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Issue 7 - Professional Unification of Martial Arts

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EDITORIAL<br />

EDITOR:<br />

Bruce Lammin, 4th degree<br />

black belt Taekwon-Do<br />

Assistant EDITOR:<br />

Bruce Potter, 3rd degree<br />

black belt Taekwon-Do<br />

Welcome to edition 7 <strong>of</strong> Planet P.U.M.A. Once again the calendar has been packed over the past few months with many<br />

highlights including winter camp, the black belt grading and <strong>of</strong> course the 8th ITF Junior World Championships.<br />

We’d like to start by congratulating all those who were successful at the recent black belt grading including our very own<br />

assistant editor Mr Potter, now 3rd degree black belt. We hope to have a full list <strong>of</strong> results in the next edition <strong>of</strong> Planet<br />

P.U.M.A. along with a write up <strong>of</strong> the presentation evening.<br />

Back to this issue now and we have to start with the 8th Junior World Championships held this September in Australia.<br />

After a long build up Team UK, including a large P.U.M.A. contingent, headed to Australia with high expectations. Unless<br />

you’ve been living in a cave for the past few months you are probably all aware that for the first time in ITF World<br />

Championships history England headed the overall medal table. To celebrate the team’s unprecedented success we have<br />

a full colour write up. Turn to page 15 and find how everyone did. In addition we also have write ups <strong>of</strong> a number <strong>of</strong> the<br />

fund raising events organized to help finance the trip, including a UKITF fight night, a band night and a very long run to<br />

mention but a few. Team UK would like to thank everyone who organized, participated in or came along to any <strong>of</strong> these<br />

events.<br />

As per usual we have all your regular favourites including the welcome return <strong>of</strong> the Tang Soo-Do column with a thorough<br />

guide to the second Bo form. Mr. McCabe runs through the various types <strong>of</strong> Taekwon-Do movements whilst Mr. Jones<br />

dispenses valuable kickboxing footwork tips. The health and fitness column this month concentrates on our younger<br />

readers with Mrs Sue Raven providing expert advice.<br />

I addition to all <strong>of</strong> the above Dr Matthew Lloyd looks into the science <strong>of</strong> diets, what the body needs and why. We also have<br />

an interview with some <strong>of</strong> the many members <strong>of</strong> the Stokes clan, P.U.M.A.’s very own martial arts dynasty, as well as a<br />

write up <strong>of</strong> an Urban Combatives seminar.<br />

As always please get in touch and let us what you like, anything you don’t (surely not?) and what you’d like to see in future<br />

editions. If you have any ideas for articles or would like to get involved with Planet P.U.M.A. in any way then don’t hesitate<br />

to let us know.<br />

And finally our thanks go to the Stokes Family for undergoing this issue’s interview and their instructor Mr Malcolm Jones<br />

for interviewing them. Father Les asked us to print a few words from him in return, which we’re only too glad to do...<br />

“On behalf <strong>of</strong> all the Stokes and Marish family we would like to thank Mr Jones for the input and encouragement he has<br />

given to us towards our achievements within P.U.M.A. Because <strong>of</strong> his dedication and commitment to us as individuals,<br />

each one <strong>of</strong> use has achieved our own personal goals. He has brought us far within the P.U.M.A. family, allowing some <strong>of</strong><br />

us to achieve things we never thought we could.<br />

Mr Jones is an excellent instructor, which is why he is well respected by all <strong>of</strong> his students. We are happy to follow in his<br />

footsteps by teaching and passing on the knowledge he has given us.<br />

Once again, our biggest thanks to an awesome instructor. Thanks for all you’ve done Sir, we will never forget it.”<br />

Until next time, happy reading…<br />

2


THE STOKES FAMILY<br />

Blandford’s Stokes Clan have been training<br />

forever and have a ludicrous number <strong>of</strong><br />

years <strong>of</strong> training between them. Mr Malcolm<br />

Jones corralled some <strong>of</strong> them - Dad Les,<br />

daughters Karen and Kim and his brother<br />

Rob - into a room together for a debriefing<br />

session.<br />

So how did the great Stokes dynasty start then?<br />

Les. It was a coincidence really, Mr Jones (yourself) started work<br />

at the factory where I was working and had told me that he was<br />

setting up a school for juniors. My children were just at the right<br />

age to start, two <strong>of</strong> them started at the age <strong>of</strong> six.<br />

Who was that?<br />

Les. Kim and Kelly. Karen and Eddy joined a couple <strong>of</strong> years later<br />

when they turned six.<br />

Ok, you’ve mentioned Kelly, Kim, Karen and Eddy, are there<br />

any other members <strong>of</strong> the Stokes family that train? Both past<br />

and present.<br />

Karen. There’s Laura. She’s just started kickboxing, she’s sixteen<br />

years old and has been doing Kickboxing for about six months.<br />

What relation is Laura?<br />

Karen. She’s our step sister.<br />

Any others?<br />

Rob. There’s Liam, he used to do Taekwon-Do, and he got to<br />

blue belt.<br />

Now Liam’s your son isn’t he?<br />

Rob. Yes, he’s the reason I got into it originally. Now Dee, my<br />

wife, is currently a 1 st Kup red belt and hopes to take her black<br />

belt some time in the future.<br />

Karen. Then there’s Gavin, he’s our little step brother. He’s ten<br />

years old and he’s been doing Kickboxing for about a year. And<br />

he also does Taekwon-Do.<br />

Kim. He started in the Little P.U.M.A.s, he actually got to black<br />

belt with Little P.U.M.A.s and now he’s a green belt.<br />

What martial arts do you study within P.U.M.A.?<br />

Kim. Taekwon-Do<br />

Okay your dad said you started when you were six. Has it<br />

changed much in your time?<br />

Kim. Obviously it’s changed more for me because I’m involved a<br />

lot more now. When we first started it was with a different group,<br />

it’s a lot nicer now, when Kelly used to go along to the training<br />

sessions she wasn’t made to feel welcome, it was kind <strong>of</strong> like you<br />

were forced to go. Now it’s a lot friendlier and everyone knows<br />

everybody else. I suppose that’s because it’s a slightly smaller<br />

unit now and a lot more comfortable.<br />

Karen. I got to second degree in Taekwon-Do, I started the same<br />

as Kim when I was six. Then I switched from Taekwon-Do to<br />

Kickboxing, because it suited me more. I’m currently a brown belt<br />

white stripe.<br />

Why do you think it suits you more?<br />

Some <strong>of</strong> the Stokes family: Eddy, Karen, Kim and Dad<br />

Les (With Mr Jones peaking out from the back<br />

Karen. I used to struggle with the Taekwon-Do theory, and I<br />

always used to find it difficult to remember patterns and other<br />

set sequences, and I found myself getting uninterested in it.<br />

Kickboxing is just more me. I want to get in the ring, the fitness<br />

side <strong>of</strong> the training is more my thing rather than the theory side<br />

<strong>of</strong> it.<br />

Rob. I started in 2000 with Mr Stokes.<br />

He’s your brother.<br />

Rob. Yes that’s right, he started teaching a class in Sturminster<br />

Newton. I started because I took my son along, then when the<br />

class started to dwindle away as they normally do when they<br />

get to the higher grades. So I knew that my brother had put a<br />

lot <strong>of</strong> effort into keeping the school going so I decided to help<br />

him keep the numbers up. It’s the best thing I’ve ever done Sir.<br />

Les. I’m a second degree black belt in Taekwon-Do, and I<br />

started training in 1993. Now I help Miss Stokes teach at<br />

Sturminster Newton.<br />

And you do virtually everything in P.U.M.A. don’t you?<br />

You’re a well recognised face, do you go to all the camps?<br />

Les. Yes I do. I enjoy the camps very much, lots <strong>of</strong> friendly<br />

people and the more people you get to know the friendlier it<br />

gets.<br />

I know you’re all a close family. How do you all get on<br />

together?<br />

Kim. We’ve always been a close family, we’ve obviously grown<br />

up together. Now we’ve all grown up and have different lives<br />

and okay, we still have our moments like all families do, but<br />

we’ve always been close and always will, we’ll always look<br />

after each other.<br />

I know how protective you are <strong>of</strong> each other, there was<br />

that time a couple <strong>of</strong> weeks ago when I was doing some<br />

‘rough sparring’ FAST-defence style with your brother,<br />

and you wanted to step in to protect him.<br />

Kim. Yes definitely, but we’ve always been like it. I suppose<br />

when you’ve got a family like we’ve got that are so close and<br />

have always done everything together, you know we all did<br />

Taekwon-Do together, we all went swimming together, we all<br />

went to gymnastics, we all did everything together and<br />

because we we’re all so young when we started we didn’t have<br />

a choice, we had to be with each other.<br />

Anyone want to add anything to that?<br />

Karen. Yes we might have our differences but when it comes<br />

to Taekwon-Do or Kickboxing we’re always there for each<br />

other, whether it’s for gradings or fights or presentation<br />

evenings, we’ve all been there.<br />

4


It’s nice to see. And I think everyone in P.U.M.A. knows the<br />

Stokes family. Les, you’ve mentioned to me before that<br />

getting all your children into Taekwon-Do and consequently<br />

spending a large amount <strong>of</strong> money on them was the best<br />

thing you’ve ever done. Can you explain that?<br />

Les. I think a lot <strong>of</strong> people must find it quite hard, in some cases it<br />

is quite expensive to be able to do everything. At one point we<br />

had four children doing it at the same time, but it’s the best money<br />

I’ve ever spent. I saw the confidence in the children when they<br />

had progressed and the improvement in their self confidence has<br />

paid dividends. They’re all maturing into excellent adults in their<br />

own right. The money… well, it’s really nothing for what you get<br />

back out <strong>of</strong> it.<br />

P.U.M.A. has lots <strong>of</strong> families training, what advice would you<br />

give them in order to persevere with their chosen art?<br />

Kim. Well my mum and dad used to bribe us (laughs) We had to<br />

go, we weren’t allowed not to go. If we felt tired or anything, they<br />

used to say “right we’re going to take a pound out <strong>of</strong> your pocket<br />

money if you don’t go” so that was that.. We went.<br />

That’s a straightforward answer.<br />

Karen. The point is it was never an option not to go. You know<br />

the excuse <strong>of</strong> “I’m a bit tired tonight” just didn’t work. It’s stood us<br />

in good stead, because there’s loads <strong>of</strong> times when I don’t want<br />

to go now, but I always do and we’re all truly grateful for that.<br />

Les. Of course the classes need to be enjoyable, with a good<br />

instructor and <strong>of</strong> course we used to say the usual thing <strong>of</strong> “Well, if<br />

you really don’t want to go, then give it another month and see<br />

how you go’. Once the children forgot about why they didn’t want<br />

to go then they’d be back into it again. Things will crop up, stuff<br />

like boyfriends or girlfriends. I tried not to put pressure on them,<br />

but just try and ride out that period for a little while and keep them<br />

in because there’s a good chance that they’ll get over that hurdle<br />

and go on to flourish.<br />

Has martial arts changed your life in any way?<br />

Rob. Yes, for me it has. I was very nervous, I wouldn’t talk to<br />

anybody when I first came to the Blandford class because I’d only<br />

trained in Sturminster Newton. I couldn’t look you in the eyes Sir,<br />

because I was too shy. It’s brought me out <strong>of</strong> myself a bit more if<br />

