean Art of SelfDefense A well-condensed version of General Choiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Encyclopedia, the book, also by Gen. Choi, is 765 pages and focuses on self-defense aspects of Taekwon-Do plus its history. Additional postage required. Hardcover.

Item B015 / $99.00 Reduced to $69.99

Choi Kwang Do Learn the science behind Choi Kwang Do and how its practitioners can live more productive, longer and healthier lives. Additional postage required.

Item B037 / $99.00

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WTF Taekwondo Textbook This 766-page Kukkiwon textbook is a compilation of all available updated data regarding TKD and focuses on the scientific analysis of theories as well as the three-dimensional illustrations of major physical motions.

Additional postage required.

Item B039 / $84.99

Taekwondo: Korean Traditional Martial Arts: Philosophy & Culture Grandmaster Kyong Myong Lee, a certified WTF ninth-dan, writes this 300-page, full color, coffee-table sized book offering a panoramic overview of TKD. Item B034 / $59.95

Authentic Tang Soo Do Learn authentic Tang Soo Do (Korean Karate) from an internationally known and respected authority, Grandmaster Chun Sik Kim, known for his dynamic technique, as well as his knowledge of Tang Soo Do. Item B035 / $124.95

Encyclopedia of Taekwon-Do This one of a kind encyclopedia by Gen. Choi Hong Hi has 15 volumes consisting of 5000 pages with 30,000 photos. The encyclopedia is the culmination of General Choiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lifelong research into TKDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s history and development. Hardcover English Version. Additional postage required. ORDER NOW, LIMITED SUPPLY! Item B014 / $275.00

Taekwondo Kyorugi: Olympic Style Sparring Learn sparring secrets of Olympic Gold Medalist and four-time World Champion Kuk Hyun Chung, WTF Deputy GeneralSecretary Kyung Myung Lee, and translator and editor Sang H. Kim. Item B027 / $12.95

Freestyle Sparring The ultimate freestyle sparring book for beginners to advanced martial artists in all hard-style disciplines. Regardless of skill level, the skills, drills, tactics, and conditioning taught will make you a faster, stronger and smarter fighter. Item B033 / $19.95

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The Making of a Martial Artist This book offers practical lessons on harmonious living and helps turn dreams into reality.

Hardcover Item B002 / $20.00

Martial Meditation: Philosophy and the Essence of the Martial Arts This 370-page textbook by Dr. Daeshik Kim and Allan Back examines the essence, distinctions and dynamics between art, sport, martial arts and martial sports and their historic and philosophical perspectives. Hardcover. Item B021 / $22.75

Eastern Spirit, Western Dreams This 226-page memoir captures the true hardships and joys of a small town, South Korean farm boy, TKDT Publisher Woojin Jung, who lives out his American dream. Item B038A (English) / $14.00 Item B038B (Korean) / $14.00

Mastering Taekwondo Sparring: The Basics A comprehensive look at all aspects of sparring and how to become the complete Taekwondo fighter. Item B029 / $29.95

Best Instructor + Best School = Best Life!

This 329-page book written by Grandmaster Woojin Jung is a must-have for school owners, instructors and students with a dream. Not only a helpful guide for new students to find the best instructor possible, this book is also a guide for new and established instructors and school owners on how to successfully manage and maintain a martial arts business. Item B030 / $25.00 Reduced to $19.00!

Featured Books Gold Medal Mental Workout for Combat Sports Package Set includes one book, one training log and four CDs. Let Dariusz Nowicki, the top East European sports psychologist, show you how the science of psychology can combine with your skill and physical training to make you a winner! Item BPP01 / $59.95

Stretching Scientifically Attain maximum height in your kicks with no warm-up!

Stretch safely and quickly to achieve and maintain maximum flexibility. Develop each of the three kinds of flexibility: dynamic, static active and static passive.214 pages. Softcover.

Item BPP02 / $25.99

Explosive Power and Jumping Ability for all Sports How well you jump and how powerfully you punch, pull, or throw depends on your explosive power, on your special endurance for explosive movements, and on your speed, coordination, and flexibility. This book tells you how to develop each of these abilities. 138 pages. Softcover. Item BPP03 / $23.95

Science of Sports Training This book uses the sports training know-how of internationally known training specialists to improve your speed, strength, power, endurance, coordination, and flexibility, as well as technical and tactical skills, while avoiding overtraining and injuries. 424 pages. Softcover. Item BPP05 / $39.95

Children and Sports Training The needs of boys and girls in sports training are dramatically different. Learn how to match the right sport with the right child, the right training program for the age and gender of the child. Learn the “sensitive ages” for development of movement abilities (endurance, coordination, speed, strength, flexibility). 250 pages. Softcover. Item BPP04 / $29.95

The Will Power This complete martial arts book by Maurice Elmalem has over 700 photos, illustrations and instructions, plus special training drills for fighting, endurance, speed and power. Learn breaking, self-defense, fighting applications, and how to become the best of the best.

