Improve Running with Tae Kwon Do/Karate

By KENNETH A. VERCAMMEN, 2nd Degree Black Belt Having been a successful college athlete and never skipping a training day over the years, I continued entering road races and attempting to set PRs each weekend. Unfortunately, when I approached the 30 year old milestone I was tearing and injuring muscles more often than I was earning trophies. At the same time, due to increased work in my busy law office, my only daylight training time was 6:45am- 7:20am-- hardly enough to even break a sweat. Going alone to Health clubs bored me, yet I needed a change in routine to get back into great shape. A return to martial arts and discipline has helped return me to excellent condition. In December, 1991 I once again was fortunate to train under the personal guidance of Grandmaster Y. B. Choi, a world renowned expert in Tae Kwon Do (Korean Karate). Training under the right instructor is important for learning and personal improvement. Grandmaster Choi was the Korean National Champion and serves as President of the World Korean Karate Federation. The disciplined martial arts help people stay in shape and defend one's self. Martial arts have made definite inroads in our mega-dollar fitness industry. In these dangerous times it is important to learn techniques of self-defense. Classes also work on confidence, discipline, respect, and weight control. Martial arts is a generic term that applies to a number of fighting styles, nearly all of which originated in Asia. Tae Kwon Do is the most popular form in America and has now evolved into a official Olympic sport. It is Korean in origin and is widely practiced in the Korean military as their primary form of physical training. Karate is a Japanese form and the word itself means "open hand". While Tae Kwon Do students learn to punch with a closed fist, Karate students use an open hand to chop or cut like a knife. Karate and Tae Kwon Do each teach a practical side of self-defense known respectively as Ikido and Hapkido. See Crews, Marital Arts Fitness Florida Sports, November, 1994. Kung Fu is Chinese in origin and employs wide, circular motions as opposed to short quick punches and kicks. Judo, an Olympic sport of Japanese origin, is the art of close- quarter grappling and throws. It is excellent for the younger person who is considering football or wrestling. Tai Chi, a Chinese form of slow, meditative exercise, is popular among older people. My martial arts training first began in 1973 when David Carradine was first starring in the original " Kung- Fu" TV show. Then I was a small 101 pound Freshman so for nearly ten years I took classes on and off to learn fighting techniques and flexibility training. Included in my studies were classes in Ju Jitsui, which I took in 1982 while attending Rutgers Graduate School, and initial studies at Y. B. Choi's Tae Kwon Do school in New Brunswick. Part of the reason I returned to train in the martial arts was to improve my flexibility and "force" myself to do push-ups and sit-ups. I needed the discipline of a top notch instructor to tell/yell instructions. The classes provided a better work-out than aerobics. The results from Tae Kwon Do training clearly paid off. My racing times were drastically improved in 1992 and became even better in 1993 when I was again winning my competitive age group in several races. My flexibility has increased and most importantly I have had less injuries and the muscle pulls heal quicker. Tae Kwon Do now provides me and many others with a meaningful training regime to provide motivation, fitness, concentration, coordination, flexibility, confidence, and self- control. Moreover, because I deal with complicated cases and I am often on trial, pressure and stress build up. Tae Kwon Do work outs help to ease my stress level. Tae Kwon Do allows us to achieve a strong mind and strong body-- no matter what our age, sex, weight or skills. December 11, 1993 will be remembered as an important day in my life. Approximately twenty years after I first began martial arts training, I was permitted to take the Black Belt test. To even be permitted to take the Black Belt test, the student must has risen from a white belt to Yellow, Green, Blue, then Red Belt. Thereafter students must pass three separate stages of red belt which take a minimum of one year. The students thereafter undergo a nine week black belt special training course, which includes two hour long classes Saturday afternoons. While training, each sees the large motivational banner on the wall: "BLACK BELT- HARD WORK AND DEDICATION WILL GET YOU THERE". Passing the Black Belt test itself is no easy matter. Each student chosen to attend the testing must pass a rigid series of achievements. Martial art styles use forms as a method of training. The forms consist of choreographed movements which include kicks, punches, blocks, and specialized stances. The students must demonstrate their knowledge of advanced forms. In addition, each student must demonstrate to the Master judges their skill in exercising to perfection one of the lower forms. The students next must perform eight different one step sparring techniques to avoid an attacker's punch. Thereafter, each student must demonstrate ten separate hapkido techniques to immobilize or escape from an attacker who grabs them. The board breaking techniques come next. To pass the test, each student must be able to break solid wood boards with three different kicks. I chose the sliding side kick, spinning back kick and the powerful ax kick. Students must also demonstrate to the judges their expertise in selected offensive and defensive moves, exercises, and flexibility drills. The testing also requires each person to all out spar (fight) against four different higher ranking black belts without a rest. As in any test, preparation and studying are part of the key to success. Martial arts gives a student positive self-image as well as psychological benefits, both of which are gained through training. This knowledge inspires confidence, which results in a sense of achievement and success. Tae Kwon Do helps us cope with life's difficulties and teaches us how to persevere. As one instructor stated, you apply creative and positive methods of thinking not only in training but in how you respect others. You learn to expect the unexpected, and to meet it without hesitation. For the fitness buff, martial arts promises the benefits of greater flexibility, better circulation (which in later years can help ward off arthritis), improved posture and greater muscle strength. The physical exercises needed are usually those using body weight such as push-ups and sit ups. Weight lose is an immediate advantage while self-confidence, discipline and serenity are rewards for longer term study. See Crews, Marital Arts Fitness Florida Sports, November, 1994. Even with a growing family and business commitments, it is important to stay dedicated and take the time out to do things you enjoy. A strong mind and a strong body will help you in all careers and all sports. As my running career continues, I am grateful for martial arts which helped me return to a higher level of running. When terrible ice storms and snow come during the winter and create unsafe conditions, my running is drastically curtailed. Fortunately, I have been able to stay in top shape with Tae Kwon Do training. I highly recommend martial arts for runners and cross- trainers wishing for additional training. You will increase flexibility and get injured less frequently, which will permit you to improve your primary sport-- whether it is running, tennis or beach volleyball. About the Author: Kenneth A. Vercammen is an Edison, Middlesex County, New Jersey trial attorney who has published 130 articles in national and New Jersey publications on Personal Injury, Criminal and Will/ Probate topics. He has lectured on traffic and criminal law for the New Jersey State Bar Association, New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education and Middlesex County College. He often lectures for the New Jersey State Bar Association on personal injury, criminal / municipal court law and drunk driving. He has served as a Special Acting Prosecutor in seven different cities and towns in New Jersey and also successfully defended hundreds of individuals facing Municipal Court and Criminal Court charges. In his private practice, he has devoted a substantial portion of his professional time to the preparation and trial of litigated matters. He has appeared in Courts throughout New Jersey several times each week on many personal injury matters, Municipal Court trials, matrimonial hearings and contested administrative law hearings. Since 1985, his primary concentration has been on litigation matters. Mr. Vercammen gained other legal experiences as the Confidential Law Clerk to the Court of Appeals of Maryland (Supreme Court),with the Delaware County, PA District Attorney Office handling Probable Cause Hearings, Middlesex County Probation Dept as a Probation Officer, and an Executive Assistant to Scranton, PA District Magistrate.