Dear Blue Waver's,

The Blue Wave web site has always been fun to visit. Recently, with lots of help from our new web master Ms. Sandra Pavlo, http://www.bluewavetkd.com/ is fast becoming a very important resource for members of the Blue Wave association. Below are some highlights of our web site features.

1. EVENTS: This is a list of upcoming Blue Wave, and Blue Wave supported Events such as tournaments, seminars and meetings. If applications, maps and other information is available, you can get it here.
   
   

2. NEWSLETTER: Did you miss the last newsletter? Your dojang ran out of copies before you got yours? Newsletters are converted to HTML and are posted here for you to read, and see the pictures in full color.
   
   

3. PICTURES: This section has groups of pictures from past Blue Wave events. This is one of my favorite parts of the web site; I think its serves two purposes. First, it reminds you how much fun the last event was, and second, if you didn't go, it shows you what you don't want to miss the next time!
   
   

4. GOALSHEETS: A recent and very valuable addition to the site. You can download (and print if you like) all the Blue Wave goal sheets from 10th - 1st gup. The goal sheets are in PDF format and require you have Adobe acrobat, (a free utility available at http://www.adobe.com/)
   
   

5. SERVICES: This is the newest section of the web site. We will be expanding this section as time goes, but for now, there are 2 things that can be done here.
   
   

   1. Sign up for the Blue Wave Association email announcement list. This allows us to keep a master list of email addresses that we can send official announcements to. The best part is that if you email address changes, you can simply go here, and remove your old address, and add your new one.
      
      

   2. Black Belt registration: All Blue Wave black belts are asked to register here. This will help us maintain a contact list of all blue wave black belts. Having this information in electronic format will help stream line several association functions including testing registration. Moving forward, we hope to have all of our association documentation and manuals available for download online through a secure (Blue Wave members only) portion of the site.
      
      

Do you have some ideas for things you would like to see on the web site? Please send in any thoughts, comments and suggestions you have to me at: gwhite@bluewavetkd.com

Looking forward to seeing you soon,

Master White

Folks

Welcome to the Fall issue of the Blue Wave Newsletter! We welcome the opportunity to tell you a little about the people in the Beverly Blue Wave. We opened the dojang in Beverly when I was 20 years old in May of 1979. At that time we taught primarily from the Song Moo Kwan system of Taekwondo, along with Wing Chun and Southern Preying Mantis Kung Fu.

Along with training people in taekwondo, the gym was also one of the training and testing sites for candidates wanting to join the Guardian Angels subway protection program in Boston. We had over 500 people apply, only 80 made it through the 8-week program and passed the test!

We are now in our second year at Endicott College in a brand new physical education gymnasium. The people here have been great to us. At this time I am fortunate to have absolutely the best of masters, black belts, and students that I have ever had in our dojang. They are a wonderful group of people to be taking the taekwondo journey with and as an instructor nothing gives me more joy than watching each of them improve themselves.

Finally, for the past 4 weeks (and the next 6) I have been taking an extremely advanced self-defense program. Previously this was only taught to Delta Force operatives, the Navy Seal program, the FBI Hostage Rescue team, and a few select police SWAT teams. Its based on a concept called Spontaneous Protection Enabling Accelerated Response developed by Tony Blauer. I will be teaching this to the black belts in the coming months.

When we found out it was our turn to do the newsletter, Master Anthony asked me if I had an idea of what I wanted to write about. Naturally I had no idea for a topic, so he gave me one. He said I should write about becoming a master instructor. I thought "ok this should be easy" I’ll just ask him, Master Blais and Master White what their thoughts were and write them down. Unfortunately, that was not what he had in mind. He said he wanted MY opinion of what it was like. I tried to tell him that I didn’t think I had been doing the whole "master" thing that long and that I was still getting used to the idea. I told him I thought I should do a different topic. After telling me what I thought had little to no bearing on this assignment I started my article.

I still feel that I haven’t been a master long enough to write about it. Its hard enough just referring to myself as "master" in a sentence, never mind trying to tell people what its like. When I think of master instructors the last picture that pops into my mind is myself. And I’m sure many of you feel the same way. But I’m not saying that to put myself down. Its just that when I think of master instructors I think of Master Anthony, Master Blais and Master White. I’m not even going to mention Grand Master Lee or Grand Master Twing. That’s just a whole different level altogether. Master Reed I hope you’re not offended I didn’t mention you, because I think you’re in the same boat as me. I’m even having trouble introducing myself to new students as Master Rathbun. I’ll usually just wait until one of the other black belts introduces me to them.

Probably the most awkward part was just after testing. Master Anthony has been calling me Mr. Rathbun for the past 15 years, so he would often forget my new title. I would never say anything, but he would catch himself and tell me I have to remind him to call me Master Rathbun. I would just look at him and say "your joking, right sir?" And he would say "no, you have to remind me". O.K., I’m going to tell my instructor of some 20 years he has to call me Master. Needless to say, that never happened and thankfully he fixed the problem himself.