that makes sense. I’m not very good at patterns, I’m not very<br />

good at lots <strong>of</strong> things but I always try and do my best and you<br />

always encourage us to get the best out <strong>of</strong> ourselves, and you<br />

and Mr Stokes have brought that out in me and now I’m not so<br />

shy, and I feel more confident<br />

And you think the training has done that?<br />

Rob. Yes, because the club is so nice it’s like a big family. There<br />

are no bad vibes, it’s all encouragement to bring the best out <strong>of</strong><br />

somebody.<br />

Karen. Mine is confidence because when I was younger I was<br />

very fiery. I’ve found that I’ve been able to channel that temper,<br />

that’s probably why Kickboxing suits me more, hitting the pads<br />

and stuff, especially teaching. My confidence has grown because<br />

it makes you realise how much you know and can pass on.<br />

That’s something that I’ve noticed about you especially since<br />

you started teaching. Do you think that you’d have been like<br />

that anyway?<br />

Kim. For me I find that a difficult question, because you’ll never<br />

know what you would have been like because it’s what I’ve done<br />

for twenty years. I’m different to Karen because I was always<br />

following Kelly’s footsteps, Kelly used to watch out for me at<br />

school and I always used to hang out with her so I didn’t need<br />

that extra confidence. I’m not sure if I would have been confident<br />

enough without it. Like Karen says the confidence now comes<br />

from the teaching. Parents come up to you and say their kids<br />

think you’re God, kids are always coming up to me and telling<br />

me what they’ve been doing, and saying “Ma’am you’re<br />

brilliant” and all that, which means you have to be humble.<br />

Don’t get me wrong, it’s very nice to know that people respect<br />

you and it is a confidence boost..<br />

Les. I would echo what Miss Stokes has just said the<br />

confidence thing and also the fitness.<br />

Yes Sir, your fitness is legendary.<br />

Les. I can distinctly remember my first lesson. It was a squad<br />

session that you did in the old school gym and I stumbled in at<br />

around 13 stone. Ever since then my fitness has never been a<br />

problem.<br />

Some <strong>of</strong> you teach, what can you tell us about your<br />

students?<br />

Karen. They’re great. Most <strong>of</strong> them come along and actually<br />

want to learn. You do get the odd disruptive one though.<br />

How do you deal with that?<br />

Karen. You’ve basically got to put them in their place and say<br />

“Look, if you don’t want to be here don’t be here”. I think you<br />

should give them a couple <strong>of</strong> chances, obviously there are<br />

some people that don’t really understand the rules but I just<br />

feel that if they’re disrupting the class then it’s not fair on<br />

everyone else in the class that wants to learn. But my students<br />

are brilliant, because I’m quite close friends with a lot <strong>of</strong> people<br />

I train with. I get to train and teach with them, which is brilliant<br />

because you see both sides and they respect you in the class.<br />

They’re all there for different reasons, Some want to fight in<br />

the ring, some want to hit the pads, which is good because<br />

you get a variety when you’re teaching, but they all put 100%<br />

in all the time.<br />

Kim. I’d just say the same really, you know to go to a job and<br />

actually enjoy it is something everybody wants. It’s great when<br />

kids come up to you and say “look Ma’am what I’ve done<br />

today”, telling me about their school and what they’ve done.<br />

It’s really nice to know you’re respected, and it’s an honour to<br />

teach kids life skills especially with the Little P.U.M.A.s. I love<br />

doing all the stranger drills and talking to them, it’s like when<br />

we went to the fire station, they absolutely loved it. That’s<br />

brilliant how many martial art groups would do something like<br />

that? If a student leaves for some reason like moving area I<br />

get quite emotional because they’ll always give me little<br />

presents or flowers which is really nice to know how much they<br />

appreciate what you’ve done for them. When people do things<br />

like that you think “blimey they’re the ones that pay me, they’re<br />

the ones that help me live my dream, and I should be thanking<br />

them”.<br />

What other interests do you have?<br />

A really old picture <strong>of</strong> Kim, Kelly and Karen<br />

5


Karen & Kim. Partying and socialising.<br />

Les. Walking, cycling, hiking, and backpacking, lots <strong>of</strong> physical<br />

stuff.<br />

Rob, you run a farm don’t you?<br />

Rob. Yes I do but that’s my job. I do like shooting. I’m a part<br />

time game keeper, I enjoy that a lot, but not for the shooting <strong>of</strong><br />

the pheasants. I enjoy working my dogs.<br />

What dogs do you have?<br />

Rob. Two black Labradors and a spaniel.<br />

Fantastic, I have a black lab too.<br />

Rob. I love getting out with the dogs. If I’ve got time I also enjoy<br />

a bit <strong>of</strong> river fishing and beach fishing down on the Dorset coast.<br />

Les, I think I can guess your answer to this question, but<br />

what is the proudest moment in your martial art careers?<br />

Les. My proudest moments…that’s so hard because once you<br />

think you’ve got a favourite another one comes along to beat it.<br />

Obviously as the children have gone up through the ranks and<br />

get their black belts - Kim’s got her fourth degree, which is<br />

excellent after twenty years <strong>of</strong> training. And Karen’s coming up<br />

for her Kickboxing black belt in the near future, which I’m sure<br />

will be a very nice event. However my latest moment was when<br />

my brother got his black belt, because I was his instructor and<br />

he’s the first person I’d trained to that level. I can remember<br />

when I went to tell him I went to the farm to tell him personally<br />

and I’m not ashamed to admit I shed a few tears when we met.<br />

That’s my latest, but I’m hoping there’ll be lots more to come.<br />

Rob. Definitely me getting my black belt, seeing Les’s face and<br />

your face Sir, because Mr Stokes was my instructor, but you<br />

helped me through it as well. Something topped that, it was my<br />

wife getting a credit at her red belt grading after having<br />

previously been unsuccessful. That affected her pretty badly. Mr<br />

Stokes got some fish and chips and sat down with her to explain<br />

what happened.<br />

Ah! Fish and chips, essential food to ease the hurt.<br />

Rob. (Laughs). It worked, she was so much better the second<br />

time around, even I’ll say there was a tear in my eye that day.<br />

Master Gayle gave her a credit and that topped it for me Sir.<br />

Karen. Mine would probably be gaining my Taekwon-Do black<br />

belt but I must say what topped it for me was winning my first full<br />

contact kickboxing fight. If I get my kickboxing black belt that will<br />

probably be my proudest moment.<br />

Kim. Probably my fourth degree. I must say I am really proud <strong>of</strong><br />

my little brother Gavin though. I know I’m protective <strong>of</strong> him the<br />

same as I was with Eddy when he was little. But I’m really<br />

pleased and proud that he does both kickboxing and Taekwon-<br />

Do, I’m always telling people about that. He trains all the time, 2<br />

or 3 hours training a day, and he’s awesome and brilliant.<br />

Personally my fourth degree is my proudest moment but to me<br />

it’s seeing people close to me achieving something because<br />

there’s nothing better than getting something yourself, except<br />

seeing someone else get it. It’s like when you got your sixth<br />

degree Sir, I’m driven by other people’s successes. Like for<br />

instance when Karen fights it makes you so proud to know that<br />

person and to have helped them along the way.<br />

What does the future hold for you?<br />

Karen. I’d like to be like my sister and have loads <strong>of</strong> classes all<br />

over. I’d love to be able to do what she does and give up my<br />

day job and do something that I love and pass on my knowledge<br />

to loads <strong>of</strong> people. To have a class every day <strong>of</strong> the week would<br />

be brilliant. Obviously there’s competing and getting as high as I<br />

can through the grades. If I get knocked back at a grading or get<br />

knocked down in a fight, I just get up, learn from it and carry on.<br />

How far do you think you can go?<br />

Karen. Well I feel lucky because I’ve got age on my side. I train<br />

with people who are older and they say oh, it’s alright for you,<br />

you’re young, but I’ll obviously keep going until my age is a<br />

problem. I’d love to be more involved with P.U.M.A. kickboxing,<br />

whether it’s at gradings or anything else. I’m really keen to<br />

experience the other side <strong>of</strong> kickboxing not just the competing<br />

but the refereeing as well.<br />

Rob. My future is to carry on with my Taekwon-Do. I would like<br />

to go for my second degree, I shan’t rush it as I find it very<br />

difficult to do the patterns, but I’ll keep plodding along until my<br />

body says I can’t take any more.<br />

Les. My future is to continue to attend events like presentation<br />

evenings and to support anyone who’s had the conviction to see<br />

it through, especially my own family. I’d like to go and watch<br />

Karen fighting and maybe see Kim reach fifth degree.<br />

Kim. Mine’s just really to see me carrying on as I am really, I’m<br />

happy with what I’m doing at the moment. Because I’m really<br />

proud <strong>of</strong> what I’ve done over the years, and keep going through<br />

the grades although to be honest I’m due to take my fifth degree<br />

next year, but I’m not in any rush to do it. If you’re going to do a<br />

grading at that level you need to be walking-talking Taekwon-Do<br />

every minute <strong>of</strong> the day.<br />

Because you’re getting married next year aren’t you?<br />

Kim. Yes Sir, but really I just want it to keep going as it is now.<br />

We’ve got 130 students that I teach and I just don’t want it to<br />

end.<br />

Just one last question, what things would you like to see<br />

introduced to P.U.M.A.?<br />

Rob. Not much really. I think it’s really nice everyone is really<br />

close and friendly, it’s really like having a big family. There are<br />

no real strangers in P.U.M.A.. The family network is already<br />

there, any new members come straight into the family.<br />

Karen. Even though they’re different I would like Taekwon-Do,<br />

Tang Soo-Do and Kickboxing to be treated as one. People will<br />

say things to me that maybe they’d be too afraid to say to the<br />

people in charge, but I know from the people that I speak to that<br />

they’d like the top people in P.U.M.A. to be more involved in the<br />

kickboxing side <strong>of</strong> it. I’d like to see a lot more Taekwon-Do<br />

people coming to our Kickboxing shows to support us. It would<br />

also be nice if we could get like a P.U.M.A. bus, like the Dream<br />

Team have their own bus, so a lot more people who maybe<br />

couldn’t travel to the various events have a means <strong>of</strong> transport.<br />

