Issue 6 - Professional Unification of Martial Arts

Welcome to edition 6 of Planet P.U.M.A. Summer’s pretty much over and the nights are drawing in but there’s still plenty to
look forward to in the martial arts calendar over the next few months. In a few days time P.U.M.A. and the UKITF’s top
junior competitors will be heading off to Geelong in Southern Australia for the eighth Junior World Championships. Fingers
crossed they’ll bring back a bag full of medals (full report to follow in issue seven).
Summer Camp may now be a fading memory for those of you there with us this year (along with the tan that you acquired)
but fear not, Winter Camp is just around the corner. If you haven’t been before then why not give it a go? Not only will you
make a lot of new friends but you’ll get to train intensively with many of our senior instructors. Truly a chance not to be
missed. In addition to the fantastic training available you’ll also have access to Warmwell’s wide ranging leisure facilities
including a swimming pool with wave machine and the superb ski/snowboard slope. Get an application form from your
instructor or www.puma-uk.com.
In addition to the above all of the usual events such as the Black Belt Grading, presentation evening and the British
Championships are just around the corner! And if all that’s not enough, issue seven will be available be at the beginning of
December.
Okay, that’s the future taken care of – now back to the present. In this edition there’s plenty for you to read about and keep
you entertained from our regular contributors as well as a few new ones.
Our Health & Fitness specialist Gareth Hitchcoe is taking a short break whilst he completes his basic training for the Fire
Brigade. Don’t worry - he’ll be back! In the meantime we’ve recruited an able deputy: turn to page 20 to find out who and
read all about core stability, why it’s important for martial artists and how to improve yours.
In other articles you can find out the importance of gum shields from a dentist, all about the benefits of Little P.U.M.A.s,
how P.U.M.A. is spreading to Norway and all about one of P.U.M.A.’s founders Mr Malcolm Jones – what more could you
want?
Once again we’d like to thank all of those people who have contributed to this and previous editions of the magazine and
remind the rest of you that we still need more of you to come forward with ideas for articles. As per usual we can be
contacted by email at magazine@puma-uk.com – get in touch and let us know what you’d like to see or indeed what you
think you can do for us.
Until next time, happy reading…
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What's Inside
Editorial 2
We're paid by the word you know.
Interview: Mr Malcolm Jones 4
Veteran all-round nice bloke
Sports Drinks 8
The science behind those big words on the label.
The Norway Experiment 10
Introducing LIttle P.U.M.A.s training abroad.
Mouth Guards 12
What they do and why you need one.
Random Stuff 13
Does exactly what it says on the tin.
"Why I started Taekwon-Do and why I still do it" 14
The winning adult essay from the April 2006 black belt grading
The Little P.U.M.A. Experience 16
Our starting syllabus for the very young.
It's not just about fighting 18
What self defence is really about. Plus custom scenarios
Health Fitness 20
Core Stability - what's that then?
Kickboxing 22
Applying hand wraps, step-by-step.
Taekwon-Do 24
This time around : basic stances
Child Protection 26
Some updates to the Child Protection Policy outlined
Kids Corner 27
The usual strange gubbins
The Team
Editor
Assistant Editor
Health & Fitness Coordinator
Contributors
Email
Mr Daniel Lammin
Mr Richard Potter
Mr Gareth Hitchcoe
Mr Victor Fagence, Mr Malcolm Jones, Mr Richard Potter, Mr Daniel Lammin, Mr
Toby Cameron, Mr Matthew Lloyd, Ms Kirsty Oliver, Mr Neil Hoppe, Mr Leigh Haworth,
Ms Jane Thomas, Ms Diane McInnes, Mr Dik Chance, Mr Kevin McCabe, Ms
Louise Reeve, Ms Alison Gildert, Ms Nicola Ogborne
magazine@puma-uk.com
Planet P.U.M.A. is published quarterly. For letters or article proposals, please contact the editorial team at the email
address above. To locate your local club or for further information about P.U.M.A. please visit the official website at
www.puma-uk.com or call the P.U.M.A. hotline on 0845 600 1967.
This magazine is copyright 2006 The Professional Unification of Martial Arts Ltd. All individual articles are the copyright
of their respective authors. Opinions expressed are those of their authors and do not necessarily reflect those of
P.U.M.A. Unauthorised reproduction is prohibited.
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Malcolm Jones
Taekwon-Do 6th degree black belt, veteran
instructor, kickboxing coordinator, jointfounder
of P.U.M.A., bulletman and a bit
Welsh.
Toby “The Inquisitor” Cameron paid him a
visit...
Mr Jones, you originally started a different martial art.
What made you change to Taekwon-Do?
I started doing Judo when I was thirteen, in 1974. My parents
wouldn’t let me do a martial art until I was thirteen, which
these days is quite late because we have kids starting at six
or with Little P.U.M.A.s even four years old. In those days it
was unheard of to start at that early age. My first one was
Judo then I took up Karate. I enjoyed both of them but to be
fair I enjoyed judo more than karate because I liked the
physicality of it. In 1980 my parents moved from Yeovil down
to the Bournemouth area. A mate of mine in Taunton had
done Taekwon-Do and he was always talking about good it
was, how you had to be flexible for it, that sort of stuff. He was
always raving about it so I thought, well, I’m going to have to
try some. Because I’d got into Karate I tried to find a Karate
club but I couldn’t find one anywhere. I did find a WTF
Taekwon-Do club and that’s how I started. That was 1980,
December the twelth to be exact.
So it was chance you stumbled across Taekwon-Do?
Yes, exactly. There was lots of Karate about, but they weren’t
properly traditional. I used to train with a lot of the Japanese
masters but all the local Karate clubs were English and it
wasn’t the same.
What profession did you train in before you became a
full-time instructor?
I’m not sure whether you can call it a profession or not, but I
used to be a paint sprayer. I started in the automotive
industry, this was in Yeovil, and I did that for three years. I
enjoyed it but there was always something missing so I
moved down to Bournemouth. My dad at the time had just left
the Navy, which was what I wanted to be in when I was a kid.
He got me a job at Bournemouth airport as a bit-sprayer,
which is spraying little components. I found that really really
boring. I manoeuvred my way into another company at the
airport that painted planes. I got onto a painting crew of about
eight people.
That’s a skilled job isn’t it, because the paint affects
how a plane flies?
That’s right, yes. A crew would paint a medium sized jet like a
737 or a 757. I used to love it, the job satisfaction was
fantastic. You’d get a plane come in looking old and worse for
wear and spend the next six to eight weeks on it. To see it
fly off in the sunshine used to make me really happy to
know I’d been part of doing it up. It’s the same with martial
arts really.
Is this how you see a student? You see the bare
bones of a white belt and you can turn them into this
graceful martial artist…
Most definitely. Some of the people that have come in,
yourself for instance when you first came in, you didn’t
know what the martial arts were about and maybe I pointed
you in the right direction and tried to point out how good it
can be for people. I’m very proud of all the people I’ve
taught, whether they’ve stayed with me or moved areas or
gone and done something else.
There have been many changes between the
Taekwon-Do you originally learned and what you
teach now. Can you explain some of the differences?
I see Taekwon-Do is quite different now to how
General Choi originally perceived it…
I was first in the ITF in from 1981, as were Master Gayle
and Master Ogborne. The ITF then was nothing like it is
now. It was more akin to hip-twist style Taekwon-Do. The
main difference for me, not just with Taekwon-Do but for all
martial arts really, was kids didn’t exist. You wouldn’t have
got a four or five-year-old. Nobody younger than twelve or
thirteen, because the training was too hard. Not
dangerous… Well yes, dangerous. Ho ho. Very very
vigorous.
From my own experiences when I was that sort of
age it was perhaps not right for a young body…
4

Yes, and the mental training as well. I remember my instructor
was really good to me, but he despised my Karate
background. He would belittle me in front of everyone, he
would bully me – not physically but verbally – and it was
horrible. You had to put up with these things. In his defence, I
turned out to be his best student because he knew I was there
for the long haul.
I remember when I first started you used to scare me a
great deal. I was lucky to have a lot of support from the
black belts and it brought something out of me, which I
thank you for. Apart from Taekwon-Do, I know you
enjoy the Dorset countryside.
We were talking earlier about living in a village. Going to teach
at Poole or Southampton used to horrify me, because I’m
used to a slow, relaxed pace of life. I can walk to the village
post office, I can take the dog for a walk and I’m not rushed.
As soon as I go teaching I’m back in the rat race: I have to be
there on time, the whole world is driving to wherever they want
to go at a hectic pace. I never get stuck in a traffic jam in the
village. It’s just so much easier to relax and I guess I do like to
relax and listen to music. I do know Master Ogborne likes to
relax playing cricket, Master Gayle likes to relax playing his
guitar, Mr Wood likes to relax with his great outdoors, which is
similar to myself. I like to get away from everything and chill
out.
Several years ago you and a couple of colleagues took
a trip to the US and attended a FAST Defence seminar.
You become qualified instructors in FAST Defence. Can
you tell us a little bit about if for those people who
haven’t heard about it?
FAST is an acronym for Fear-Adrenaline-Stress-Training. It
was started, about thirty years ago by a guy called Matt
Thomas and was originally called “Model Mugging”. Matt was
a very proficient martial artist . He used to get in brawls, but
he was capable of doing it. He trained under a traditional
master and would teach for him. He used to teach a class of
college girls. One day one of the girls came up to him: she’d
been raped. She said “I’ve let the school down.” and he said
“No, you haven’t let the school down. We’ve let you down,
because we haven’t taught you the right skills. We haven’t
taught you how to avoid these situations.”. Matt really woke
up. He looked at what he was teaching and decided he was
teaching totally the wrong thing. He spent two years
experimenting with the physicality of teaching young women
that they had to fight for their lives, doing it in a full-contact
way. He was knocked out hundreds of times because the
protection he afforded himself, compared to today’s bulletman
suit, was next to nothing. He dedicated his life to making
women’s lives safer so until recently “Model Mugging” was just
for women, but it got fragmented. Basically in the 1980s Matt
got bulldozed – he didn’t have a business mind at all and a lot
of people ripped him off. They took his Model Mugging away.
One of the guys he taught was a gentleman called Bill Kipp,
who did have a business brain. He took on board all the Model
Mugging concepts, then with Matt’s guidance and permission
he started FAST Defence.
A lot of people get the wrong idea. They think it’s all about
fighting, about how to beat someone up. It’s not that at all, it’s
all about how to keep out of trouble by keeping alert and using
your brain. I’ve done lots of self-defence things over my thirty
years in martial arts and I can honestly say it is the best
thing I’ve ever done. An example of what it does is Maxine
Brunton. She’s a second degree Taekwon-Do girl in
Blandford. Lovely girl, fantastic martial artist. She’s done
about four FAST courses, she loves that sort of stuff. She
likes the physicality of it, though you’d never think it be
looking at her patterns because she’s very graceful. She
did one of these and we did a knife defence. One day in
the Taekwon-Do class I asked her to show the class how
she’d react if someone put a knife to her throat. So I held
the knife to her throat, not aggressive, and said to show the
class what she’d do. To my dismay she didn’t know what to
do. I was really disappointed – I’d just spent three courses
telling her what to do and it’d been a waste of time. I
thought “what am I going to do?”. I told her to sit down and
as she walked off I ran after her screaming and shouting
just as we do in the FAST courses. I put the knife to her
throat again and she instantly knew what to do. The point is
in reality your brain switches off – it can’t compute what to
do. You need to “store” all those technical processes in the
part of the brain that still works in those stressful positions
and that’s what FAST does.
I can second that because I’ve done two of the
courses and it does get into your subconscious. I
understand it’s also a way to stop yourself from
kicking off – by seeing the warning signs when
you’re in town or whatever…
Yes, Bill Kipp has a great saying: “You’ll be fine as long as
you just don’t mess up”. A lot of it is common sense but
unfortunately in today’s society people often don’t use
common sense.
FAST Defence has grown and grown. You also run
corporate courses, I believe? Companies can contact
you if they think they can benefit from it?
Definitely. Unfortunately I’ve taught about 2000 railway staff
in breakaway / walkaway techniques. There’s a problem
because they pay me a decent wage to teach them but
unfortunately they don’t want the truth. The truth is that
people are very violent and the odd occasional breakaway /
walkaway technique isn’t going to work in this day and age.
Undergoing a traditional test of manliness in snowy
Poland
5

