by Daryl M. Clarke-NYC
In the spirit of World Peace and True Love the Tongil Moo Do Association under the leadership of Master Kensaku Takahashi and Master Jack Lavalley sponsored an annual Regional Tournament in the martial arts. This two-dayday competition held April 22-23, l995 in the Agora Education Center, Belvedere Estates included participants from five eastern states as well as the countries of Germany and Canada.
The Bible says, "Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it (Prov. 22:6).
Saturday, April 22 was a day the students of the children's class will never forget. Thirty youth in a very sportsman like manner took on the challenge of competition. They performed with confidence and good style the exercise called forms. Along with one-step sparring and free-sparring these enthusiastic youth, ages 7-l5 exemplified an indomitable spirit, poise, and a hopefulness that was an inspiration to all parents, relatives and friends that attended to support the future black belts of this Heavenly Art Form.
Each instructor, Master Takahashi (Belvedere), Inst. Takuya Ishiil (Barrytown), Inst. Daryl M. Clarke (Harlem) were proud and inspired by their students investment to become recipients of some of the most beautiful trophies that this writer has ever seen. May the youth press on the upward way!
More powerful than a locomotive, faster that a speeding train, more able to leap tall buildings with a single bound-well, you get the idea. Enter the college and high school students. On the second and final day of competition students from four universities, U.T.S. and various high schools in the New York area stood face to face in free- sparring team competition and individual form exercises.
The spirit was high and the competition was tough. Dr. Jhoon Ho Seuk the Grandmaster and founder of Tongil Moo Do mentioned to over 40 participantes and other spectators, that Tongil Moo Do was created solely for the task of accomplishing World Peace. Dr. Seuk emphasized that all martial art forms need to be raised up to serve the whole purpose of creating a peaceful and harmonious world.
The schools represented were Leipzig University, Germany and Canada (Instructor, Hiroshi Karita), Boston University (Inst. Shota Iwasaki), University of Maryland(Inst. Stephen Doucette), U.T.S. (Inst. Takuya Ishii), University of Bridgeport, Conn. (Inst. David Burton), New York area high schools (Master Kensaku Takahashi) and the New York Women's team (Master Jack Lavalley). Results are listed below. Dr. Seuk and Master Takahashi presented the First Place team championship trophy to the hard hitting and fast kicking German and Canadian team.
Then other teams and individuals stepped up to the front to receive their awards for meeting the challenge of competition. New York Church pastors supported the tournament as judges. Rev. Eric Holt (Westchester), Rev. Daryl M. Clarke (Man-Harlem) along with Inst. Jerry Servito and Master Jack Lavalley were inspired and enthused by each contestant. And, if you blinked you missed the lightening quick and powerful board breaking demonstration given by Inst. Stephen Doucette and his students from the University of Maryland school.
A special thanks goes to the wives and sisters of the Women's Federation for World Peace (WFWP) of Westchester for supporting the tournament by sponsoring a most delicious barbecue after the event on the backyard lawn. Naturally, it was finger licking good!
For more information on the Tongil Moo Do Association classes in your area please contact Master Kensaku Takahashi (914) 332-0627.
Results
College + High School
Group sparring:
1. Germany + Canada team
2. High School team
3. University from Boston team
4. University of Bridgeport team
Girls sparring:
1. Minori Ohsika
2. Ji Hyun Chun
3. Chung-In Yang Form: Black Belt
1. Takuya Ishij (UTS)
2. Hyung Up Go (H.S.)
3. Victor Martinez (Canada)
Form: Brown + Blue Belt
1. Kai-uwe Schulze (Germany)
2. Thomas Felsch (Germany)
3. Soren Swistek (Germany)
Form: Green + Yellow + White Belt
1. Miroslav Rybar (UTS)
2. Ji Hyun Chun (H.S.)
3. Ting-yuan Chu (U. Maryland)
Children, 8 years old:
Form 1. Teri Onoda 2. Kuna Hamad 3. Insoo Hendricks
One step sparring
1. Kuna Hamad
2. Teri Onoda
3. Insoo Hendricks
Children, 9-10 years old:
Form
1. Renko Kato
2. Ilshim Pearlman
3. Andrew Byrne
Free sparring
1. Il Shim Pearlman
2. Renko Kato
3. Joong-Sun Yoon
Children, 11-12 years old:
Form
1. Kimikami Miyake
2. Kimihira Miyake
3. Takamasa Masuda
Free sparring
1. Kimihira Miyake
2. Kevin Brabazon
3. Kimikami Miyake
Children, 13-14 years old
Form
1. Shindo Takahashi
2. Fukumasa Masuda
Free sparing
1. Shindo Takahashi
2. Fukumasa Masuda