Maybe the money could be raised somehow. I know the<br />

Taekwon-Do team have had fund raising events all year round<br />

for their trip to Australia, why can’t we have some sort <strong>of</strong> help to<br />

support us?<br />

Les. Because I’ve got one daughter in each camp, I get to see<br />

the same sort <strong>of</strong> thing: kickboxing, they want it –but they don’t<br />

want it. It’s not a criticism just an observation. Like Karen says,<br />

for whatever reason it seems isolated.<br />

Kim. I agree with all <strong>of</strong> that but because kickboxing is a<br />

relatively new thing, you have to keep turning up to P.U.M.A.<br />

events to make them take notice <strong>of</strong> you, and then all <strong>of</strong> a<br />

sudden everybody will recognise kickboxing for what it is.<br />

Thank you very much for your time and thoughts, it’s a<br />

shame Eddy couldn’t have been here. I’d just like to take<br />

this opportunity to say that it’s been an absolute pleasure<br />

to be part <strong>of</strong> your lives for so long and here’s to many more<br />

years to come.<br />

6


On June 17 th P.U.M.A. hosted the first UKITF Fight<br />

Night at the Oasis Leisure Centre in Swindon.<br />

The event was staged to raise money to help fund<br />

competitors going to the 8 th ITF Junior World<br />

Championships being staged in Melbourne Australia<br />

this September and was attended by hundreds <strong>of</strong><br />

spectators.<br />

Chairman Master Gayle confronts his vilest adversary:<br />

the sinister Helium Lad<br />

The night <strong>of</strong>fered something for everyone with a spectacular<br />

mixture <strong>of</strong> sparring and demonstrations. The Flowering<br />

Youth Team trained by Master Gayle showed exceptional<br />

skill, power and control whilst demonstrating all aspects <strong>of</strong><br />

traditional Taekwon-Do including patterns, set sparring and<br />

breaking. A Tang Soo-Do team lead by Mr Steve Weyman<br />

(P.U.M.A. Tang Soo-Do coordinator) gave two fantastic<br />

demonstrations which included traditional patterns along<br />

with some highly impressive weapons and self defence<br />

exhibitions. There were further freestyle weapons<br />

demonstrations by Mr Brett Dowling and Mr Kieran Sith.<br />

Last, but by no means least, the crowd were treated to a<br />

couple <strong>of</strong> dynamic rounds <strong>of</strong> exhibition sparring between<br />

Master Rayle Gayle and Mr Andrew Humphries.<br />

In addition to all <strong>of</strong> the above spectators got to see some <strong>of</strong><br />

England’s finest fighters in action including current and<br />

former world champions and almost certainly a number <strong>of</strong><br />

future world champions. Many <strong>of</strong> those students due to<br />

compete at the Junior World Championships in Melbourne<br />

faced <strong>of</strong>f against each other for their respective<br />

organizations which produced some truly world class bouts.<br />

Overall P.U.M.A. came out victorious but in truth this wasn’t<br />

really important. There was a fantastic atmosphere and the<br />

night was a great success thanks to the attitude <strong>of</strong> everyone<br />

involved from the organizers to the competitors and most<br />

importantly the spectators.<br />

A huge thank you to everyone who supported the event,<br />

which raised over £3,000 for the UKITF junior team going to<br />

Australia!<br />

Faster than the eye: Brett Dowling<br />

The Tang Soo-Do folk show their stuff<br />

Kickboxers Karen Stokes and Sam Spinney show what<br />

P.U.M.A. kickboxing has to <strong>of</strong>fer<br />

Phil Whitlock takes one on the chin for our amusement.<br />

Good show.<br />

7


Diets and dieting are an immensely important aspect <strong>of</strong> any<br />

physical training programme. Many people think <strong>of</strong> diets only<br />

in the context <strong>of</strong> reducing body weight, but diets are the total<br />

nutrients taken into the body in the form <strong>of</strong> food and drink. The<br />

diet consists <strong>of</strong> macroscopic nutrients which are required in<br />

gram quantities each day (protein, sugars and fats, some salts<br />

and water), and microscopic nutrients (vitamins, minerals,<br />

essential fatty acids etc) which are required in microgram to<br />

milligram quantities. The amounts <strong>of</strong> each <strong>of</strong> these nutrients<br />

will vary considerably between people, since the amounts<br />

required will be influenced by intrinsic factors (such as age,<br />

gender, body weight etc) and environmental factors (what type<br />

<strong>of</strong> training you are doing, how much other exercise you take<br />

etc).<br />

A poor diet will result in the athlete performing below their<br />

optimum levels, and can lead to tiredness or even make them<br />

ill. The use <strong>of</strong> vitamins and mineral supplements was<br />

discussed in a previous article (Planet P.U.M.A. 3, December<br />

2005, 16 - 17). The purpose <strong>of</strong> this article is to explain the<br />

functional role <strong>of</strong> the major nutrients in the body.<br />

Proteins and amino acids<br />

Protein in food is actually a mixture <strong>of</strong> a large number <strong>of</strong><br />

different proteins and peptides, which are composed <strong>of</strong> amino<br />

acids linked together in a defined sequence by peptide bonds.<br />

Protein in the diet has several functions but one <strong>of</strong> the main<br />

reasons that it is required is so the individual can make<br />

tissues <strong>of</strong> various sorts, including muscle. When protein is<br />

eaten, the digestive system breaks the peptide bonds to<br />

release the individual amino acids, and these are absorbed<br />

into the blood stream and distributed to the tissues that need<br />

them. These can then be re-linked together to form the human<br />

proteins required at the time. When excess protein is eaten or<br />

under certain starvation conditions, proteins can be broken<br />

down into their amino acids and are used to produce energy.<br />

These amino acids can be used directly to make energy or<br />

converted into carbohydrates (see below) and stored for later<br />

use.<br />

Around 20 different amino acids can be linked together to<br />

make the various proteins. These amino acids can be further<br />

classified into essential amino acids (those which must be<br />

obtained from the diet) and non-essential amino acids (those<br />

that can be made from other amino acids by the body). In<br />

humans the essential amino acids are lysine, tryptophan,<br />

phenylalanine, threonine, valine, methionine, leucine,<br />

isoleucine, with histidine being an additional essential amino<br />

acid for children. Tyrosine is made from phenylalanine, and is<br />

an essential amino acid if phenylalanine is not present in the<br />

diet. The exact composition <strong>of</strong> the protein (amino acid) mixture<br />

in food will depend on its exact source, but generally speaking<br />

protein from animals will have a more similar composition to<br />

that in humans compared to protein from plant sources.<br />

Consequently if animal proteins are not included in the diet it<br />

is important to have several different sources <strong>of</strong> plant proteins<br />

to minimize the risk <strong>of</strong> not having enough <strong>of</strong> any particular<br />

amino acid. This is especially important for vegans, who <strong>of</strong><br />

course cannot obtain animal proteins from milk and other dairy<br />

products.<br />

Carbohydrate (sugars)<br />

Carbohydrates are the main dietary energy source for the<br />

body. They can be found in many different forms, such as<br />

complex sugars including starch, sucrose (table sugar),<br />

lactose (from milk), and simple sugars such as glucose and<br />

fructose (found in many fruits and some s<strong>of</strong>t drinks). When<br />

sugars are taken in as part <strong>of</strong> the diet, complex sugars are<br />

broken down into simple sugars and transported to the liver.<br />

These sugars are then processed by converting them into<br />

glucose, which can then be stored (as glycogen) or distributed<br />

to other tissues. The processing <strong>of</strong> sugars can be quite<br />

variable within the human population, and not all individuals<br />

are able to process every sugar. For example, a significant<br />

proportion <strong>of</strong> the U.K. population cannot tolerate milk and<br />

some other diary products in their diet due to the presence <strong>of</strong><br />

lactose. These individuals lack a particular enzyme (lactase) in<br />

their digestive system which means they are unable to break<br />

down lactose (the main sugar in milk) to its simple sugars<br />

(glucose and galactose). This results in a build up <strong>of</strong> fluid in<br />

the digestive system, leading to the observed symptoms. The<br />

condition can sometimes be treated by giving a lactase<br />

supplement (See your GP or Pharmacist for advice).<br />

Different tissues have different requirements in terms <strong>of</strong> what<br />

types <strong>of</strong> food they can use to produce energy, with some<br />

tissues (blood and brain) having strict requirements for<br />

glucose as their primary energy source. Consequently, blood<br />

glucose levels are tightly controlled and the body stores it in<br />

the form <strong>of</strong> glycogen in the liver. When more glucose is<br />

needed but is not available from the diet, glycogen can be<br />

converted back into glucose and used to produce energy.<br />

Since a reasonable amount <strong>of</strong> energy can be stored as<br />

glycogen (roughly equivalent to that required to live for one<br />

entire day) this store can be used during prolonged periods <strong>of</strong><br />

intense exercise. This glycogen reserve can be built up by<br />

‘carbo loading’, that is eating large amounts <strong>of</strong> foods rich in<br />

carbohydrates (such as pasta, bread etc) for several days<br />

before an event such as a marathon. A similar regimen may<br />

also be useful to other athletes about to undertake a period <strong>of</strong><br />

intense activity, such as a competition or a Black Belt grading.<br />

8


Fats<br />

Fats are by far the most diverse group <strong>of</strong> foods and they have<br />

many different functions in the body, including making up the<br />

membranes that surround all cells. Although fats are a very<br />

rich source <strong>of</strong> energy it is generally recommended that their<br />

dietary intake is limited, although some fats are essential and<br />

have to be obtained from the diet. The body is capable <strong>of</strong><br />

making fats from both proteins and carbohydrates and these<br />

can be stored over a long period <strong>of</strong> time to protect against<br />

periods <strong>of</strong> severe starvation.<br />

The main function <strong>of</strong> dietary fats appears to be to provide<br />

micro-nutrients such as the fat-soluble vitamins and essential<br />

fatty acids. The whole issue <strong>of</strong> fats in the diet is complex,<br />

since some fats have been linked to heart disease and some<br />

cancers whilst others appear to have a wide range <strong>of</strong><br />

beneficial effects. It is therefore difficult to make any specific<br />

recommendations but it is probably sensible to limit saturated<br />

fat intake and to ensure that some fat from plant sources is<br />

present in the diet.<br />

Water and other liquids<br />

In terms <strong>of</strong> actual weight, the overwhelming majority <strong>of</strong> the<br />

human body is composed <strong>of</strong> water (65 to 75 percent <strong>of</strong> an<br />

adult human). This is because body tissues are bathed in<br />

water containing all the required nutrients and water makes up<br />

the majority <strong>of</strong> every cell in the body. The amount <strong>of</strong> water<br />

needed in the diet can vary considerably between people,<br />

since it depends on intrinsic factors (body weight and shape,<br />

gender etc), external factors (how much exercise you are<br />

taking, how much water is in present in food) and<br />

environmental factors (temperature and humidity). These<br />

factors will also determine how much salt you need, and this<br />

will be discussed in more detail in a subsequent article.<br />

Determining the amount <strong>of</strong> water you need is in some<br />

respects more straight-forward than determining how much<br />

food, since the need for water can be monitored by the<br />

sensation <strong>of</strong> thirst. Thirst is a physiological response to not<br />

having enough water, but it is possible to become quite<br />

dehydrated before feeling thirsty and under some conditions<br />

you can lose quite a lot <strong>of</strong> water without feeling very thirsty. A<br />

more reliable method is to check the colour <strong>of</strong> urine, since this<br />

gives a ready measure <strong>of</strong> hydration level. The more yellow the<br />

colour the more dehydrated you are. It is also worth being<br />

aware that some components <strong>of</strong> the diet promote loss <strong>of</strong> water<br />

in the urine, including tea, c<strong>of</strong>fee, caffeine-containing s<strong>of</strong>t<br />

drinks and alcoholic drinks. It is therefore sensible to limit their<br />

intake if vigorous training is anticipated.<br />

How much food do you need?<br />

The standard recommended amounts <strong>of</strong> energy each day are<br />

about 2000 calories (8400 kilojoules) for women and about<br />

2500 calories (10500 kilojoules) for men, assuming an<br />

‘average’ modern sedentary life style. However, these<br />

numbers are guidelines only and other factors will influence<br />

how much energy you need in order to function. These factors<br />

can be inherent (such as age and gender) or environmental<br />

(such as your height, weight, or how much exercise you are<br />

taking as part <strong>of</strong> your job or during leisure activities).<br />

Obviously if you do a manual job or are training hard you will<br />

need more calories than someone who is taking a smaller<br />

amount <strong>of</strong> exercise. Similarly large people or people who are<br />

growing a lot (especially children and young adults) could<br />

need more calories than their size might suggest. For many<br />

people it is advisable to have a small carbohydrate-rich snack<br />

before training in the evening especially if you have not eaten<br />

much at lunch time. If you are doing a manual job or require a<br />

larger amount <strong>of</strong> energy for some reason then the amount <strong>of</strong><br />

food might need to be increased. This snack should usually be<br />

taken 2 to 3 hours before commencing training, although this<br />

might need adjustment to suit the particular individual.<br />

In many cases finding the correct amount <strong>of</strong> calories and type<br />

