Inspirational Martial Arts Stories from 2006

Taekwondo puts kick in man's life:

Making all the right moves:

From: http://159.54.227.3
(June 9, 2006):

From: metro.co.uk/weird/article.html?in_article_id=14877&in_page_id=2
(June 7, 2006):

From: leedstoday.net/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=39&ArticleID=1545389
(June 5, 2006):

From: http://www.northjersey.com
(June 5, 2006):

From: http://www.belleville.com/mld/belleville/living/14713763.htm
(June 4, 2006):

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From: http://www.app.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2006606030314
(June 3, 2006):

From: http://sgvtribune.com/news/ci_3879216
(May 30, 2006):

From: http://www.nj.com
(May 22, 2006):

From: http://www.dailybreeze.com/news/articles/2797541.html
(May 13, 2006):

During a class exercise, Cavalcanti grabbed 14-year-old Brittney Clark from behind and choked her. Even though she was outweighed by at least 50 pounds, Clark grabbed her instructor's arm, flipped him over her shoulder and pinned him to the ground. With a few quick movements Clark applied an "arm-bar," a submission technique in which her legs pinned Cavalcanti's upper body while she bent back his outstretched arm. The black-belted instructor quickly tapped out.

"The kids were timid at the beginning, but they're not any more," said Rocio Vallejos, a Braille Academy youth adviser.

From: http://www.paysonroundup.com/section/frontpage_lead/story/23429
(May 12, 2006):

Since the shooting, Alatriz has been vocal about domestic violence.

In December 2005, she and her two children, Leticia and Victor, qualified to compete in perhaps one of the largest and most prestigious martial arts tournaments. She intends to use the international forum to bring attention to domestic violence.

"A lady of her age and bullet wounds -- two near fatal -- to take up an endeavor such as karate is amazing," said Roscoe Dabney, Tonto Apache Tribe police officer.

Through the whole ordeal of the shooting, recovery, waiting for the trial and finally seeing Diaz convicted, the Alatriz family stayed positive and focused through martial arts.

"It (has become) more than a sport. It became our way out of domestic violence," Leticia said.

From: http://www.delmarvanow.com
(April 30, 2006):

From: http://www.indystar.com
(April 28, 2006):

From: http://www.leedstoday.net
(April 27, 2006):

From: http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?storyID=123019364
(April 24, 2006):

From: http://www.kansascity.com
(April 19, 2006):

Sharyna Miley was nervous as she tested for her second belt in karate, orange.

She went through punches, blocks and jabs. Unlike the rest of her testing class, she did not kick.

Miley, a 57-year-old Olathe resident, uses a power wheelchair due to multiple sclerosis.

From: http://www.modbee.com/local/story/12064449p-12819201c.html
(April 17, 2006):

When the great-grandmother is serious about demonstrating the move, she has only one request. "Hold my glasses."

With a flurry of limbs, a swift punch to the stomach and, true to its name, a rising knee to the groin, Kohler throws second-degree black belt David King to the mat. A final chop in the back helps him get there faster.

At 71 years old, Kohler recently earned her black belt in shou shu, a Chinese martial art.

From: http://www.azstarnet.com/allheadlines/124906
(April 17, 2006):

From: http://timesunion.com
(April 14, 2006):

From: http://www.citizen-times.com
(April 10, 2006):

With a yellow belt around his karate uniform and a trophy at his side, Maleek Gilliam isn't just a tournament winner.

He's proved that no matter where one comes from and how many obstacles he or she must tackle, any goal can become a reality.

The seventh-grader said the classes and skills have given him a confidence he lacked, especially when faced with taunting from peers.

"It's helped me motivate myself," he said. "I've learned to stretch and be more limber."

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From: http://www.courierpostonline.com
(April 9, 2006):

The martial arts tournament here Saturday morning featured the usual array of chops, kicks, jabs and twirls, punctuated by grunts and softened by ceremonial bows.

But participants in the Eighth Annual Special Needs Martial Arts Tournament put on a performance that wasn't what you'd usually see. The athletes, some with Down syndrome, autism and other conditions, sometimes needed a little help.

Sometimes the instructors performed sequences in tandem with their students, serving as memory aides. But there wasn't too much special treatment.

Danielle Schriver, 19, a student at the Gloucester County Special Services School, said that karate lets her "get my anger out if I'm having a bad day."

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From: http://www.southbendtribune.com
(April 8, 2006):

Tiny 78-year-old martial arts teacher inspires her pupils.

This wisp of a woman -- 5 feet tall and weighing a little more than 100 pounds -- can take down grown men ... and probably make them cry, too. She also is 78 years old.

She teaches a form of Japanese karate she didn't begin to learn until she was 60, while watching her grandson at karate classes. It looked like a nice form of physical exercise, she remembers.

