InBrief 5 May 2011
85-year-old man earns Taekwondo black belt
David Anderson
About 40 hours of practicing punches and kicks, movements and memorizing the tenets of Tae Kwon Do paid off for Bill Vandivere on Saturday as the 85-year-old Kinston resident earned his black belt.
"It's great," he said of passing the test. "I'm pleased as punch."
Vandivere has about 40 years on the next-oldest student or instructor at King Tiger Tae Kwon Do of Kinston, where he and his wife Alice — also 85 — have studied the Korean martial art for about six years.
"I'm almost six times as old as they are and yet we stick together and support each other," Vandivere said of his classmates.
Most students at King Tiger are children between the ages of 5 and 13, or adults age 18 and up, Master Thomas Alphin said. Alphin has been a Tae Kwon Do instructor for more than 20 years, and has competed internationally. He led Vandivere and four of his fellow students through their black belt tests on Saturday. Students had to demonstrate various poomsaes, or forms that were a rhythmic combination of blocks, punches and kicks, break boards, and demonstrate their knowledge of Tae Kwon Do terms.
Alphin told the younger students he considers Vandivere "one of the most dedicated students in martial arts today," because of his work ethic. "Even though Mr. Vandivere makes mistakes sometimes in the poomsae, I overlook that because of the amount of work that he does," he said.
Vandivere — who competed in the World Expo in Korea and China in 2007 — had spent hours during the week leading up to his test, working at King Tiger with his fellow student, Michael Hawks of Grifton. Hawks, who works at Pitt County Memorial Hospital, typically comes to King Tiger twice a week, and also practices at home. "He's very dedicated," Hawks said of Vandivere.
Vandivere last had training in hand-to-hand fighting and self defense when he was in the Army during World War II — he was a member of the 315th Infantry Regiment, 79th Division, which saw action in Europe from the Normandy invasion in 1944 through the end of the European campaign in 1945.
He and his wife Alice got into Tae Kwon Do to maintain their physical health. "To improve balance, build core strength, and I guess, because I enjoyed the company," he said.
Alphin said martial arts helps with reflexes, circulation and cardiovascular health. He said the extensive memorization required also helps maintain mental health. He said the curriculum at King Tiger is modified for senior citizen students such as the Vandiveres. As an example, students typically kick high when breaking boards, but Vandivere was allowed to kick low to break the board. "Tae Kwon Do is a close family and it's a culture," Vandivere said.
For more information on Taekwondo, visit the World Tae Kwon Do Federation's website, wtf.org.
Cubans take part in 'World Tai Chi day'
HAVANA — It was World Tai Chi day on Saturday, and in old Havana's San Francisco Plaza, more than 200 brightly attired Cubans of all ages showed off their skill in the ancient martial art-turned exercise.
Dressed in white, green, blue, red, yellow and black, Cubans practiced the slow and steady movements of the ancient Chinese art form.
There are more than 5,000 Tai Chi practitioners in Cuba, as well as a Cuban School of Wushu, located in Havana's Chinatown district, said the school's director, Roberto Vargas Li.
After the school was established in 1995, said Li, Tai Chi spread rapidly throughout the country.
Li said there are some 200 older Cubans who have reached a high level of Tai Chi mastery, and often act as instructors.
More than 70 countries were expected to take part in World Tai Chi day, according to the official Tai Chi website, with tens of thousands of participants.
Limassol to host 7th International Aikido Event-Cyprus
National Aikido Coach, Sensei Agis Agisilaou, first introduced Aikido to Cyprus a decade ago.
He is preparing to host the 7th International Aikido Event, orginised by the Martial Arts Academy and the Cyprus Aikido Federation, which will take place at the Arsinoe Hotel, Limassol from May 12 to 14.
Agislaou is the Chief Instructor of the Martial Arts Academy. He began his long-term association with martial arts when he started lessons at the age of five.
"It's fair to say I have been involved in Martial Arts for 30 years and have been an official Martial Arts and Aikido instructor and examiner since 1999. "My training has taken me to Japan, England, Poland, Russia, and the Czech Republic and I am privileged to have been taught by world-renowned Japanese and European chief instructors."
The two-day event will feature Children's Championships, seminars and demonstrations in the disciplines of Aikido, Martial Arts & Self-Defence, Tai chi, Yoga, safety awareness and basic defense skills for all, with special seminars for beginners.