<strong>of</strong> food is a matter <strong>of</strong> trial and error. As a general rule if you<br />

are feeling tired over a long period <strong>of</strong> time (several days to a<br />

few weeks) it could mean that you have an insufficient calorie<br />

or protein intake, assuming that you are sleeping about 8<br />

hours each night (adolescents <strong>of</strong>ten require more sleep than<br />

this). For general training it is best to have a diet where most<br />

<strong>of</strong> the energy is obtained from carbohydrates with some<br />

protein and a smaller amount <strong>of</strong> fats, but if you are trying to<br />

build muscle then you will need to increase both your protein<br />

and calorie intake. Checking your weight at regular intervals<br />

can help assess whether your diet is working, but be aware<br />

that muscle weighs more than fat and so you can end up<br />

putting on weight if you are training hard. Seek pr<strong>of</strong>essional<br />

advice before radically changing your diet if you have a<br />

serious medical condition.<br />

Matthew D. Lloyd is Lecturer in Pharmacy & Pharmacology at the University <strong>of</strong> Bath, and<br />

has a DPhil (PhD) in Chemistry and Biochemistry from the University <strong>of</strong> Oxford. He has<br />

practiced Tae-Kwon-Do for over 20 years and was promoted to III Dan in 2005.<br />

Disclaimer: This article is for information only. Always consult a health-care<br />

pr<strong>of</strong>essional if you need individual advice.<br />

9


Aarrggh, we’ve created a monster. It’s reached two<br />

pages already...<br />

Dear Sirs,<br />

Can you please relay my thanks and astonishment at the<br />

generosity <strong>of</strong> our P.U.M.A. members. The idea <strong>of</strong> running 46K<br />

for my 46th Birthday was almost achieved by myself and Mr<br />

Bishop running 40K (25 miles), with no training whatsoever and<br />

Mr Bishop turning up with a bottle <strong>of</strong> water and his Mum's<br />

plimsolls from junior school.<br />

I was pleased with what was achieved. I have been suffering<br />

with an IT band injury for some time, so after 40K decided we<br />

were doing more harm than good. Mr Bishop was also<br />

complaining about his corns on his big toe. Mr Burdock also<br />

made a cameo performance <strong>of</strong> running 12 miles.<br />

The money is still pouring in and we have received £400 from<br />

the Scottish members <strong>of</strong> P.UM.A. alone. I believe the final total<br />

to be well over £1000.<br />

With all the other hard work put in with different fund-raising<br />

events we have made a huge difference to our team going out to<br />

Australia. Thank you to all members <strong>of</strong> P.U.M.A. for their<br />

generous support.<br />

Mr Chris Wood<br />

I wake up in the morning and check the calendar straight away<br />

To see what plans I have, mainly for Taekwon-Do that day.<br />

I have another life you know, but it is not easy to find,<br />

I am sure if I just carry on, no-one will really mind.<br />

For my loving little boy, I’ll look out his Taekwon-Do kit<br />

He loves doing it after school, it keeps him nice and fit<br />

Tomorrow after school I’m sure, with him I can play<br />

Or perhaps if I’m needed, it will have to wait a day.<br />

I have another life you know, but it is not easy to find<br />

I am sure if I just carry on, no-one will really mind.<br />

I return from the school run and into my <strong>of</strong>fice I go<br />

I sit for hours with paperwork, and more on the phone<br />

Oops I should have done the shopping I have run out <strong>of</strong> food<br />

Oh well, I am sure my husband can sort things out, I’m really<br />

sure he could.<br />

I plan the demonstrations I have for this weekend<br />

I chase the fees, the orders and the entry forms to send<br />

I look through all my emails and reply to everyone<br />

I just have to remind myself that Taekwon-Do can be fun.<br />

It’s time to go and race <strong>of</strong>f to teach, I miss my lunch and tea,<br />

But I have four classes to run and students I need to see.<br />

I arrive home at 10pm, tired and needing fed<br />

I go straight up to his room and kiss his sleeping head<br />

I promise that tomorrow will be a better day<br />

I promise that tomorrow I will try to find the time to have a little<br />

play.<br />

I have another life you know, but it is not easy to find<br />

I love my Taekwon-Do you know, but does he really mind?<br />

An occasional feature where we find people in P.U.M.A.<br />

who look a bit like somebody famous. These first efforts<br />

are courtesy <strong>of</strong> Miss Louise Reeve and Miss Katy Carr...<br />

“If I smack myself in the lips<br />

for ten seconds I look just<br />

like Angelina Jolie...”<br />

“...whereas if I do this I’m a<br />

dead ringer for Jennifer<br />

Aniston.”<br />

NEXT TIME: David Beckham probably.<br />

10


BOOK REVIEW:<br />

Ch'ang Hon Taekwon-do Hae Sul - Real Applications to<br />

the ITF Patterns: Volume 1<br />

As a serious collector <strong>of</strong> Taekwon-Do books and training manuals, I<br />

rate this book as the most important book about the Chang Hon<br />

style <strong>of</strong> Taekwon-Do released since the 15 volume encyclopaedia<br />

was published. I have a large collection <strong>of</strong> Taekwon-Do books but<br />

they are all pretty much clones <strong>of</strong> General Choi’s books. They all<br />

follow the same format that the original book on Taekwon-Do<br />

(published 1965) started, in that the applications listed are all the<br />

same. The format being a block is a block and a strike is a strike.<br />

Have you ever wondered why the application shown for 9 th kup<br />

technique such as low section outer forearm block is the same<br />

application shown for a first degree technique such as 9 shape<br />

block? Why are there so many tools that all perform the same<br />

function according to the existing manuals? If you have a spanner<br />

that fits a nut perfectly and it works well why would you want<br />

another hundred spanners that do the same job?<br />

Anslow’s book is completely different and packed with interesting,<br />

informative, useful, inspirational and perhaps controversial<br />

information. The first few chapters provide the background to the<br />

approach taken in the book, the Korean roots <strong>of</strong> Taekwon-Do and<br />

the link from Shotokan Karate, and from then on it’s down to the<br />

pattern applications themselves. Each fundamental exercise and<br />

pattern from Sajo Makgi to Toi Gye is treated to a comprehensive<br />

chapter which provides detailed explanations <strong>of</strong> possible alternative<br />

self defence applications for each individual move and step. There<br />

is a wealth <strong>of</strong> photographs to accompany each technique which<br />

make the applications very easy to follow.<br />

The great thing is the applications suggested actually fit the<br />

patterns as they are normally performed - the piece must fit the<br />

jigsaw as intended, you should not have to alter the jigsaw so the<br />

piece fits (a rough paraphrase!).<br />

At the start <strong>of</strong> each chapter there is also a wealth <strong>of</strong> information on<br />

the Korean characters and mythology that relate to the pattern<br />

meanings - three pages on the meaning <strong>of</strong> Dan Gun alone!<br />

If you have ever been dissatisfied with the stock answers to why we<br />

perform various pattern movements, or if you want to find out how<br />

to get the best from your reaction hand (have you ever even<br />

thought about it before?) then you need this book. It is the missing<br />

link between pattern practice and workable self defence. You may<br />

not agree with everything in the book but it will certainly make you<br />

think and question which can only be a good thing.<br />

If I was forced to get rid <strong>of</strong> my collection and allowed to keep two<br />

reference manuals, I would keep the 15 volumes and Anslow’s. If<br />

you are serious about ITF Chang Hon Taekwon-Do this will be<br />

money well spent.<br />

Reviewed by Mr John<br />

Dowding, 3 rd Degree<br />

Author:<br />

Stuart Paul Anslow<br />

Publisher:<br />

Exposure Publishing<br />

ISBN:<br />

1846852528<br />

RRP price:<br />

£24.99<br />

A Grand Day Out.<br />

Four ladies and seven men from Gravesend<br />

Taekwon-Do took part in two charity races on<br />

Blackheath, South London on 2 nd July 2006. The<br />

ladies ran in the morning’s Race for Life which<br />

raised money for Cancer Research and in the<br />

afternoon the men entered the Run for Moore in aid<br />

<strong>of</strong> The Bobby Moore Fund for Bowel Cancer. The<br />

course, which was used for both events, was 5km<br />

long and the temperature was a sweltering 33<br />

Celsius! The ladies completed the course together<br />

under the beating sun in a respectable 50 minutes<br />

but the competitive men ran the whole course and all<br />

finished around the 30 minute mark, ahead <strong>of</strong><br />

Matthew Wright (The Wright Stuff) and David<br />

Seaman. As part <strong>of</strong> the event, the men all wore<br />

Bobby Moore t-shirts with the famous number 6 on<br />

the back.<br />

The men’s team: Mr Michael Coates (supportive<br />

father), Mr Joseph Coates, Mr Paul Lockhart, Mr Scott<br />

Carnell, Mr David Harper, Mr Victor Fagence and Mr<br />

Toby Fagence<br />

The ladies team: Miss Rachel Obee, Mrs Alison<br />

Jones, Mrs Linda Fagence and Miss Natalie Pike<br />

11


KNIFE DEFENCE : Simon Peck checks out Lee Morrison’s Knife Defence workshop<br />