It does have its fun moments though. Its especially fun if I’m up at the Maine dojang and I’m arguing with Miss Mahoney about something. Even if I’m dead wrong I know I can always pull rank on her and all she can say is "yes sir". Unfortunately, its not so easy with Mrs. Ramini. I don’t think it will matter what rank I am, I’ll always be a little afraid of her. So there is no pulling rank there. Besides without her and Mike I would be starving at summer camp so I have to stay on her good side. As far as being a master goes I’m trying my best. The Blue Wave association has set a pretty high standard with the masters that have come before me. I am trying to get more involved in the association and I’m working harder to try an elevate my skill level. As far as having a more serious attitude….well as Master Anthony knows all too well, that may be a lost cause.

- Master Rathbun, 5th Dan

Once upon a time in Burlington, Vt. we trained in a Church. We changed clothes in a closet. Our gym was an auditorium. We had a stage if we wanted to act out a play. There were bingo signs everywhere. We had great workouts.

It was 1989. I was going into my Senior year at St. Michael’s College. I’d discovered Taekwondo. I met Master Anthony who taught me for a few months, then suggested a gym near St. Mikes. I just wanted to learn more and couldn’t wait till after another semester. I had no money. I had lots of studies. I had a girlfriend. But I always found time for Taekwondo.

That Church was one of Master White’s early dojangs. I had no idea what I had “fallen” into, first with Master Anthony, then with Master White. And to think that I was THIS close to going to a Fred Villari’s Studio. I still cringe at that thought.

Anyway, back to the title of this article. One of my fondest memories of my early days of Taekwondo was how we’d all gather together and make a road trip to St. Johnsbury to train with the crew at St. J. Many of you won’t remember that dojang, but I’ll never forget the trips we made. We’d have a caravan of cars winding through the back roads of Vermont over an hour East to the sticks of St. Johnsbury. Well, the "sticks" is sort of relative, but being from Beverly, most places in Vermont were the sticks. Most places in Maine and New Hampshire too...

We’d load out of the cars all excited and ready to train for a good 2 hours. Pumped for some good drills, poomse, and sparring. Always sparring. I guess it was the variety plus the travel, plus the nice people, plus the intensity that made it all worthwhile. We’d train hard, sew up our injuries (mostly loss of skin to the bottom of the foot...or instep swelling from the rare and exotic jump 360 spinning flying twirling elbow kick), and head out for some pizza and root beer.

The trip home was filled with a mix of good stories from sparring sessions and whining from sore muscles or minor injuries. It was mostly Master White who was doing the whining. He made us gup ranks drive, as was his privilege and right. I can remember such stout souls as Mr. Warren and Mr. Edquid always being banged up but never saying a word or uttering a moan of pain. True warriors, ready to travel another day to a gym far far away, to boldy go where plenty of others had already been, to seek out new sparring partners so they may better themselves, and to have the wisdom not to cry about their injuries.

Ah, I miss the days of Gym Travel. It is fast becoming a forgotten art. It is with this article that I urge you all to coordinate frequent trips to other gyms. Try a bunch. I’m sure the instructors would love to have visitors from another planet…er…gym to train with. Make it a monthly occurrence. Why not? What have you got to lose? Give it a try. We really enjoyed our trips to St. J. I miss them very much.

- Mr. Joseph Anastasi, 4th Dan

Lessons Learned

In the ten years that I've trained at the Beverly dojang, our class schedule has essentially never changed: training Mondays and Wednesdays for a little more than an hour and half each night. There have certainly been times when I was glad to have the five days between Wednesday and Monday to recover from Master Anthony's workouts, but for the most part I felt that training twice a week was not enough for me. When I started I was in my twenties, had no serious obligations aside from my job, and had plenty of time to devote to taekwondo. Now I find myself happy when I can train even once in a given week.

About a year ago I made the decision to return to graduate school, entering a program I expect to last at least four years. I'm not sure what I was thinking at the time, but what's done is done. I told Master Anthony that I'd still be in class twice a week, training as hard as ever. Although he said nothing at the time, I think he knew better: when I got my first semester's class schedule and found my classes met, of all times, Monday and Wednesday evenings, he was not a bit surprised. Nor was he surprised the next two semesters when I also found myself with school obligations on Mondays and Wednesdays. My chances to train were quickly becoming restricted to holidays and summers.

I'm extremely grateful to Master Anthony for never once making me feel guilty for missing training. On the contrary, he has continually assured me that education must come first. (However, he did insist that I write this essay. I guess the line has to be drawn somewhere.) In light of that, I've had to accept a reduced training schedule for awhile, but I make it to class as often as I possibly can. Our dojang has plenty of examples of dedication for me to draw from, but in particular, I've watched Master Anthony arrive at class countless times over the years straight off a plane from Hong Kong or a five hour drive from New York. Sometimes I get the feeling that the only reason he visits New England at all is to show us some exhausting new drill or painful self-defense move he learned on his travels. How can I complain about a busy schedule in the face of that?

