A passion for martial arts - Officer teaches Karate to Soldiers

Courtesy Photo | Capt. A.C. Wiley, battle captain for 159th Combat Aviation Brigade, teaches Karate four times per week at Balad's West MWR facility. Wiley has black belts in three different martial arts.  

BALAD, IRAQ

01.31.2006

Courtesy Story

DVIDS Hub       

By Sgt. Susan Redwine
159th CAB PAO

LSA ANACONDA, Iraq - Soldiers deployed to combat zones find unique ways to spend what free time they have with limited resources and freedoms; it's just a part of the job.

Many use the time to work on civilian education through distance learning, and many use it as an opportunity to improve physical fitness.

For one officer, deployment is a perfect chance to refine his martial arts skills, and to teach others about the martial arts.

Capt. A.C. Wiley, battle captain, 159th Combat Aviation Brigade, has a passion for the martial arts " he has a 3rd degree black belt in Goju Ryu Karate, a 3rd degree black belt in Jujika Jujutsu and a 1st degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do " and a passion for passing on his knowledge of the martial arts. He teaches Karate four times a week at the Balad West MWR center's aerobics room.

"I'll continue teaching until I can no longer teach," Wiley said. "But I'll continue studying and learning until I can no longer learn, which means I'll probably be dead."

Wiley said his interest in the martial arts began at the tender age of 6, when he saw his first Chuck Norris movie, saying, "It just looked cool."

His interest didn't waiver until he was finally able to talk his parents into letting him take classes as a young teen. Now, he can claim expertise in two different schools of martial arts and actively studies several others to help develop specific skills.

Wiley said he studies Tae Kwon Do to improve kicks, Judo for throws and Kenpo for hand speed. He said he's also become more interested in Modern Army Combatives for ground skills and plans to study Brazilian Jiujitsu when he returns from deployment for ground skills.

"The first thing I do when I move to a new place is get out the phone book and open up the martial arts section," he said. He then visits as many schools as he can, just to get a feel for atmosphere of each so he can either become involved in the school, or at least be able to recommend one to prospective students.

However, studying the martial arts is just one area of Wiley's interest. Teaching is also a passion of his.

"I thought about teaching after the first year [of studying martial arts]," he said. "I knew it would take awhile, but knew I enjoyed it and wanted to pass it along.

"Teaching is the best way to learn something," Wiley went on. "You've gotta learn it to know it and relearn it to teach it."

Wiley said he had his first regular teaching job while in flight school in Alabama, but has taught on and off since he first began learning Karate. He noted whenever someone shows someone else something that the person doesn't know, even as a white belt, that person is teaching.

Any time he has taught Karate, he has done it as a volunteer, but a long-term goal is to eventually have his own full-time school, he said.

"It's quite a ways down the road, but it's a goal," he said.

When he found out the 159th was deploying, Wiley said he started thinking of the possibility of offering Karate classes.

"I wanted something to do," he said. "I wanted to share the art and personally felt I needed the experience of learning to run a school.

"I'm hoping that by teaching, I can pass along a love of martial arts to a group of people who may have not gotten into it otherwise. I'm looking to refine my teaching abilities and hope to continue to develop myself as a teacher and a person."

Wiley offers the class Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. He said the number of students in the class varies due to operational tempo, but he averages about seven students per class.

Some students have had martial arts experience, but most are beginners. Wiley said he's flexible and will spend more or less time on specific techniques depending on the needs of the students.

"It's an excellent class," said class regular Pfc. Isaac Obregon, Company A, 563rd Aviation Support Battalion, 159th Combat Aviation Brigade. "I love it."

"For this hour and a half, I'm not in Iraq anymore. I'm in his world," Obregon went on.

"I completely forget about everything that's going on around out there. When I'm here, I just look forward to class. I live from class to class. It's my time to better myself " physically, mentally and spiritually."

Obregon, who has been studying various forms of martial arts since he was 3 years old, said he had been frequently working out in the gym before finding out about Wiley's class.

He said he discovered the class one day after working out by poking his head in the door.

"Coming to the gym every day wasn't the same as coming here," Obregon said. The workout in the class helps keeps in him shape and flexible for other sports, such as boxing and Muay Thai kickboxing, he added.

Of the instructor, Obregon said Wiley one of the best teachers he's had.

"He's a real good role model," Obregon said. "I think he has a lot to do with why I come back. It's not just the class, but the teacher."

• Date Taken: 01.31.2006
• Date Posted: 01.31.2006 08:52
• Story ID: 5249
• Location: BALAD, IQ