Paperback Item BPP06p / $29.99 Hardcover Item BPP06h / $34.99

Breaking Unlimited

Chung Do Kwan: The Power of Tae Kwon Do

Breaking Unlimited by Maurice Elmalem is the only book written solely on the art of breaking. It features stepby-step instructions on how to break wood, glass, bricks, ice, cinder blocks, and more, in many different ways.

Paperback Item BPP07 / $29.99

The book offers the history and philosophy of Tae Kwon Do. With illustrations, this book presents Chung Do Kwan Tae Kwon Do with clear and easy to follow instructions. 164 pages. Item BPP14 / $15.50

The Bible of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

Simple Zen: A Guide to Living Moment

by Moment

A special book for studying and perfecting the “soft art” of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. It details step-by-step the technical aspects of various techniques and submissions using easy to understand photos. Paperback Item BPP09 / $29.99

Zen is a dynamic way to enhance living and improve martial arts practice. Easy to follow exercises are given for practice of meditation with poetry, brush painting, martial arts, and more. 158 pages. Item BPP15 / $12.95

JKD Without Limits Discussing the martial art founded by legendary Bruce Lee, Jeet Kune Do, the book contains: lessons from the ring, sparring, Bruce Lee’s five ways of attacking, and firearms training for martial artists.

Paperback Item BPP10 / $29.99

Fighting Dynamics This explosive book by Maurice Elmalem covers all aspects of fighting with over 1000 photos, various fighting styles of martial arts demonstrated by movie stars, historians, celebrities and grandmasters. Paperback Item BPP08 / $29.99

Taekwondo: Building on the Basics Perfect your Taekwondo skills at every level! Written by experienced instructors and authors, this book expands fundamentals, improves sparring, offers advanced leg and hand techniques, teaches realistic selfdefense methods, and unlocks the potentials of the mind using meditation. 260 pages. Item BPP11 / $18.95

Meditation from Thought to Action with Audio CD Learn meditation with these easy-to-follow exercises and methods. Learn the roots of Yoga, Buddhism, Zen, Confucianism, and Daoism.

Learn mental and body tools to begin meditating and clear the mind. The CD teaches the skills from the book and guides listeners into a deep meditative state. Item BPP12 / $18.95

Zen Around the World: A 2500 Year Journey from the Buddha to You The entire story of Zen. Martial artists will find inspiration along with instruction in traditional and innovative Zen meditation methods to help sharpen mental skills to add more focus, accuracy, speed, and power in every technique. 242 pages. Item BPP13 / $15.50

Simple Confucianism This book offers a clear and concise guide to the history, key concepts, and principles of Confucianism including benevolence, central harmony, the mean, and becoming a sage.140 pages.

Item BPP16 / $12.95

Simple Buddhism: A Guide to Enlightened Living An accessible guide to Buddhist concepts and practices including Mahayana and Theravada traditions. This book gives history, themes, and exercises including key mental practices such as the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path. 133 pages. Item BPP17 / $12.95

Simple Taoism: A Guide to Living in Balance A clear explanation of Taoism with simple exercises in meditation, breathing, chi kung, and tai chi chuan. An informative discussion of key Taoist concepts including “wu-wei” (achieving through non-action), “yin” and “yang”, and “te” (power and virtue). 177 pages.

Item BPP18 / $12.95

Simple Tibetan Buddhism: A Guide to Tantric Living A concise introduction to the unique history and traditions of Tibetan Buddhism, a philosophy that integrates ritual with practice. With simple exercies for incorporating visualization, diety yoga, mandalas, mantras and the esoteric, effective tantric methods, this book opens up new possibilities.144 pages. Item BPP19 / $12.95

Featured Books Tao in Ten, Easy Lessons for Spiritual Growth This book presents fundamental teachings from Taoism in ten easy lessons with a brief history.Each of the ten lessons gives experiences and understandings of a key Taoist principle, revealing the infinite potentials for better living at One with Tao. 158 pages.

