How to Set Goals

I have never had to shield myself from so much snow fall. My body was completely covered. I was hoping to be through it before my jacket and gear become no match for this massive snow dump. Every step literally piled another half inch on my shoulders. My hat, normally blue, was completely white.

My cheeks were freezing, but fortunately, frost bite was not imminent. Instead the snow that landed on the mere inch of exposed face, melted and ran down into my collar. The visibility was literally only 2 feet in front of me. I didn’t have that far to go, but unfortunately, I didn’t know which direction to go. It was time to give up.

I have talked about this dang snow blower before! I trudged on, stupidly, with the spout on the blower pointed straight up. Oh, don’t get me wrong, I knew that I could point the spout on the blower right or left… I just forgot that it had an elbow on it that allowed the snow storm to shoot towards the ground or in the air. I apparently chose the air while my family watched me and my self inflicted blizzard attempt to clear the driveway.

Believe it or not, there is a moral to this story. Right now, millions of people are setting goals for themselves. Millions of people are also saying, “I don’t set goals at the first of the year, I set them year round.” Most of those people are full of bologna, but that’s beside the point. Because I am a huge goal setter, I just happen to be thinking about everything and anything metaphorically to goal setting.

I had a goal to remove the snow from the driveway. I had an action plan on how I was going to do it. I had a timeline in which I was going to achieve my goal. I did NOT identify all the obstacles that would hinder my process. Seriously, ice in the driveway was my only obstacle.

“Okay, whatever! What’s the point Duncan?”

The point is this, very few people understand how to systematically create goals. The snow in the driveway just got me thinking about this process. Everyone can dream. Which by the way is step 1 in the goal setting process, but few know steps 2, 3, 4 and so on. Goals have plans, or as I like to call them, blueprints for success.

Take for instance, the Boise State Broncos. The Broncos did not make it to two Fiesta Bowls in 3 years because of several guys that can run 57 mph, jump 9 feet in the air, and make one handed catches while stretched out like Inspector Gadget. They have a beautifully constructed plan that encompasses marketing to high school all stars on ESPN, a stellar strength and conditioning plan, a regimented practice curriculum that builds discipline, confidence, and teamwork, and the list goes on.

A few goals that many people have every year is to:
1. Quit smoking
2. Become more organized
3. Become lean & fit

I definitely cannot help with #1, and can help with #2, but don’t want to because I would be bored. I can absolutely help with #3, and would love every minute of it, including the entire time it takes you to achieve that goal.

This blog post is not meant to be a promotion for our Ultimate Body Challenge, but if you have been searching for a proven, systemized goal setting process that will help you achieve this goal, then perhaps it’s a small promotion for you.

Right now is the time to think about your dreams for 2010. Put those dreams onto paper with a plan, and you’ve got yourself a goal. Many people know that I used to be a representative for Zig Ziglar and would put on workshops that taught people how to do this.

Here is a quick and dirty goal setting process. Use this format for every single one of your goals.

Step 1

Consider some things you are truly passionate about. Then write them down.

Step 2

Consider some important questions before you settle on your goals.
Will this goal improve your relationship with your children?
Will this goal improve your relationship with your spouse?
Will this goal improve your life longevity?
Will this goal impact colleagues, friends, and family members in a positive way?
Will achieving your goal be at the expense of someone else?
Is your goal simply frivolous or materialistic?
Is your goal ethical?

Step 3

Decide if your goal is SMART.

S- Specific
M- Measurable
A- Attainable
R- Realistic
T- Time Sensitive

Step 4

Did your goal get through steps 2 and 3? Then, proceed into step 4 by completing the goal setting worksheet.

Goal:
[Place your goal here]

Date:
[Spend time thinking about a realistic time line to accomplish this goal. If your goal is large, then create milestones with dates on those as well.]

Benefits:
[List as many benefits as possible. Ask other people what they think would be a benefit as well. When you think you are finished, spend more time and come up with a few more benefits. Continue that process until you can no longer think of another single benefit. This is a crucial part of the process that empowers you mentally and builds enthusiasm for your success. Skipping this step is like getting in your car with only a quarter tank of gas before you go on a trip.]

