Donate to a worthy cause

Despite all the training you put in there is still a chance that you'll get injured. If you've ever attended a national AAU, USAT (formerly USTU) or even a NCTA event you'll have noticed they had the Best of the Best when it came to Medical services. Those services were provided by Bare Essential Sports Medicine. 

I've been associated to the competitive Taekwondo Circuit since 1986. I can tell you from experience that it's fantastic to have individuals who understand your activity and have the knowledge to take care of your injury, should you incur one. Too often I had a coach who didn't have a medical background that told me to "walk it off". I once popped my achilles tendon in football. That was a horrendous injury, my coach, told me to see the Athletic Trainer (AT). The AT had me soak my foot in ice water, taped it up and told me to stay off it for a couple of weeks. My coach however, felt that it should be good to go by the next day. When I wasn't able to practice he punished me by making me run. Every day I couldn't run he simply added to my "total". It was no wonder our team had several losing seasons with brilliant coaching like that. 

So when the USTU had the sense to bring in Trish Bare Grounds and her company Bare Essential Sports Medicine over a decade a go, you can't imagine the relief that went through me. Knowing that there was experienced medical staff who practiced TKD themselves and would understand our pains was fantastic. 

Trish and her staff volunteer their time and donate a lot of services to the athletes. They never get enough money from the host event to cover all of their costs. The staff members themselves pay their own to the events to ensure the athletes are provided the best coverage. 

I'm asking all the athletes of Taekwondo and other sports to please donate to help cover their costs so they can continue doing what they do best. 

Please go to the PayPal link near the bottom of this web page: Bare Essential Sports Medicine

Have a safe and great holiday!!

If you want to learn anything...

You must admit you don't know everything...

This was a great quote I came across on a T-shirt site of all things. But, despite it's origination, it has value in its meaning. I'm always in search of knowledge. The insatiable need to know more, to understand why, to comprehend something well enough I can make an informed decision about whether to integrate it or reject it. In my 35+ years of being associated to martial arts I've had the opportunity to study with a great deal many instructors who among many attributes increased my thirst for more knowledge. 

Take for instance, the Kukkiwon-sponsored Poomsae seminar held recently in Dallas, Texas. Sponsored by the United States Taekwondo Committee (USTC) Taught by Grandmaster HWANG, In Sik. Watching this gentleman, who turned out to be 59 years young, brought to mind another saying. Whatever you can do I can do better. 

There were a couple of highlights of this seminar. Besides hanging out with my Korea-Masters tour group and being around so many great people and Grandmasters, my wife received a Letter of Appreciation from the Kukkiwon/World Taekwondo Academy for her hard work at the seminar. Apparently she stood out among her peers in the 3rd DAN group with her work ethic and determination. Not to shabby for someone recovering from pneumonia. Way to go!

The following information was part of a press released found in Dojang Digest written by David Martin 

On December 6-7, 2008, the United States Taekwondo Committee hosted an International Taekwondo Poomsae Seminar given by the Kukkiwon (World Taekwondo Headquarters) at the Holiday Inn Hotel, 2645 Lyndon B Johnson Freeway in Dallas, TX. This event was also sponsored by the Korean Cultural Center of Los Angeles.  132 Taekwondo Black Belts attended.  In spite of the Holiday Season, as well as the ailing economy, only 30 of the participants were from the Dallas area, and over 100 traveled from the rest of the United States and Canada to take advantage of this opportunity.

Kukkiwon Director General Hyun Sup Park, and Chairman of Kukkiwon's Education Committee Grand Master In Sik Hwang attended and were impressed by the leadership of the US Taekwondo Committee and the ability to have such strong support for this event in the face of our weak economy.  Director General Park said "I have traveled all around the world for Kukkiwon International Poomsae Seminars, and I was very touched by the enthusiasm and sincerity of the participants in Dallas.  After the turnout of this International Poomsae Seminar, the Kukkiwon will plan more events like this in the United States."

With a big room for all participants to warm up together as a group, individual groups were also broken down according to rank and rank appropriate material was reviewed.  Participants were so impressed with the information and knowledge presented that Chairman Hwang received an unexpected token of appreciation from the seminar participants at the seminar's Closing Ceremonies.

The US Taekwondo Committee would like to thank the following for their hard work and dedication in making this event a success: Mr. Sung Woo Park (Korean Cultural Center), Mr. Bruce Harris (Captain, 2000 Olympic Taekwondo Referees), Mr. Sergio Chavez (USTC Referee Committee Chairman), Mr. Richard Saks (USTC Referee Chairman Vice Chairman), Mr. Song Hon Cha (former US National Team Member) and Mr. Julian Vazquez.

Great things in small packages...