"If I don't do this, I would be a dead old lady," she said. "Or I would sit around and drink soda and eat potato chips and complain about aches and pains. I don't want that. As long as I can, I will keep doing this (martial arts)."

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From: http://www.insidebayarea.com/ci_3683638?source=rss
(April 7, 2006):

Watching Jordan Mouton, a 16-year-old junior at Cypress Falls High School in Houston, perform judo recently at Cahill's Judo Academy in San Bruno, you would never know that she is severely visually-impaired. She was training to compete from June 28 to July 4 in the World Championship for Judo in Grommet, France.

At age 8, Mouton was found to have Rod/Cone Dystrophy, but was able to continue playing soccer until she was 12. "When I was forced to give up soccer, a sport I truly loved and was very good at, I was really devastated," she said. "One day, I'll be totally blind."

In July she met Willy Cahill, owner of Cahill's Judo Academy. Cahill, a member of the Black Belt Hall of Fame as Judo Instructor of the Year 1975, has served as coach to Stanford University, the U.S. team for Pan American Games, the World Championships and the Olympics.

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From: http://www.billingsgazette.net
(April 3, 2006):

From: http://www.htrnews.com
(April 3, 2006):

Manitowoc — Fifteen-year-old Alex Shariff doesn't swear like a sailor.

Alex looks like most teen boys: he's tall and slim, wears blue jeans and sports thick bangs that fall past his eyebrows.

He recently received his junior black belt in karate and enjoys writing poetry, music and painting.

And yes, the son of Kelly and Dr. Mansoor Shariff has Tourette syndrome, sometimes called Tourette's for short.

On top of it all, Alex also has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

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From: http://www.app.com
(March 31, 2006):

Jonathan Cetrony has Down syndrome. He also has a first-degree black belt in karate.

Like many others with disabilities, Jonathan Cetroni is a teacher of the nondisabled.

Through his actions, the 24-year-old Dover Township man with Down syndrome challenges those around him to re-examine their expectations.

"He's amazing," said Michael Rifkin, Cetroni's karate instructor for nearly eight years. "He's very determined. He'll go to any lengths to learn something."

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From: http://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk
(March 30, 2006):

A week after being told his leukaemia had returned for a second time, the determined schoolboy won the award in Taekwondo.

Matthew, 14, was in remission, but was told by doctors the cancer had returned.

He had trained hard for more than a year and was determined to achieve his belt.

Matthew, who took the exam a week before chemotherapy started, said: "I decided to do it because I wouldn't have the energy levels to do it during the treat-ment plus it would take twice as long and I would have had to work twice as hard. I was determined I wanted to get it."

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From: http://www.oregonlive.com
(March 30, 2006):

The 71-year-old overcame initial struggles in the sport in her quest to stay fit

Mija Kim doesn't like taking medications or gaining weight.

So to stay healthy, she signed up for tae kwon do. Except Kim's not your typical student tackling a board-breaking martial art. She's 71.

Most remarkable: Kim recently earned a black belt.

"Anybody can do it," says Kim, who moved from South Korea to Bethany 21/2 years ago. "I wanted to test myself, to see if it was possible. And I'm doing it."

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From: http://www.king5.com
(March 28, 2006):

Born with spina bifida, Jeremy has been competing his entire life, challenging the doctors who said he'd never walk, much less ski.

But when Jeremy was 15, doctors placed an 18-inch rod in his back to straighten out his spine.

It was at this lowest point of all that he remembered a childhood dream inspired by his favorite cartoon: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Jeremy wanted to learn karate.

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From: http://www.abqtrib.com
(March 27, 2006):

Tai chi keeps 88-year-old Rick Cramer healthy, alert and active in the community as he teaches the martial art to others

Rick Cramer has a rowing machine in his living room, a stationary bike in his kitchen and a step machine on his porch.

He may not use every piece of equipment in his daily exercise regime. What he does use every day is his body. Every morning, 20 minutes of the muscle-bending, mind-expanding Chinese martial art called tai chi.

"It's mandatory at my age to exercise," Cramer said. "I'm 88, but I'm going for 100."

If Cramer lives that long, he'll have been a tai chi practitioner for well over four decades.

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From: http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk
(March 26, 2006):

When cruel bullies attacked Maxine Ingram in a school corridor because she was blind, she had two choices - fight or flight.

Luckily for Wales, she chose to hit back.

And 12 years on, the 26-year-old is preparing for her second Paralympic trials as the only British female judo player at her level - sighted or blind.

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From: http://www.dailysentinel.com
(March 26, 2006):

"She's got a spirit that can't be broken."

That's how Richard Albright describes his daughter, Monica.

