The 2010 Korea Founding Father's Tour Commemorative T-shirts are on-sale now! See your instructor for details!  Support Team USA as they travel to the birthplace of Tang Soo Do this summer.

Georgia was well represented in the 2010 Spring Regional Tang Soo Do Invitational Tournament in Fayetteville, North Carolina April 17.

When our invitation came, I told Kwan Jang Nim David Sgro and Kyo Sa Nim Michael Fraley, the founder of the San Kil Tang Soo Do Association and host of the tournament respectively, to order extra gold medals because we intend on taking most of their gold back to Georgia with us, proclaimed Kyo Sa Nim Cindy Barrington, the owner of Family Martial Arts in Woodbine.  Their response was, “The proof is in the pudding.”  

The fifteen competitors ranged from beginner to intermediate, kid to adult. These outstanding athletes competed in the following events: individual forms, team forms, weapon forms, and point sparring.  With their combined effort, they brought home a total of fourteen GOLD medals, thirteen SILVER medals, and sixteen BRONZE medals.  The two black belt competitors earned two GOLD medals and one BRONZE.  We are thrilled to have such a great showing for our second ever tournament.  This is really a wonderful first anniversary present for Family Martial Arts.

Pictured above at floor level Left-Right: Allen Copeland, James Barrington, Johnathan Lormand, Matt Creech, Cindy Barrington
Middle Left-Right: Adam Head, Zachary Copeland, Caleb Ellis, Zach Vitale, Aly Millican, Athena Graham, Jennifer Copeland, Molley Bogart, April Copeland
Back Left-Right: Y’vonne Graham, Craig Graham, Beka Meadows, Caleb Bogart

The Tang Soo Do Master's Alliance recently hosted its 12th "Best of the Best" fighting challenge on Saturday, February 7th, 2010.  This is a Black Belt Competition without age, sex, or weight divisions; the only requirements are that competitors must be 16 or older to compete and have the permission of their instructor.  It is a double eliminations event with a single trophy awarded to the victor.  "There can be only one" is the tag line for the annual event.  This year 19 competitors entered the double elimination invitational event, and after 36 fights, Cory Lutkus of the Charland Institute of Karate was victorious.  Way to go Cory!  Tang Soo!

On January 9, 2010 a black belt exam was held at Browns Karate in Franconia, VA.  The following students were promoted:

James Henderson, 4th dan
Todd Tupper, 3rd dan
Tony Esteve, 2nd dan
Roger Webb, 1st dan

Brown's Karate was founded by Master Barry Brown who earned his first degree black belt in 1972 and subsequent belts culminating in his 8th degree in 2004. For over 25 years he taught at Roberts Karate in Springfield, VA, before the school closed at the end of 2005. He began his training in Pennsylvania in the Japanese Shotokan style, but upon moving to the DC area in the late 1960s, switched to the Korean Tang Soo Do style. His 40 years of practicing and teaching karate render him a very effective teacher.

Mike Bogdanski's Martial Arts, located in Putnam, has promoted two more students to the rank of first degree Black Belt.  Michelle Lengyel and Lynne Coutu were recently promoted by Master Bogdanski and Master Duethorn in the martial art of Tang Soo Do.

Congratulations to them both from the USGTSDA!

The Tang Soo Do Masters Alliance headquartered in Watertown, CT completed it's Fall Shim Sa (Dan Classing) on November 7, 2009.  As part of the testing all of the Dan members in attendance demonstrate hyungs and other technical aspects of the art.  A portion of the testing is closed to spectators.  The open portion occurs on the final day during their demonstration for friends and family. Congratulations to the following students who promoted as a result of their efforts during the Shim Sa.

