The American Martial Artist by John Dowdy
(Part I)
When I joined the Air Force, my first tour of duty was in Korea. My first day in Korea, I traveled downtown to look around. I came upon a Martial Arts demonstration at the market. I didn't know what style it was then since I didn't know the difference in styles. I later learned that it was Tae Kwon Do. My friend, Jerry, and I watched these guys in white uniforms do all kinds of amazing things-mostly breaks and talking to the crowd. I couldn't understand a word that they were saying. They were breaking boards, bricks, and even rocks. As I watched that day, I realized that I wanted to be a part of that.
The very next day I met with Jerry and his wife. His wife was already living off base because she had come from a military family. She knew all of the ins-and-outs of overseas living. After we finished with processing the next day, Jerry and I went downtown looking for a place that taught Martial Arts. We walked around and asked until we found a place. We happened to look down an alley and saw some people training in black uniforms. We stood at the doorway for a while watching them. The instructor came over and talked to us. He didn't know much English and we knew nothing about the Korean language. He did, however, know enough English to tell us how much classes were.... $15 per month. (Koreans were paying $3 per month, we later learned.) The style was Kuk Sool Won Hapkido. We joined, paid him the money, and also paid for a uniform.
We started to train right then and I decided to make a commitment to work out three hours each day...
My first day... (Part II)
On our first day in a martial arts class in Korea, my friend Jerry and I both made the decision that we were going to work out for three hours each day. The first day we were shown the fighting stances, kick form and block form. I stayed the full three hours while Jerry left after about two hours.
The next day when we went to class, the instructor showed us what is called a four corner block- which is a hard style of blocking. After showing us that, he walked off and started teaching the rest of the class. I stayed the full three hours and Jerry left after about an hour and a half.
The third day of practice we were shown the reverse punch before the instructor started the class workout. Again I stayed for the full three hours, but Jerry left after about an hour.
On the fourth day Jerry didn't show up for class. As soon as I got there the instructor came to me and taught me a front snap kick. He then walked off to once again teach class. After my three hours I went to Jerry's house to see where he had been. When I got there he was with his wife. We talked about class. He asked me what I had learned, so I demonstrated. He got up and did it just as well as I could after my three hours of practice. Next we started talking about our plans for training. I asked him what he was going to do. He said he was probably going to quit. I thought about it a little while then I said that I probably was too. That's when his wife said that she knew that if Jerry quit then I would too. Right then I made up my mind that I would stick with it if it took me the rest of my time in Korea to achieve my first colored belt.
The fifth day I went to class and the instructor showed me one more move, and then went to teach class. When the class lined up, I lined up in the back of the class. Since everything was being taught in the Korean language it became what one might say, "Monkey see, Monkey do. " After the workout was over, several members of the class, young and old, started showing me things that helped to start me on my journey to where I am today. Little did I know on that day that I would be wearing my black belt within ten months time. It's interesting how outside negative opinions can either serve to discourage your efforts or provide you with additional motivation to succeed... (to be continued)
- Grandmaster John Dowdy 2010
- (Part III)
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This winter we have had quite a bit of snow which reminded me of my early training in Korea. When I first started martial arts, the class was downstairs. After about a month the school moved upstairs. At the new location there were several small window panes that were broken out, which wasn't so noticeable until cold weather arrived. Every day the first person to arrive at class would have the responsibility to sweep the mats. Most of the time I would be the first one there. To keep the school warm we would stuff paper in the places where glass was supposed to be in the windows.
One day I got to class and the wind had blown most of the paper out and snow had blown in. I had to sweep snow off the mats before I could do anything else. The next day I brought plastic and a staple gun and covered up the windows. That was simply doing what needed to be done which helped to guarantee the integrity of the training area. This should be expected of all who attend any martial arts school without anything being said.
(Part IV)
June 21, 1969 was when I first started martial arts. The style that I studied was Kuk Sool Won. The belt ranking system was white, blue, red, yellow, yellow with a black stripe, then black. At the dojang that I trained at they tested for lower belts every two months. I started on an off month and regardless of how hard I worked I wasn't ready to test for my first belt, which was blue, the next month. After three months of training I was then ready for my blue belt plus I was very close to testing for my next belt (which was red).
I had about 3/4 of the requirements needed. During the next two months I practiced every day and completed the requirements for red belt plus I had all the requirements for yellow belt. My instructor decided to let me double -test, probably because I was military.
Two months later I tested for yellow belt with black stripe. After the test my instructor told me to have my own stripe sewn on the yellow belt I was wearing. I went to one of the tailors and had a stripe placed all the way down the center of the belt. Afterward my instructor told me that I was supposed to have had it sewn on one of the ends, not down the middle. He said that was different then intended but he would accept that.
Now a stripe going down the middle of a belt is common for several styles of martial arts. Several schools use it to make extra income for their schools. My black belt test was to be a special test which followed about 3 months later. When I tested I had been in martial arts for one day shy of 10 months. There was no one on either side of my mother's side or my father's side of their families that was athletically active or even exercised. I don't believe that any one in my family, including myself, had any natural physical ability. The two things that played a large part of my getting my black belt were desire and attitude.
Ten months earlier when I saw my first martial arts demonstration I didn't realize that it placed the desire in my heart to achieve what I saw other men had accomplished regardless of what I had to do or how long it took. It helps mold my attitude to put myself through whatever it took to reach my goal.
To Be Continued....