Five distinguished Aikido & Martial Arts Chief Instructors will take the classes: Sensei Vaclav Liska 7th Dan, Sensei Agis Agisilaou 5th Dan, Sensei P. Patrick 5TH Dan (UK), Sensei D. Baileys 4th Dan and Sensei Eva Hrubcova 3rd Dan. Agisilaou believes it has many positive benefits for children "kids in class practise breathing and stretching exercises, falls and self-defence techniques enabling them to turn an opponent's own power against them. They also learn how to work together with a partner in class. Aikido helps them with their coordination, balance, power and speed as well as discipline and respect. It harnesses and develops all of a person's powers, both physical and mental (spiritual)."
Participation in the 2 day event requires registration; forms and demonstration tickets can be requested by email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or phone 70007474, 00357-99625974.
On the last day of the event, May 14, there will be open demonstrations by the 5 Masters and athletes from various countries who will present their techniques in Aikido, Self-Defence, Tai Chi and Martial Arts.
Japan’s Olympic judo champ Ishii reigns in US
TOKYO — Olympic judo heavyweight champion Satoshi Ishii, now a mixed martial arts fighter, has swept all before him in his return to the sport at the US national championships.
The 24-year-old Japanese won the open-class title in a field of 13, none of them world-class competitors, at the nationals on Saturday in Orlando, Florida, according to Japanese media and the tournament’s website.
“As judo champion, I want to aim steadily for the Olympics hereafter,” Ishii told the Sports Nippon daily.
Despite winning the US title, he cannot compete in the world championships in Paris in August because he does not have US citizenship.
Ishii said last year that he might obtain US citizenship after he is granted permanent residency -- allowing him to represent the United States at the Rio Olympics in 2016.
Ishii won the over-100 kg title at the 2008 Beijing Games but gave up judo soon after when the sport’s national association did not approve his plan to double as a judoka and a professional fighter in mixed martial arts (MMA).
He made his MMA debut in late 2009 and has lived in Los Angeles since July last year. Competing in judo for the first time since his glory in Beijing, Ishii won his first match by walkover. He then threw Kyle Vashkulat, ranked 27th in the world in the 100-kg division, with a body drop in the second match, Kyodo news agency said.
He disposed of his semi-final opponent, Adrian Alonzo, with a sliding collar strangle and dumped Jacob Stromecki with an inner thigh throw just nine seconds into the final.
“It’s been a long time since fighting in judo and my techniques are a bit rusty. I think my hand grips were also sloppy,” Ishii told Kyodo. “I’m a mixed martial artist, so I don’t feel emotional about a return to judo.”
Ishii was not considering a full-time return to judo for now but said “I want to give an impact on the world of martial arts”, according to Jiji Press.
Williams to conduct workshop
INTERNATIONAL Shito-Ryu karate instructor Darryl Williams, will be conducting a workshop for advanced karateka and other tutors at the Maloney Indoor Sport Arena, Maloney on May 8, from 5.30 pm.
Williams, who holds the rank of a Sixth Dan and is also the chairman of the Trinidad and Tobago Karate Federation (TTKF), will host a two-hour session in all areas of the Japanese karate style.
Topics to be covered are proper bowing etiquette, tenshin happo (the eight defensive directions), Hokei Kumite, Yakusuko Kumite (pre-arranged sparring), and the five principles of the Shito- Ryu art.
Williams will also feature one advanced form of kata and bunkai (application of techniques). Interested instructors are advised that this is a excellent opportunity to be trained from an expert in this traditional martial-arts style. Participating tutors would be able to incorporate these Shito- Ryu techniques into their karate school curriculum for further development of both themselves and their students.
All candidates will receive certificates upon completion of the course.
To register call Sensei John Ramirez at 620-0281 or log on to www.ttkf.org and www.facebook.com/Tntkarate.
In related news, Williams, the chief referee with the World Union of Karate-do Union (WUKO), has been approved to be the authorised inspector of locations for the WUKO World Children Championships in Terezina, Brazil, June 2012.
Sixth Dan Williams, will fly to Brazil to hold the inspection from May 11-15 and will report to WUKO chairman, Luigi Achedamini.
The Shito-Ryu karate expert was also invited by the Brazil Confederation of Karate Budo (CBKB) to host a Continental referee course for participating members. CBKB is a WUKO member in Brazil and president of CBKB, Shihan Francisco Bezerra, is a WUKO auditor.
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