Okay, after three paragraphs I find that this article still doesn’t have a point to it, so I suppose I’ll have to make one up. “A few lessons learned” is always a good one, since everyone who trains long enough will encounter some obligation, be it education, family or employment, that reduces the time they can devote to taekwondo. First, I’ve found that attending an occasional taekwondo class is better than attending none at all: physical, mental, and emotional well-being are all interconnected, and when any one of those aspects is neglected, the other two suffer as well. Second, if you find your skills plateauing or declining temporarily from lack of training or any other reason, remember the tenet of perseverence. Keep working through it, and you’ll soon find yourself improving again. Third and finally, train and exercise as often as possible outside of class and hopefully you won’t have to worry about lesson two!

- Mr. Brian Anton, 2nd Dan

For those of you who don’t already know, Mr. John Kwiatek of the Beverly Dojung was married recently on August 10, 2002, to his girlfriend (now wife) Melissa Kwiatek. The wedding was fantastic! It began with a beautiful ceremony in the rose garden of Lynch Park, in Beverly, MA which over looks the ocean. Johnny’s father, John Kwiatek Sr. conducted the ceremony for the newlyweds. The reception occurred in the couple’s home, also in Beverly. The neighborhood was sectioned off for a block party, we went through the traditional wedding customs, then us groomsmen jumped in the pool with our tuxedos on and the fun began. We ate food catered by Bertucci’s Restaurant, drank free beer and wine, danced in the street, and partied all night. Overall it was a blast!

As a tribute to my good friends John and Melissa Kwiatek for a wonderful time, I would like to take this time to share my best man speech with Blue Wave, in memory of their special day together. It, more or less sounded something like this:

Hello ladies and gentleman... My name is Jonathan Scoglio and I have been given the honor of being the best man today. I would first like to thank you all for coming to celebrate this happy occasion with the newly weds John and Melissa Kwiatek! Let’s all give them a round of applause.

Before I tell an embarrassing speech regarding Johnny, there are some thanks in order. On behalf of the bridesmaids and groomsmen, I would like to thank John and Melissa for their wonderful wedding gifts to us. Thank you. And speaking of Brides maids I would like to mention how beautiful you all look today.

Most of all I would like to thank the parents of the Bride Ken and Nancy Hedquist, and the parents of the groom, John and Diane Kwiatek and Claudette and Albert Paradis for their contributions that made this day possible.

I would like to give special thanks Mr. John Kwiatek for marrying my two close friends today. You did an excellent job.

Well on to my story about Johnny. I was thinking really hard about an embarrassing story to tell and as you all can imagine, I had a lot of stories to choose from. But instead I've decided to tell you all about how Johnny and I first met.

We met Sophomore year in high school. We were both taking a history class together and really did say much to each other all semester. I was not doing so well class, in fact I was failing and needed to get an A on my final exam to pass the course. So I studied really hard and I was pretty sure I did well on the final. Any way a few weeks later when, I got my report card I was amazed to see I had gotten a B - in history, which of course was impossible. Obviously I was excited for the mistake in my favor.

So I’m walking down the hallway at school and I bumped into Johnny who was talking to another student. I overheard him tell the other kid that he got a D – minus in history and how the teacher made a terrible mistake. So I thought "Oh no" the teacher must have switched our grades by accident. We are both "John’s" after all.

So I waited until I could catch Johnny alone and I talked to him about our grades. I told him that our teacher must have switched our grades by accident, giving me the B - and him the D -. So I asked him if he could not mention this to the teacher and only to tell the teacher that he calculated Johnny’s grade wrong. Johnny did just that and I kept by B -. You saved me Johnny!

So a few years passed, we started hanging out together and by senior year we became best friends. I picked this story mostly because it tells a lot about Johnny. I know some of you are thinking that he’s a con-artist or something…no. I mean that he is the type of guy, right or wrong, that he will always make sure that his family and friends are taken care of first.

Overall, Johnny I want you to know that I have appreciated your friendship greatly over the years, I thank you for asking me to be your best man today and I will always think of you as a brother.

I wish you and Melissa the best of luck in your new union together. Melissa your are a very pretty bride, but even more than that you are truly a beautiful person. You are both perfect for each other as you are kind, generous and loving people that each of us here today are lucky to know.

If all of you could raise your glasses: To John and Melissa: May your love be modern enough to survive the times and old-fashioned enough to last forever! Cheers!

- Mr. Jonathan Scoglio, 2nd Dan

We have all heard the question how many licks does it take to get to the center of a tootsie pop? Well how about this one: How many kicks does it take to get the center of your hamstring to pop? The answer to this question varies from person to person. It could be from one to thousands. The main determining factor to avoiding this unpleasant injury is Flexibility. Every individual has his or her own level of flexibility that they are born with. The muscles, tendons and ligaments within a person have a certain elasticity that allows them to stretch within a certain range. Some people have the ability to be more flexible than others, without ever needing to work at stretching, although it is always a good idea. Also with age, a person often becomes less flexible because the body has a tendency to stop generating some lubricants that allow for more elasticity in the tissues. With regular stretching and exercise, anyone can improve their physical and mental health, and further reduce the risk of any injury, including a hamstring tear.