Cho Dan (1st Degree Black Belt)
Renee Rogozinski
MaryJayne Dowie
Ann Collette
Ashley Kloss
Peter Ryan
Beatrice Paulin
Brian Wayne

Sam Dan (3rd Degree Black Belt)
Cynthia Kloss 

The weekend of September 25th was an important one for the students of Family Martial Arts in Woodbine, GA. Seven students traveled to Fayetteville, North Carolina to compete in their first US Goodwill Tang Soo Do Regional competition.  The Tournament was hosted by the Unites States Goodwill Tang Soo Do Association’s representative, Master David Sgro, founder of San Kil Tang Soo Do. Instructors Cindy Barrington, Mary Beth Crawford, and James Barrington trained their students rigorously to prepare for this tournament.  “It was very exciting preparing for my own competitions in the past, but it does not even compare to the excitement of having my students compete for the first time!” explains Mary Beth Crawford.

Novice athletes to Masters were present from several states including North Carolina, Virginia, Georgia, and Connecticut. “One of the best things about competing in a Unites States Goodwill Association tournament is the camaraderie  of all the competitors; it is more like a homecoming for Tang Soo Do,” explains Cindy Barrington.

The students competed in individual forms, team forms, sparring, self-defense, and weapons.  Aly Milican 6, earned one gold, one silver, and two bronze medals.  Adam Head, 8, earned two silver and one bronze medals.  Caleb Bogart, 8, earned three bronze medals.   Zach Vitale, 10, earned one gold, two silver, and two bronze medals.  These competitors are all students at Woodbine Elementary and were able to show their dedication as a testament to their ability and willingness to learn.  Johnathan Lormand and James Barrington represented Camden Middle School with honors. Johnathan earned three silver, and two bronze medals.  James Barrington competed in the black belt division for sparring and earned the gold.  “I really had to pull out all the stops to earn that gold, the competition was fierce, but it made the win all the more satisfying.” quotes James Barrington. Molley Bogart from Camden County Ninth Grade Academy performance was truly amazing.  Molley had only trained for a month, but she was able to bring home both the gold  and  bronze medal.
 
“It was an amazing experience to see our students compete with other kids in their first competition and see all of them come home with medals but more importantly a deeper understanding of their art. I couldn’t be any prouder of the way they competed and handled themselves as ambassadors for Family Martial Arts and the state of Georgia, “ says Cindy Barrington, head instructor.

Kristin Duethorn, 40, of Pomfret recently was promoted to fourth-degree Black Belt (a Master Instructor) in Tang-Soo Do by seventh-degree Black Belt Mike Bogdanski. Duethorn is the co-owner of Mike Bogdanski’s Martial Arts Center in Putnam, CT. Several martial arts Masters attended the graduation while Duethorn demonstrated elements of karate, Jiu Jutsu, kickboxing, board-breaking and weaponry.

Background: Duethorn has a husband, Mark, and two sons, Colin, 15, and Kyle, 13. She is a former English teacher who worked at Woodstock Academy and Hyde School of Woodstock. She has been involved in martial arts for 11 years. She was program director and lead instructor at the martial arts school before becoming co-owner.

Martial Arts Center: The school is designed to be an achievement center that teaches modern self-defense and life-skills, such as goal-setting, a commitment to attitude of constant personal improvement and the possession of an indomitable spirit. For information about the school, go to www.martialart-skills.com.

Quotable: “(Martial arts) has helped me so much with my health and confidence and learning about life and how people work. It took me by surprise. It’s not all about punching and kicking. It’s one of the most transformational experiences I can think of.”

The United States Goodwill Tang Soo Do Association became a member of of the World Dang Soo Do Union (WDU).  The WDU was was founded by Choeng Jae Nim Song Ki Kim (Dan #312), who currently resides in Song Tan, Korea. The WDU was created as organization in which member associations could keep their indepenence, yet interact and support the growth of traditional Dang (Tang) Soo Do worldwide.  The World Dang Soo Do Union is not a Federation or and Association.  As it's name implies it is a Union of Federations and Associations.  Many people are already a part of great Federation or Association, but are looking for something bigger or even just looking for roots back to Korea.  For many the WDU provides this.  The WDU is headquartered at the historic SoungTan Moo Duk Kwan Dojang in Soungtan, Korea (now a part of Pyongtaek city).  The Soungtan dojang was opened by Choeng Jae Nim in 1958 as is currently open today with head Master Kim, Yoon Ki.