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Scott's Martial Arts |
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I have been interested in martial arts ever since I was a kid. It all started when I saw the 1970's show "Kung Fu." Kwai Chang Caine was my hero for many years after that, humbly walking the earth, imparting Eastern wisdom, and defending the weak from bad guys.
I believe that there is no one "best" martial art, but each has useful concepts and techniques to offer, and each focuses on one or more specific areas. A lot of what makes a style good is not the style, but the teacher. I also think a flexible class it superior to a strict traditional setting, where new ideas can be introduced, and old ideas can be tested or challenged. |
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Taekwondo: My first martial arts training was Taekwondo through classes at college. The instructor was Master Jae Wan Woo. I studied Taekwondo there for about three years, until I got married. I really enjoyed it, and it got me into good physical condition. Taekwondo is about 90% kicking, so our workouts concentrated heavily on building leg and abdominal strength and endurance. The exercise was intense, and at the time I built up pretty good stamina and speed. We sparred often, which I think is very beneficial to learning martial arts and self defense. However, one must keep in mind that being good at sparring does not mean you will be good in a real fight. People on the street won't follow the same rules that students in class will follow, such as no eye gouges, no nut biting, etc. I earned the rank of green belt in that class.
Ju Jutsu: About a year after leaving taekwondo, I started taking Ju Jutsu classes through a small, private club in Portland, called Sosuishi-ryu Ju Jutsu Kai. I really enjoyed the class. The teachers were all great, and the style was very open. The head instructor, James Burgess, was about 86 years old at the time, and I think a 5th degree black belt in Ju Jutsu. He also had a lot of training in Karate while in Okinawa when he was in the military, and he also had studied boxing. One of the other instructors was a Taekwondo black belt, and we regularly had guests visit and teach from different styles. This was a nice benefit to the class, since our training included techniques from various styles. After about a year and a half, I had to quit because a conflict with my changing work schedule, as well as my first son being born. I earned the rank of blue belt in Ju Jutsu.
Kenpo: A couple of years after leaving Ju Jutsu, I started taking Kenpo Karate lessons at a local dojo. I really enjoyed the style, and it was a pretty good workout. We never sparred during the six months that I took this class, which I was a bit disappointed with. However, I did feel that the style did have a lot of good ideas though. For example, you can practice a certain throw over and over again, but you always throw the person from the same place to the same place. This is a technique. A concept is where you understand the mechanics of a throw, then apply it in all sorts of situation, like with the person running at you, or while you are on the ground. Like if you are an auto mechanic, you don't practice twisting a wrench back and forth five hundred times, because each time you use it, you will use it at a different angle, height or position, but the concept of how the wrench does the job is constant. I earned the rank of yellow belt in Kenpo.
Taekwondo (again): I did not study martial arts formally for many years until the Summer of 2008. Blake and I signed up with a Taekwondo school in June, studying under Master Jong Bum Park. I was able to enter the class as a green belt from my previous training. The workouts are quite intense, and I have lost a lot of weight and significantly improved my cardio condition. On April 10, 2010, I earned the rank of first dan black belt.
Aikido:In August 2008, Corey and I signed up with an Aikido dojo called Budo Dojo, led by Sensei Dan Penrod and Sensei Neil Ruggles. Aikido is about as opposite from Taekwondo as you can get. Aikido uses little or no strikes, and concentrates more on subtlety and control, breaking the opponent's balance then taking them down with various locks or throws, often ending in a pin, rather than the direct and aggressive kicks and punches of Taekwondo. I really enjoy studying both styles at the same time because of their contrast. I currently hold rank of 6th Kyu.