This past weekend some very close friends, whom I would really consider family, brought a new member into this world. I'd like to announce the birth of Max Lowell Harr-Robins, a 20 1/4" 8 lbs 9 oz bundle of joy. Mom, Dad and son are doing great. Max has some great parents and will be well taken care of loved. What a wonderful 'present' for these parents this season.

Getting stronger....

I saw Transporter 3 this past weekend. An excellent action movie and easy on the eyes for the ladies.... 

Unfortunately after viewing the movie I felt the need to start working on my pushups again. Of course after the wife got done viewing Transporter 3 she also  spurned me into working on my pushups too with statements like "Jason [Statham] has a very nice muscular chest....", "that's a lot of beef....."

Okay, so now I realize I need to work on my conditioning and put some muscle on my chest too. I can take a hint when I hear it. Different martial arts requires different builds. For me, I found that in Taekwondo/Karate I do best when I keep my weight in the mid 170's and by bodyfat in the 9-11% range. I'm five foot 9 most days, so I'm not a lanky build by any stretch of the imagination. I'm unable to add a lot of mass but I can improve the density of my musculature. I'm sure many of you have questions about this. Instead of explaining it all I recommend you go out to Dragondoor.com and read the forum. Or, better yet buy some of Pavel's books like Power To The People, or a book on Kettlebells. 

So in order to get my pushups back up to snuff I've decided to practice something called "ladders" and GTG "Grease-the-Groove". You can find more detailed information about this back on the Dragondoor.com website/forum.

I'll be working on my Pushups alternating through flat, finger-tip, knuckle, wrist, clapping, etc. by doing reps of 1-5 in sets done every 90-minutes through-out the day. The basic concept is you do 1 rep, rest 2 seconds, do 2 reps, rest 4 seconds, etc. until you have done 5 reps. This works great too if you have a partner and alternate who is doing the pushups and who is resting. It's not an endurance excercise. It's about generating power if done properly. Work on your mechanics and make the muscles work. 

Give it a shot and see how you do.

Happy training!

The Big Day....

Saturday November 22, 2008 is important for (2) reasons. The classic rivalry in football between Ohio State and Michigan and Grandmaster Fairbanks' Birthday Celebration. Fortunately my wife and I get to be involved with Grandmaster Fairbanks's birthday celebration seminar being held at the Ahn Taekwondo School located in Blue Ash and once we are done there heading home to watch the OSU vs Michigan which I will have TiVo'd.....thank goodness for technology. ;-)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRANDMASTER "SOKE" W. Fairbanks!!

Who's tougher than Chuck Norris?

Click the title (which is hyperlinked) to find out who is tougher than Chuck Norris....

Grandmaster Ahn appointed to Kukkiwon International Advisory Committee

I received an email from the main school that Grandmaster Ahn received a prestigious appointment by the Kukkiwon. You can read the letter below:

Ladies & Gentlemen,

I have attached a copy of a certificate that Grandmaster Ahn received from Kukkiwon. The certificate shows that Grandmaster Ahn has been appointed to a newly created International Advisory Committee. The purpose of the Committee is to respond to inquiries concerning Taekwondo and its development in specific countries. Kukkiwon is concerned about the art - and wants to respond to trends that are manifesting themselves on a country or regional basis. One ONE individual per country has been appointed by Kukkiwon. The choice for the United States is Grandmaster Ahn - who will serve for a two year term. Please offer congratulations to Grandmaster Ahn when you speak to him. And be sure to alert your Black Belts and Instructors as to the significance of the appointment.



From Wikipedia:
Kukkiwon, also known as the World Taekwondo Headquarters, is an organization in the Gangnam-gu district of Seoul, South Korea. It was established on 1972-11-30. The Kukkiwon serves as the issuing body for taekwondo dan rank (black belt degree) promotion and certification. In addition, the Kukkiwon conducts research and instructional seminars and is home to the World Taekwondo Academy, which trains and certifies Taekwondo instructors through its leadership course. It is also involved in technical development and research of taekwondo, the collection of related materials, public relations and publications, and the training of coaches and students.

The Kukkiwon is the only taekwondo organization whose dan ranks are recognized by World Taekwondo Federation (WTF).[2] The WTF governs the competition aspects of Taekwondo as the International Federation of Taekwondo of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

OSU vs Michigan

November 22, 2008 - A Day to Remember....

Game day, November 22 marks the annual rivalry match between THE Ohio State University and The Michigan Wolverines. Coach Tressel has a 6-1 record against Blue, which will soon be 7-1. Mourn this day for Master Mac, he'll be wearing an OSU sweatshirt again if he bets on the game like he always does. ;-)

In all fairness though GOOD LUCK to all involved in the game! 

