Dear Master Godwin,
I would like to let you know how happy
my husband and I are with the Hockessin karate school. Barbara
Sama is an excellent instructor. She brings so much enthusiasm
to the class and works so well with Mr. E who is the absolute
best. Those two, along with Mr. O'Reilly, make a superior
team. They are the reason my daughter continues to participate
and pursue her black belt goal. They are the reason we continue
to recommend your school to others.
Thank you for offering such wonderful
instructors to your students. Their personalities and talents
combined with their ability to relate so well to the children
(and adults) put your school far above the other martial
art
training centers.
Sincerely,
Rita Migliore
Dear Master Godwin,
My husband and I are tremendously pleased
with our son's progress at the Korean Martial Arts Institute.
His confidence level, ability to focus and large motor coordination
have all developed significantly during his time here. He
really likes the instructors, who always take time to work
with him outside of class as well as recognize his individual
needs during classes.
We approve of the teachers' instructional
technique, which is more in line with positive reinforcement
than with "scare tactics". What is fostered here
is an attitude of responsibility to one's classmates rather
than competition with them. Even though this basic philosophy
is observed, excellence is not overlooked. The kids move
up in rank only when they really deserve to and it makes
them proud.
Equally important is the great fun everyone
has at class. There is a lot of laughter, from both parents
and kids.
Kate Kibler
Dear Master Godwin,
The purpose of this letter is to formally
thank you, your instructors and your organization for the
magnificent job they have done with my son. He was born
two months prematurely, spent 60 days in intensive care
and was later diagnosed with cerebral palsy (when he was
two). The next five years were spent in intensive physical
and occupational therapy (while wearing leg braces).
He has been a student of Mr. "E"
for the past six months and I have seen more physical progress,
positive attitude and willingness to face life than with
all the physical therapists, thousands of dollars and eight
years of pain put together.
Please accept my wife's and my heartfelt
thanks for the wonderful transformation Mr. "E"
has brought about in our son. His character, leadership,
ability to teach and obvious love of children make him one
of the finest teachers I have ever seen. You have our eternal
gratitude.
Sincerely,
Mr. and Mrs. J.G. O'Keefe
Dear Mr. "E",
I would like to thank you for your kind
and encouraging words to my son, Alex, on Saturday at the
tournament. It meant a lot to him to have someone of your
caliber to take the time to show you care.
At 6 years old, it is important to have
someone speak so kindly and with hope. I'm sure this is
something you do on a daily basis, but it is something I
was not willing to let go unnoticed. It is important to
me to have my child around adults who show such wonderful
qualities. I feel it would be a great injustice for me not
to express my appreciation.
I realized Saturday that his father and
I made the right choice when we picked a karate school for
him to attend. It is my opinion that the students from KMAI
were better behaved and more well-mannered than the children
of the other schools. I believe this comes from the instructors
who have trained them. You all have a lot to be proud of.
As an observer in the stands, I could name the school the
children attended before I even saw their uniforms. Although
that my not sound like much, I believe it speaks volumes.
Very truly yours,
Cindi Pearce
I would just like to tell how very happy
we are with KMAI. Jordan and I are both very appreciative
of the outstanding caliber of instruction we received and
the awesome, positive atmosphere in the dojang.
To give you a little background, I am a
managing director of a business unit within GMAC commercial
mortgage's holding company. I have an extremely challenging
position dealing on a regular basis with technical issues
which enable multi-million and sometimes billion on plus
$ mortgage deals (GMACCM held the most current lease on
the world trade center complex)
I would like you to known that I consistently
cherish the time I have every week to walk away from the
above and come to the dojang and study and practice under
Mr E, Mr Remal (sp?), you and all the other black belt instructors.
It is really a tremendous reality check
for me to leave work and enter such an environment where
all students are focused on excelling at one endeavor and
our objective is embodied in our instructors. A vast change
from the complex corporate world as well as the equality
challenging home.
Please be encouraged that you staff are
doing an outstanding job and every one at KMAI should be
proud of the great instruction and sprit we have.