On May 7, the day before Mother's Day last year, Monica Albright and her mother were in an auto accident in which their vehicle exploded. Monica's mother died in the accident. More than 80 percent of Monica's body was burned. She lost both legs, and the fingers of her left hand had to be removed.

Less than a year later, she's walking again and has a positive outlook on her life and what the future may bring.

After seeing an article about a person getting into martial arts after losing their legs, Monica has decided that she too wants to get back into practicing her martial arts skills. She now can see that nothing can hold her back from accomplishing her dreams.

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From: http://www.redorbit.com
(March 26, 2006):

Lorraine Kovar and Yvonne Boyd look like elegant ladies who lunch, but on Tuesday and Thursday nights, they're elegant ladies who punch ... and block and kick and let out shouts that should make anyone think twice about messing with either of them.

They are the reigning karate grannies and training buddies at Kovars Karate Center in Carmichael. Kovar is 79 and Boyd is 70.

"We have so much fun," Boyd says. "I think we bring a sort of wisdom to it."

Both women were led to the padded floor by their grandchildren.

Boyd, who lives in Citrus Heights, had done her time on the sidelines watching her grandson, now 13, train.

From: http://www.steamboatpilot.com/section/frontpage_lead/story/36226
(March 25, 2006):

Amanda Tucker never thought a martial arts class would change her husband's life.

Adam Tucker, 22, was overweight and plagued by a short temper. Then he started going to J.D. Paul's free Aikido classes in the Hayden Middle School gym.

"The first night he went, when he came home, he was like, ‘I love it. I'm going to do this for the rest of my life,'" Amanda Tucker said.

Since that first class in February 2005, Adam Tucker has lost 70 pounds and found a new outlook on life. He's not the only one.

Paul, who is Hayden's parks and recreation coordinator, said the free Aikido class has had a profound effect on most of the students who attend.

From: todaysthv.com/news/news.aspx?aid=24324&storyid=25556&bw=
(March 24, 2006):

This week the dart landed in Judsonia. There we met a 9-year-old girl who some thought would never survive, but in reality, she was born to fight.

She may be little but she's loud and Mariah Brawley feels right at home on the mat.

"Well, it’s fun, plus it gets me going and it gets my legs moving and my arms moving," explains Mariah.

Mariah's friends introduced her to Taekwondo. Eventually they stopped coming but you just can't stop Mariah.

Mariah has been running, kicking and punching for more than two years now, but she's been a fighter all her life. At only 9 years old, Mariah is a first-degree black belt. Nevertheless, that's not what will amaze you about this pint-sized kicker. Mariah is legally blind.

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From: www.nwaonline.net/articles/2006/03/08/sports/03hometeam.txt
(March 8, 2006):

At first glance Sara Parson looks like the average teenager. She goes to college, hangs out with friends, spends hours on homework and kicks some serious tail in the world of competitive Judo.

But there is more to Sara than meets the eye. Though she was born without sight, she has a clear vision of her future.

Blindness hasn't stopped her from living a normal life, or from becoming one of the best martial artists around. In a truly remarkable story, Sara has overcome staggering odds to become a national jujitsu champion.

"My instructors treat me the same as any other student," said Parson. "If I don't block, I get hit, just like anyone else."

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From: http://today.reuters.co.uk
(February 10, 2006):

From a distance, it looks like a typical scene at a martial arts studio-- except all 23 students are septuagenarian grandmothers.

In Inchon, an hour's drive west of Seoul, this group of South Korean women smash plastic slabs and practice their kicks during a lesson of taekwondo, a Korean traditional martial art.

Although taekwondo is widely taught in South Korea as an after school sport for elementary kids, these grandmothers have learned to master the various routines. Most of them have been practicing for more than five years.

Almost half of these grandmas have reached black belt status, which is the highest of the martial art's 10 levels. One must pass an exam to accelerate to the next level.

These grandmothers are very serious about the sport. For one thing, taekwondo has helped them find a way to stay healthy and have fun while they're at it.

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From: http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk
(February 10, 2006):

Stephen defies medics to win title 'Doctors told him to rest and I knew that if he kicked hard his leg could snap. But he won' OUR heroes 2006

He's one of the smallest sporting heroes in the country, But martial arts star Stephen Dobbins is also one of the bravest and strongest.

The eight-year-old was born without kneecaps - but has just defied medical advice to become a British martial arts champion.

Stephen, from East Kilbride, won the British title in Tae Kwan Do for his height range last year despite the condition which has seen him undergo operations and procedures since he was a baby.

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From: http://www.whittierdailynews.com/news/ci_3466548
(February 2, 2006):

As evening turns to night, Sensei Luis Cobian looks on as children in white robes do somersaults across a series of mats inside the main meeting room of the Rio Hondo Park Community Center.