Lee Morrison radiates energy, enthusiasm and passion for his<br />

teaching. He is also capable on occasion <strong>of</strong> quite astonishing<br />

and intimidating bursts <strong>of</strong> speed, power and aggression. Lee<br />

is the founder and chief instructor <strong>of</strong> Urban Combatives, which<br />

is a functional self protection programme designed for today’s<br />

increasingly violent society.<br />

Urban Combatives has its roots in both eastern martial arts<br />

and western combatives drawing on a wide range <strong>of</strong> concepts<br />

and ideas from various sources including boxing, karate, Muay<br />

Thai, and Jeet Kune Do. The philosophy is to consider<br />

anything that works. Nothing fancy or theoretical here – every<br />

one <strong>of</strong> the techniques and concepts taught have been tried<br />

and tested in live situations. Lee has a wealth <strong>of</strong> experience<br />

from many years in door/security work as well as martial arts<br />

training and we hope to include an interview with him a future<br />

issue <strong>of</strong> the magazine.<br />

I came across his website whilst researching another article.<br />

The site was advertising a Sunday morning workshop and I<br />

decided to give it a try. I was hugely impressed and have<br />

attended all the subsequent workshops. Even though it’s a<br />

three hour drive I hope to continue to go as long as they are<br />

held and my wife continues to be understanding!<br />

The principles <strong>of</strong> Urban Combatives are summarised in its<br />

logo. The words self protection rather than self defence are<br />

used to emphasise that there is so much more to this than just<br />

physical techniques. The idea is to recognise and prevent any<br />

potential situation before it develops. The cornerstone <strong>of</strong> what<br />

is taught is awareness – <strong>of</strong> self, <strong>of</strong> environment and <strong>of</strong> the<br />

potential attacker. We know that in any physical situation we<br />

will experience fear and an adrenal reaction – as<br />

demonstrated so well in P.U.M.A.’s FAST courses and<br />

something many <strong>of</strong> us have experienced for real. We learn to<br />

cultivate awareness <strong>of</strong> our environment and the sort <strong>of</strong> threats<br />

we face. We know that today’s attacker is likely to be one <strong>of</strong> a<br />

group, uses deception to disarm his victim before launching<br />

an attack and we know that he is likely to be armed. This<br />

training is geared towards that. Situational control, escape and<br />

avoidance is always the priority, physical techniques being<br />

reserved for the situation where that is not possible.<br />

The physical techniques that are used are all gross motor<br />

movements which can be used under pressure and which<br />

have real stopping power such as tiger claws (palm strikes),<br />

knees strikes, hammer fists and elbows. The use <strong>of</strong> everyday<br />

items such as Maglite torches, even keys and mobile phones<br />

as improvised weapons is taught. But most important <strong>of</strong> all, is<br />

the mindset which allows you to access the necessary<br />

aggression and the will to keep going no matter what – or in<br />

the words <strong>of</strong> Bill Kipp the founder <strong>of</strong> FAST defence, the will to<br />

fight until 5 minutes after you are clinically dead. There are<br />

drills to develop this as well.<br />

For me the best workshop so far was the June counter-knife<br />

workshop. We started <strong>of</strong>f with a talk on the reality <strong>of</strong> knife<br />

attacks, viewing CCTV videos <strong>of</strong> real-life incidents and<br />

examining a horrific array <strong>of</strong> edged weapons which were on<br />

display including home-made tools made out <strong>of</strong> six-inch nails,<br />

a wooden knife designed to avoid metal detectors and some<br />

really frightening combat knives. The point was made strongly<br />

that the weapons themselves are less important than the<br />

intention to cause harm. In the hands <strong>of</strong> someone with intent,<br />

a pencil, a piece <strong>of</strong> glass or a tin lid can be lethal. Even a child<br />

with a knife is potentially dangerous. We also looked at some<br />

photographs <strong>of</strong> the terrible injuries that can be inflicted. Faced<br />

with this and the uncertainty <strong>of</strong> making any system work, the<br />

best defence then is always escape.<br />

It has been said many times, including in this magazine, that a<br />

“stabber” rarely shows the weapon and that a “shower” rarely<br />

stabs. Someone who is hiding a weapon is therefore very<br />

dangerous and with that in mind the first drill was aimed at<br />

shutting down such an opponent before he could access a<br />

weapon. Understanding the way in which weapons can be<br />

concealed and the body language cues is essential for this.<br />

Attackers tend to conceal weapons against the body, cupped<br />

Some <strong>of</strong> the common ways knives are concealed. If you can't see the opponent’s hand - or he is<br />

standing in an unusual way - think weapon.<br />

12


in the palm <strong>of</strong> the hand or hidden in the waistband <strong>of</strong> clothing.<br />

We studied the body language clues which may indicate that<br />

someone is hiding a weapon and then working in pairs, one<br />

person practiced concealing and accessing weapons whilst<br />

the other tried to prevent this launching an immediate<br />

<strong>of</strong>fensive response. As with all the combative drills I have<br />

done so far the intensity was gradually increased starting with<br />

prearranged scenarios and then introducing random variation<br />

and then taking away compliance and adding in dialogue to<br />

create a more realistic situation.<br />

Interestingly the body language cues that we discussed were<br />

there in the CCTV videos we watched and Lee recounted to<br />

us some real-life knife incidents in which he had been involved<br />

and where he had used these indicators to recognise and<br />

disarm a knife attacker before he had the chance to draw his<br />

weapon.<br />

The seminar then moved on to the worst-case scenario which<br />

is where the attacker has managed to draw a weapon and is<br />

too close for us to escape. In order to understand knife<br />

attacks we first did some basic training with knives learning<br />

how to hold a knife and to do various slashing and stabbing<br />

attacks. Having learned some basic <strong>of</strong>fensive knife moves, we<br />

then practiced a “knife fence” which is a way <strong>of</strong> standing with<br />

a sort <strong>of</strong> protective cage made with the arms so if possible<br />

any cuts are taken on the outer part <strong>of</strong> the arm where they will<br />

do the least damage.<br />

From the knife fence and with our backs against the wall to<br />

cut <strong>of</strong>f any possibility <strong>of</strong> retreating we worked in pairs and<br />

practiced basic knife fends against slashing and stabbing<br />

attacks which were followed immediately by explosive and<br />

aggressive forward attacks to disarm the attacker. The<br />

pressure and intensity was gradually increased. I found this<br />

very instructive and somewhat disturbing. A drill like this is a<br />

salutary lesson for anyone who thinks that martial arts training<br />

will prevent them from being cut. Despite my best efforts and<br />

knowing what was about to happen, my opponent repeatedly<br />

managed to slash and stab me and I ended up with a<br />

spectacular set <strong>of</strong> bruises to prove it! This was in a controlled<br />

environment. I can only imagine what it would be like if you<br />

add the fear and confusion <strong>of</strong> a real situation. But I did get<br />

better as we practised and came away feeling that I at least<br />

have a plan and a chance if this were to happen for real. As<br />

we were told several times, knives generally have very little<br />

stopping power and to survive you must keep attacking and<br />

fighting back even after being cut. This was brought home<br />

very well by one <strong>of</strong> the CCTV videos we watched where a<br />

man got into a stupid argument on a bus about a seat. Even<br />

more stupidly, he turned his back on the aggressor and was<br />

slashed. He then collapsed to the floor in a foetal position and<br />

was slashed again. As soon as the attacker left, he got up.<br />

The attacker was clearly disturbed or perhaps on drugs. The<br />

victim survived only because his attacker let him. Had the<br />

attacker wanted him dead – he would be.<br />

We also practised against opponents in padded outfits using<br />

role play. We have done these drills before and I find them<br />

very valuable as they include dialogue and are done with<br />

more realism. I didn’t put on padding this time – but I have<br />

done at a previous workshop and this gave me a new respect<br />

for our bulletmen – as even through the padding some people<br />

hit incredibly hard. And you certainly feel it.<br />

The final drills were for the situation that our awareness<br />

should never allow which is where an opponent has a knife<br />

pressed against your body or neck and is holding onto you.<br />

This is a very nasty and dangerous situation and to be<br />

avoided at all costs for obvious reasons.<br />

All in all, this was a great session and echoed much <strong>of</strong> what<br />

was taught in the FAST weapons course. As with the other<br />

workshops I learned a huge amount and was very glad that I<br />

made the effort to go. I see this as an important part <strong>of</strong> my<br />

training now and hope to continue with these sessions in<br />

future. I would be happy to share a car with anyone from the<br />

Plymouth area or anywhere else along the route who wants to<br />

give it a go. We can even get back in time for the Sunday<br />

evening Taekwon-Do class!<br />

For further information about Urban Combatives see the<br />

website : www.urbancombatives.com<br />

Stop the attacker from drawing his weapon...<br />

...then close him down.<br />

13


With 190-odd attendees this year’s summer camp was the biggest and best<br />

in memory. Mr Ian Bedborough, 3rd degree black belt and Chudleigh<br />

instructor, recalls our week in Croyde Bay...<br />

Summer Camp 2006 was my 8 th camp since I begun training in 1993 and since returning<br />

home I have pined or reminisced every day about this year’s camp. I tried to work out<br />

what has changed this year to make this one the best camp ever.<br />

Was it because it was an easier, more laid back camp which made it more accessible to<br />

families and a wider range <strong>of</strong> students? Was it the friendly, approachable and respectful<br />

attitudes <strong>of</strong> every single instructor, team leader, black belt, student and friend <strong>of</strong> the<br />

camp? Was it because I feel like I actually had a holiday, far removed from the distant<br />

past where I would book 2 weeks <strong>of</strong>f work, knowing that by the end <strong>of</strong> that camp I would<br />

be in need <strong>of</strong> another break? Was it because I was able to approach anyone I chose, to<br />

be greeted with a smile and willingness to share knowledge and experience and<br />

increase my understanding <strong>of</strong> sine-wave and the Bo-Staff? Was it that I had a break<br />

from teaching Taekwon and lived the Do? Was it the relaxed, community atmosphere?<br />

Was it ‘Waxing Wednesday’ where I narrowly avoided losing some hair? Was it Friday’s<br />

bacon buttie and cuppa at the sandy dojang after Mr Black’s training session?<br />

Was it Mr Ferguson’s obvious and extensive experience, along with his admiration for<br />

the camaraderie and our genuine respect for each other? Was it the seminars in<br />

grappling, stick fighting, Bo-Staff, Self Defence and basics? Was it the variation on the<br />

uppercut I learned one night during a game called Yeehaw? Was it the management<br />

team trying to be serious without eyebrows? Probably. Only once did I leave our camp<br />

site and Croyde village for a local town, where I was confronted by hundreds <strong>of</strong> people,<br />

mostly with scowls on their faces. I found myself imitating this and in a bad mood. I<br />

needed to get back to the safety <strong>of</strong> that field I called home. Suddenly everything became<br />

clear. Master Gayle has been referring to moral culture more and more lately, as it not<br />

only promotes a healthy body and keen mind but good sportsmanship and the perfection<br />