Stretching can be done before, during and after any exercise or workout routine. The best time to stretch is when your muscles are warmed up. Sometimes this may require some aerobic activity like jogging or jumping jacks to get the blood flowing to the muscles in your limbs. Here are a couple of good stretches that will help you to gain more flexibility in your hamstrings:

Seated Hamstring Stretch

• Sit on the ground with both legs straight out in front of you.
• Bend the left leg and place the sole of the left foot alongside the knee of the right leg.
• Allow the left leg to lie relaxed on the ground.
• Bend forward keeping the back straight.
• You will feel the stretch in the hamstring of the right leg (Do not push yourself past the point of discomfort).
• Repeat with the other leg.

Standing Hamstring Stretch

• Start in the standing position and then take a short step forward with the leg to be stretched.
• Place both hands on the forward knee, both knees are bent slightly, and the pelvis is tilted forward.
• Now bend forward at the hip until the hamstring muscle tightens.
• The stretch is accentuated further by slightly extending the forward knee. (Notice that this stretch isolates the hamstrings and you feel the center and upper part of the hamstring receive a better stretch).
• Hold the stretch for 30 seconds, then switch your leg positions, and repeat each side to your desired level of flexibility.

To Sum up, the importance of including stretching in any exercise routine, especially Tae Kwon Do, cannot be over emphasized. The hamstring muscles behind the leg are the most often used and abused muscles in the leg by most of the kicks in TKD. Stretching your hamstrings before and after kicking exercises is guaranteed to help you prevent the uncomfortable injury of tearing or popping your hamstring muscle.

- Mr. John Kwiatek, 2nd Dan

First, I must begin by telling you that this topic was suggested to me by Master Rathbun. For many weeks I knew I had to write about something although couldn’t come up with anything interesting. I kept trying to think of something that everyone would enjoy reading. Also I want to say I do not speak for all women. These are my experiences and what I have observed from friends and family and others. Everyone’s experiences are not the same and each pregnancy is different.

Some of you may know my situation, but for those of you who don’t, here’s a little background: My husband Gary and I have a 19-month old son, Kyle, and we are expecting our second child in March. Kyle was born five weeks premature, due to my high blood pressure. Due to that and another condition that popped up this time, I will most likely deliver early again, probably in February. At least I hope I make it until then.

There is a lot about pregnancy that some of you may not realize. Of course, those of you who have been through it fully understand. Your body is going through so many changes and emotionally you are on a roller coaster ride a lot of the time. Many women don’t admit how difficult it can be and that it only gets more stressful once the baby is born. Don’t get me wrong, having a baby is wonderful and a lot of those experiences are too, but you don’t feel wonderful a lot of the time. And after having a baby, your body is not the same. Some of you may be lucky enough to finally fit into all your old clothes but they won’t ever fit the same. Your body has changed. And it takes a while to get the energy back that you use to have. You need to work at everything more than you did before. My first pregnancy went well, even though it was a high-risk pregnancy due to my high blood pressure. I had to go on bed rest a few weeks before delivering at 35 weeks. I was able to participate in regular TaeKwonDo classes and attend some quarterly meetings. I was so glad to be able to participate in class and be active. I assumed this would be the case in every pregnancy. This pregnancy, however, has not gone as smooth. I am 15 weeks and unfortunately I cannot workout due to a condition I have that acts up with just a little activity. Going through the general day is pretty much all I can handle right now.

A couple months after having Kyle I was able to get out and attend some classes. Since then I try to make as many classes as possible. Some nights I just can’t get there. Sometimes my husband works late and to attend class I need someone to come over and watch Kyle. It’s just not as easy doing everything you need to do once you have a baby. Many adjustments need to be made and things change with family, friends and your husband. It used to be so easy getting out with friends for lunch or dinner but now everyone needs to see if their husband can be home from work in time or even if they will commit to watching the kids when they are home. It is funny how a lot of husbands seem to make very little changes to their lives after the baby is born. I am not saying all husbands do this, but I think those that do outweigh the others. I do see this a lot and realize how lucky I am to have such a great husband and thank God this is not the case with him. Those of you, who really know me, know I would never put up with it anyway. I have to say, although my husband Gary may not be the perfect cleaner or the most organized person, he is as close to perfect as you can get to the perfect father. His priority other than work is always Kyle and helping me out, then golf of course! Life is not always wonderful and there are stressful days and nights but it’s nice to have a true partnership when it comes to children and family. I know once the second baby is born it will only get a little harder. But how boring would life be if it always stayed the same? It’s those challenges that make us grow.

Those of you who are thinking about getting pregnant, I hope I didn’t scare you away. It is wonderful and I can’t imagine life without Kyle now. Just realize many things will change at home, at work, and even at TaeKwondo. Be prepared that you can’t do everything everyday and know you will have to make many adjustments to every aspect of your life. Even though I cannot workout and attend class right now, I know once I can I will be there. After the baby is born I will do my best to be there as much as I can. Since becoming a parent I realize you can love your children more than anything and will do anything for your children although that doesn’t mean they should become your entire life. You need to have other things in your life that are all yours, things that have nothing to do with your children, things that you enjoy. I always knew this, although I come across many mothers that do nothing else but take care of their children. I am not saying your children should not come first, because they always should, but you should be allowed to continue doing some of the things that you enjoy after having children. Remember they will grow up and have their own lives one day. Juggling your time and not putting too much on your plate is key, also getting help from others, especially your husband. TaeKwonDo is one of those things for me and I wouldn’t give it up for anyone!