Scott Miles
I have had the privilege of training at
KMAI for the last seven years. I have never been very involved
in athletics, and this was the most physically challenging
thing I had ever pursued. The instructors were very patient
and worked with me to develop my skills, and I am amazed
at the progress I have made. If you had asked me in the
past I never would have believed that I would study martial
arts, let alone earn a black belt. There is a lot more to
karate than Jackie chan movies - KMAI teachers the art and
philosophy behind the techniques so you can develop strength,
focus, discipline and skill. The staff at KMAI is professional
and supportive. I have even seen instructors take time to
encourage students and help them with schoolwork. I would
heartily recommend KMAI to anyone who has an Internet in
learning a martial art for fitness, self defense, or sport.
Dr. Douglas R. Briggs
Chiropractor, Acupuncturist
Mr. Kloss,
I would like to share a testimonial about
Mark Jr.'s experience at KMAI.
More than anything else, I am thankful
to KMAI for instilling in Mark the value and importance
of hard work, discipline and self confidence. These values
have become a part of who he is and they guide him in his
academic, athletic, and spiritual pursuits. My deep thanks
to you and your staff for shaping Mark's character in such
a positive and meaningful way.
Mark Wilkinson
Angela Barker
467 Stella Dr.
Hockessin, De 19707
(302) 234-1954
March 15, 2003
I highly recommend john Godwin Karate Studio,
Lancaster Square, Hockessin, De. Master Kloss, Mr.E and
their band of merry men (and ladies) have been a positive,
motivating influence in my two boy's lives. My sons, ages
13 and11, have been training towards their black belts for
close to two years. This is the first activity they have
enthusiastically pursued that doesn't include electricity
and an outlet to participate .My older son has mild learning
disabilities and difficulties with his motor skills. Master
Klaus has consistently provide extra instruction and support
is an encouraging, self-esteem building manner insuring
his continued success when belt testing. For a few hours
each week, the words jump and kick require leg muscles and
not just a lever flick to the left. Thank you Angela Barker.
Even after I broke my leg playing soccer, the gret staff
at KMAI Hockessin adapted classes for me and helped be get
fully recovered!
Martial Arts Training as
Physical Education:
East Meets West
by
Alan Hochberg
I was a failure of the American system
of physical education. All through school, I hated "gym
class". I was a skinny kid with a reputation as a "nerd"
who was no good at sports. It was humiliating to be chosen
last for every game, to never get the ball, to never make
the team, to be unable to manage even one pull-up. My parents
encouraged me to give up on sports. They were happy with
my gentleman's "C" grades in phys. ed., and encouraged
me to concentrate on academics.
Why, then, at age 41, am I about to reach
a major milestone in physical training--by black belt in
Tang Soo Do? I think the reasons lie in the differences
between the Eastern and Western approaches to physical education.
Respect vs. Humiliation
Comedy movies and TV shows often portray
the American Phys. Ed. teacher using humiliation to motivate
athletes. While this may work with some students, it can
backfire and discourage others, as it did me.
In contrast, I was always treated with
respect in the dojang, even on my first visit. There was
no humiliation from the instructors, even though I had little
coordination, balance, or speed, and couldn't tie my white
belt.
Instead they concentrated on the positive,
which was that I had some level of endurance and fitness
from hiking and bicycling. They made it clear that if I
was willing to work hard, they were there for me.
Collective vs. Individual Focus
American society is noted for placing
the emphasis on the individual, while the group is more
important in Oriental cultures. The American system of physical
education is built around identifying natural talent, and
nurturing those talented individuals into "star"
athletes. Certain body types, such as tall basketball players,
are especially prized. We pay lip service to "teamwork",
but the "team" is already an elite group, and
those who couldn't "make the team" are excluded.
Martial arts training, by contrast, welcomes
everyone who is willing to work hard. As one of my instructors
said, "There is no quota for black belts. We have enough
for everyone who can earn one." That includes both
genders on an equal basis, and includes students of all
ages and body types. There are differences to be sure. A
short, stocky fighter might be able to side kick someone
across the room, while a tall fighter could drop an ax kick
on someone's head. But karate is adaptable to both of them.
I think karate is so inclusive because
it comes from a pragmatic defense- and warfare- oriented
tradition. When your village was under attack, you couldn't
say to someone, "Sorry, you're not tall enough to make
the team. You can't fight alongside us." You needed
to adapt and develop training methods for the people who
were willing to be taught. Our weapons, adapted from broom
handles and farm implements, reflect karate's pragmatic,
inclusive tradition as well.