<strong>of</strong> moral behaviour. The Tenets and Taekwon-Do oath both also reflect this, and there<br />

are references to it throughout the condensed encyclopaedia. Is it possible that for just<br />

one week we have, on a small scale achieved everything General Choi had dreamed,<br />

and built that more peaceful world?<br />

Taekwon<br />

- Ian Bedborough - Honoured to be a part <strong>of</strong> P.U.M.A.<br />

14


The UKITF team, incorporating a lot <strong>of</strong> P.U.M.A.’s<br />

best and brightest, participated in the International<br />

Taekwon-Do Federation’s Eighth Junior World<br />

Championships, held in Geelong, Australia.<br />

Team coach Mr Daniel Lammin tells all.<br />

Miss Natasha Knapman (right)<br />

Special Techniques:<br />

a mint flying turning kick<br />

Some kicking madness<br />

Miss Natalie McColl (right)<br />

15


Mr Steven “Steve-O” Watson hard at<br />

work<br />

Miss Jenny Francis mid-sparring<br />

Miss Jenny Francis declared winner<br />

Miss Melanie Evans flying high<br />

16


The Team UK girls patterns team<br />

The Canadian girls team show <strong>of</strong>f their<br />

kicking prowess<br />

The team, coaches and Grandmaster Choi Jung Hwa on the winners rostrum<br />

17


I ght<br />

John Francis organised a band night to help Team UK on their way...<br />

I was looking at ways to help raise<br />

funds for the ITF to help support the<br />

junior team going to Australia this<br />

September and thought <strong>of</strong> a<br />

Sparathon - but that’s been done - a<br />

fight night - no, someone’s beaten me<br />

to it - and shaving certain parts <strong>of</strong> my<br />

anatomy - but I couldn’t compete with<br />

Mr. Phil Whitlock and anyway I<br />

haven’t got that much hair left to<br />

shave <strong>of</strong>f! So I thought <strong>of</strong> a Band Aid<br />

style concert. Well if it’s good enough<br />

for Mr. Geld<strong>of</strong> then it’s good enough<br />

for me.<br />

So several phone calls later to local<br />

bands I knew saw Saturday the 22 nd .<br />

July as a band night held at Wootton<br />

Bassett. First band due on was<br />

“Emohawk”, but unfortunately due to a<br />

car accident the drummer couldn’t<br />

make it, and the Bass guitarist also<br />

didn’t play, which left our very own<br />

Mr. David Pixton (4 th . Degree),<br />

performing on his own, in true<br />

indomitable spirit.<br />

Ashes <strong>of</strong> Emohawk<br />

Well, I couldn’t let him play on<br />

his own.<br />

“The Troubadours” made a special<br />

appearance and played a variety <strong>of</strong><br />

songs, mainly <strong>of</strong> their own material.<br />

J.C. Leonard was next with a collection <strong>of</strong><br />

his own material, very much in a country<br />

and western style with the odd cover<br />

including “Rings <strong>of</strong> Fire” by Johnny Cash.<br />

Following them were “Fools Parade”, an<br />

up and coming rock band.<br />

“Universal Addiction” livened up the evening<br />

with energetic performances <strong>of</strong> songs such as<br />

“Are You Gonna Be My Girl”, “Cross Roads”<br />

and “The Best Of You.”<br />

FMFU (Freshly Made for You) are an enthusiastic<br />

group <strong>of</strong> youngsters who played a selection from<br />

“Dani California” to “Summer <strong>of</strong> 69”. They also<br />

entertained the audience with a very energetic live<br />

performance,and got the girls going. Watch out for<br />

these last 2 bands (Universal Addiction and<br />

FMFU) as they could well be going places.<br />

Remember, you read it here first!<br />

A small raffle was also<br />

organised with a large<br />

bottle <strong>of</strong> whiskey being<br />

the first prize. (Kindly<br />

donated by Marie<br />

Udall). All in all a good<br />

night was had by<br />

everybody, with over a<br />

100 people and an<br />

approximate total <strong>of</strong><br />

just over £500 was<br />

raised for Team UK<br />

2006.<br />

19


The April 2006 winning junior essay<br />

by Ben McGeoch<br />

Why I started Taekwon-Do<br />

I started Taekwon-Do in February 2002 when I was 7 years old. I<br />

came to know about it because lessons were starting in my<br />

school at that time, Christ Church Primary School. Some <strong>of</strong> my<br />

friends and family started with me. I had never been to anything<br />

like it before so I didn’t know what to expect but it was fantastic.<br />

I continued Taekwon-Do for reasons which I am going to explain<br />

later on in this essay. A major reason is that it gives opportunities<br />

to help others.<br />

Helping Others<br />

In Taekwon-Do you help others by teaching them new moves. At<br />

the end <strong>of</strong> a lesson Ms Reeve asked me if I wanted to be an<br />

assistant instructor. My brother had been an assistant instructor<br />

for about 6 months. I was really pleased to be asked and <strong>of</strong><br />

course I said “yes”. I got satisfaction from being able to help<br />

others. At first teaching proved to me that I needed to learn my<br />

theory better. I didn't always know the meaning <strong>of</strong> the patterns or<br />

the Korean words for the moves. I think it's special for me to be<br />

able to teach because I usually learn from people rather than<br />

teaching. This is because I am the youngest child in the family.<br />

Another way Taekwon-Do allows me to help others is through the<br />

demos. I do demos not just to entertain but for fund and to raise<br />

money for schools like Claremont. Claremont school is a school<br />

for disabled children and is also where I do some <strong>of</strong> my Taekwon-<br />

Do classes.<br />

Making new friends<br />

I make new friends in a number <strong>of</strong> ways in Taekwon-Do, not just<br />

at classes but also at tournaments and camps. At the team<br />

tournaments and the County tournament I have got to know the<br />

members <strong>of</strong> my own club better and I've made friends with people<br />

from other clubs. I have been on 3 P.U.M.A. junior camps and<br />

hope to go on the one this year too. I've enjoyed being in the<br />

teams and learning to get on with everyone. Last year I was the<br />

team leader which was a great opportunity to show my potential<br />

in teaching and being a leader. I was awarded a prize at the end<br />

<strong>of</strong> the camp and I was really, really pleased. I made some good<br />

friends but the sad thing is that some <strong>of</strong> them won't be coming<br />

this year because they are too old.<br />

stand still and listen. Soon that stopped and I would never mess<br />

around in class now. Quite recently I have moved to the adult<br />

class and I think that has made me more mature. If I lose in a<br />

tournament I don't make a big fuss but I am disappointed. I try to<br />

learn from people better than me and practice what they did.<br />

Taekwon-Do has also made me fitter, stronger and more flexible.<br />

I can now do a lot <strong>of</strong> quite good press ups and sit ups and I can<br />

kick high. I do a lot <strong>of</strong> other sports and Taekwon-Do has made<br />

me better at these.<br />

Variety<br />

I like the variety <strong>of</strong> Taekwon-Do because if you are not so good at<br />

one thing there are different aspects.<br />

Classes are always different too. Sometimes we do sparring,<br />

sometimes step sparring and other times we do patterns. Less<br />

<strong>of</strong>ten we do pad work. On the first Sunday <strong>of</strong> each month we<br />

have a class where everyone practices for the spirit test. This<br />

class is outdoors on the Downs and it is never cancelled<br />

whatever the weather.<br />

My Instructors<br />

I think I have some <strong>of</strong> the best Taekwon-Do instructors there are.<br />

They tell me what to work on, they help me and they are funny at<br />

the same time. If you don't do well in a competition they say that<br />

it's having a good attitude that counts.<br />

My Schools<br />

18 months into my Taekwon-Do training I moved to a new school<br />

which made it harder to go to classes and tournaments. This is<br />

because I have Saturday school and the days are long. I also<br />

have to play in various teams for my school. All this stopped me<br />

doing my Leadership Team. However, Ms Reeve and Mr Chance<br />

asked me if I wanted to join the adult classes and I said yes so I<br />

could do more training. I think I am lucky that Taekwon-Do<br />

lessons started in my school. If they hadn’t I might not have<br />

begun Taekwon-Do and I am very grateful for this because I<br />

would not have had so much fun and achieved what I have in<br />

Taekwon-Do.<br />

Gradings<br />

Gradings give you a sense that you are moving on and<br />

progressing. When I first started I did the purple stripe and orange<br />

stripe and I think that gave me confidence for the other belts.<br />

People who don't know very much about Taekwon-Do but are<br />

interested ask “What belt are you?” and I feel proud to tell them.<br />

Better person<br />

I think that Taekwon-Do has also made me a better person<br />

because it teaches you about moral culture – the good way <strong>of</strong><br />

living. When I first started I was only 7 and I found it difficult to<br />

20


DISCIPLINE IN MARTIAL ARTS<br />

A number <strong>of</strong> people have been on to me to write an article about discipline in martial arts schools. This is a topic close<br />

to my heart. Done correctly it allows children to grow physically, mentally and spiritually. Done badly it can leave<br />

emotional scars and a feeling that all martial arts are bad, which will perpetuate into future generations <strong>of</strong> potential<br />

students.<br />

The etiquette we have in our classes is an important first step in instilling a disciplined attitude in our students. However,<br />

this only works if we are the biggest etiquette role models in that class. I call ALL my students from 4 upwards ‘Sir’ or<br />

‘Ma’am’. From their very first lesson I tell them why we do this and lead from the front.<br />

I also explain the need for good discipline and role modelling to the parents <strong>of</strong> students. I encourage them all to stay<br />

and watch the classes so they can buy-in to the process. If you are a parent and you don’t regularly watch your children<br />

train you are missing out on an important element <strong>of</strong> the process. Over the years, my greatest successes as an<br />

instructor have been with children whose parents invest time in watching the classes and then reinforcing the message<br />

at home.<br />

Here are a few tips for discipline in Little P.U.M.A. and junior classes.<br />

JUNIORS<br />

Firstly, there should never be anything that humiliates the child. It is very damaging to make a child stand in the middle<br />

<strong>of</strong> a group <strong>of</strong> their peers and give them any punishment for any reason while all others watch.<br />

Giving exercise such as press-ups as a punishment can set a message that ‘exercise = bad’.<br />

In an environment where exercise plays such a large part in our classes, having children who associate exercise with<br />

punishment can never be good. There are ways where you can associate it with ‘fun punishment’ (such as forfeits etc)<br />

but this is different to discipline.<br />

My view on the best course <strong>of</strong> action is this. Firstly you need to talk to the students, fully explaining the problem and the<br />

behaviour you expect. Reassure them that it is only their behaviour you don’t like. I once sat for a whole lesson with one<br />

<strong>of</strong> my students who was displaying some very disruptive behaviour. After chatting for a little while he looked crestfallen<br />

and said ‘you must really hate me’. I explained that I actually really like him and really enjoyed having him in my class. I<br />

told him the things he was doing that were not correct. Over the course <strong>of</strong> the next few weeks, I saw his behaviour get<br />

better and better and he began to blossom. Unfortunately his parents never watched the class, and never got to see just<br />

what he was capable <strong>of</strong> achieving.<br />

If this doesn’t work, you need to set more realistic goals such as ‘next lesson I want you to do this’. Speak to parents to<br />

see if this is recurring behaviour. Give some written homework i.e. ‘why is it important to listen’ etc.<br />

LITTLE P.U.M.A.s<br />

Little P.U.M.A.s also have very particular needs. At this very formative age, you can have some very positive influences,<br />

and also some very negative ones. I believe any discipline you use with Little P.U.M.A.s should be very gentle (and a<br />

little manipulative). Fun plays a large part. Seeing others rewarded for positive behaviour can sometimes have a great<br />

influence on the rest <strong>of</strong> the class.<br />

One <strong>of</strong> the mechanisms I use is to have a ‘concentration area’. I’m not convinced that a time out area sends the right<br />

message. I use an area where children can go and practice their concentration before rejoining the class. I will sit with<br />

them (or one <strong>of</strong> my adult leadership team members), and explain the need to concentrate hard and the correct expected<br />

behaviour. I usually use this time to play an unexpected game, rewarding someone else’s excellent behaviour.<br />

This use <strong>of</strong> language is very important. How you say and do things leaves lasting impressions on the children. On the<br />

child protection course we do an exercise where genuine phrases from coaches <strong>of</strong> many different sports are considered<br />

in isolation. Phrases like ‘that was rubbish’ can be so powerful (in either a good or bad way). Often as instructors and<br />

helpers, it is so easy to react in an emotional or knee jerk way, however it is important to remember the lasting effect<br />

this can have. Language (including body language) is very powerful and things can be taken in different ways depending<br />

on the voice, the group or student you are aiming your comment at, and your intent.<br />