GO BUCKS!!!

Doing nothing and getting more flexible at the same time...

Okay, so maybe you're not exactly doing nothing but you will be getting more flexible. I'm always being asked what can be done to help improve the flexibility of the inner thigh muscles for kicking.

Think of a rusty hinge. If you attempt to beat open a rusty hinge you're liable to break it in the process. However, if you lubricate the hinge and heat it up the hinge becomes even more malleable and more easily opened.

So grab some wall space, an iPod and some time...spend some time relax and stretching.




Inner thigh stretch Video




Just one part of your training should be focused on flexibility. Don't confuse mobility with flexibility. They are separate entities to the big picture of things. Strength and flexibility go together so don't neglect your training.

Check out Pavel Tsatsouline or Thomas Kurz for more information about flexibility training. For some free information try the FAQ written by Brad Appleton. It's somewhat dated but still contains a lot of good information.

Kukkiwon Poomsae Seminar

Dear Grandmasters, Masters and Instructors,

The Kukkiwon, which as you know is the World Taekwondo Headquarters, would like to extend an invitation for you and your instructors to attend the Kukkiwon Poomsae Seminar that will be held in Dallas, TX from December 6-7, 2008.

The goal of the seminar is to globally standardize the official Kukkiwon Poomsae, which will help your school offer more value for your students, as well as give them the opportunity to participate in future World Taekwondo Hanmadangs.

The seminar will be lead by the World Taekwondo Academy Kukkiwon, who has vast amounts of knowledge and experience.

I hope everyone can take advantage of this opportunity and I look forward to meeting everyone in Dallas.

For more information please go to this site: http://www.TAEKWONDOSEMINAR.com

You can make your hotel registration directly from the site listed above. The seminar will be held at the same hotel where you will be staying.

There are several Ahn Taekwondo instructors including Grandmaster Ahn himself attending this seminar.

Birthday Paaaarrrrrrttttaaaaayyyyyyyy...............

ANNOUNCING:
2008 Birthday Seminar
Saturday, November 22nd

Grandmaster W. Fairbanks is pleased to announce his annual "Birthday Seminar" to be held Saturday, November 22, 2008. The event will be held at Ahn Taekwondo Institute in Cincinnati, OH.

the seminar will cover four topics:

1. Tai Chi Forms
2. Tai Chi Drills & Applications -- two main sets, etc.
3. Self-Defense -- open hand and short range weapon defense
4. Sanchin Kata

There is plenty of room at the facility -- nearly 7000 square feet of floor space. we will also have access to plenty of equipment to run an excellent seminar. There are locker rooms for participants -- and there will be an option available to order a box lunch if desired.

Presented by: Woodrow Fairbanks, Soke (10th Dan)

Place: Ahn Taekwondo Institute, 11100 Kenwood Road, Cincinnati, OH 45242 [MAP]

Time: 10:00 a.m. -- 3:30 p.m.

Email Ahn Taekwondo, ahntkd@earthlink.net, for a registration form or call (513-791-8888) to have one mailed to you.

Remember, remember, the fifth of November....

Remember, remember the fifth of November
The gunpowder treason and plot.
I see no reason why gunpowder treason
Should ever be forgot.

After the BIG Presidential vote yesterday, it seems befitting that today you watch "V for Vendetta". An excellent movie that should be watched numerous times to catch the subtleties of everything that happens.

The best of free....

Microsoft has created quite a controversy the past couple of years with the operating system known as Vista. Apple Computers has increased its market share and profits off of M$ disastrous O/S. Personally, I've been a M$ user for the past 20 years. Originally a Commodore 64/128 and Amiga user, I made the switch heading into college. Now, after supporting the M$ operating systems professionally, I've decided it's time to junk the Vista system and go after Linux distros for my own use. For business support, the jury is still out. I need time to learn, understand and deploy it. Shifting the paradigms of the corporate world will be harder than adopting it personally.

Interested in getting better performance and simplifying how you use your PC? You might want to give Ubuntu a try.

First Post...

Hello everyone. This is the first post of what will be many, many posts. Over the past 50+ collective years of martial arts my wife and I have had the opportunity to study many different disciplines in our lives that helped contribute to who and what we are. That same knowledge has been shared with many a student, friend and peer over 3+ decades. Now, we have decided to branch out to the ether realm and share our thoughts to all. In addition to posting the knowledge we've gained we will also give credit to those that deserve it. All in all, instead of sending out emails to everyone we'll just use this page to post for all to see. :-)

My first gift of kindness is to remind everyone that each day we decide what we will make of it. No one can tell us how we are to feel. That choice is up to us. Happy or sad, we decide! So live life in a happy state. Smile, laugh, love and enjoy life!