Already having worked a day shift at his machinist job, Cobian is putting in several more hours twice a week to teach about 20 children - many of them from families who cannot afford the $34 fee for Cobian's eight-week karate course - lessons in self-defense sprinkled with life lessons about self-respect and self-discipline.

"I have sacrificed a lot of things for this," said the 45-year-old instructor. "But if I don't do it, no one will."

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From: http://www.hendersonvillenews.com
(January 29, 2006):

Big accomplishments are made with many little steps. This is the case with Michael Joyce Jr., who recently received a black belt in karate. What makes this accomplishment stand out more than usual is that Joyce, 27, struggles with autism.

If you ask Joyce what brought him from beginner to the ultimate-success status of holding a black belt in karate, he sums it up in one word: "Perseverance."

"He didn't have much interest in anything before karate," says his mother, April Joyce. After that first class, Joyce begged his parents to join the other students on a regular basis. A transformation took place whenever he was on the mat during the two weekly classes -- he became a focused and motivated practitioner of martial arts.

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From: http://www.registerguard.com
(January 23, 2006):

He's only 5-foot-2, but David Leung is a master. A tai chi master. He's also a master of psychology, and combining his two passions has brought a world of good to many over the years.

"He's an incredible man, Eugene's very lucky to have him," says Shag Snyder, for seven years a student of Leung, whom he credits with helping him turn his life around by conquering substance abuse.

Leung, 56, became Eugene's first tai chi master in 1970. Thirty-six years later, he is still at it, running Leung's Kung Fu/Tai Chi Academy near the corner of West Seventh Avenue and Polk Street in Eugene. And he's been teaching psychology at Lane Community College full time for the past 20 years. With all of that, you wouldn't think he'd find time to do much else.

But he does.

"Leung has donated his time to many causes. He has worked with brain-injured patients at ShelterCare in Eugene, teaching them tai chi - the martial art known for its slow gentle exercise - to improve their balance and coordination. He has done the same for inmates at the Oregon State Penitentiary. He's worked as an intake counselor at Chrysalis, the White Bird Clinic's substance abuse program. He's donated both time and money to the HIV Alliance, Birth to Three, the United Way and food-distribution programs. He serves dinner to the homeless in the Whitaker neighborhood on Thanksgiving. And once a month, he lets "Breaking Free," a women's self-defense group, use his studio. For free.

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From: http://enterprise.southofboston.com
(January 23, 2006):

Hunching on his knees next to his crutches, Bill Pezzano, 36, ordered his 5-year-old student to punch him.

Pezzano, stricken with cerebral palsy since birth, is a karate instructor at Eclectic Karate, teaching martial arts to children with disabilities, adults with special needs, those who use wheelchairs and the blind.

His student, Colben Laroe of Hanover, who suffers from a muscle tone and texture disorder, yelled out as he planted his fist into Pezzano's outstretched palm.

Colben joined Eclectic Karate two years ago after his mother, Patricia Laroe, bought him orthopedic braces.

Patricia Laroe said Pezzano has changed her family's life.

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From: http://www.lifetimetv.com/reallife/df/success/mccasland.html
(January 22, 2006):

Rebecca McCasland grew up in Valparaiso, Indiana, part of a big, food-loving family that often went out for ice cream together.

In high school, McCasland began struggling with depression. "To comfort myself, I ate constantly," she recalls. At age 16, she also began burning herself whenever she felt really bad. "I hated everything about myself," she says.

By the time she graduated in 2000, McCasland weighed 256 pounds. The following fall, she enrolled at Indiana University in Bloomington. Within two months, McCasland finally felt ready to seek help. "I realized that the only one who was going to be able to make me happy was me," she says.

That same semester, McCasland noticed a group of students practicing the martial art of tae kwon do. McCasland signed up for the Indiana University Tae Kwon Do Club and began practicing with fervor.

By the end of the school year, she had been "promoted" twice, to the intermediate level of orange belt — and had lost a whopping 50 pounds. Elated, she went home in the spring of 2001 and located both a psychologist and a tae kwon do school in her area. She confided in her mom about her self-injury habit and finally put an end to it.

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From: http://www.thetimesonline.com
(January 15, 2006):

John-Anthony Valle has been named the March of Dimes Inspirational Youth of the Year. Finally. Valle, 15, of Calumet City had been nominated the previous two years, but didn't get it.

Valle may be a little more patient and understanding than the average person. Consider this: he has been one of the top students at Azatos Academy of Martial Arts ever since he was four years old, and is currently a third-degree kyu brown belt.

Brown belt? In this self-esteem era, it seems like every kindergarten class has at least one or two black belts in attendance.

And can't we cut John-Anthony some slack? After all, he was born with a congenital limb deficiency and relies on a prosthesis for his left hand and forearm, yet still handles the bow staff with remarkable dexterity.

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