Public companies, who employ lots of people, want to scoot
around the issue. They simply don’t want to talk about the
reality of violent street attacks. People get the wrong idea
and think FAST courses will teach their staff to be
exceedingly violent. If they saw the beauty of a FAST course
they’d change their mind, but the mentality of people in this
county is “you’ve got to wait until it happens”, whereas in
America the corporate world uses it a lot.
I experienced a situation on board a ship where a
passenger was being violent and the staff didn’t want
to deal with it. I could feel myself getting ready to deal
with it if I had to and that was basically down to the
FAST courses I’d done.
I’ve been berated for saying this, but: one FAST Defence
course is worth a couple of years of training. Those two
years of training will develop your body, of course they will,
but it doesn’t develop your brain for defence at all because
you’re not being put into that state of fear.
Aside from self defence, we know you’re interested in
cage fighting and violent things like that. Who have
you studied self defence with?
In no order of preference: Peyton Quinn; Lee Morrison; Geoff
Thompson; Bill Kipp; Neil Adams. I respect those guys
immensely, but there are people in P.U.M.A. as well: Mr
John Black is a perfect example. You want to see that guy
move, he’s incredible. His skill with the Escrima sticks that he
learned in Hong Kong is amazing. Also Mr David Murphy, Mr
Don Deedigan, Mr Chris Wood and Mr Steven Weyman. I
greatly admire those people for their self-defence skills.
How does it feel to be “The Man” with Kickboxing and
head up that side? Will it ever take you away from
Taekwon-Do?
No. I was honoured to take that job on a year or so ago
because I have an interest in boxing and that type of fighting
suits me better. In my opinion the skill level of a Taekwon-Do
fighter is the same as a Kickboxing fighter, however the
emphasis is different. For instance, a top class Taekwon-Do
fighter in a semi-contact points competition will beat a top
class kickboxer more often than not. But you put the same
two fighters in a ring under full-contact rules over three or six
rounds and the likelihood is the kickboxer will win.
I would say that I would have had more success in the
kickboxing field rather than the Taekwon-Do field (I did
compete for six years or so ). Because my kicking ability
wasn't up to much, Taekwon-Do sparring didn't really suit
me. Also being slower than an elephant didn't really help the
situation, but give me the opportunity to hit my opponent
hard and I would probably have had a lot more wins.
I’ve been teaching Taekwon-Do for twenty-odd years and I
knew I could teach anybody, any level, any age. If you
wanted to be a world champion I could help push you there.
I’ve done it in the past and I could do it again. Now,
kickboxing… I’d never entered the ring myself, so I
questioned myself: how can I teach people what it’s like to
step in a ring and have somebody try to rip your head off?
Even though I’d competed in Judo, which is a very physical
and a lot harder than people make it out to be, I didn’t have
that experience and I thought are people going to listen to
me? Are they going to respect the points I’m trying to get
over? I think I’m doing a good job. We’ve had people
competing at a high level for P.U.M.A. and they’ve been
successful. Indeed, we may even have an area title fight
within the next seven to eight months. The point is this: do
you have to be oriental to teach martial arts? No, you don’t.
Do you have to have stepped into a kickboxing ring to teach
it? No, you don’t. I have Mark Kell, who runs our web site,
and Miss Murray, who helps with the merchandising, help
me out a lot with the syllabus. We’re all about teamwork and
it’s going very well.
You make a point of telling all your students how good
camps are. P.U.M.A. has a history of running some
excellent camps. In thirty seconds or less, can you sell
me camp?
It’s a great way to meet people; It’s a great place to have a
social life, whether it be a weekend at winter camp,
kickboxing camp, or even kids camps. That’s number one.
Training is number two. Locations are really important:
Croyde bay is beautiful, the campsite is fantastic. You wake
up in the morning and see the most beautiful skyline. No
matter what the weather’s doing it’s a fantastic place to be.
It’s lots of fun, you’ll improve your fitness, you get to sample
other disciplines. You get to meet quality people, but best of
all you get to train with Master Gayle and Master Ogborne.
That’s in thirty seconds.
Thank you sir.
No problem.
A quick off-the-cuff-question: why do people at camp
keep giving you fruit?
Oh, crikey… I have absolutely no idea. You’d better ask Mr
Lammin that one. There was one year I ended up with lots of
grapefruits and I never really worked out why.
What were your feelings when you were asked to be
part of forming P.U.M.A.?
Initially, well, I was shocked. But for years in our previous
group the grading standard was, in my opinion, dreadful. I
used to go to gradings and my students would come up to
me afterwards. They’d see others, some of them going for
very high grades, performing exceedingly poorly: not being
able to make a walking stance or a sitting stance…making
really basic errors that they just shouldn’t make at their
levels and passing. I had to go back the following day, when
the students asked me whether they’d passed, and tell
blatant lies. I’m not into that. I did that for two or three years
and then couldn’t do it any more. I couldn’t stand up and tell
people how good the standard was. I used to tell people how
we had the best standard and I was lying through my teeth.
When Master Gayle and Master Ogborne approached me
and said they were thinking of setting up this group, I was
delighted. The standard had dropped below an acceptable
level and I’d lost interest. I’ve known them since 1982, so
that was 18 years. I admired their sparring ability and
competition wins. I’m not sure what they admired me for…
But anyway, we thought we’d have about a thousand people
but now I believe we’re the biggest ITF group in Europe.
Definitely in England, anyway. It’s good because it uses
6

ecome a Master?
The now-traditional “callow youth” shot : enjoying the
first of myriad summer camps
I don’t know about that. To be totally honest with you, I think
being a Master carries too much responsibility. I really don’t
know if I could do it, because it involves a lot a leadership, a
lot of people looking to you for guidance and I’m not sure
whether I could fulfil that role personally.
From my teaching experiences I know leading people
and bringing the best out of them is difficult…
I think that’s different to be honest. When I teach people I’m
acting. If you put me in a room with forty people I won’t say a
word, I’ll just sit down and listen to people. But I when teach
I have to be extravagant. I’ll run around, I might have a
laugh, then once I’m out of that class I go back into my shell.
So it’s showmanship?
everybody’s talents. We never had that in the previous
group. It was the people at the top, they didn’t listen to
people’s advice and never took it on board whereas Master
Gayle and Master Ogborne are always ready to listen.
I can relate to what you say about grading standards
because I’ve been at tournaments and various other
events and been asked who my instructor is. When I
say “Mr Jones” there’s normally a sharp intake of
breath. You’re known for striving to get the best out of
people and looking for quality in gradings.
Yes, it’s very close to my heart. P.U.M.A. is getting better
and better. I was at the recent championships at Swindon
and refereed the yellow belt boys patterns division. There
were about sixty kids in it, which is brilliant, and I would say
by far it was the best standard for that division I’ve ever
seen. Unbelievable. Ten years ago you would have seen that
standard in a red belt division.
Moving onto your views on the ITF, is there anything
you would do to change it?
The only way I would like to change the ITF is I’d like to
educate people how to behave. Unfortunately some highly
graded people within the ITF community seem to believe
they’re above the law. They’re not criminals or anything like
that but some of them think they’re some special breed of
person. They should get treated the same way everybody
else does, that’s always been my view. You’re never going to
change those people that have that mentality but hopefully
over a period of time people will understand there’s another
way to look at things. That’s what I’d like to be known for.
Maybe I’ll get criticised for saying this, but I do think people’s
attitudes do need to change.
I would like to see more clarification about certain
movements and more unification too, because at the moment
there are three ITF groups in the world and it would be nice if
they were to come together. When General Choi was alive
there was only one. Unfortunately his teachings are
dwindling and a lot of what he taught isn’t being taught any
more.
Yes, definitely. As an instructor you are a showman.
One last question: I believe you used to play cricket.
Do you still find time to play?
Unfortunately not. I gave up serious cricket about fifteen
years ago. I played for a local side up to about four years
ago but it took up too much of my time. I used to be quite
good at it – not quite as good as Master Ogborne, he was
better – but I used to play for Somerset Colt. Ian Botham
(possibly England’s finest cricketer) was in Somerset at the
time. He used to go to Bucklers Meade and I used to go to
Westfield but hey… there’s a useless bit of information you
can bore your friends with.
Do I detect a slight bit of school rivalry there?
Well yes, there was a little bit of rivalry. We were all better at
cricket than they were. I was good at cricket but the one
thing I would have loved to be good at was golf. I have the
clubs in the garage but well, they’re covered in cobwebs and
stuff. I would like to go and play golf again. When I used to
play cricket, and I know Master Ogborne thinks the same, I
could get away from it all and relax for six hours. I could do
the same with golf. Believe it or not it was the same with
rugby. I could forget about everything for a while. It’s also
because I have a passion for all things Welsh .
Ah yes, there is an ongoing debate about your
Welshness…
Well, Master Ogborne still owes me from a bet I had with
him about England vs Wales a while back. He seems to
have forgotten about that.
I’m sure when he reads this interview he’ll do the
honourable thing. Thank you very much Mr Jones.
It’s a pleasure Sir.
And your goals in the ITF? Obviously you’d hope to
7