Things to think about then.<br />

If you want to improve your own skills in this area seek out an instructor with large junior classes and see what<br />

they do.<br />

If you are a parent, please try to be more involved in what your children are doing in our classes. You’ll very<br />

quickly see the benefits.<br />

About the author:<br />

Louise Reeve trains under Master Ray Gayle (7 th Degree) at Yate Taekwon-Do. She is P.U.M.A.’s Child Protection<br />

Officer and has trained extensively with the NSPCC. Louise conducts all <strong>of</strong> P.U.M.A.’s child protection training and<br />

undertakes the CRB checking on all instructors, assistants and helpers. She runs her own Taekwon-Do school in<br />

Henleaze, Bristol.<br />

21


By Sue Raven<br />

Children’s Fitness<br />

Are our children getting enough exercise? This is a question<br />

that is being asked more and more and with growing concern.<br />

Numerous recent studies from the world’s leading health and<br />

fitness experts show that children and young adults are more<br />

inactive than ever before, a scary thought if you’re a parent!<br />

So what can we put this down to? Watching TV, videos and<br />

DVDs, surfing the net, playing computer games and chatting<br />

on their mobile phone seem to be the main culprits and<br />

occupy a lot <strong>of</strong> spare time. Whilst these may be fun, they<br />

usually involve sitting still for long periods. In addition less<br />

time is allowed for Physical Education at school, with some<br />

children getting as little as 1 or 2 hours a week. Put this<br />

sedentary lifestyle together with a poor diet and we are<br />

creating a nation <strong>of</strong> obese children.<br />

As parents we need to encourage our children to spend more<br />

time each day getting active and less time on the s<strong>of</strong>a eating<br />

junk food. Here are some <strong>of</strong> the benefits children can get from<br />

regular exercise:<br />

Have stronger muscles and bones.<br />

Improve the health <strong>of</strong> their heart.<br />

Have a leaner body because exercise helps control<br />

body fat<br />

Be less likely to become overweight.<br />

Reduce stress levels<br />

Possibly lower blood pressure and blood cholesterol<br />

levels<br />

Decrease the risk <strong>of</strong> developing type 2 diabetes<br />

Active children increase their chance <strong>of</strong> becoming<br />

healthy adults: children who enjoy exercise may<br />

develop a lifelong, healthy habit <strong>of</strong> being physically<br />

active.<br />

In addition to these health benefits children who are physically<br />

fit sleep better and are more able to handle the physical and<br />

emotional challenges a typical day brings, whether that is<br />

running to catch a bus, bending down to tie their shoe laces,<br />

or studying for a test at school.<br />

So how much physical activity should children be<br />

getting each day?<br />

For good health, children from the age <strong>of</strong> 2 need at least 60<br />

minutes <strong>of</strong> moderate to vigorous physical activity most<br />

days <strong>of</strong> the week but ideally, every day. This total can<br />

include a variety <strong>of</strong> activities such as participating in sports,<br />

dance, running, swimming or martial arts classes to name but<br />

a few. The 60 minutes doesn’t need to be done in one go and<br />

can be broken up into shorter chunks <strong>of</strong> 10-15 minutes at a<br />

time and remember they can always do more if they want to!<br />

Moderate activities are about as intense as a brisk walk, whilst<br />

vigorous activities get your child’s heart pumping. These<br />

include running, dancing and team sports like netball,<br />

basketball and football.<br />

Remember I am talking about the minimum requirements for<br />

good health; some <strong>of</strong> our children may already be very active<br />

attending 2 or 3 martial arts classes a week and taking part in<br />

a variety <strong>of</strong> other activities which is great and should be<br />

encouraged. In a later issue we shall also be looking at safe<br />

and effective exercise levels for junior martial artists and other<br />

ways to complement their training.<br />

However, not every child enjoys physical exercise, particularly<br />

team sports, and <strong>of</strong>ten shies away from them. If this is the<br />

case, get them to try something different until they find<br />

something they do enjoy. Remember the more fun they have<br />

the more likelihood they have <strong>of</strong> sticking with it! There are<br />

many other ways we can encourage our children to stay<br />

active, such as walking to school, skateboarding, mountain<br />

biking, rollerblading or playing football in the park with friends<br />

to name just a few. These can be fun, cost nothing or very<br />

little but will reap high rewards.<br />

Whilst more parents are realising the value <strong>of</strong> a well-planned<br />

exercise program and proper nutrition, with busy lifestyles<br />

many <strong>of</strong> us have trouble incorporating fitness and nutrition into<br />

our children's lives. Healthy eating goes hand-in-hand with<br />

being active and it is important that we cut down on the<br />

takeaways and junk food and instead find the time to give our<br />

children a healthier balanced diet that includes more fruit and<br />

vegetables and provides them with the energy they need for<br />

activity. It is also important to ensure they drink plenty <strong>of</strong><br />

water.<br />

So how can we encourage our children to be more<br />

active?<br />

Start by being a positive role model. If you’re practising<br />

healthy habits it’s a lot easier to convince children to do the<br />

same. Why not get the whole family out together for a bike<br />

ride, try walking the children to school or down to the local<br />

shops instead <strong>of</strong> taking the car? Go swimming at a weekend<br />

or maybe get down to the park and take the ball for a kick<br />

around. You could even try something more adventurous like<br />

horse riding, ice skating or climbing together. You never know,<br />

you might have fun and everyone will benefit from the<br />

exercise and time together!<br />

Encourage your children to take up something they really<br />

enjoy, every child is unique. Look around your area and see<br />

what is on <strong>of</strong>fer. Most health clubs and leisure centres now<br />

<strong>of</strong>fer a wide range <strong>of</strong> activities and classes for the under 16s<br />

including circuit and spinning classes (group cycling) and gym<br />

workouts run by fully qualified staff. Let them experiment with<br />

different activities until they find something that he or she<br />

really loves doing. Be supportive and positive. Everyone likes<br />

to be praised. Go and watch your child and give them<br />

encouragement - you may even want to take part yourself!<br />

22


Summary<br />

Remember for good health, children from the age<br />

<strong>of</strong> 2 need at least 60 minutes <strong>of</strong> moderate to<br />

vigorous physical activity most days <strong>of</strong> the week but<br />

ideally, every day. This can always be broken up<br />

into smaller chunks <strong>of</strong> 10-15 minutes throughout<br />

the day.<br />

Encourage your children to participate in a variety<br />

<strong>of</strong> sports or activities they enjoy and will stick at.<br />

Limit the time spent watching the TV, surfing the<br />

net and playing computer games.<br />

Avoid junk food; instead eat a healthy balanced diet<br />

with plenty <strong>of</strong> fruit and vegetables.<br />

Drink plenty <strong>of</strong> water.<br />

Above all let’s encourage our children to get active. Having<br />

FUN and enjoying a healthy lifestyle is something that<br />

everyone should love to do, young and old!<br />

A video game and some junk food being held out <strong>of</strong> reach<br />

yesterday<br />

Sue Raven, Taekwon-Do 1 st Degree Black Belt has been training for 6 years but has been involved in the leisure industry for<br />

over 18 years. She currently works at Plymouth YMCA as the Group Fitness Coordinator and also teaches a number <strong>of</strong> fitness<br />

and aerobic classes as well as being an assessor on fitness courses. She is a fully qualified P.U.M.A. instructor, runs her own<br />

Little P.U.M.A.s School in Exeter and is a Registered Exercise <strong>Pr<strong>of</strong>essional</strong>.<br />

23


Footwork needs to be an integral part <strong>of</strong> a fighter’s armoury; it’s <strong>of</strong>ten either overlooked or even worse in some cases, forgotten about!<br />

I’ve seen some beautiful things in my time and beauty is indeed in the eye <strong>of</strong> the beholder but I have to say one <strong>of</strong> the most beautiful<br />

things I’ve seen recently was Joe Calzaghe fighting with Jeff ‘left hook’ Lacy. You might say that boxing is a horrible brutal sport. Well<br />

maybe it is but that night Calzaghe was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen in a boxing ring. In case you’re wondering whether I’ve<br />

lost the plot, I’m talking about his amazing boxing skills particularly his footwork. Lacy was supposed to knock him out with his<br />

fantastic power and aggression. The guy didn’t stand a chance because Calzaghe was too illusive, quick and smart for him.<br />

In short, without good footwork you’ll never get to your opponent but they will always get to you. If you can’t hit them but they’re<br />

always tagging you then you’re going to lose.<br />

Let’s start with the basics. The stance we’re going to be using a traditional boxing stance which is about a shoulder width wide (from<br />

toe to toe), with a similar length.<br />

Again from toe to toe. Most pro boxers lift their back heel slightly <strong>of</strong>f the ground. In fact Herol ‘Bomber’ Graham, one <strong>of</strong> Britain’s best<br />

boxers, taught us this technique at past P.U.M.A. days.<br />

The weight is approximately 60% lead leg and 40% back. You’ll find when your feet are placed in this stance your body will be slightly<br />

turned, which is okay. Sideways on is not okay, at least not when you’re going to throw strong punches. The legs should be slightly<br />

bent. The reason for all <strong>of</strong> the above is balance - without it you can’t punch and you can’t withstand a strong punch from your<br />

opponent.<br />

Whenever you move in the class or the ring, regardless <strong>of</strong> whether you’re going forward back left or right, you should only move one<br />

foot at a time. The term used for this movement is step and drag.<br />

Pivoting footwork can cause your opponent to become frustrated, giving you the vital edge. Going back again to the classic Calzaghe<br />

versus Lacy fight, Joe Calzaghe adopted the pivot turn on numerous occasions, making his opponent look like a complete novice.<br />

A pivot means you turn on the front foot. Orthodox boxers will<br />

turn clockwise, southpaws will turn anti-clockwise. Pivots can be<br />

made the opposite way but aren’t generally favoured. You can<br />

pivot from any angle up to approximately 90 degress in order to<br />

stay well balanced.<br />

Starting position<br />

To the left...<br />

...and to the right.<br />

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Forward, step 1. Forward, step 2.<br />

Backward, step 1. Backward, step 2.<br />

Backward, ...right?... step 3.<br />

Sideways, step 1<br />

Sideways, step 2.<br />

Sideways, step 3.<br />

Clockwise...<br />

Anticlockwise...<br />

As with most things, try practising your footwork slowly first before you even start punching or blocking, gradually increase your<br />

speed and mobility until it becomes second nature. Good luck and see you again soon,<br />

Malcolm Jones, malcolmjones@puma-uk.com<br />

25


Various Types Of Motion<br />

If you are 8 th kup or above, you will already know that Taekwondo<br />

has several different types <strong>of</strong> ‘motions.’ They are introduced<br />

gradually throughout the colour belt pattern syllabus and the first<br />

example appears in pattern Dan-Gun. This article will attempt to<br />

define these different types <strong>of</strong> movement. As with any art-form,<br />

there is sometimes room for interpretation; personally I think this<br />

is a good thing – it allows all students <strong>of</strong> Taekwon-do to question<br />

the approach. Without questioning your surroundings, you<br />

cannot hope to grow beyond them.<br />

Normal motion<br />

It seems nonsense to start defining other types <strong>of</strong> motion without<br />

first defining the ‘normal’ one. Basically, normal motion applies to<br />

the vast majority <strong>of</strong> Taekwon-do techniques. It uses normal<br />

rhythm, normal breathing and normal timing.<br />

Slow Motion (noo-rin dongjak)<br />

Movement is performed slowly with slow breathing. This is used<br />

to emphasise an important movement and to check balance,<br />

control, breathing and strength, i.e. strong leg muscles are needed<br />

in order to control the transfer <strong>of</strong> weight into the stance.<br />