Obstacles:
[List all of the items that will hinder your process. Know what you are going to have to face. Once you’ve identified the hurdles, will you then be able to create the means to leap over them. The obstacles you list will contribute to your action steps below.]

Who’s Involved:
[List any individuals, organizations, etc. that will play a roll in the success of your goal. You may benefit by having some of these key individuals know what your goal is. They will either help hold you accountable or can help with your process.]

Action Steps:
[Skipping this step is like taking a trip in your car without a map. Wait! I mean without a GPS navigation system. List every single step that is required in achieving your goal. Think of this process as steps in an assembly manual for your daughter’s 3 Story Barbie Dream Doll House, or your son’s 1120 Piece Star Wars Lego Attack Cruiser. Each step is very concise.

This is not only a mental exercise for you to know your steps, but also a means for you to quickly take action everyday you’re working on your goal. If your action steps are vague, you will most likely skip over it, ignore it, or flat out won’t remember the details, thus resulting in the whole process coming to a screeching halt.

Take your action steps and place them in your planner, your PDA, or a calendar.]


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Signature

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Witness Signature


Now, take this goal setting worksheet and place it somewhere that you can see it every single day.

If you found this goal setting blog post helpful, share the wealth. Pass it onto a friend and vow to hold each other accountable in attaining your goals. I would say that for every person you pass this onto, you’ll lose 1 pound, but that simply won’t happen. Not because it’s not true, but because you haven’t even gone through the goal setting process to lose weight:).

Respectfully,

Duncan Richardson
Chief Master Instructor
The Academy of World Taekwondo
Ph: 208.381.0587
Get a New Physique in 2010- The Ultimate Body Challenge

Extra Layers Keeping Your Midsection Warm? Ultimate Body Challenge Starts January 6

Are you a little too warm this winter? What I mean is, do you have a few extra layers around the midsection?

Hey… don’t get me wrong, I am enjoying the holidays too! In fact, I mentioned to everyone in our Thai-Robics class that I feel like I am sweating pecan pie. Here is the difference between me and most people, though. I live a life by the Ultimate Body Challenge philosophy. I enjoy the holiday stuffing, gravy, eggnog, and Mexican wedding cakes.

Seriously, if you live by the UBC philosophy, this holiday binge doesn’t affect you. Okay, it’s a moot point, because we’re going to start the UBC after the holidays anyway. I won’t lie, we start this program right after the New Year because we want to be in alignment with people’s goals. And, it is truly exciting when we help people reach them.

Let me take a shot in the dark what your goals may be-

Lose XX lbs by spring or summer
Get that six pack of abs back you once had
Make it so your thighs don’t touch
To be able to stick with a sound nutritional plan that will get you result
To be motivated to move, be active, and live life
To have your spouse or significant other say, “DANG… you are looking good!”
For you to be able to look in the mirror and say, “DANG… you are looking good!”
Want a program that will take your fitness conditioning to the next level

Okay, okay, maybe it’s not a shot in the dark. The truth is, we’ve been doing this program since 2003 so we know what your goals are. We know how to get you there. If you let us, we will literally hold your hand all the way to your goal.

The Ultimate Body Challenge is just around the corner! Go to http://www.FreeKarateLesson.com/weight-loss.html to learn more and to get on our waiting list. Time is running out… “like sands through the hourglass… (Cheesy, I know) …so are the days of our lives.”

I’ll meet you at our website in 10 seconds- http://www.FreeKarateLesson.com/weight-loss.html

Respectfully,

Duncan Richardson
Chief Master Instructor
The Academy of World Taekwondo
Ph: 208.381.0587
http://www.FreeKarateLesson.com/weight-loss.html

Weight Training vs. Cross Training Programs such as Ultimate Body Challenge

The other day, I read a comment on a YouTube exercise video, “Seriously, weight lifting is so 80’s.” The comment made me chuckle. Whether it’s true or not, I don’t know. I picture leg warmers, headbands and aerobics when I think of 80’s fitness.

Anyhow, I know the point this person was trying to make. She were arguing that a cross training program is ultimately the best sort of conditioning. The gentleman was arguing that cross training programs are too strenuous. It went on and on.