The science behind them, explained by Matthew D Lloyd
Water is an essential nutrient and comprises around 70% of
the body weight of an adult human. Its importance is
underlined by the fact that humans can live for several days
without food, but for a much shorter time without water. Drinks
provide water in the diet but they can also provide essential
salts. The amount of water and salts required by each
particular person will vary depending on intrinsic factors (such
as age, weight and gender), environmental factors
(temperature and humidity) and behaviour (diet and exercise).
A large amount of scientific research has been conducted on
the influence of drinks on athletic performance, with the sports
drink industry estimated to be worth $1.4 billion a year in 2000
[1]. Sports drinks consist of water, sugar for energy (usually
glucose, sucrose, fructose, maltodextrins a.k.a. glucose
polymers, or a mixture of these sugars) and salts (principally
sodium and potassium chloride). Many sports drinks also
contain stimulants such as caffeine, taurine and
glucuronolactone, which are variously used to alleviate
tiredness or as mood enhancers. The purpose of this article is
to consider whether sports drinks work and enable the athlete
to make a sensible choice about whether to use various drinks
that are available.
Hypotonic, isotonic and hypertonic drinks explained
The absorption of water and other components of drinks are
governed by a property known as osmolality. The factor
determining absorption of a drink is its osmolality and how this
compares to that of the blood. Osmolality in turn is controlled
by the concentration of sugar and salts in the drink
(Concentration means the number of molecules in one litre of
liquid). Drinks can be described as hypotonic (lower osmolality
than blood), isotonic (same osmolality as blood) and
hypertonic (higher osmolality than blood). Hypotonic and
isotonic drinks are absorbed from the digestive system slightly
faster than water, and their purpose is to provide additional
water that is quickly absorbed. They are for use under most
training conditions. In contrast, hypertonic (strong) drinks are
absorbed more slowly than water, and their purpose is to
replace salt. These are most useful when training extremely
hard or for extended periods in hot environments, where a lot
of salt is lost through sweating, and the athlete will also need
to take more water shortly after. Hypertonic drinks have fallen
into disfavour since they have limited use and excessive use
can lead to serious unwanted side effects. The majority of
commercial drinks are isotonic.
In order to decide which type of drink is needed, the athlete
needs to monitor their hydration condition. This is done by
thirst (the physiological response to needing water) and by
monitoring the colour of the urine. In the absence of diseases
such as diabetes or taking in too many diuretics (especially
drinking too much alcohol; see below) the urine should be
colourless or pale yellow when properly hydrated. If you are
dehydrated your urine will appear yellow, and the colour will
increase with increasing severity of the dehydration. In most
cases the athlete will feel quite thirsty after a training session
and their urine will be yellow, and in this case a hypotonic or
isotonic drink is needed. Water could also be used to
rehydrate the athlete. Occasionally the athlete will have very
yellow urine without feeling very thirsty, and this is usually
encountered in hot environments. In these cases a hypertonic
drink is probably of most use, and should be followed by
further water or isotonic drinks. However, if you are regularly
training under these conditions you probably need to take
professional advice since excessive consumption of
hypertonic drinks can be detrimental.
So do sports drinks work?
There are no specific studies looking at the effect of sports
drinks on athletes practicing martial arts, but the effects of
drinks on the performance of athletes participating in other
sports has been extensively studied. However, these studies
are complicated to interpret, and this is partly due to these
studies being performed on highly trained athletes. Moreover,
many studies do not use commercial sports drinks but use
‘synthetic’ drinks designed to test particular circumstances.
The composition of sports drinks has been changed over the
years and some products are no longer available. It is
therefore difficult to draw straight forward conclusions [1].
The usefulness of the sports drink depends on factors such as
your diet (particularly whether you have adequate
carbohydrate intake – known as ‘glycogen sufficiency’), when
you take the drink (before, during or after exercise) and the
severity and duration of the exercise [1]. Sports drinks taken
before exercise do enhance performance in athletes who have
inadequate sugar intake in their diet (are ‘glycogen
insufficient’), but the effect is small in athletes who are
glycogen sufficient. There is little evidence that any particular
sugar is more effective than the others, and this is probably
due to the vast majority of sugars being converted into
glucose in the body. As expected drinks containing higher
amounts of sugar give more energy, and these usually contain
some maltodextrin to maintain isotonic status. There is some
evidence to suggest that consuming sports drinks during short
periods of high intensity exercise does enhance performance.
Consuming carbohydrate-rich sports drinks during long
periods of modest exercise such as a distance run appears
not to be very beneficial since fluid and salt replacement
appears to be the critical factor. Furthermore research
suggests that maximum benefits from sports drinks requires
that a calculated dose of the drink is required to adequately
replace energy, salts and water and that allowing the athlete
to drink at will is less effective. However, other research
suggests that consuming a sports drink after endurance
exercise does indeed increase the degree of recovery of the
athlete [1].
Research has noted that although water and sports drinks are
8

oth effective at maintaining the hydration state of the athlete,
fluid intake is higher for the sports drink and this is assumed
to be due to it having a more acceptable taste [1]. Other
research has suggested that athletes can undergo a
psychological conditioning to a particular sports drink [2] and
this presumably will also influence consumption and therefore
benefit.
The role of stimulants in the sports drinks
The common stimulants used in sports drinks are caffeine,
taurine and glucuronolactone [3-4]. The first two are used to
enhance athletic performance whilst the latter is used as a
mood-enhancer. Research shows that all three of these
components have a positive impact on athletic performance,
and appear to be increase concentration, alertness, reaction
time, the ability to deal with stress and give a feeling of wellbeing.
Taurine has been shown to increase both heart
function [3] and endurance in trained athletes [4] at low doses
but the effect is dose-dependent and little research has been
done on non-athletes. Caffeine is also a diuretic and increases
levels of dehydration, and all of these stimulants could have
serious side-effects when taken in excess.
Diuretics
Diuretics are substances that promote increased loss of water
through the urine. They are commonly found in food and drink,
and include caffeine (found in coffee, chocolate, many soft
drinks), theobromine (a caffeine derivative found in tea) and
ethanol (the alcohol found in booze). Excessive consumption
of these substances will lead to dehydration of the athlete and
thus impair performance. Dehydration is also one of the
factors that causes a ‘hang-over’ after drinking too much
alcohol (booze). It is therefore sensible to limit the intake of
diuretics and drink additional water or other fluids to counteract
their effects .
(WARNING!: diuretic medicines are used to treat certain
medical conditions. Do not alter your dosage except on the
advice of a qualified medical professional).
athletes. For many athletes the same beneficial effects can be
obtained by eating a diet containing complex sugars to ensure
glycogen sufficiency and drinking larger amounts of liquids
each day and monitoring hydration levels. Sports drinks are
convenient for restoring performance after exercise but similar
effects might be obtained by drinking a sugar-containing
‘squash’ or fruit juice combined with a carbohydrate-rich meal.
Specific recommendations
1. Drink some extra glasses of water and other liquids (e.g.
fruit juice) every day.
2. Monitor your hydration level by checking the colour of your
urine.
3. Restrict intake of coffee, tea, soft drinks and anything else
containing caffeine and related substances.
4. Restrict alcohol intake.
5. Abstain from alcohol for 24 hours before tournaments,
gradings etc. If you cannot abstain then drink extra water,
juice or an isotonic sports drink.
6. Consider your environment and behaviour. If it is very hot
or you are undertaking vigorous exercise then you will
need to increase your water intake before hand and may
require a hypertonic drink and additional liquids after
training. Seek professional help if you are regularly training
under these conditions.
7. If you have any type of diabetes, any other condition
affecting sugar processing or if you have any serious
medical condition take professional medical advice before
using a sports drink product or radically changing your diet.
So should you use sports drinks?
Sports drinks provide an isotonic drink containing various
sugars as a convenient source of energy. There is evidence
for effectiveness in athletes that are glycogen insufficient or
for assisting recovery following exercise. There is evidence for
stimulants improving athletic ability as well, but the effects are
dose dependent and negative side-effects are possible when
consumed in excess.
Clearly sports drinks do work under some circumstances, but
in order to obtain maximum benefit a carefully controlled
regime is required and this is really only possible for elite
9

..THE.NORWAY.EXPERIMENT....
Alison Gildert moved to Norway, continued her Taekwon-Do training in a
language she didn’t speak, then started teaching children over there.
Found out how she got on...
I began training in Torpoint, Cornwall in 2001. After a while my Instructor Mr Mark Bishop asked me to assist with Little P.U.M.A.
classes. Although I had not worked with children of this age before I did have a young child of my own so thought I would give it a
go. It turned out to be one of the best things I have ever done. I loved the satisfaction of seeing the children blossom under the Little
P.U.M.A. programme. My own daughter was very shy and timid and I soon noticed the boost in confidence the classes gave her,
which as a parent is fantastic. During this time I discovered I was expecting my second child, I carried on training throughout, with
the kind donation of bigger trousers from a colleague! The children thought this was great especially near the end when the best
game of the class was to see who could get up faster than me, which of course was everyone!
My second daughter was one, I was well settled back into my training and assisting when my husband came home with some
shocking news: he had been given a three year contract with NATO in Stavanger, Norway. It was a fantastic opportunity for us all
and even though it meant leaving home it was too good an opportunity to turn
down, it was also only for three years which we felt would fly by. So I took my
5 th Kup grading in Plymouth and prepared to set sail across the North Sea to
start our adventure.
Before leaving the UK I had investigated the possibility of training in Norway
with the ITF and was lucky to find a club in Sola run by Mr Omid Hassanipour
(3 rd Degree) under the NTN (National Taekwon-Do Norway). I was excited but
slightly nervous about training in a different country. My first surprise was to
discover that all training ceases during the Summer so I had to wait until
September to begin. This was not a good idea for me and I almost talked
myself into having a break for a couple of years rather than walk into a class
on my own speaking no Norwegian at all.
My desire to continue training overruled my fear and in September I entered
the Sola dojang. I felt lost and completely out of place, this was short lived
however as I was warmly welcomed and invited into the class. After handing in
my licence book and certificates for perusal by Master Per Andersen I was able
to continue training at the same level.
Classes were completely in Norwegian so I had to pay particular attention to
body movements rather than verbal explanations and little by little I began to
pick up some of the language. Direct commands were fine, but I was still a bit
lost when it came to in-depth explanations. I stayed at this dojang for 1 year,
but was finding it difficult to settle into the class, as discipline within the school
was not as I would have expected. The students were technically excellent
martial artists, but would kick each other and talk and generally behave badly
throughout the class. I found this difficult and each week was becoming more
and more frustrated until I decided enough was enough and changed classes. I
moved to The Stavanger Taekwon-Do club with classes run by Mr Roger
Otting (4 th Degree).
Generally, classes were the same as in the UK, one big difference was in Sine
Wave. When I first began training in Norway I was asked why I was going
down-up-down, then told they didn’t do that there so could I please try not to
do it. OK, so there I was, going down-up-down, getting strange looks and trying
really hard to get out of the habit. Then 2 years later, Mr Otting comes into
class to announce a new technique. Can you guess what it is? I can’t
remember the Norwegian word for it but yes, you guessed it, Sine-wave! I
didn’t know whether I was coming or going, but it’s slowly coming back again.
I undertook four gradings during my time in Stavanger, daunting as always but
with the added worry of not being able to understand much of what was going
on. Basically gradings are the same as we are used to here, but the whole
area group meets in the morning to bow in, (from 10 th to 1 st Kup), so maybe
two hundred people, then you all sit at the back of the dojang until it’s your
turn, no warm up session or helpful assistance from black belts! The
requirements for my 1 st Kup grading were patterns, Sajo Chagi (four directional
Kicks in various formats), self defence, free sparring and breaking. I was the
only person taking this grading, it was 8pm and I had been there since 10am
and everyone who had previously graded was still there in the room waiting to
finish. When it’s all over, everyone lines up again and the examiner goes
A visiting Mr Bishop and Mrs Bradley
show off on some rugged scenery
An apres-training skiing session
Mrs Gildert and her class
10