As most of you know Master Anthony is an exceptional person. He was great about me being pregnant. He never pushes me to do too much and he always makes sure that I am OK. He fully understands my absences from class and he knows I will be there when I can and that he can count on me to be there when required. Master Rathbun on the other hand always gives me a hard time, although I know he understands too. Especially now since he’s been working on my basement and knows what my day is like. The most difficult "child" in our family is actually our 3-year old chocolate lab who still is quite hyper. More doggy school would certainly help. No time for that child right now!

Lastly I was planning on testing for second Dan this coming Winter Camp. I was looking forward to testing with a few other fellow classmates and knew it was time. Although I will most likely just had the baby days before (maybe weeks before if I go real early) and unfortunately I won’t be able to test. Again I will have to put this off for another year. In preparing to test, first I cannot be pregnant, or just of had a baby and need to participate in class each week and attend quarterly meetings. Having a baby pushes this off for a while. Realize any advancement in TaeKwonDo will most likely be put on hold for a while when you decide to have a baby. Once I get back I will need to train hard and hope there’s enough time to get ready before the third pregnancy (if, of course, there is one!!) I hope everyone can relate to some parts of this story and those of you mothers-to-be out there maybe even learned something new.

- Mrs. Shannon Trask, 1st Dan

I have been studying Tae Kwon Do with Master Anthony for over Fifteen years and one of my favorite things about it has always been sparring. I was fortunate enough to go to the Junior Olympics in 1998. In order to qualify for them, however, I needed to place in the Massachusetts state championship. I went with my father, no one from the Beverly gym could make it that day but I bumped into Master White. He said that he could coach me I ended up loosing that day coming in second that day, interestingly enough the young man that beat me told me the same thing that my instructors had been telling me, that I was using my front leg too much. At the quarterly testing that followed this tournament Master White gave me a list of exercises and an outline for my training.

My family drove to Florida and we spent a week visiting relatives and going to sea world and Busch gardens, and not a lot of time training for the tournament. The day came and I woke up very early and very nervous. My dad took me to the convention center early for sign in and after waiting for several hours he left to go get the rest of the family. My uncle had made tee-shirts for everyone with "team schild" written on the back. Whatever the mix up had been my birthday came at too early a date for me to be in the official Junior Olympics so six contestants (including me) were separated into a different division and we were competing to fight in Australia in some type of Junior Olympic program or tournament. Whatever it had been my family and I waited all day for me to fight. I was in the waiting room all day and then my fight finally came. I ended up losing in the first round. I was so mad I punched and dented my locker. I was so upset about losing that I lost my motivation to train, and I foolishly entered into another tournament completely out of shape, in the third round I got knocked flat by a good spin-hook kick. When I came to I was sitting against a wall and Master White was there talking to my father, once again I was very angry and started to punch the wall, Master White told me the young man that I fought was very good and that he trained everyday, he also told me not to get made because he said he had been hit plenty of times.

There are lots of times when we get knocked down, especially in TaeKwonDo, the important thing is that we get back up (sorry for the cliché). In my TaeKwonDo career there have been good times and bad, but the bad were not the times I was knocked down and defeated. They were the times I got knocked down and let it get to me, and gave up. It was then that I could have learned a lot, but instead I got down on myself. Of the many things that I have learned in recent years one of the most valuable is that to get something that you want you have to work for it and go after it, consistently. I have many new goals for myself this upcoming year and I fully intend on working hard to achieve them, and this time I wont give up.

- Mr. Will Schild, 1st Dan

This is my black belt essay for my testing here in the United States of America in the summer camp 2002. Please let me introduce my self. My name is Nick Kränsel, I´m 23 years old exchange student from Germany. In August 2001 I left my home country to come to the USA to study for one year. Right now I finished my time at Harvard University and I have time to train for my black belt. In Germany I started to study if I was 6 and 1\2 years old with Judo, what I am still doing. I always was in love with the martial art what I saw what other friends were doing. So my sister and I decided to start Judo together. We had fun and rank all the way to the green belt together. But my sister had other hobbies and she left Judo. After a few years I thought it is good, but I want to do more. This is why I started to look out for another art. I took a Karate lesson but I was not happy at this Dojo, so a friend of my told me that there was a Tae Kwon Do too in our city. My first time there was so great that I decided to too, that was the 11\1\1991. From this time I did both Judo and Tae Kwon Do. I had a very nice was giving their best, but don't break them self. I had fun and I ranked all the way up to the blue belt after I thought that I would like to do some new art.

