A no-bully pulpit

A no-bully pulpit

Schneider uses tae kwon do to preach serenity and self-defense
By EMILY NIPPS, Times Staff Writer
Published September 12, 2004


SPRING HILL - Nestled in Palm Tree Plaza among a beauty salon and a Christian bookstore, Tae Kwon Do America finally had its power back on.

Outside, rain poured in sheets and thunder shook the ground. Inside, 10 students stood perfectly still, posed on one leg. Edit: I’d be impressed if they did that outside…

They wore identical white baggy uniforms, some with various patches on the chest and sleeves, but the students clearly came from all walks of life. There were red-cheeked little girls with sweaty bangs, teenagers with clenched teeth, grown men with fierce stares.

Two hurricanes barely missed them. Another might be on its way.

“This is a big stress reliever, a big motivator,” said the school’s owner, Brian Schneider. “It’s actually a pick-me-up after being lazy all weekend and waiting for Frances to pass. You can come in and sweat and kick and yell off all your frustration.” Edit: “Welcome to martial arts therapy. Let’s go around the circle and introduce ourselves.”

But it’s so much more. Schneider knows this better than anyone, having studied the ancient Korean martial art since he was 13. He was a chubby kid then, new to the area from Buffalo, N.Y. The other boys weren’t kind to the new kid.

“I took my rounds,” Schneider said. “I got bullied and pushed around. I only took one good beating, but then I joined a martial arts school.” Edit:Maybe after another good beating you’ll take a good martil art. HAH!

Schneider never had to use his skills in self defense, although he said he “came close.” Edit: ‘He looked at me and I ran away screaming.’ He fell in love with tae kwon do as a way of life, though, and dreamed of opening his own school. Edit: WOW ORIENTAL MYSTICISM!!!

After graduating from Springstead, Schneider began working in the building materials department at Home Depot. There, Edit: he picked up some sword sparring drills and then he met a girl named Brandi who worked in special services. They eventually married, and she helped him start his school. He was 24.

Now 26, the third-degree black belt couldn’t imagine doing anything else. He maintains a tireless grin as he calls out drills in his classes, even as his students are grunting and groaning.

Think of Schneider as a therapist, helper, healer.

Folks from 5-58 have come to him for guidance of some kind. Some want to be in shape, others like the discipline. Frazzled parents have brought their kids in for attitude adjustments, and Schneider has set the little guys straight.

Other children have been on the other end of the spectrum, wanting to know if Schneider can teach them how to beat up their bullies.

Schneider feels their pain. He’s been there. But he makes it clear to these children that they never are to use their tae kwon do to attack anyone.

Everyone has different reasons for wanting their white belt, then yellow, then green, blue, red and black.

“I’ve had quite a few women and girls that have actually been attacked,” Schneider said. “I hope I’ve helped them in some way.”

Then there are those like Brent Benware, who thought tae kwon do would be a good sport for his son and ended up practicing it himself, even after his son lost interest. Edit: More likely he realised it sucked!!!BAHAHAHAHH!!! The 32-year-old career specialist at Nature Coast Tech found that tae kwon do improved so many things in his life.

Benware wears two or three earrings, a bandana headband and has a thorny-looking tattoo wrapped around his ankle. Edit: Uh…don’t wear jewelery in training less you want it ripped off you…oh wait, he probably doesn’t do contact anyways. He always has had about 20 different tasks going on at once, but never was able to finish them. Tae kwon do somehow sharpened his focus on all aspects of his life: his wife, five children (ages 13, 13, 12, 9 and 8), career - everything.

“I feel like I’m able to give a little more attention to all the things in my life,” Benware said. “I have more discipline.”

In Wednesday night’s class, his white uniform was soaked through with sweat. He kicked and jumped and squatted and jabbed harder than anyone in the class. He was a picture of seriousness next to some of the pint-sized students, who loosely kicked their little feet in the air and punched underneath their oversized shirts.