through each group telling students where it was good and where it went wrong and finally if they passed or not. This I found was the
hardest moment of all, waiting for your turn and dreading failing and being told so in front of hundreds of people. Luckily for me I didn’t
fail so it all turned out good in the end. Remember this next time you are grading and maybe have to wait for a couple of hours - it’s
not so bad really… I don’t want to sound too negative about this experience because it was just that: an experience which I feel I have
grown from and looking back would not have missed.
Whilst all this was going on, my daughters went to a local British school and I was asked by a number of parents who had heard I had
some experience with the children’s classes if I would start something similar for their children. I approached Mr Bishop for advice and
requested permission from Master Gayle to start up the class within P.U.M.A. with Mr Bishop as the noted Senior Instructor. A short
while later I held the first class and was extremely surprised and not a little terrified to see 20 children between 4 and 6 years of age
and various nationalities filing in. The class proved to be very popular and soon I was teaching 4 times a week following the same
lesson themes as the Torpoint School.
Mr Bishop and Mrs Angela Bradley travelled to Norway every few months to grade the children and to check the classes were going
well. The children very much looked forward to these visits and enjoyed taking part in the grading process. Many of them will now be
back in the UK and I hope have continued their Taekwon-Do training. I have also heard from students who have returned to America,
Australia and Poland and are doing very well in junior classes.
Time went quickly and I was soon thinking about returning to Torpoint. My main concern was what to do with my classes, so I
approached Mr Otting and asked if he would like to take them on under his club. No club had ever been run in Norway with children
so young (usually training cannot begin until 8 years) so we had to find a way to make it work. Mr Otting in turn had discussions with
Master Per Andersen and they agreed to use my classes as a pilot scheme and an introduction to the NTN for 4 to 7 year olds, and if
successful they will introduce the scheme to the rest of Norway.
I am currently training hard and have applied to take my Black Belt grading in October. Life it seemed was settled once again, but
sometimes events can throw a spanner in the works. My husband was due to leave the Navy in July, and just before we left Norway
he had the opportunity to apply for a NATO civilian post, which he did. We heard nothing before we left and moved home as planned
then, just as we finished renovating our house, he was asked to return for an interview. The day after was offered the job. So as I sit
writing this, I am looking at a For Sale sign outside the house and wondering how I can go through all that packing again.
This time though the move is a permanent one and therefore a much more daunting prospect, but one that we are all looking forward
to. So, to my future with P.U.M.A.? I plan to carry on training, pre-grading in July and hopefully progress to the grading in October. As
to my plans for Norway, well who knows what the future will hold? I will certainly open a new Little P.U.M.A. class, my children will be
attending an International School and I have been asked to open a new class there and this will be my starting point. So, if anyone is
planning a holiday to Norway, don’t forget your dobok! The Norwegian language books are out, my snowboard is prepared for winter
and that’s as far ahead as I can think at the moment, but all in all the future is looking good.
11

The organisation’s Taekwon-Do student hand book includes a
section titled ‘What sort of equipment will I need?’. One item of
equipment that is not mentioned, but is essential for your own
protection, is a mouth guard. Sparring in a safe environment adds
to the fun of training in Taekwon-Do. P.U.M.A. has a policy that
all students should wear the full protective kit while sparring for
safety and insurance purposes. This article explores some of the
issues of why we should wear a mouth guard and a little of the
science behind it.
So what is a mouth guard? It’s a device made of a rubber like
material that covers the teeth and gums. In addition to avoiding
damage being done to teeth and gums, the wearing of a mouth
guard can reduce the possibility of being concussed, of sustaining
a fracture of the jaw or of suffering a dislocated jaw.
Now for the science bit. A mouth guard works in three ways to
reduce the force of an impact on the jaw.
Damage is lessened if the force of the impact is spread
or dissipated over a larger area.
The duration of the impact is lengthened, in other words
there is more deceleration.
The force can be absorbed by the elasticity of the
material so it acts as a shock absorber.
A mouth guard that fits well maximizes the surface area that is in
intimate contact with the teeth and gums. This means that a
mouth guard that has been made to fit the mouth exactly should
offer more protection the one that is loose and ill fitting. Cars are
designed these days to have crumple zones. The idea is that the
force of the impact is decelerated over a longer period of time.
The mouth guard works in a similar way. The sponginess of the
elastic material absorbs the energy. There is an optimum
thickness of material of about 3 millimetres: too little and the
protection has been compromised but too thick and there is a risk
that the jaw can be dislocated easier. The type of mouth guard
that can be bought in a shop, often called the “boil and bite mouth
guard”, cannot precisely control the optimum thickness. The
reason why an over thick guard can increase the likelihood of
sustaining damage to the jaw is because of the complicated
structure of the the jaw joint.
The anatomy of the jaw joint is a ball in a cup arrangement that
allows for great freedom of movement. A very thick guard will
move the ball away from the protection of the cup, making it more
unstable and therefore more vulnerable to damage. The property
of elastic deformation of the mouth guard material is determined
by the type of rubber used, its thickness and the area covered.
Some manufacturers can offer sophisticated laminate designs
that are said to give more protection, these however can be
expensive.
A good fitting mouth guard should offer some protection from
being concussed by a blow to the jaw. The force of a blow will be
transmitted through the bones of the face to the skull or through
the jaw to the skull via the jaw joint. A custom made guard can be
designed so that the lower teeth bite into dents on the guard thus
offering more stability and protection to the jaw.
Unfortunately I have seen students at tournaments wearing ill
fitting mouth guards. They have had to clench hard on the guard
in order to get some stability but inevitably they pop out or
protrude half out of the mouth. These offer their wearer very little
protection. An ill fitting guard will also increase the feeling of
nausea, which can result in the student disliking sparring. It also
makes breathing harder.
A well made and good fitting mouth guard should last for quite a
long time. Growing children and adolescents will need to change
theirs more often because of the growth of the skeleton, including
the bones of the jaws, and the change from milk teeth to adult
teeth.
The cost of buying a guard can vary enormously. The shop
bought boil and bite type are relatively inexpensive but potentially
offer less protection. The professionally made mouth guard will be
more expensive but should be more comfortable, fit better and
potentially give more protection. They can also be customized by
colour. The cost of investment in a mouth guard should be
compared to the cost associated with repairing the damage that
can be done to teeth, bones and skin.
I would suggest that a visit to your dentist for professional advice,
when making that important decision on purchasing a mouth
guard, is time well spent. Have a good spar and keep on smiling.
Victor Fagence BDS LDSRCS BSc 1 st Dan
Currently working for the Bromley Primary Care Trust as a
Senior Dental Officer and at Kings Dental School, London as
a Clinical Assistant in Special Care.
12

Some more little soundbites from our empire.
Keep them coming in folks...
Congratulations to Amanda and Tristan Brown of Poole
Taekwon-Do club on the christening of their two offspring
Marshall and Braiden on July 9th. Family and friends,
including a contingent from the martial arts posse,
gathered to witness the ceremony and celebrate
afterwards.
Many happy returns to Mr Campbell Houston,
Salisbury instructor, on reaching his 40th
birthday. This bonny highlander was coerced
into wearing an England football shirt for the
afternoon. Scottish border officials and Mr
Murphy inform us that Mr Houston will no
longer be allowed back north of the border as
a result.
P.U.M.A.’s first in-house kickboxing tournament, organised by Mr Malcolm Jones,
kicked off on Sunday the 4th of June at the Spanorium Farm Gym Compton
Greenfield, near Bristol. The fights were all of very good standard beginning with
the juniors who came from various clubs and placed an excellent show of their
skills. After a short break the adults then took to the ring and there was an
excellent display of control and skills throughout the day. Despite the heat on the
day the fighters fought on in the well equipped gym using two rings continuously
and giving the spectators a brilliant day out. Hopefully this is the first of many to
come.
This just missed the previous issue but Miss
Jennie Clark ran this year’s London Marathon,
raising the princely sum of £1300 for Scope in
the process. A big “well done Ma’am” from all
her students at Yeovil, Sherborne and West
Croker.
13

“Why I started Taekwon-Do and why I still do it”
The April 2006 winning adult essay
- by Jane Thomas
Before I can say why I started Taekwon-Do I would like to tell you
a little about the years before I started in 2002, as it will allow you
to appreciate its importance in my life.
I was always a fit and sporty kid, I loved all sorts of activities,
particularly hockey and climbing. I swam every night and
competed at County level in butterfly, back crawl and diving. I
was fit strong, fun and very happy. I married quite late in life and
so immediately my husband and I started our family. My first-born
brought great personal happiness and life just couldn’t get better,
I thought I had everything. But my happiness didn't last and over
a period of time I became a victim of domestic violence. With
each child the abuse worsened until I became afraid, sad,
depressed and desperately unhappy. My children were the only
thing that kept me going, but even with them I felt inadequate. I
had no confidence, became seriously stressed and over a couple
of years I became ill, both physically and emotionally. I was very
depressed but afraid to tell anyone and physically my health
began to fail. I developed a stress induced thyroid condition which
resulted in me gaining 8 ½ stone in a very short period of time.
My friends and mother realised the seriousness of my
unhappiness and with their help I found the strength to leave with
my children to start a new life in Wareham. It was at this time that
my physical health was at its worse and I realised how serious my
condition was. With time we all healed, the children grew and
thrived, I smiled again and with help from my Mum and some
fantastic friends I got well and became stronger. However I was
carrying a lot of trauma inside from my experiences. I felt
destroyed within, lonely, sad and I had no confidence. I looked
and felt dreadful about my personal body image. I had become a
whopping 18 ½ stone, unable to walk up a flight of stairs without
gasping for breath. I didn’t go out, I didn’t do anything unless it
was for my children and my personal happiness was reduced to
living my life through my children.
We moved to Wareham in 2002 and I registered the family with
our local general practitioner, who asked me to attend for a
routine new patient health screening appointment. My G.P. is not
known for holding back and if she has something to say you can
be sure to hear it!
“Do you want to see your children grow up?” were the words that
rang in my mind as I left that day. “Lose weight and do three
hours of exercise a week or you will end up in an early grave.”
WOW, this was a big wake up call. I had already had a close
shave with my life so I decided there and then to get fitter and
lose weight. I thought about taking up swimming again but the
mental image of a warthog in a swimsuit put a stop to that idea. I
tried to rekindle my love for hockey and went along for a training
session in Poole, but I wasn’t fit enough to walk the length of the
pitch let alone run up and down it! I found myself using the
hockey stick up the wrong way like a walking stick to hold myself
up on my “faked” twisted ankle rather than using it to hit a ball. I
felt ashamed to say that I was just too unfit so I pretended to
sprain my ankle ten minutes into the game. I went home, never to
go back. I hated the gym, I liked to be part of something, but
didn’t want to let a team down. Pumping weights and running
machines just didn’t do it for me. So what should I do? I had no
idea.
Michael my little boy came up with a solution: “ Mum can I do
Karate? I love fighting and I wouldn’t hit the girls, please mum
pleeeaaase”.
Karate? We could all do that together. I didn’t know much about it
but what I had imagined it to be like sounded good. I didn’t need
to do all the grades, just take my time, watch and encourage the
kids to get their black belts. PERFECT.
All the children seemed keen on that idea.“Go on mum, you can
do it, it will be cool!!! We can practice together.”
So I looked for a class.I had no luck finding a Karate class, but I
did find a Taekwon-Do class in Wareham. The time was right, the
nights were right, it was twice a week so that was a start. I put it
to the kids: “It’s the same as Karate but from a different country I
think” I bluffed it,,,, They bought it, so I made a phone call to the
instructor. I told him how unfit I was and he reassured me that it
was no problem.
The big day came and I can remember it like it was yesterday, it
was a warm September evening and I felt very reluctant to be
there. I felt out of place, very fat and unfit, almost like people
were going to laugh at me and whisper how ridiculous I looked.
The sketch of Dawn French (in the vicar of Dibley) doing ballet in
a pink tutu flickered through my mind. What was I doing here?
The temptation to run was huge, but the kids would make such a
scene if I suggested going that it was actually less painful to stay.
Besides, they really were excited about trying Taekwon-Do now.
They had a great time, it was an instant hit with them, and it really
didn’t look that hard.
People spoke to me, young and old reassured me and I liked
them. Mr Kell was friendly and he was taking the class, he
sounded really reassuring and made me feel less self conscious, I
began to feel a little less afraid and a little more relaxed. I was still
so worried about making a fool out of myself.
“Adults line up”. I sheepishly joined the back of the class, and
remember hearing Mr Kell’s voice: “ New beginners ten press
ups”.
What? Are you totally insane? I have two weak arms to lift a
tracksuit clad elephant up in the air ten times? You have got to be
joking, no? Okay… but somewhere deep down inside me I found
that competitive deep seated desire to win that I had when I was
a kid and I managed those ten press ups.
It was a hard class, and I felt like I wasn’t going to be able to walk
for several days! We did some punches and blocks, we all did
some sparring, and I did a fair amount of gasping for breath. My
face resembled a freshly washed tomato and my heart kept trying
14