My new art what I was studding was Aikido. So right now I am doing Judo (brown belt) , Tae Kwon Do (red\black)and Aikido (blue belt). After I got my red belt in Germany i started to help out in the Dojang. My Instructor was quite happy with that , that they gave me my own class. I had beginner adults and beginner kids, and later I got the higher rank kids and adults. I’m teaching all of them, but my favorites are my "high rank kids group. " In the beginning it was strange for me. Because now everybody is looking up to you and asks you all the questions. I got soon a good feeling and I was not that nervous anymore. My kids and I become a really good relation\friendship, which makes it much easier to workout with them.

We also do a lot of free time activities together, if we are not training. I took them swimming, camping and other fun stuff, because it is for me more a Family since I’m only the Trainer for them. In the following years I got my red\black belt and later I was training for my black belt testing. But I was still teaching until summer of 2001. I took my testing for my black belt what we have to do twice. My finally testing what I had to take would come up in September, but in August I got my paper’s back which says that I got a place here in The USA for one year to study.

I choose to leave the country to go to the USA. My kids are still a kind of disappointed that they had to have another red\black belt for one year. They told me that they want to stop training if I’m leafing. But finally they let me go after I promised them to come back and be their trainer again. I´m still in touch with them, and they can’t wait that I’m coming back.

After I arrived here I had no time to watch out for a Tae Kwon Do Studio, because the College was important and a lot of work. A friend of mine who was doing Kempo asked me if I want to come with him to a workout in his Studio. I thought it is better than nothing. So I started to come with him to the Studio, and I have to say that I like it allot. I learned some very different new stuff what we normally not doing in Tae Kwon Do. It is nice to find new ideas for self-defense, warm-up, sparing and workout. I enjoyed it very much and I think it was a very good practice training for my black belt testing. We went together to open Tournaments and I saw very different stuff what we don’t have in Germany.

Guys which did free style forms with flips and a lot of show stuff. I liked the Tournaments a lot and I was competing there in Open hand forms, Weapon forms, and Sparing( fight). I got a good score and I won a couple trophies, so I choose to go as much as I can to this Tournaments. In the fall a friend of my, "we both workout together at the YMCA in Ipswich" told me that his sister is taking Tae Kwon Do classes in Beverly. He brought me a brochure from Blue Wave Tae Kwon Do and told me that his sister is very happy there.

There were two numbers, one of Mr. Soglio and the other of Mr. Haradaen. I called Mr. Haradaen first and he was very friendly. He answered my questions and than he told me that right now he is not working out there. Mr. David Haradaen said that I have to call Mr. Scoglio and he will help me out. I called Mr. Scoglio which was a very friendly guy too. We spoke a lot on the phone and he was answering my questions. He invited me to come to the Winter camp testing down in Maine.

I drove down there and I met Mr. Scoglio the first time. He introduced me to Master Anthony and all the other guys from the Blue Wave Gym. That night I watched the testing and after that I had a little time to stay and talk to Mr. Scoglio and all the other guys. I showed Master Anthony and Mr. Scoglio my passport from my Tae Kwon Do in Germany to proof that I still have the recommended black belt. Master Anthony and Mr. Scoglio invited me to come to their class\gym when I have time after Harvard.

In the spring (middle of May) I started to train with Master Anthony’s class. It is a very nice atmosphere over there in the gym, and everyone is very friendly. Since I started to train, Master Anthony told me that I have to pass first another testing which is physical. It is running, pushups and situps. Sparring, poomse, Self-Defense and board breaking. Since that time I practice running pushups and situps. Also I’m going 5-6 times a week the martial art workout and the normal gym.

The biggest difference from my gym in Germany or from the Kempo to Blue Wave Tae kwon do is that we don’t have the military-style. What I mean with this is that we don’t have to call our Instructors with yes Sir or Maam. We call our Instructors by the first name, like a normal buddy. We also don’t have the Flag’s in the gym only if we have a testing. Another new thing for me was that the people here have a student creed, or the National flag on the right arm of the Dobak. We have school patches but it is not that we have to wear them.

There is a lot of things who are brand new for me. The system is almost the same what we have in Germany. We have the Poomse, sparring one step sparring, board breaking (first time you have to do that is for the blue belt) and other stuff. We have no Kibons, we have what we call basics, which look very similar to the kibons from Blue Wave. but they are still different, and we also have only four what we call basics. So that’s very new for me, also that we have free one step sparing not like here from 1-10. Another thing is that we can choose our Self- Defense for the testing by our self. We learn different ways to get out of a sleeper hold or from an arm grab. So we learn like 5 different ways but don’t have to use them, if we learn in a different martial art another one. as long you know how to get out of the situation that’s fine.

About the theory for a belt testing we don’t have to know too much. It is very small knowledge, counting to ten in Korean , a couple name’s of kicks that’s it. Also Master Anthony told me that my Poomse is like old style, they changed it ten years ago. Which is very hard for me get it in my mind, because that was the way I learned and taught. I think that are the biggest difference between my TKD and the TKD of Blue Wave. About the army style, well we in Germany have to go for one year to the Army or do alternative work which I choose. Because I grew up in a very open mind Family. My parents are "Ex-Hippies" and my older sister, me and my younger brother could do what we thought it is right. I mean my parents still watched out for us, but if we want to have long hair or color hair that was fine with them. As long as we stay to our mind. I only say that, because this "Yes Sir and that we have to wear the patch with the Korean and US-Flag is very new for me."

