THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, August 7, 1994 TAG: 9408050235
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 18 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JULIE GOODRICH, CLIPPER SPORTS EDITOR
LENGTH: Medium: 100 lines
You can see right away that it's a mismatch.
The bigger kid, the one wearing a first degree black belt, is faster, stronger, and definitely more aggressive.
The smaller kid, Matthew Hayes, is a red belt, one degree below black. He gives up about 20 pounds and a good 6 inches to his competitor.
And it doesn't help Hayes' chances any that tonight's opponent, Michael Musick, was a national taekwondo champion last year.
``C'mon Matthew, get him,'' commands Doug Grant, the kids' instructor.
``Sir.''
Musick, sensing more of a challenge, starts to bob and weave like a boxer, circling Hayes until he spots an opening. Then, like a scene out of any martial arts movie, Musick whirls around, leg extended, and lands a kick to the side of the head that sends Hayes sprawling across the floor. It's a good thing he's wearing protective gear.
``You all right?'' asks Grant calmly.
``Sir,'' replies Hayes, smiling over his shoulder.
It is not until later that Matthew Hayes, 8 years old and tougher than a lot of kids twice his age, would admit that it hurt.
``Um . . . yeah,'' he said, eyes darting from side-to-side to make sure no one overheard. ``I just had to keep going.''
Musick and six others from Grant's School of Martial Arts in Chesapeake recently returned from the 14th U.S. Junior Olympic Taekwondo Championships in Chicago, where nearly 6,000 kids participated in the largest taekwondo competition of its kind in the United States.
Hayes was the big winner with two medals - a silver in forms and a bronze in sparring.
Jason Wyman, 10, and David Armistead, 11, also took home sparring bronze medals in the red belt division.
Musick, 13, fought against third- and fourth-degree black belts and took home a 4th in forms.
``I'm happy with the way they performed,'' Grant said. Chris Ward, James Trotter and Brian Borchardt also made the Virginia State Taekwondo Team and traveled to Chicago.
``They went out there and did a remarkable job,'' Grant said.
To qualify for the Junior Olympic Championships, competitors must win on the state level, with only three from each age, weight and belt classification advancing. Competition takes place in two events: forms (a series of prescribed moves which must be executed to perfection), and sparring (full contact using head, chest and foot protection).
Grant, who has been teaching taekwondo for 12 years and instructs his students with the help of Matthew Obenaus, is a strict disciplinarian with his charges. The kids are taught the elements of fighting, but that's just the beginning.
Grant also stresses self-control, especially with the younger kids (the ages of his students range from 3 to 72), who learn how to ``sit still, pay attention, focus, respect others and help people at school and at home. We want them to be good fighters, but we think other things, including education, are more important.''
And Grant doesn't just say he stresses the importance of education, he backs it up. Students are required to keep up good grades, and have to bring in their report cards in order to go to tournaments or test for belt promotions. If their grades slip, the punishment is a demotion in belt rank.
``I'm always afraid if he drops in something (in school) that they'll take away a degree on his belt,'' said Marie Wyman, Jason's mother. ``He's been interested in this (taekwondo) since he was tiny. . . He started at 3 and just loved it. I don't think he truly understands what he's accomplished. I just don't think it's sunk in for him.''
At Grant's school, there are programs for everyone: young, old, men, women, in-shape, out-of-shape, and even the handicapped. The only thing missing is an I-can-kick-you-but-you-can't-kick-me program. During class, students are put through a variety of drills, from warm-up exercises to an innocent little move called ``break the kneecap'' that looks like it would do exactly that.
Although every command is met with an answer of ``sir'' and bows of submission are common, classes aren't totally serious. During an exercise in which students pair up for one-on-one sparring, Wyman is left without an opponent and gets intructor Waverly Detmer as a partner. Detmer dutifully lets himself be flipped time after time, and for effect, lets out an impressive shriek each time he hits the floor, much to Wyman's delight.
Although parents like the discipline and respect their kids learn from taekwondo, Grant realizes that his students might be attracted to martial arts for a different reason.
``Kids want to take it because of the (Mighty Morphin) Power Rangers and (Teenage Mutant) Ninja Turtles. They see it on TV and think it's neat. TV and movies aren't accurate, but they're what brings most people in,'' he said.
But according to Grant, why the kids become interested isn't really important because, in the end, ``everybody benefits.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photos
Michael Musick, left, and Matthew Hayes spar in a practice session
at Grant's School of Martial Arts.
David Armistead gets ready to flip Chris Ward. Both competed in the
Junior Olympics.
Photo by C. BAXTER JOHNSON
Jason Wyman, 10, took home a bronze medal.
by CNB