to leap out of my body, banging like a sledge hammer on my
chest wall. Give up…… not me!
I learnt how to circle punch with Sue Swan. She was patient and
kind and I met my new best friend Sue O’Kerwin for sparring. I
thought was going to kill me on our first meeting! (she says she
was really gentle with me) . At the end of the class we were
asked to find a partner for stretching and Mrs O’Kerwin again
paired up with me. I was so adrenalised and physically exhausted
that I was unable to stand any longer so I had to sit down. That
was still too much, I felt sick dizzy and ill and had to lie down! Mrs
O’Kerwin wrapped wet towels around my neck and face and sat
with me for 20 minutes until I was able to stand again. Nobody
expected to see me again, but I felt alive… Just, but it was a
start. I got a lift home that night from Sue. That’s when we
realised that we lived 200 metres away from each other! She had
nicknamed me “the big blue pot lady” because I had several large
blue plant pots outside my new house.
The following Tuesday I ordered our doboks and turned up for
class with a new sense of pride and self-worth. I was never going
to be bullied again, from this moment I was a new woman I had
started to get my life back, as well as my pride, my health and my
smile.
So the truth is I had no intention of starting Taekwon-Do, I didn’t
even know what it was. I just did what my G.P. recommended
and it changed my life for which I am eternally grateful.
So, as for the second part of the question, why I still do it, the
answer is easy. Since starting Taekwon-Do I have grown as a
person, regained my inner strength and become more confident.
In addition I have reduced my stress levels, improved my health,
reduced my weight, found my passion and sense of pride and I
have not been bullied by anyone. I value my life and others, I’ve
made some fantastic friends and met my best friend. I’ve met my
love and future husband and refound my life.
I live as best as I can by the tenets of Taekwon-Do both inside
and outside of the dojang. Taekwon-Do is my learning, my
inspiration and my future. Why not do it?
Oh and of course there is always summer camp. Now that’s a
challenge! Summer camp in itself is a fine reason to continue
training. I went to my first ever Summer camp last year (2005)
and again felt a little apprehensive because I am still not as fit as
most people. I didn’t want to show myself up. My biggest fear
though was that I was going to be part of a team working together
and I was sure that as the slowest runner I would surely let
everyone down. I felt that we would always be the last finisher in
all team games, but even though I was slowest and we were last
every day, I learnt a huge amount about the others in my team.In
particular I learnt how willing they were to support and encourage
me. Angela Finch taught me how to breath when I ran. I found it
hard and still do, but it made a difference and only last week I
found myself helping a student in my club using the same helpful
technique that I was shown. So from my experiences I am
beginning to make positive steps to not only helping myself, but to
helping others. I can now see that being older, less fit and
overweight doesn’t have to be such a negative thing. I can say to
other people out there Taekwon-Do is not all flash kicks and wow
factor. It is about self-motivation, self-improvement, learning to be
positive about what you have and using it for the best. I can say
look at me, if I can do it so can you, take it at your own pace and
enjoy learning. Before you know it you will be looking back and
saying “look how far I have come and how far I can still go”.
Another example of how much I enjoy and value Taekwon-Do is
competing in tournaments. When I first started Taekwon-Do I
found my competitive spirit again and as soon as I had completed
my first belt I was able to enter my first competition. I had no
expectations of getting a medal, but I did. In fact I won gold for
patterns and I felt like the queen bee. Since then I have competed
in a fair few competitions in patterns, sparring and destruction.
I’ve won some and I’ve lost some, but I have always gone home
with a little more knowledge and a light and happy feeling inside.
Competing has also given me ideas for the next direction that I
would like to take after I have gained my black belt. I really enjoy
watching and judging and like to pick up technical errors and fine
detail in patterns. I often find myself choosing a winner before the
judges show their decision and I want to learn how to do this
properly. I am under no illusion that this will be easy. Having tried
it at my club I know that there is great skill involved in judging and
being an umpire. But I would very much like to try and learn that
skill.
One of the great things about competing in Taekwon-Do is there
are two types of competing. Firstly, and probably the easiest is
competing in local and national competitions. Then there is
competing against yourself, a much harder challenge. I find that I
have very high expectations of myself, both physically and
mentally. Frustration, fitness, size and age limitations are
problems that I deal with daily. I try and adapt my learning to find
ways around my limitations and sometimes use them to my
advantage especially in competitive sparring. For example, when I
spar with a student in a competition, I allow them to look at me
and see an older fat and unfit woman and I will allow them to
relax and think that they’ve got an easy fight ahead of them. I will
keep my distance and just block for a short while, then when I feel
them relaxing a little, I will move in fast with a two or three kick
combination followed by close fast hand work. I use my body
weight to become part of the attack, which usually makes my
opponent back away, giving me an advantage. I find the bobbing
and weaving and bouncing that some fighters do very exhausting,
so I limit my activity to sudden bursts of attack. I try and fight with
my brain and only attack when I can see an achievable target,
this preserves my energy and disorientates my opponent. As I
progress in Taekwon-Do I can see that I will have to use my brain
more and practise attacks and defensive moves which are
effective rather than flashy!
Another reason that I love to train in Taekwon-Do is the
companionship and the social side to it. I truly have met some of
the nicest, thoughtful, fun loving people that you could wish to
meet, and I am proud to have them as my friends. We have been
through thick and thin, and made it all the way together. We arrive
early for class and stay late afterwards to share ideas and chit
chat and it all makes the club so happy. We are so lucky to have
that true club feel but it is more than that. I have exchanged
telephone numbers with other P.U.M.A. club members who I have
met at summer camp and competitions. I regularly text or phone
for updates on what is going on in the extended Taekwon-Do
world. Some of us are hoping to stay with each other and spend
some time at each others’ clubs training. It’s in the early days of
planning, but exciting none the less. It gives me a great sense of
belonging.
I really enjoy watching some of the other students grow,
especially now that I have been training for some time. Those
students who started so unsure and lacking in confidence, now
thriving on their achievements. Kids who started because they
were being bullied now showing that they won’t be anymore.
Friends who wouldn’t speak because they were so shy, now
kihaping as loudly as me and then sharing a joke after the class.
It all makes me feel good inside. I strongly believe that this is a
really important part of our training, the social side makes us a
real club.It helps us to appreciate everyone’s individual needs,
struggles, strengths and weaknesses and grow together to
become a stronger and more successful club.
Then of course there is the leadership side, helping Mr Kell
whenever I can and teaching some of the junior grades with their
theory and technical side. It is a chance to pay back some of what
has been given to me. I still remember back to when I first started
and how the senior grades made me feel. Christian Shepherd
was a red belt. He was so respectful to everyone not just the
15

instructor. He made bowing and politeness so much easier for me
to learn because he believed so much in what he was doing. He
showed great integrity, he was loud and proud and I found myself
wanting to be as good as him. Mrs Sue Swan was gently
encouraging, kind and reassuring and nurtured me through the
first weeks, Mrs Sue O’Kerwin enthusiastic and keen. She knew
everything, or so I thought, and if she didn’t know this week you
could be sure that she would next time! She gave me that will to
always be better, to try harder, believe in myself and feel great
about anything that I succeeded in. Finally Mr Kell, he gave me
hope and was the one who truly made me feel I can do it. He had
a passion for Taekwon-Do that I had never seen before and I
enjoyed watching him. He gives so freely to all of the students
and asks nothing in return. He represents all of the tenets of
Taekwon-Do, and I have enormous respect for him. Somehow I
want to be all of these people who have made a difference in my
life and maybe one day, I may make a difference in someone
else’s life. Helping someone to find a way to move on towards
their own next belt or personal goals.
Finally I have learnt a lot about myself in a much deeper way as
my black belt approaches. I have many conversations with my
seniors about how I feel with my grading approaching. Am I
ready? It seems the more I learn, the more I have to learn, the
more I study, the less I seem to know! Soon after I did my black
stripe I truly felt unworthy to try for my black belt and discussed
delaying it with my friends. I still thought that I didn’t have that
wow factor that I believed a black belt needed to have. I couldn’t
do the jump spin all singing back flipping Jackie Chan kick that
everyone thinks a black belt can do, but then I wasn’t ready for
my black belt grading. I have learnt that I have my own wow
factor! I can do things now that I wouldn’t have imagined possible
even one year ago, I see myself doing things that I clearly
remember saying wow I wish I could do that! I am happy to leave
the Jackie Chan trick kicks to Jackie Chan. I can now see that I
have opportunities before me, to help me progress in Taekwon-
Do, at my own pace, when I am ready and when I have the
knowledge that I need. All in all, Taekwon-Do has done a lot for
me and I hope never to give it up.
Thank you Master Gayle, Master Ogborne, Mr Jones and Mr
Black for P.U.M.A and thank you Mr Kell for being my role model,
my confidant and mentor. You have no idea what a difference you
have made. I will meet this black belt challenge with enthusiasm
and the next one! Nothing can be harder than that first day back
in 2002 because I now I welcome all I have to learn and embrace
The above essay is reproduced by kind permission of Mrs Thomas. We would like to assure current and future grading
candidates that grading essays are treated as confidential by the grading committee. They will categorically never be published
or even provided to the magazine team without the express permission of the author.
THE LITTLE P.U.M.A.S EXPERIENCE
Our Little P.U.M.A.s coordinator Nicola Ogborne explains our classes for the very young...
These classes have been specially designed for children with all
abilities aged between 4 and 7 years. Although the classes are an
obvious stepping stone into junior Taekwon-Do, they actually offer
much more than just that.
The main focal point for this syllabus is life skills. We cover a
variety of action packed drills and games which all relate to
memory, coordination, focus/concentration, fitness, teamwork
and leadership, stranger awareness, discipline, emergency skills
and balance. These themes have been selected to encourage
children to enhance their motor skill development and increase
their self-confidence as well as improve discipline. But the
number one benefit of our Little P.U.M.A. syllabus is the subtle
but very effective way of teaching self defence and awareness.
Studies made by child psychologists show that at this tender age
a child’s brain symbolises a sponge soaking in vast quantities of
information. These studies have also shown one of the most
effective ways to encourage this is through “PLAY”. This is how
we run our classes, through various drills and games all relevant
to the themes.
Some History
As an organisation P.U.M.A. recognised the need to design a
separate and more appropriate syllabus for 4 and 5 year old
children as these children were really struggling with mainstream
Taekwon-Do. In studying child development we decided it was
best for 4 through to 7 year olds to have their own specialised
program.
In 2001 the management team went over to America to a large
Martial Arts conference, which hosted a weekend of seminars
conducted by very experienced world renowned martial artists. It
was here that the idea of “Little Dragons” first emerged. It was put
to the test back home and proved very successful. Very soon I
Parents’ Comments
I sent my son to Little P.U.M.A.s as he enjoyed watching his
older brother in the juniors. The classes have been very good
for him and have helped his concentration, fitness and
discipline. - Mum to Oliver aged 5
My son joined Little P.U.M.A.s in November last year and really
enjoys the classes. He has learnt a lot since joining. He has
learnt concentration, stranger awareness and much more. -
Mum to Hayden aged 6
I took my 2 children along to watch the classes and was very
impressed with the level of discipline amongst the children. Both
my children suffer with being very shy but once we managed to
get them to take part my husband and I have noticed our
children change and become so much more confident. We have
the classes to thank for this. - Mum to Lucy and Zoe aged 4
I think the classes are so precious to the children that take part.
There really isn’t much else around for this age group and these
classes offer an amazing variety of important topics. - Mum to
Charlie aged 5.
16