My drive here or I think in my whole life is, to reach what I want by my self. In Germany I had no support from my Instructor to get my recommended black belt done. This is why I really want to pass my testing here, to come back to Germany as a real black belt. But not only this, my y drive is to give what I learned to my kids and buddy’s in my Dojang. Special to my kids, because I really want to keep them away from the street that they don’t get in trouble. It’s very important for me that they do well. They are more a kind of a Family for me as only someone’s kids and I’m the trainer. I hope that I can go through the testing and pass it , and come back as their new black belt. Right now I’m still trying to practice as much as I can for the testing.

Martial art is for me a very important part of my life and I hope that I can give what I learned here to all my friends. My last reason is that maybe my younger brother is proud of me and that he will come back to the Dojang. I hope so! That was my essay about my history in martial arts.

- Mr. Nick Kransel, 1st Dan

Today I am a blue stripe, a year and eight months ago I was a white belt. It all started when Mr. Anastasi sent out an email at our company announcing he would be teaching Taekwondo. When I got the email I was pretty excited because I always wanted to get into Taekwondo but never followed through with my interest. I replied right away and since that point have been attending faithfully.

In the beginning I was hesitant. Breaking wood, sparring and testing were my fears. Now doing these things are a challenge and I look forward to them all. I enjoy kicking and learning new poomse. Applying everything we do in class into a poomse is a fun experience. Every time I learn a new one I feel like I am one step closer to black belt. I was able to meet Master Lee several times as well as other great instructors. I attended my first summer camp this year and that was an experience in itself and I must say the tape on my nose stayed on!

Over all, my year and eight months has been great, from learning the art of Taekwondo to meeting new friends.

Having grown up with such childhood influences as the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and the Power Rangers it is no doubt that I have found my way to a martial art. When I was in first grade I was a member of the Eye of the Tiger dojo in Marblehead; since then it has moved to Swampscott. Having reached yellow belt I found that I did not have the discipline to continue my training at that point. I also felt that that gym was not the right place for me so I took my leave from the world of martial arts a bit discouraged.

After many long years, it was the summer of 2001 and I had just finished freshman year in high school. I had joined a local health club to improve my physique and physical condition. To keep in shape I had been stretching and doing sit-ups and push-ups at home but soon found that I could do even more in a gym with equipment and more space. One day I noticed a pamphlet advertising Tae Kwon Do. I had heard of it but I knew little about it. Never jumping into anything would a good idea of what I am getting myself into, I read the pamphlet cover to cover and assessed my options.

Tae Kwon Do was too appealing. To have the opportunity to complete what training I had cut short when I was young was impossible to pass up again. I knew as time melted away my youth, anything as physical as a martial arts would become only more difficult and stressful to learn and keep up with. I had done theater for many years (acting, singing, etc.) and I figured that Tae Kwon Do could also only help in those areas with practice in balance, speed and flexibility. Additionally, I have a passion for writing, directing and acting on film so having knowledge of fighting and another perspective on life is very useful as well.

I feel it almost unnecessary to mention the most important part of Tae Kwon Do which is a given. The mental strength, confidence and self control is above all invaluable. Over any fighting technique I could learn, the most useful and important part of Tae Kwon Do, I feel, is the philosophy and mental state. A wise man once said, "If you are ever forced to fight, you are already losing."

So in the summer of 2001 I began my training. What I had learned in first grade, most of it, had stuck with me and learning the basics was not as difficult as I had feared it would be. The real challenge, I came to learn, was participating, as am upper rank in class. Still, no matter how difficult things were, it was always satisfying to know that I could at least give it my best, practice, and then come in and give it my best all over. I must admit, one of the most difficult challenges of class is not having anyone to practice with on non-class days. There is only so much you can improve upon on your own without someone there to work with you. Unfortunately, I know few friends who would put forward the resolve to commit to Tae Kwon Do so I do solo training as often as I can.

I hope to reach the level of black belt before I go off to college and have to establish myself in a new gym wherever I end up. It will be difficult to establish myself in a new place but by the time I reach black belt I feel that I should be well enough prepared physically and, just as importantly, mentally for the challenges that would lie ahead. I realize that to attain a black belt from a green belt in two years time might seem like an arduous task but I feel that with much hard work and personal training I should be able to reach my goal. Should my efforts not be enough to take me all the way to my goal, I would still leave for college knowing I had upheld the teachings (perseverance, integrity and indomitable spirit among others) that I had learned in the art I love.

- Joshua N. Burlingham

I always had a desire to try a martial art. I had enjoyed wrestling in high school and missed the physical and mental challenge. Time pasted, decades in fact, and I still had not gotten motivated to join a class. Finally the opportunity came to me at my place of employment! Mr. Anastasi decided to start a class filled mainly with employees. There were no more excuses...I knew the instructor, most of the students and it was right down stairs from my office. So there I was a 35 year old white belt with out a clue...