Item BPP20 / $12.95

Zen in Ten, Easy Lessons for Spiritual Growth This book begins with a brief history to reveal Zen’s development and evolution through the ages. The ten lessons give fundamental principles and significant understandings of Zen. 152 pages.

Item BPP21 / $12.95

Chi Gong Medicine From God Lose weight with a seaweed diet. Prevent altitude and divers sickness, and many other advantages of Chi.Item B042 / $19.95

Buddhism in Ten, Easy Lessons for Spiritual Growth The Ten lessons contain fun damental principles of Buddhism along with clear and effective ways to apply Buddhism to many areas of life.152 pages. Item BPP22 / $12.95

Korean Martial Art: The Conquer of America

By Ho Sung Lee.The story of the history of Tae Kwon Do in the United States and the Korean pioneers who brought the art to America.

344 pages. Only available in Korean.

Item B040 / $19.99

Closeout Champions 2000: 14th Men’s & 7th Women’s WTF Championships Video Vol. A contains men’s and women’s fin, fly and men’s bantam competitions. Item T021A / $35.00 Reduced to $4.99!

Vol. B contains women’s bantam and men’s and women’s feather & light matches.

Item T021B / $35.00 Reduced to $4.99!

Vol. C contains men’s and women’s welter, middle and heavyweight championships Item T021C / $35.00 Reduced to $4.99!

Success and the Creative Imagination: The Unique Power of Do Sang Kyu Shim’s book provides a rich model of the way one can bring diversity of expression to the unity of understanding and fulfillment. Item B026 / $15.00 Reduced to $4.99!

Tae Kwon Do, Volume I & II Vol. 1 contains all of Poomsae (forms), Taeguek 1-8 and Palgwe 1-8, required to earn a black belt from the WTF. Vol. 2 illustrates Poomsae from Cho Dan to Grandmaster. Item B003 / Vol. 1 / $15.00 Reduced to $2.99!

Item B004 / Vol. 2 / $15.00 Reduced to $2.99!

Featured Training Products & Novelties Re-Useable Breaking Boards Endorsed by the Korea Taekwondo Association, the board’s rectangular shape and padding make it easier to hold while its slide groove enables faster and easier reassembling. Board color corresponds to belt level. Item K007/ Yellow (Easiest) $24.95 / Blue (Easy) $24.95 / Red (Harder) $24.95 / Black (Hardest) $28.95

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The Ultimate Martial Arts Board High strength plastic construction allows the board to be re-breakable time after time. A rubber palm pad provides a cushion for the holder. Different colors represent level of difficulty. Item K011 / White $34.95 / Orange $34.95 / Green $34.95 / Blue $34.95 / Brown $34.95 / Black $34.95

Jang Bong Sul (Long Pole) This three-section staff easily screws together to form the six-foot long bong that has been a part of Korean martial history for over 4,000 years.

Constructed with a durable core surrounded by a wood-simulated padded covering that will cushion strikes and blows.

Item K008 / $29.95

This 90/10 t-shirt is available in adult medium and large in both gray and white.

Item S001/ $10.00 Reduced 50% to $4.99!

Karate Kritters They’re back! These cute little toys make karate sounds when you squeeze their belly. Each stands 6” tall. TIGER—Item KKT1 / $9.95 BEAR—Item KKB1 / $9.95

Bamboo Fighting Fans Learn fan warfare with this fabric fan with a bamboo frame. Item FF01 / $12.95 Red or Black

Double Focus Target Two separate pads are bound together to create a training aid that enables you to actually hear the strength of your kick. A sturdy, elastic wrist band ensures that the target will not leave the holder’s hand. Item K002 / $24.95

Goodwill Tour T-shirt

Belt Display Rack Display your belts in this stylish rack. The rack measures 12” x 25”.

Belts not included.

Item DR01 / $31.95

HapkidoGear Shoe This shoe uses existing RingStar technology with Hapkido specific refinements to create the first shoe born for Hapkido. HapkidoGear shoes are specifically designed for both training and sparring. The unique materials used in this make it the lightest, most comfortable and protective shoe available. Item NPP01 / $82.99

HapkidoGear Cane The New Tactical Cane from HapkidoGear is designed to be the perfect training aid in the Dojang and to meet the requirements of real world usage. Using high tech aluminum alloy and durable powder coating in it’s construction along with sure grip knurling on the shaft, this cane is the most highly developed and versatile available today. Item NPP02 / $75.00