Students’ Comments
I am bound to think our classes are the best thing for a 4-7
year old child to be involved with, so I decided to get some
input straight from the horse’s mouth. Here I try to interview
some actual Little P.U.M.A.s:
What do you enjoy most about your Little P.U.M.A.
classes?
Haydn: Running around
Oliver: Learning to keep safe
Sarah Jayne: Ma’am
What do you learn in your Little P.U.M.A. classes?
Bradley: About strangers
Sarah Jayne: About people who are ill
Oliver: To be good boys and girls and not to be rude
Have Little P.U.M.A. classes changed you?
Oliver: I am fitter
Bradley: I eat lots of bananas now and it makes me run faster
Haydn: I did some gardening today
What is your favourite Little P.U.M.A.s drill/game?
Sarah Jayne: P.U.M.A. dodge
Oliver: Hot potatoes
Connor: Sticky toffee
How do you think black belts behave?
Oliver: Sensibly
Haydn: They go to the park all day
Sarah Jayne: They teach children how to be safe
Bradley: They tell us what to do
Do you know the name of the person in charge of
P.U.M.A. Taekwon-Do?
Sarah Jayne: Ms Ogborne
Connor: The Major man
Haydn: My Mummy
Oliver: Tommy Blair (I think he meant Tony)
was appointed as Little Dragons coordinator.
Within a very short space of time it became apparent that other
organisations in the country were following in our footsteps. This
caused a problem: many others were using the same system but
without the same quality controls. It was then we decided to
re-arrange our syllabus and created the original and unique “Little
P.U.M.A.s”.
The current day
We now have way over 100 Little P.U.M.A. schools with around
1400 active students. Over the years hundreds have moved on
into junior Taekwon-Do and indeed progressed all the way to
black belt. I have tracked down the student who we believe to
currently be the most senior graded in Taekwon-Do having
initially started as a Little P.U.M.A. / Dragon. His name is Daniel
and his instructor is Ms Lesley McGhie. I asked Daniel a few
questions to get a little insight into the lessons from a student’s
point of view:
How old were you when you began Little P.U.M.A.s and how old
are you now?
I started when I was 5 (almost 6) in Feb 2001. I was 11 on 1 st
March this year
What did you enjoy most about Little P.U.M.A. classes?
I liked the Little P.U.M.A. classes because of the kind instructors
and all the games we played which were great fun.
How did you feel when you moved from Little P.U.M.A.s up to
junior Taekwon-Do?
When I moved to the junior class I was a bit worried, but it was
the right time to move up as I was keen to learn more. I loved it
and it helped that I knew some of the instructors and juniors from
my Little P.U.M.A. class.
I understand you’ve just received you 1 st degree black belt
passing with a credit. Do you feel Little P.U.M.A.s contributed to
this amazing achievement?
I think that doing the Little P.U.M.A. classes probably did help me
as they gave me the basics, which I then improved and built on in
the junior class.
Would you recommend Little P.U.M.A. classes to other children?
I think that they help a lot of children, especially the ones who are
shy and unconfident, as I was like that once. It could also help
some children with their fitness as you are always running around
in classes.
I would like to say a personal thanks to Daniel and
congratulations on his 1 st degree black belt.
*** Breaking News ***
I’d like to finish with some news from Crediton Little P.U.M.A.s. It
is fantastic to see that Natwest, a major high street bank, also
believe that Little P.U.M.A.s provide a valuable service to the
children and the community.
Mr Chris Mullen, a Taekwon-Do student and Assistant Instructor
at Crediton Little P.U.M.A.s, has through his colleague Rob
Bewes of the Natwest Bank’s Agricultural Unit secured a sum of
£250 from the Natwest Community Project Fund to purchase
additional equipment for the group at Crediton. The funding is “An
Investment for Future” in recognition for Crediton Taekwon-Do
and Little P.U.M.A.s reaching the wider local and rural
communities, and giving such a valuable opportunity to the
younger members of these communities.
Dave Powlesland, Crediton’s Little P.U.M.A. and Taekwon-Do
Instructor said “It is fantastic that Chris and Natwest have
supported us at Little P.U.M.A.s. Our specialist syllabus is unique
to our organisation, we teach the children co-ordination, courtesy,
confidence, discipline, respect, self-defence, flexibility, life and
social skills but most of all have loads and loads of fun!!”
Chris Mullen said “I am very pleased to support the group as I
have seen what a difference Taekwon-Do has made for me, and
now that I help Mr Powlesland teach I know we offer the best start
a child can get in life. It’s a proven fact that children who exercise
at an early age will considerably benefit their health and fitness in
adult life and the benefits for the children are easily seen, even
from the first lesson.”
Mr Powlesland and Crediton’s Little P.U.M.A. club
accept the cheque from NatWest Bank.
17

It’s not just about fighting
Indeed not. Dik Chance says why it isn’t.
When people look into the world of reality training, they see
something dark, nasty and evil. Sometimes they perceive it to be
a kind of macho world, where people hit each other and fight for
fun. It’s described as a way to test yourself and your martial arts.
In P.U.M.A. I’ve heard the phrase ‘Don’t be soft, have a fight’
used to describe FAST Defence (albeit in a fun, jokey way).
However as I’ve delved more and more into this world, I’ve
realised that this couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact selfprotection
(the phrase I prefer more) is actually one of the
ultimate acts of love. Think of it this way. There is nothing fiercer
or more self-sacrificing in nature than a mother protecting her
young. Normally timid and passive creatures are capable of
driving off predators far beyond their normal size and scope.
In polite human society we rarely have to deal with such primal
threats. It is unlikely we will face things trying to eat us on a daily
basis. We live in bubbles of safety created by millions of years of
evolution. However, this can also lead to our falling victim to
predators when we are faced with a situation beyond our scope of
experience.
This is where preparation and training come in. Accepting that
you might one day need to protect yourself and your loved ones
is not paranoia. It is simply acknowledging that you love yourself
and your family, and out of that love comes the desire to do what
ever it takes to keep them safe. I took my initial first-aid course
twenty five years ago because I wanted to make sure that I could
look after my family if the need arose. This is a similar thing I feel.
If we concentrate on the elements of my first paragraph (dark,
nasty; evil; macho, fight for fun) then we are excluding the
majority of the people that would benefit most from this type of
training. Over many thousands of fights in the bulletman suit, I’ve
seen some amazing transformations.
Frightened young mothers turned into warrior women. Cocky
young men, slaves to their own egos, who have realised that they
can walk away from situations with dignity rather than getting into
senseless macho pub-fights. Older men and women who have
realised that they are not helpless and that they don’t have to stay
locked in the house in fear all day. Also, the victims of serious
physical, mental and sexual abuse who have achieved some
release from their life-long demons. One of our most satisfying
moments as a bulletman is when you see the fire light up in
someone’s eyes, showing you that you’ve helped them tap into
the warrior spirit.
Recently, Mr Jones and I were in California as part of a group of
FAST instructors. We spent some time working with victims of
serious abuse. One was a woman who, as a child, had been
raped in the toilets of a church whilst she could hear her father
delivering a sermon. Another had been brutally assaulted by a
gang and had watched helpless while her best friend was
murdered. A third case was a brutal home invasion in the dark on
a mother and her two children. There were both men and women
in the group, and all had horrific stories to tell. These traumatic
events were invading every part of their lives and holding them
back.
The FAST team helped these people recreate their particular
scenarios and relive them, only with a different and positive
outcome. The theory is that this helps to re-write their
subconscious memories, replacing a perceived ‘failure’ with
success. These custom scenarios are the most primal and
emotionally toxic characters a bulletman can play. We are taking
on the mantle of this person’s fears. Josapath, a bulletman from
Mexico City, summed it up for us all though when he told one
gentleman that ‘it would be his honour to play his worst
nightmare’.
The photographs in this article are not posed. They are a real set
from one of these custom scenarios. You can see the emotion on
the face of the woman re-playing the foulest part of her memory
in lurid detail. At that moment, she is right back there where it
happened. She is reliving it, but with the skills and support to take
it to a different conclusion. I like to think you can see the
beginning of something new in her eyes at the end. She’s been in
touch with me since to say that she’s not the same person now
and that she’s been able to open some new doors in her life. She
kindly gave me permission to use her photos in the hope that it
would encourage more people to take that first step.
18