My experience has been very positive. The Black belts in class are very knowledgeable and are very willing to share their knowledge and skill...(especially their sparring skills!). Over the past 2 years I have developed a confidence and focus that I had not previously had. I am in better shape physically but more importantly I have developed the ability to focus more deeply at the task at hand. I attribute this directly to Tae Kwon Do. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy a working up a good sweat just as much as the next person but what I really enjoy is the mental aspect of Tea Kwon Do. Focusing on a move to accomplish a goal. Now that our opportunity to spar is increasing, I really enjoy the mental chess match you play with your opponent...thinking, anticipating, adapting.

My expectations of what a martial art is have been met thus far. Unfortunately due to my job I don't get to class as often as I would like but I will keep plugging away and will do the best I can.

- Randall Esber, Green Belt

About three weeks ago I returned to the study of Master Anthony's Dojang at Endicott college in Beverly, MA with my youngest daughter Jenny. Ostensibly I was accompanying her so she could begin her study and had someone to go with. In reality it was to finish a project I had started many years ago.

The first thing I noticed was the improvement in techniques from those I had previously studied. Put simply the instructors were generating more power, speed and accuracy with their kicks than I had seen years ago. Stretching techniques had vastly improved. The cardio workout was difficult but not impossible for an older adult in good condition. The instructors were encouraging and helpful with their criticisms. It was good to be back.

Some personal changes I have noticed in the last few weeks are increased flexibility and power. An increase in focus on any task and a greater ability to handle stressful situations whatever they may be.

Since I had started with my daughter Jenny I was very interested in what she would get from her study. Perhaps the most important is that she came to a quick realization that it was going to take a lot of effort on her part for her to advance despite her athletic ability. She has also noticed that she addresses her high school teacher's as” sir or madam”, and has more respect for her coaches who have remarked on her improved attitude.

Since we are studying together it has also created common interest and new conversations. That alone makes it all worthwhile.

- Michael Doane

Hi, my name is Mary Callahan and I'm a green belt. I first started taking tae kwon do in January 2001. I was first interested in class as a way to learn self defense. I was so shy that I was afraid to kick and punch in front of people, but Mr. Anastasi convinced me to come to class and I'm not quite as shy now. When I first started tae kwon do I liked basics and kicking the paddles best, but I've come to like practicing forms more than before and I like sparring too. Also, Summer camp was lots of fun. Ms. Mahoney persuaded me to participate in sparring matches even though I was hesitant. I'm glad that she did because the girls were welcoming and it was a good learning experience.

I feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to participate in special training with Grand Master Lee, as well as Ms. Mahoney and the teachers from Maine. We recently had training with Miss Ramini and she taught us some new sparring techniques.

I'm looking forward to meeting new people at Winter Camp and Grand Master Lee's next visit.

- Mary Callahan

One of my favorite parts of taekwondo is warm-ups. I like kicking paddles and doing techniques up and down the floor. I love paddleball!

One of the things I don’t like is basics. I don’t like to do techniques one by one.

After class I like getting an ice cream cone with my dad.

- Meghan Anthony

Hi everyone,

While browsing the Internet I came across the following Martial Arts philosophy, which I found remarkable and would like to share with you:

The king of the Zhou kingdom (770 BC - 221 AD) ordered a sword contest. A young woman by the name of Yuh Niuy emerged from three thousand swordsmen as the ultimate victor in a seven-day contest. Her sword methods and philosophies were passed down for a thousand years.

Some of her writings expound timeless Wushu philosophies. For example:

• When fencing, though highly alert,
• The appearance is as calm as a fair lady's
• But when in action, a vicious Tiger emerges.

Another one:

• Weak and exposed in appearance;
• But powerful when unleashed.
• One's reactions may start afterwards,
• But the response arrives there first.

Following article was submitted by Milly Rhoades and appeared in the "Valley News" September 19th, 2002, the daily local newspaper for the tri-state area of N.H. & Vt. This tournament was sponsored by Master Turgeon.

TOLLAND, CONN

Daniel Perrinez of Hanover won two gold medals in his age group while Robbie Hathorn of Hanover and Brody Guerrin of Bradford, Vt. struck gold and bronze at the Connecticut Chung do kwon Classic on Sept. 7.

Competing in the yellow belt division, Perrinez, a student of the Lebanon Blue Wave dojang school, won the sparring event and the forms event, while teammate Tim Alvarenga of Hanover came in second in yellow belt sparring and third in forms. Hathorn won the white belt sparring event and placed third in forms.

Guerrin, a student of Bradford Blue Wave dojang, won the sparring competition in his age group and placed third in forms.

Among other members of the Lebanon Blue Wave school, Matthew Crumbine earned a silver medal for placing second in sparring for white belt competitors, and added a bronze for third place in forms.

The Blue Wave Black Belt testing was held at summer camp in Tunbridge. A comment heard was, " I think "Board Breaking" just stepped up a Notch!" It was a very impressive testing with all of the following eighteen (18) students moving up a rank with their testing. "CONGRATULATIONS EVERYONE" from the rest of your Blue Wave family.