A couple of weeks ago, I went to lift weights in a gym to compare my strength to how it was when I trained in a gym all the time to now. Aside from being ABSOLUTELY bored out of my mind, I realized several things by this experience-

1. Weight lifting is very linear and heavily isolates specific muscles. No, that’s not what I realized. What I realized was that when I crash skiing moguls this winter, which I love to do (ski moguls that is, not crashing), linear, isolating movements will do nothing for me.

Traditional weight training will help me very little since I do NOT crash in a very nice linear fashion. When I crash, my body is in a contorted, upside down, ski behind my head sort of fashion.

The training that helps me the most when I ski are cross training programs.

2. Did I mention that weight training was absolutely boring compared to a high energy cross training program? I couldn’t wait to get done so I could go back to our academy and do one of our routines.

3. I couldn’t handle how depressed half the people looked. One half gazed at their muscles in the mirror, and the other half just gazed in the mirror for 3 to 4 minutes between sets.

So, was I stronger? The answer is no. Was I weaker? The answer is no again! Although I didn’t increase my strength, I increased tons of other things. I used to leave the gym pretty wiped after my workouts. I did the same exact workout, with the same exact weight I used to lift, and had plenty of energy to head to our academy and do a serious cross training workout.

Somebody reading this may ask, “Then, what did I really improve besides endurance?” It’s a good question, because it’s not an apples to apples comparison, so I will just tell you.

I used to injury myself quite a bit playing soccer in high school (hamstring pulls, groin pulls, sprained ankles, etc.) Even as a competitive martial artist, when I was younger, I was always doing something funky to my lower back. And, I did extensive weight training, even under the direction of trainers.

About 5 years ago, we adopted a new training program in our facility that challenged students in completely unorthodoxed ways. Competitive soccer puts people at risk for injury because you don’t strengthen yourself for when someone takes out your legs when you’re in a feel on sprint.
For the past few years I had been playing competitive soccer again on a men’s city league. The ONLY injuries I was ever dealing with were bumps and bruises. Never pulling a muscle, twisting a knee or an ankle. Believe me, several guys on my team and other teams were fighting chronic ailments that were being blamed on “age.”

Teaching these programs and doing them on my own have tremendously improved my endurance, core strength, flexibility, and agility. I have never been out of shape, but I can tell you this… at 35 years old, I have more energy and stamina than I did as a competitive Taekwondo athlete in my early 20’s.

That’s what this type of training has done for me. Now, what it’s done for others is very, very similar, except it’s burned fat off our students bodies like crazy. Students lose, on average, 7% bodyfat in a 10 week period of time. That’s amazing, because they do it by following an athletes diet, not some sort of fad diet for birds.

What are these programs I am speaking about?

The Ultimate Body Shaping Challenge! To learn more about this particular program, visit the following link. http://www.freekaratelesson.com/weight-loss.html

Respectfully,

Duncan Richardson
Chief Master Instructor
The Academy of World Taekwondo
Ph: 208.381.0587

Should I do the Ultimate Body Challenge?

Over the course of several years doing the UBC, we've found that many people sit on the fence. They let time lapse trying to decide if they should or shouldn't do the program. Let's explore some of these reasons people have such a hard time, then I'll give my thoughts.

First, you ought to know just a little about the program. This program consists of 4 major components-

1. Nutrition. We teach you our philosophy of eating. Eating to win, I like to say! It's a way of eating for an athlete. Everyone wants shoulders and arms that have a nice chiseled look to them, thighs that don't touch, and a tight butt! It's the look of an athlete. To look like an athlete, you need to eat like one, and that's what we teach you how to do. We'll also do strength & flexibility testing on you as well as a body composition that tells you exactly how many carbs, protein and fat you ought to be eating a day. No, it's not some simple formula like the ones on the internet.

2. Cardio Training. Our cardio training is a program called Thai-Robics. It's a program that has proven successful since 1995. You've got to admit, anything that can last 15 years has got to be good, otherwise we wouldn't waste our time doing it. Believe me, we've had classes that were in and out within a week, and others have lasted a few months. Thai-Robics is just so unique and awesome that people keep the program alive and well.