Mike Valentine, one of the U.S. bulletmen who was part of that
scenario, sent this out shortly afterwards.
“Last weekend, my wife Karen and I attended the `FAST
Extravaganza` held in San Diego. It was, without a doubt, one of
the most difficult yet enlightening experiences I have had in my
martial arts life. It defined for me what is martial art and what is
self-defence.
Self-defence is dark, gruesome, hideous and unsettling. It
addresses the worst aspects of the human psyche but also gives
hope and resolution to those touched by that evil, or feel its
impending clutches on their thoughts and fears.
Martial art is art; it is an interpretation of reality. It takes violence
and makes it beautiful and bearable. Even in its most combative
form (unless you’re training by role playing rape, degradation,
verbal abuse or assaults both armed or in groups as they happen
in the real world) you’re practicing either sport or art.
This doesn’t mean sport or art is not difficult or demanding. Of
course it is, however 29 years of boxing, wrestling, Brazilian Jiu
Jitsu and traditional martial arts had not prepared me for the
FAST Extravaganza. It was all too real.
During my final days boxing I knew what it was like to fight with
all your heart, get knocked to the ground, get up and peer into the
fierce eyes of an opponent who wants to put you away. However,
that is nothing compared to sitting in a circle staring across the
room at a wonderfully beautiful woman while she recounts how
she was raped as a child.
Other stories equally traumatic and vile and horrible followed. As
a new father, I felt the darkness creep around the outside edges
of the reality in which my son will grow up. Though my eyes shed
no tears, my heart felt shredded by the pain of these good
people.
FAST Defence and Model Mugging were created by a
remarkably empathetic man, Matt Thomas, when a fellow black
belt martial artist was raped. He had the strength to delve into this
dark world thirty-five years ago and find a tool to empower, to
save lives and for some, he created a place for resolution and
confronting demons.
Bill Kipp has honoured and nurtured this vision by mixing it with
his own insight and has brought it back to the martial arts
community, thus providing the missing link that helps bridge the
gap between martial arts and true self-defence.
When I first became certified in FAST Defence my motivation was
to help prepare my students for the adrenal response that occurs
during self-defence. I wanted to prepare and thus empower them.
However, one never really empowers anybody; one can only
create an environment in which a person can choose to find
strength and resolve; thus empowering themselves. I now realize
how much more this training entails; that this weekend was only
the upper-most peak of a gigantic iceberg.
Watching Bill, Debra and Matt guide people through these murky,
dark depths was nothing less then awe inspiring -truly awe
inspiring. You could feel the love and connection they had with
every participant. It was this love and understanding that was the
flashlight that allowed the group to venture so far below the
surface and for some to receive the resolution they so badly
needed.
When the group circled in its darkest hour, each person felt
nauseated by mans’ inhumanity to man. The thirty of us felt the
darkness cloud our senses and each one of us wanted to run
from the room. At that moment, Matt Thomas said something that
I will remember till my last dying breath, "You can either curse the
darkness or be the candle that chases it away." That day I felt as
if Bill, Debra and Matt handed me that candle.“
In closing, it is important to remember that this is training at its
most extreme. The point is that we have a moral duty to prepare
ourselves and our loved ones for self-protection. It doesn’t take
much. The FAST courses are not scary, macho, fight clubs. They
are an environment where everyone is coached to find that spark.
Each person achieves personal success. We owe it to our
children, our parents and every young adult going travelling or to
college, because we love them. The P.U.M.A. FAST team travels
the country putting on courses. If you’d like more information
contact me at info@pumafastdefence.com.
Photographs are courtesy of Mr Matt Thomas, the original
Bulletman.
About the author:
Dik Chance trains under Mr Ray Gayle (7 th Degree) at Yate
Taekwon-Do. He also teaches at his own school at Clifton in
Bristol. Like most P.U.M.A. instructors, Dik has a significant
number of junior students and is actively involved in anti-bullying
training. He is an instructor and bulletman in P.U.M.A.’s F.A.S.T.
Defence team. He has a keen interest in reality based selfprotection
training and combatives, and regularly trains in this
area. This training has led him to train with some of the world’s
most influential instructors such as Geoff Thompson, Peter
Consterdine, Bill Kipp and Peyton Quinn.
19

By Kirsty Oliver
Core Stability : what is it?
The 'Drawing In' Manoeuvre
Within the fitness industry at the moment, core and balance
training play an integral part in conditioning the human body.
Whether you are training for a marathon, conditioning your body
for rugby, or progressing your martial arts training, core stability
plays a vital role.
Have you ever wondered why your bending stance is a little
shaky, or why you can never keep your side kick out for just a
split second longer? This could possibly be due to weak core
muscles.
In simple terms, core stability is achieved when the muscles that
surround your spine and hips can successfully hold your posture
in proper alignment.
The core is the body’s centre of gravity, where all movement
originates. It is made up of the spine, pelvis, hip joint and the 29
muscles that attach into it. (The 4 main core muscles are
Transversus Abdominis, Multifidus, Diaphragm, and Pelvic Floor.)
The core has 2 main functions: to primarily provide stabilisation,
and to also provide movement.
Movement of the human body is achieved when the brain sends
a message to the muscles that it wants to move. To allow this to
occur successfully, certain muscles have to contract in a certain
order. This order can be disrupted if core muscles are weak,
possibly resulting in injury.
So what does core training have to do with Taekwon-Do I hear
you ask? Basically, everything!
Think about your highest pattern. Break it down into all its
individual movements and how the body has to change from one
stance to another, mixing slow controlled movements with fast
explosive ones. The brain is always working one step ahead as
each technique is encountered and adapted to. So during this
complex process the brain is communicating with a variety of
muscles on a continuous basis, and set orders of contractions are
occurring to allow movement to happen. But ask yourself this:
what happens if those muscles that need to work the hardest are
not performing effectively? What happens if my core muscles are
weak? The answer is that stronger, more commonly used
muscles are doing the job instead, creating a distorted pattern of
muscle movements and eventually leading to injury. Think about
how your car engine works. If various components of the engine
are not working properly then premature wear and tear occurs.
Humans are no different. How many times have you suffered
from tight hamstrings, strained groin muscles, or painful knees?
These are just a few of the injuries that occur in our chosen sport
due to poor muscle alignment and a weak core.
So how do we train the core muscles effectively? Below are some
exercises to introduce you to core training, and how to start
building core strength and stability.
This exercise helps to practise the movement of engaging all the
primary core muscles at a basic level. Firstly, start by lining up
the shoulders with the hands, and the hips with the knees. Tuck
the toes under so that the calf muscle is always lengthened. Push
the shoulder blades together and down the spine. Soften the
elbows a little, and hold an imaginary tennis ball under your chin
so that it is tucked in. Flatten the back so that it is neither arched
nor rounded, but in a neutral position. Gently squeeze the buttock
muscles, and tense your pelvis as if you need to urinate! (This is
called ‘engaging the pelvic floor’) Finally, draw your belly button
inwards, and imagine that you are trying to pull it towards your
spine. Do this without altering your back’s position. Hold this
position for at least 30 seconds; it is very important that all of the
above points are maintained for the duration. Repeat the exercise
several times.
Plank
This is a very effective exercise for building core muscle
endurance. Individuals with high blood pressure should seek
medical advice before attempting this exercise.
Extend the legs out and hold the body in a straight line from the
shoulders through to the heels. Pull the belly button into the
spine, squeeze the buttock muscles, and straighten the legs.
Ensure that the elbow is directly beneath the shoulder; relax the
shoulders by pushing the shoulder blades together and down the
spine.
The exercise should be maintained for at least 10 seconds, with a
gradual increase when strength builds. If there is difficulty in
maintaining the position, then place your knees on the floor and
maintain alignment from the knees up to the shoulders.
20

Side Plank
Floor Cobra
An effective exercise for building core muscle endurance, and for
strengthening a weaker side. Individuals with high blood pressure
should seek medical advice before attempting this exercise.
Extend the legs out with the toes pulled up to lengthen the calves.
The shoulder should be in line with the elbow, the hips lifted to
form a straight line, and the chin tucked in. Expand the chest by
pulling the shoulders back, squeeze the buttocks, and push the
pelvis forward slightly to form a completely straight line with the
body. The belly button should be drawn in throughout the duration
of the exercise. The position should be maintained for at least 10
seconds, with a gradual increase when strength builds. If there is
difficulty in maintaining the position, then place the knees on the
floor, curl the lower leg towards the bottom, and maintain
alignment from the knees to the shoulders.
An excellent exercise to build endurance in the core muscles, but
also to increase strength in the lower back.
Lie face down with the arms to the side, and the palms facing
down. Tuck the chin under, pull the toes up, straighten the legs
and draw the belly button towards the spine. Slowly lift the chest,
raise the arms and point the thumbs towards the ceiling. Keep the
chin tucked in, and maintain the ‘drawing in’ of the abdomen.
Keep this position for a couple of seconds, then slowly return to
the starting position. Repeat this 10 – 15 times in continuous
motion, then repeat after a short rest. Be careful not to arch the
back excessively.
The most important part of core training is to
regularly progress the exercises, so that the body’s
muscles can constantly change and adapt to the
new demands placed upon them
Core Training can also be adapted to specifically condition martial
arts techniques. By practising sport specific techniques on unstable
surfaces, the Core muscles are forced to adapt to the continual
movement and wobble. So when the technique is then executed on
a stable surface, the muscle adaptations have strengthened the
whole exercise, creating better, more accurately executed
techniques.
All of the above exercises should be attempted with control, good technique, and adherence to the postural guidelines. If you
would like any further information on this or any other health and fitness-related subject, please email me at
kirstyoliver77@hotmail.com
All information has been researched by the National Academy of Sports Medicine.
Kirsty Oliver has been training for 10 years, and is a 1st Degree Black Belt at Itchen Club in Southampton. She works for David
Lloyd in Worthing, West Sussex. Her qualifications include Premier and NASM Level 3 Personal Trainer, NASM Junior Athletic
Conditioning, and RSA Exercise To Music Instructor. Kirsty is also a P.U.M.A. Assistant Instructor, and hopes to bring a
P.U.M.A. Club to the South East in the near future.
21

By P.U.M.A.‘s Kickboxing Coordinator, Mr Malcolm Jones
The principle reason for wrapping your hands is to protect the wrist, thumb and knuckles of the hand. However because your
hands will perspire a lot during a training session the wrap will also soak up all the perspiration, therefore leaving your bag
gloves or sparring gloves more hygienic. All P.U.M.A. wraps are washable; however it is advisable to have more than one pair.
They come in two sizes, junior and adult, and in various colours.
Before we cover the method of wrapping your hands, here are some points you may find useful:
· When you start wrapping across your knuckles keep the material fairly tight but have small gaps between the fingers.
· Correct tightness of the wraps is important. They should be tight enough to stay in place during the session, but not so tight
that your circulation is cut off. Like many things this will come with experience.
· Avoid excessive wrapping around the palm area, as this will make it harder to form a fist and therefore harder to put on your
gloves for bag work or sparring.
· There are several ways to wrap your hands. This method is used by most pro boxers. It is more complex than the ‘mummy’
style, but provides far greater protection. It looks really easy when you watch an experienced fighter wrap their hands, but
stick with it and persevere - you’ll get there.
· If your hands don’t feel right, do them again.
· Practise at home until you can do it instinctively.
· Just a word of warning when hitting pads, bags or sparring: you must keep your wrist straight. Wraps don’t automatically do it
for you. They support your wrist but you must keep it straight.
Step One
Loop the end of the wrap over
your thumb with your hand
facing down. The wrap will
have ‘This side down’ printed
on it. Then wrap clockwise
twice around the wrist fairly
tightly.
Step Two
Continue the wrap over the
back of the hand (not the
knuckles) towards the gap
between index finger and
thumb.
Step Three
Then place the wrap across
the finger part of the palm and
continue across the knuckle
part of the fingers (remember
to keep the wrap tight and
keep gaps between the
fingers)
Step Four
Take the wrap back over the
finger part of the palm and
over the back off the hand the
opposite way to step two.
Step four
Take the wrap back over the
finger part of the palm and
over the back off the hand the
opposite way to step two.
22