“Coming here, you know if you’re not ready to give 100 percent, you’re not going to make it through the class,” Benware said. “As an adult, it would be an embarrassment to let a little kid outwork you.”

Everyone starts out with the basic poses but eventually must pass an exam with 150 questions that deal with everything from martial arts moves to the history of Korea. Before they earn a black belt, students must write a three-page essay on what tae kwon do means to them.

“I’ve been told my school is so unique as far as what I make my students do and how I explain things,” Schneider said. Edit: Nope, there are other schools that takes trip to the Moons of Jupiter.

Schneider, who owns (Edit: Owns?) three world titles and four national championships, is working on his fourth-degree black belt. The highest degree of black belt is 10th, which is nearly impossible to get. Somewhere around the seventh and eighth degrees, you must go to Korea to earn it. At some point in the black belt system, you actually have to publish a book.

At Tae Kwon Do America, at least on one particular evening, these kinds of accomplishments were far off in the minds of the students who stuck around for the kicking and sparring classes.

Some were just happy to get out of the house. Some were working off aggression.

After enduring days of flooded roads, broken tree limbs and grim weather forecasts, there was something serene and comforting about Schnieder’s tidy studio. The floor was lined with firm foam padding and belts. Edit: Belts?!?!? Certificates and pictures of smiling students lined the walls.

Inside, a little girl with a ponytail and a skinny young man stood side by side, kicking the padded waterbags as hard as they could.

This is another installment of A Day In The Life, a Sunday summer series in which Times sports writers chronicle a typical sporting day of someone, some place or something on the North Suncoast.

http://www.sptimes.com/2004/09/12/Hernando/A_no_bully_pulpit.shtml

I swear I’m going to loss my mind the next time someone calls Tae Kwon Do ancient. Correct me if I’m wrong but I understand it’s only been around 60-70 years?

here one persons “history” of tkd

Taekwondo (Tae Kwan Do), “the way of foot and fist,” is based on ancient Korean methods of self-defense. It emphasizes flexibility and kicking techniques, but hand techniques are also widely employed. A means of self-defense, physical conditioning, recreation, and mental discipline, Taekwondo is recognized not only as a martial art, but also as an exciting sport with powerful kicks and punches that emphasizes continuous action, endurance, skill, and sportsmanship. This rapidly developing martial art has become a major international sport. Introduced to the Olympic games in Seoul, Korea, in 1988, Taekwondo will be at the 2000 Olympic games in Sydney, Australia, as a medal event.
The five original Korean Kwans (“schools”) were: Chung Do Kwan, Moo Duk Kwan (the art of Tang Soo Do), Yun Moo Kwan, Chang Moo Kwan, and Chi Do Kwan. These were founded in 1945 and 1946. Three more Kwans were founded in the early 1950’s - Ji Do Kwan, Song Moo Kwan, and Oh Do Kwan.

After fifty years of occupation by Japan (which ended in 1945) and after the division of the nation and the Korean War, Korean nationalism spurred the creation of a national art in 1955, combining the styles of the numerous kwans active within the country (with the exception of Moo Duk Kwan, which remained separate - therefore Tang Soo Do is still a separate art from TKD today). Gen. Hong Hi Choi was primarily responsible for the creation of this new national art, which was named Tae Kwon Do to link it with Tae-Kyon (a native art). Earlier unification efforts had been called Kong Soo Do, Tae Soo Do, etc. Many masters had learned Japanese arts during the occupation, or had learned Chinese arts in Manchuria. Only a few had been lucky enough to be trained by the few native martial artists who remained active when the Japanese banned all martial arts in Korea. Choi himself had taken Tae-Kyon (a Korean art) as a child, but had earned his 2nd dan in Shotokan Karate while a student in Japan.

The worst thing is, that guy has had sex. At least four times.

Ah, but does he have homoerotic Nick Linnear butt-cheeks? That is the question and the yardstick by which the prowess of his eastern mysticism must be measured.

You have to go to Korea to earn your 10th degree black belt. Korea is the source of the wonderful ancient martial art.