Precisely how slowly a movement is performed is not written in<br />

stone, however if you try to count “one thousand, two thousand,<br />

three thousand, four thousand” in your head whilst performing<br />

the movement this should give you good timing. Remember to<br />

breathe on slow movements; they are still techniques and all<br />

techniques require breath. Breath control amounts for almost<br />

one 5 th <strong>of</strong> the marks available in tournament patterns, so if you<br />

do not breathe on slow movements you may lose the round!<br />

Make the breath audible, (just like on normal movements) but<br />

controlled. Also, try to time the hands and feet together as you<br />

would normally. This is difficult but shows good control when you<br />

can perfect it.<br />

Fast Motion (baren dongjak)<br />

Fast movements usually occur in twos. Think <strong>of</strong> fast motion as<br />

being urgent and aggressive with normal breathing. Fast motion<br />

is nearly always used with attacks, most commonly two punches;<br />

‘Short-cut’ your sine wave and spring straight from the first<br />

movement into the next. The techniques usually have separate<br />

sine waves (though sometimes a body shift is used instead) and<br />

both techniques have their own sharp breath.<br />

In some instances, fast motion is described in the performance<br />

<strong>of</strong> two kicks. Examples are in pattern Hwa-Rang, movements 18<br />

& 19 (high turning kicks) and in pattern Choong Moo,<br />

movements 14 & 15 (high turning kick and middle back piercing<br />

kick). When performing these movements, do not rush them just<br />

because they are in ‘fast motion.’ They may indeed be executed<br />

faster than two normal speed hand techniques, simply because<br />

kicks can generally be performed more quickly anyway, but don’t<br />

let the idea <strong>of</strong> ‘fast motion’ throw your nice technique out <strong>of</strong> the<br />

window!<br />

Continuous Motion (chari-chari dongjak)<br />

The way that continuous motion is performed has been updated<br />

in recent times, so please pay particular attention to this section.<br />

Continuous motion describes two or more techniques that are<br />

performed each with their own sine wave but with one<br />

continuous breath throughout. This breath must be<br />

accentuated on the actual techniques themselves, and be<br />

quieter/s<strong>of</strong>ter in between the impact <strong>of</strong> the two techniques. Both<br />

techniques are fully completed (as with all normal movements)<br />

but you should allow your body to flow from one technique to the<br />

other. Continuous movements always start with a block.<br />

Connecting Motion (ee-o-jin dongjak)<br />

This is when two movements share both one sine wave and one<br />

breath. The first technique occurs on the highest point <strong>of</strong> your<br />

sine wave and the second technique ends <strong>of</strong> the “down” phase<br />

at the end. Generally the first technique is some kind <strong>of</strong> ‘s<strong>of</strong>t’<br />

block (hooking block or scooping block). This s<strong>of</strong>tness means<br />

that there is no dramatic impact on these blocks. The breath<br />

control mirrors this, by starting gently and building to an<br />

emphatic exhale on the second technique, which is usually an<br />

attack. Note that the ‘s<strong>of</strong>tness’ <strong>of</strong> the first block doesn’t mean do<br />

it slow motion.<br />

In the case <strong>of</strong> connecting motion, think <strong>of</strong> the first technique (a<br />

block) setting up for second technique which is a counter-attack<br />

to the initial attack against you.<br />

Consecutive Kicks (yonsok chagi)<br />

A consecutive kick is when two or more kicks are executed from<br />

the same leg without that leg touching the floor in between.<br />

No. sine waves No. breaths Other details<br />

Normal Motion 1 1 n/a<br />

Slow Motion<br />

n/a<br />

1 controlled breath for the duration <strong>of</strong> the<br />

movement<br />

Hands, feet, eyes and breath end together<br />

Fast Motion 2 2 Performed with a sense <strong>of</strong> urgency<br />

Continuous Motion 2<br />

Connecting Motion 1<br />

1 continuous breath, emphasised on the<br />

impact <strong>of</strong> the techniques and s<strong>of</strong>ter in<br />

between them<br />

1, which is s<strong>of</strong>t for the first movement and<br />

becomes more explosive for the second<br />

Complete each movement but flow from one<br />

to the next<br />

n/a<br />

Quick Reference: this chart should be used to quickly reference the type <strong>of</strong> motion needed.<br />

26


Patterns Details<br />

This chart describes the different motions in all patterns up to 1 st degree. I have included the movement number according to the<br />

encyclopaedia and a brief description <strong>of</strong> the movement for quick reference.<br />

Chon-Ji<br />

Slow Motion Fast Motion Continuous Motion Connecting Motion Consecutive Kick<br />

Dan-Gun<br />

13 & 14:<br />

low block, rising block<br />

Do-San<br />

15 & 16, 19 & 20:<br />

observe-reverse<br />

punches<br />

Won-Hyo<br />

Yul-Gok<br />

2 & 3, 5 & 6, 9 & 10,<br />

13 & 14:<br />

obverse-reverse<br />

punches<br />

16 & 17, 19 & 20:<br />

hooking block, punch<br />

Joong-Gun<br />

Toi-Gye<br />

27 & 29:<br />

palm pressing blocks<br />

30:<br />

angle punch<br />

3 & 6:<br />

side-backfist strike<br />

12:<br />

twin elbow thrust<br />

7 & 8:<br />

x-fist pressing block,<br />

twin vertical punch<br />

Hwa-Rang<br />

Choong-Moo<br />

18 & 19:<br />

turning kicks<br />

14 & 15:<br />

turning kick, back<br />

piercing kick<br />

Kwang-Gye<br />

2 & 3:<br />

upset punches<br />

10 & 11:<br />

upward palm blocks<br />

21 & 22:<br />

palm pressing blocks<br />

26 & 30:<br />

finger tip thrusts<br />

13 & 14, 17 & 18:<br />

pressing kick, side<br />

piercing kick<br />

Po-Eun<br />

6-12, 24 - 30:<br />

punches, elbows and<br />

blocks (Note an<br />

exception: continuous<br />

movements with fast<br />

breath control)<br />

Gae-Baek<br />

3 & 4:<br />

observe-reverse<br />

punches<br />

22 & 23:<br />

turning kick, flying side<br />

kick<br />

5 & 6:<br />

rising block, low block<br />

9 & 10, 29 & 30:<br />

scooping block, punch<br />

37 & 38:<br />

low guarding blocks<br />

Until next time, Taekwon!<br />

Are there any aspects <strong>of</strong> Taekwon-Do that you would like me to investigate and divulge? If so, feel free to contact me<br />

at tkd@cardiffmartialarts.com . I look forward to your suggestions.<br />

Kevin McCabe, 4th degree black belt, has trained in Taekwon-Do for over 15 years. He is a member <strong>of</strong> the P.U.M.A.<br />

management team as Technical Assistant. He aids senior instructors with training duties at P.U.M.A. camps and other events<br />

and also teaches technical and pattern seminars. He trains under Master Ray Gayle and teaches his own schools in Cardiff<br />

East and Cardiff Central.<br />

27


By Claire King and Ollie King<br />

Hello. Well, we are back again with the second Bo form - sorry it’s taken so long. If you are familiar with the form you will be<br />

aware that there are twirling movements on some <strong>of</strong> the moves which aren’t compulsory but do make the form flow a lot better.<br />

Hopefully you can use this as an aid to help you remember the form but we are quite happy to come and teach your schools if<br />

you want.<br />

1. Start in ready position<br />

(choon bee)<br />

2. Turn to the left into a front<br />

stance and execute a low<br />

block.<br />

2. This shows transition<br />

movement after performing<br />

low block, ready to perform<br />

high block.<br />

2. Perform a high block, still in<br />

same stance as before (low<br />

block high block one step).<br />

3. Now stepping through into<br />

front stance with a high strike.<br />

4. Front leg steps all the way<br />

to the rear performing a low<br />

block.<br />

4. Pulling bo back ready for<br />

high block.<br />

4. Execute a high block.<br />

28


5. Step through into front<br />

stance, performing a high<br />

strike.<br />

6. Coming down the middle<br />

performing a low block.<br />

6. Then high block (in same<br />

stance).<br />

7. Stepping through into front<br />

stance striking down on top <strong>of</strong><br />

the head, taking the front <strong>of</strong><br />

the bo across the body.<br />

7. Taking bo out to the left and<br />

stepping through with your left<br />

leg behind your right<br />

performing a spin.<br />

7. Finish previous move with<br />

high block.<br />

8. Stepping through into front<br />

stance with a lunging spear<br />

attack. Ki-hap on this move.<br />

9. Step across with the left leg<br />

behind the right leg to the right<br />

and perform low block.<br />

9. Refer to transition<br />

movement and perform high<br />

block.<br />

10. Stepping through into front<br />

stance, perform high strike.<br />

11. Stepping back through 180<br />

degrees to left, perform low<br />

block.<br />

11. Same transition movement<br />

and execute a high block.<br />

29


12. Stepping through, front<br />

stance high strike.<br />

13. Coming back down,<br />

middle perform low block.<br />

13. Then high block. 14. Stepping through into<br />

horse stance performing a<br />

mid-section strike which ends<br />

45 degrees <strong>of</strong>f the centre line.<br />

15. Turning to the rear perform<br />

a high block.<br />

16. Stepping forward, perform<br />

a lunging spear.<br />

17. Turning all the way round<br />

to right, perform a low block.<br />

17. As before, execute high<br />

block.<br />

18. Stepping through high<br />

strike.<br />

19. Turning to the rear again<br />

and do a low block.<br />

19. Same as before, high<br />

block.<br />

20. Stepping through and<br />

perform a high strike (with<br />

ki-hap).<br />

30


A Oil it.<br />

A Because he didn’t peel well.<br />

A A Cow with no lips.<br />

A A stick.<br />

Q What illness do martial artists catch?<br />

A Kung Flu<br />

Got some jokes? Email them to us at<br />

and maybe see your name<br />

in print!<br />

What a bother... P.U.M.A. Squad member Stacey Weatherer is<br />

dressing up to attend the world famous roller disco in some<br />

northern town. She wants to wear her best pair <strong>of</strong> socks for the<br />

evening but one <strong>of</strong> them is missing! If you can’t find it for her at<br />

the back <strong>of</strong> her neon pink wardrobe she’ll have to wear odd<br />

socks and that would look ridiculous!<br />

L O T G H M T P V F A<br />

H K I P A E G L U E B<br />

A O O R A G N A K E O<br />

R A R K J T F T A R R<br />

G L N I M R I Y D R I<br />

N A F B S U E P G E G<br />

O D K C A B T U O I I<br />

L A Y E N D Y S O R N<br />

E H J W M C O L P R E<br />

E L I D O C O R C A E<br />

G G N A R E M O O B L<br />

31

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