Step Five
Carefully, without twisting the
wrap, cover the thumb and
then go back over the hand
and under. If at this stage you
feel the wrap is unsecured
take it around the wrist once
more.
Step Six
Loop the wrap between the
two fingers nearest the thumb
and over the length of your
palm.
Step Seven
Do the same between the gap
in the next two fingers.
Step Eight
And the same for the last gap.
If as stated before the wraps
feel loose take it around the
wrist again.
Step Nine
Continue over the back of the
hand and across your palm.
Step Ten
Finish over your knuckles at a
slight angle (once is normally
sufficient), then across the
palm.
Step Eleven
Then back to your wrist to
wrap sufficient times before
securing the Velcro strap.
Please remember this method is not the only way. I would
encourage you to experiment and develop your own
method, but keep in mind the reason for wrapping your
hand is to protect your wrist, knuckles and thumbs.
Good luck,
Malcolm Jones (email at malcolmjones@puma-uk.com)
23

Basic Stances
Stances are the most important part of all movements in
Taekwon-Do. They form the foundation of each technique
and make it easy to get from one position to another
smoothly with rhythm and grace. If your stance is too short or
too long, it will be difficult to use the knee spring correctly
and hence difficult to relax and ultimately gain power. An
analogy is that of someone who builds a house on mud: the
foundation would be weak compared to a house built on
concrete. Strong foundations (i.e. strong, accurate stances)
are essential. Therefore in this issue basic stances will be
discussed with some pointers on how to improve them.
stance is too long. If the line fails to reach the toes, the
stance is too short. (See photo).
General points
With all stances, the following points should be remembered:
1) Keep the back straight, with few exceptions.
2) Relax the shoulders.
3) Tense the abdomen.
4) Maintain correct facing: full facing (ohnmom), half
facing (bahnmom) or side facing (yopmom).
5) Maintain equilibrium (i.e. balance).
6) Make use of the knee spring properly.
(Taken from The Encyclopaedia of Taekwon-Do, 5 th edition
1999; Vol. 2; General Choi, Hong Hi)
1½ shoulder widths
The 4 most common stances in Taekwon-Do are all 1½
shoulder widths long, however this distance is measured
from different parts of the feet. This means that in real terms,
some are slightly longer than others.
The problem is that 1½ shoulder width measurement is not
necessarily appropriate for each and every individual.
Consider someone who is taller than average, with a slim
build. For this person, 1½ shoulder widths will not be long
enough for their stances, because they would be too upright
with a high centre of gravity. This means that they would be
easier to topple over compared with someone with a slightly
longer stance, whose body weight was hence closer to the
ground. Conversely, someone who is shorter than average
and broad shouldered may find that 1½ shoulder widths is
too long in some cases. So, with differing body dimensions
from person to person, we need a more relative
measurement.
Walking stance (gunnun sogi)
Officially, walking stance is 1½ shoulder widths from big toe
to big toe and has a 50% weight distribution on each leg.
Walking stance can be full facing (ohnmom) or half facing
(bahnmom). General Choi taught that a walking stance could
be gauged as having correct length by drawing an imaginary
line from the knuckles of a mid section punch to the floor.
The imaginary line should drop down level with the big toe of
the leading leg. If the line is level with the instep or shin, the
Walking stance (gunnun sogi)
With this in mind, try placing the toes of your front leg in
walking stance against a wall; form the stance as you
normally would (one shoulder width wide) and then extend
both fists with straight arms. By extending both fists, you
ensure that the body is full facing (which is necessary for this
exercise). Ensure the back leg is straight and that the front
leg is bent slightly so that the front of the knee is above the
heel (again, see photo). If your fists do not touch the wall,
your stance is too long and if you need to bend your arms in
order for the knuckles to touch the wall, the stance is too
short. Don’t forget that the front foot faces forward and the
back foot is turned out 25 degrees.
Using this exercise, you now have your very own
personalised “1½ shoulder widths.” You should become
intimately attached to this distance and get to know it very
well. Sitting stance, L stance and Fixed stance will also be
compared to this distance.
So, is it 1½ shoulder widths or not?
It seems to me that 1½ shoulder widths will be accurate for
some people but not all. It’s as though General Choi was
considering a perfectly proportioned person (a person who
probably doesn’t exist!) With this in mind, you should aim to
have the correct knowledge so that you can correctly
answer questions from examiners and instructors, but also
appreciate that everyone is built slightly differently. Your
stance may be longer than 1½ shoulder widths because you
have long legs or because you are tall.
Take some time to look at the diagram. It shows the 4 most
common Taekwon-Do stances and shows the relative sizes
of them to one another, taking the 1½ shoulder width
measurements into account. Please note that the diagram is
not to scale.
24

Fixed stance (gojung sogi)
This is very similar to L stance but has 50% weight on each
leg. It too is a half facing stance only, with both feet angled
inward at 15 degrees. This time however, the 1½ shoulder
width length is from the toes of the front foot to the inside
ankle of the rear foot.
Sitting stance (annun sogi)
Also 1½ shoulder widths wide measured between the big toes
(i.e. from the inside of one foot to the inside of the other).
Equal weight distribution with the knees pushed out so they
are over the ball of each foot.
Obverse & reverse techniques.
L stance (niunja sogi)
Your body posture can only ever be half facing (bahnmom) in
L stance and the 1½ shoulder width length for this stance is
measured from the toes of the leading leg to the footsword
(balkal) of the rear foot. L stance has 70% weight on the rear
leg and 30% on the front leg.
Both feet are turned in 15 degrees to take the pressure off the
knees and make the stance more natural (and hence more
comfortable). If the heel of the rear foot were on an imaginary
line, the big toe of the leading leg would just touch the same
line due to the 15 degree inward turn. This means that there is
only a few centimetres width between the heels (2.5 cm
actually).
Two more important points to this stance are sometimes
forgotten. Firstly, make sure that the rear hip is above the
inside of the rear ankle (see photo); and secondly, ensure that
the rear knee is above the toes of the rear foot. These points
make the stance much more stable.
Finally this issue, let us look at how the stance ‘names’ a
technique as being obverse or reverse. Obverse techniques
are such that the hand performing the movement (left or right)
is the same as the stance it is performed in, i.e. a left walking
stance or a right L stance etc. A right punch in a right stance
is ‘obverse,’ whilst a left punch in a right stance is ‘reverse.’
When a stance has equal weight distribution (50-50), the
leading leg ‘names’ the stance as being a left stance or a right
stance. Even if you are stepping backwards, it is the front foot
which decides on a left or right stance. This is therefore the
case with walking stance; if the right foot is leading, it is a right
walking stance. If you then perform a technique with the right
hand (say, a punch) it is therefore an obverse punch.
However, when a stance has more weight on one of the legs,
it is that leg which decides on a left or a right stance. Hence a
right L stance is one where the right leg is at the rear.
Performing a right punch in this stance is hence obverse and
not reverse. This is a common misconception.
Quick quiz
What is the name of the punch performed in Won-Hyo Tul,
movements 3, 6, 15 & 18?
a) obverse punch
b) reverse punch
c) side punch
Email your answers to me at the address below and receive
eternal praise and your name in print in the next Taekwon-Do
column! (space permitting - ed) Please include your name,
grade and Taekwon-Do school. Taekwon!
Are there any aspects of Taekwon-Do that you would
like me to investigate and divulge? If so, feel free to
contact me at tkd@cardiffmartialarts.com . I look
forward to your suggestions.
Kevin McCabe, 4th degree black belt, has trained in
Taekwon-Do for 14 years. He is a member of the
P.U.M.A. management team as Technical Assistant. He
aids senior instructors with training duties at P.U.M.A.
camps and other events and also teaches technical and
pattern seminars. He trains under Master Ray Gayle
and teaches his own school, in Cardiff.
25

Policy Changes
Child Protection Officer Miss Louise Reeve describes some recent amendments to the Child
Protection Policy used by the organisation.
A few months ago the organisation’s child protection policies, standards and mandates were reviewed for
the first time. On the whole most of what we do as instructors and helpers remains the same but there are
some important updates that we all need to be aware of.
Firstly, updates are done on a regular basis – usually every three years – in order to improve the existing
policy while maintaining the safety of the students. Feedback from instructors, helpers and parents have
all been taken into account and because this was the first review, there will be a second one this time
next year.
The important changes are listed below with a short explanation. If you would like more information or
would like your views to be heard in time for next years review please contact me direct on the email
address below.
P.U.M.A. has relinquished its ‘umbrella’ status with the Criminal Records Bureau.
This service would have allowed us to CRB check people who were nothing to do with P.U.M.A. but we
have never needed to use it. P.U.M.A. can still CRB all its instructors, volunteers and helpers over the
age of 10. This certificate still needs to be renewed every 3 years.
Instructors, volunteers and helpers are allowed to transport all children within their immediate
family.
Up till now the policy has stated that any adult who takes on a role or responsibility within P.U.M.A. is
only allowed to transport their own children to events and lessons but this has now been extended to
include all children in their immediate family including grandchildren, nephews, nieces, stepchildren and
cousins.
Photos of black belt juniors to be published within Planet P.U.M.A. can be identified by name.
The existing mandates concerning photography and the media outside the organisation still stand,
however P.U.M.A. will allow photos of junior students to be accompanied by their name within the Planet
P.U.M.A. in-house magazine. This is so we can celebrate the achievements of our juniors within a safe
environment. This service will require written permission from parents.
If you would like to make any comments concerning any part of the policies and mandates please do not
hesitate to contact me at cpo@puma-uk.com
26

LENGTHY RABBIT JOKE
Funny? You decide!
One Monday lunchtime at the local school canteen a black rabbit with a white
nose (that bit's very important) walks in to the canteen, jumps onto the counter
and says to the dinner lady “I'd like a toasted cheese sandwich and a glass of
lemonade please.”
The dinner lady was shocked, she'd never seen a talking rabbit before. ”Do you
have enough money?” she asked.
“Yes.” he replied. So the dinner lady made the black rabbit with the white nose
his toasted sandwich and poured him a glass of lemonade.
The next day to her surprise the same rabbit walks in, jumps up on the counter
and orders the same thing. The dinner lady does the same toasted sandwich and
pours the glass of lemonade. The dinner lady starts to make friends with the
rabbit and they start chatting about lettuce and Easter bunnies and stuff like that.
Wednesday comes along, and the same thing happens the rabbit orders his
toasted cheese sandwich and his glass of lemonade, and their friendship grows.
Now this next bit is very important... The same black rabbit with the white nose
jumps up on to the counter and says “Can I have a glass of lemonade and a ham
and cheese toasted sandwich”... Did you get that kids? That's a ham and cheese
toasted sandwich. How exciting.
Friday comes along and the dinner lady is really looking forward too seeing her
new friend, but he doesn't show, however a white rabbit with a black nose comes
in to the canteen jumps on on to the counter and says “Is your name Mary?”.
“Yes, why?”
“Well my friend the black rabbit with the white nose used to come in here to have
his lunch, is that right?” Mary says “Yes, where is he?” to which the rabbit replies
“He's poorly.”
“Poorly?”' she says. “What’s wrong with him?”.
The white rabbit looks up and says “MIXINGMETOASTIES".
A polo bear
The dry screamers
Take him to Iceland.
Count Spatula.
Lost
“Doctor doctor, I think I need glasses!”
“I’ll say you do. This is a fish and chip shop.”
Got some jokes? Email them to us at
and maybe see
your name in print!
Eek! Rugged outdoors-man Mr Chris Wood is hiking across the
moors, but he’s taken a wrong turning! Night is falling, beasts
lurk in the undergrowth and he hasn’t had his tea yet! Show him
the way to his emergency corned beef supplies before the sun
sets...
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