Another meaning of teamwork in karate
is that the best students are expected to teach the beginners,
and to help them come up through the ranks. I value all
the lessons I have received from my fellow students, as
well as what I have learned from my instructors.
Patience: Long-term vs. Short-term Goals
It shouldn't be surprising that an art
with a 2000-year tradition is patient and methodical in
its training methods. No pressure to be fully trained in
two months for Opening Day, because karate has no seasons.
Everyone begins as a white belt. Fundamentals are taught
and re-taught for years and years. I learned never to say
"I can't", only "I can't--yet." It took
me months to teach my arms to move in a simple Low Block/Center
Punch combination, and it took two years before the "one-two"
action of the Jump Front Kick finally "clicked".
My instructors waited patiently and encouraged me the whole
time.
Mind/Body Integration
In Western thought, the mind and body
are separate, and American culture divides us into "nerds"
and "jocks". I definitely wasn't a jock!
In the Eastern philosophy behind martial
arts, the mind and body are one. We learn mental concentration
as well as how to punch. Meditation is part of our art.
The tradition of great scholarship alongside rigorous physical
training goes back to the monks of the Shaolin Temple and
beyond.
A friend of mine in college told me that
all growth is equally important, whether it is mental or
physical. It does you no good to develop a fine mind, and
then to have your body give out on you, so that you can
no longer use that mind for yourself, or to help the people
around you. Karate has been a source of profound mental
and physical growth for me.
Zen and the Art of Karate
American sports are linear and quantitative
in nature, reflecting a Western way of thinking. Games start
and the beginning and proceed to the end. There is a focus
on the outcome, the score, which is a number by which the
players can rank themselves.
Karate training is circular and qualitative,
in the Eastern mode of thought. Except in tournaments, nobody
keeps score. When I do a form, I know myself whether I have
done my best or not, and try always to do everything better,
even though I don't get a number or letter grade.
When I began training, I was a linear
thinker. I thought that you started out as a white belt,
and proceeded through the ranks, and that black belt was
the final goal, the "end" of some sort, the purpose
of training. Now I know better. Training is circular. Black
belt is not the end, but the beginning of what my instructor
calls "the good stuff". And higher belts are not
the reason to come to class--it's the process of training
itself. Each punch, each form, each one-step is the reason
that I'm there.
There are similarities between karate
training and other forms of physical education I have been
exposed to. But there are also profound differences. I'm
sure that karate has benefits to those skilled in traditional
American sports, since it involves rigorous training, discipline,
and concentration.
Because our art is derived from the needs
of combat, it is a well-rounded form of training, placing
equal emphasis on strength, speed, endurance, balance, and
co-ordination.
But karate also works for those that were
abandoned by the American system of physical education,
such as myself. It is not based on "star athletes".
I find it ironic that I am in shape for my black belt test
at a time when some of the "jocks" I knew in high
school, no longer sports stars, are taking on a sedentary
lifestyle and gaining weight.
Through karate, I have learned to do things
that I would have thought impossible when I started my training.
Perhaps most importantly, I have become part of the "team"
at KMAI in Hockessin. Not a "team" in the sense
of "athletic elite", but rather a community that
teaches, uplifts, and cares for each other.
©1996-2003,
Korean Martial Arts Institute
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Soo Do Association and the Korean Martial Arts Institute.
The images and information contained herein may not
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the World Tang Soo Do Association Headquarters and
the Korean Martial Arts Institute.
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World Tang Soo Do Association Headquarters
709 Oregon Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19148
Phone: (215) 468-2121
fax: (215) 336-2121
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Korean Martial Arts Institute
2419 W. Newport Pike
Wilmington, DE 19804
Phone: (302) 992-7999
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Dear Master Godwin:
Recently I have had top deal with a very difficult task in my family. I am in the process of admitting my mother (who has Alzheimer's) into an assisted living facility here in Delaware.
When I initially brought her here from Colorado a few
weeks ago, she visited the Dojang to watch my class. When
she came in, Mr. Smith quickly sat next to her and began
talking and making her feel very welcomed. both Mr. Mabrouk
and Mr. Davis were very cordial to her as well. She was
truly touched by her experience that evening.
I had told her prior to her visit that Karate was more than just exercise, I went on to say, it is the people, the people here are like family. I would like to express my sincerest gratitude to your staff for making my mother feel like part of the family, especially at this difficult time.
Sincerely,
Mark Atkins
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