Wow! reading the above response to Terry's post is what I expected from such dedicated, refined, responsible, educated, disciplined, respectful folks who frequently post on this forum.
(Sorry... major flashback- long story coming) When I started at fifteen- it was two fold #1. I got into some bad trouble and was grounded till I was thirty. Part of my parents discipline was (you punish out of anger you discipline out of love) I couldn't go any where but to school and right home. The phone and TV were taken out of my room. #2. Even though I got along with people, I was a quite, skinny red head- a typical target for bullies. After an incident one day at school, and to get out of the house, I ask my mom if I could take Martial arts lesson. She talked it over with my Dad and he agreed. I did not do any sports in school. until then I had seen a little martial arts on TV, like Kung Fu the series, Bruce Lee in some old episodes of the Green Hornet and some other guest appearances on TV he had done.
There was this one guy in my town who was suppose to be the best so my Dad took me and two of my friends. We went in and watched class- the instructor had been expecting me. So after a while he came over to me and asked me what I thought, and I naturally said, Yeah...I like it! Then the instructor looked at me ad said, "I don’t think you will make it." I think he was trying to use reverse psychology on me? HOWEVER, my self-esteem and confidence was at an all-time low, it CRUSHED ME and ticked my Dad off! So he said, Come on son, let’s go." In the car he said he knew of another guy in town who had a school and took me there. Like before, I watched with enthusiasm. I'll never forget the Huge difference in the atmosphere-including, it was more structured. At the first school...the students were doing there on thing. Some were sparring, some were doing kata, some were just kicking, others were stretching.
The second school was doing basic techniques from formal stances while the main instructor counted in Korean with a Kihap on count 5 and 10.Then came time for Poomse. They did Chon Ji- staying in time... the black belts in class and the other advanced students sleeves "Popped" on the Kicks punches and blocks. Then they did sparring, I thought....WOW! After class the instructor came over and shook my hand and asked me, what did I think about class (after the first guy, I was a little gun shy if ya know what I mean) Once again, I said, I LIKED IT! The instructor looked at me and said, "You have some long legs, you look like you are built for martial arts" (I liked to have fallen over when He said that!)
I started class, it was a way get out of the house. I quickly fell in love with the formality, customs and courtesies-it was a very traditional school. My instructor’s GM, was the late Great GM Lee Hyung Park. He was freakn awesome. Any how, I was about a green belt when my teacher asked my to take some beginners to the back and show them how to do high blocks and side kicks. What a RUSH! Then I started thinking, I want to be a martial art teacher! For the first couple of years I was pretty consistent- then sporadic the third year. Then not attending formal class at all- but still working out with some close friends under carports and backyards
In 1989 I met zDom through a mutual friend, the late Mike Baker. We became friends. He just had move from St. Louis where he had attended broadcast school and I worked as a DJ at a local radio station. zDoms air name was Scott Thursday and mine was Scott Chase. (Those were some good times!) zDom would come over to hang out at my house and He saw my Ma trophies and said, "I always thought MA was cool why don't you teach me some of that S***. I said OK. By this time it was about 1990. Before you know it I had ten guys training in my front room of the small house I rented. Sabo was there too. This sparked my interest in getting formal training again. So I looked up my old school. There was a new young 2nd degree teaching there, his name was Steve Dunn. I was impressed by this guy and the next time we met to train at my house, I told the guys listen, I am going to train at my old school with this impressive 2nd Dan-you guys can come if you want. We pretty much doubled his adult class, and he was excited we were there. Even though I was introduced to hapkido early on in my training, I got to meet and become a HKD student and trained techniques up to blue level under Master Mike Morton (then a third degree)
In TKD, I earned my way to a leadership position rather quickly and started teaching for Mr. Steve Dunn when I was a purple belt. It ignited my passion for ALL of it again (thanks zDom!) After leaving MSK School in 1996, and opening my first school in New Madrid, Mo, A town of three thousand- 19 miles south of my home town. (I had been teaching there for my old school) I joined the United States Chung Do Kwan in 1998. In 1999 zdom and I opened up a school with his little brother who had become a student of mine and was my first black belt at my New Madrid School. Like many others, there have been many ups and downs in my life. After the death of my mother in 1998 to lung cancer, then loosing my Dad to suicide on fathers day 2001. Though my dad left us decently well off financially (He was a thrifty hard working man!) my world was spinning.
(spiritual moment coming) late one night a couple of month's after he passed away, I ask God like others have, since the beginning of time -what am I supposed do with my life...why I am I here. (At the time I was a also a radio salesman, voiced commercials, plus color commentary for high school sports) He spoke to my heart and said, put your uniform on and look in the mirror-that’s who you are. It made since, because I had been fired from other jobs where the bosses told me, you are obsessed with martial arts (like that’s a bad thing).
Since then, I have experienced more of life’s ups and downs. God, martial arts, and my Current instructors GM Edward Sell along with his wife GM Brenda have been there for me always. I know what martial has done for me and others. Like others have mentioned- I like seeing the spark in my student eyes when they "get" something I have been teaching them. I still get a RUSH practicing and teaching MA. On the floor I am like the freaking Crocodile Hunter, Stevo-God rest his soul. You see you can't fake enthusiasm and passion to your students- they will see right through it. I am still big on the customs, courtesies and traditions of classic TKD, especially the SD aspect. I teach others how to teach, also very rewarding to see the spark in the eyes of my teaching black belts, some have moved on to start their own school, their success is my success.
In some small way, I can be a small part of TKD's history by passing on what I have learned- to others. Though I have promoted 33 students to black belt and above (a relatively small number) and have many stripes on my sleeve, a badge that says Master Instructor... I tell my students when you look at my stripes it is merely recognition for my dedication and sacrifices, for each stripe, there was a physical test, including my 4.5 hour test for my 5th dan. (At 43 I was in better shape than some of the guys in their late twenties. Honorary 5th my Butt!) I also tell them the gold badge that says Master Instructor they read... I see the words “master servant” I serve my art, my association and most importantly, I serve my students. I am STILL a STUDENT with more to learn, trying to grow more as a person and as a teacher... and leader every day. I read a quote some where- "The greatest gift martial arts has to give, is the ultimate destruction of the ego." The current quote underneath my picture on my page on the schools website complements the aforementioned quote. Simply stated, "I don't think (for humility sake) martial art IS my path in life, but merely a part of my path, and should it take me to the end of my life- only then can people say it was my destiny."
My cup is still empty and I am still thirsty. I had some ask me why I still do martial arts at my age, and I say to them TKD and the martial arts is just as much a part of me as is the heart beating in my chest- I take what I do seriously because there are people that look up to me, and to some, I might “possibly” be one of their heros. To some it up, everything happens for a reason. There have many contributing factors that brought me to this point my life. I get to add value to people’s lives. Like Albert Einstein Said, “Try not to be a man of success…..But rather a man of value.” This is why I am a Martial artist and an Instructor.
Sorry for being wordy Terry :asian:
