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    TAN’s Brown teaches taekwondo to deployed teammates

    Perdue in form

    Photo By Todd Lyman | Micah J. Perdue, from USACE Charleston District, practices kicking during warmups...... read more read more

    KABUL, Afghanistan —Three USACE Transatlantic District North team mates tested for their green belts under the instruction of Jerry L. Brown Sr., assistant dining facility manager and voluntary Taekwondo instructor here.

    All are administrative professionals serving in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Better watch your margins.
    Taekwondo is a Korean martial art similar to Japanese karate. It is based on the use of the hands and feet to attack or defend against an adversary. Brown explained some techniques use fingertips, elbows, or knees in order to strike the opponent. Taekwondo is a national sport in South Korea and is a sporting event in the Olympic Games.”

    The word ‘Taekwondo’ can be translated as "way of the foot and of the fist." The American Taekwondo Association describes Taekwondo as a non-aggressive and ethical system of self-defense.

    Taekwondo refers to a Korean tradition of martial arts that originated thousands of years ago, but in current form is approximately 50 years old. In the 1988 Olympic Games at Seoul and the 1992 Barcelona Games it was an exhibition sport. Now it is a competitive Olympic event, according to Brown.

    He further explained, “Taekwondo when practiced correctly it is a very technical martial art which results in students learning how to generate maximum power in relation to their size and build. Although Taekwondo practitioners perform a lot of upper body techniques such as blocking and striking, what differentiates Taekwondo from the rest of the martial arts is its superior kicking techniques. However, depending on age and ability not everyone is expected to have superior kicking skill. Taekwondo is truly for anyone who wants to practice.”

    He added that all martial arts have near identical foundations and objectives-- to strive for better technique and to understand and put into practice breathing control, technique, stances, posture, power, focus, reaction force and etiquette.

    R.J. Rayos, Micah Perdue and Christy Slater all earned their belts recently. Simon Ng has earned a brown belt and is Brown’s senior belt here. Ng also assists in the classes.

    Brown is a third degree black belt with more than 30 years of experience. He began his studies as a 15-year-old in Gary, Ind. He continued his studies while serving in the military. He has studied, taught and tested many students from New York State, Washington State, Korea and had my own Do-jang (school) in American Samoa. Brown is also the president of the American Samoa Taekwondo Federation. Brown has also competed in many tournaments and fought in the South Pacific Games, comparable to a mini Olympics.

    Brown is teaching at Qalaa House because one of the requirements in order to test for Master 4th Dan is to keep taekwondo in his life and teaching. Further, teaching keeps him sharp and the art can be useful when deployed.

    “With all the problems kids are having, they can use some direction in their lives; Taekwondo provides that type of atmosphere; it teaches respect, courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self-control and indomitable spirit, which is what practitioners call the ‘5 Tenets of Taekwondo,’ Something we all need in life especially our young.”

    Brown continued, “Also here at Qalaa House with all the things going on in our lives; Taekwondo helps to clear the mind by exercising and learning a different culture as well (Korea is a beautiful country) and its teachings are great; what I am teaching here at Qalaa House is learning hand techniques; kicking techniques, stances, different strikes using the hand and feet and different poomses- what we call form.”

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    NEWS INFO

    Date Taken: 05.01.2013
    Date Posted: 05.01.2013 10:59
    Story ID: 106131
    Location: KABUL, AF
    Hometown: CHARLESTON, SC, US
    Hometown: FAYETTEVILLE, NC, US
    Hometown: FORT WORTH, TX, US
    Hometown: SAVANNAH, GA, US

    Web Views: 149
    Downloads: 1

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