3. Resistance Training. The program is called Sport Fusion. This program replaced another class that wasn't broken. It was sort of a risky move, but it was a hit! Not just a hit because it was popular, but because we were able to improve students percent body fat loss by 2% over the entire 10 weeks. The average body fat loss used to be 5 to 7 percent loss, now it's 7 to 10 percent with Sport Fusion! The program gives you the benefit of a total body, weight lifting workout, but with fun and explosive sport drills. You'll even get more cardio work in the class, unlike a typical weight lifting regimen.

4. Life Style Shift. We're going to teach you, if you need to be taught, that feeling healthy and looking your best is going to extend further than our workout floor. We're going to rub off on you and get you active everyday of your life.

Think about this for a moment. You may have a job that keeps you planted on your rear everyday. Essentially, 8 hours of your day is sitting. The time you spend standing on breaks or lunch is counter acted by your driving. Then you're on your back for 8 hours of sleep. That means 2/3 of your life is sedentary. Now, I'm willing to bet that you're just not motivated to do anything with that other 8 hours because you're tired after work. Isn't that funny, well not really, but seriously, you've been inactive for most of the day, you'd think that you'd have some more energy.

Anyhow, we explain how all this works and we get you fired up and leading an active lifestyle. Trust me, once you get that snow ball rolling down the hill, it really starts building momentum. There is a saying- Nothing Moves Until Something Happens.

Okay, so what are those things that keep people from making something happen-

1. Time commitment.
The program does require some time. We are going to ask you to invest 60 hours over the course of 10 weeks to create a healthly body so you feel and look great. Not everyone can do 60 hours. In fact, we have many that will do less, because they know it's the only way they'll either a) Get this type of awesome training. Or, b) With their work travels, it's just difficult to commit 100% so 70 or 80 percent is better than NO percent

Answer this-
Is 60 hours worth an extended life?
Is 60 hours worth enabling you to live more actively?
Is 60 hours worth setting an example for your kids?
Is the nutritional education worth passing on to the rest of your family?

2. "I want to get into shape before I do a program like this."
Here's my response- Nothing Moves Until Something Happens. I hear this a lot, and never see the person again! Seriously, you don't get educated before you go to school. You go to school to get educated. You join the UBC to get into shape. Sure, some people are in great shape when they're in the UBC. They're either former UBC'ers or they've heard it's a program that provides results. It gets the out of shape in shape, and the in shape in better shape!

3. Money.
Okay, I can feel peoples pain when it comes to lacking some green. When I first opened The Academy of World Taekwondo, I knew how to teach, but I hadn't a clue about business. In fact, we appeared to be super successful because we were busting at the seems, but I had little skills in business and were actually hurting. I remember being at a martial arts business conference when we first opened up and pulling out a credit card that was nearly maxed and dropping $2000 on a seminar I knew we had to be a part of. People might say, "Yeah, $2000 for a business is different." Maybe so, but does it matter when our gas was shut off prior to that, in the winter? My point is, there are certain things you know are right. For many people the UBC is right and the only thing stopping them is the cash. I'd like to remove that hardship from peoples life and make it easy to pay for the UBC.

We will make it easy for those who would like to not feel so impacted by the $299 tuition. We'll allow them to pay this down weekly, bi-weekly, or even monthly.

Those are the 3 main things we see that stops people who are wanting to do the UBC. Before I close this post, I just want to share some more of my thoughts. I try and live my life with no regrets. I occassionaly run into old college or high school friends who seem so depressed. I'll ask them what they're doing these days, and they'll say, "Oh, I'm working for 'so & so'. It's alright. It's not what I pictured myself doing, but oh well."

Hold the phone!!!

What do you mean "oh well"! If something isn't what you pictured doing, then do what you pictured doing. I have realized that "doing what you have pictured doing" is something that doesn't usually happen overnight. In fact, it sometimes takes time and discipline, lots of discipline. If you have no discipline, you'll lead an "oh well" life. Check out my liscence plate some time. You know what it says? DSIPLND. I came up with this as a reminder for me for where I have been, where I want to go, and what I want to teach my children.

Respectfully,

Duncan Richardson
Chief Master Instructor
The Academy of World Taekwondo
Ph: 208.381.0587
http://www.FreeKarateLesson.com/weight-loss.html

Fall Ultimate Body Challenge 2009

Guess what? It's UBC time. It's the UBC that shapes everyone up from slacking over the summer and get's them ready for holidays. This UBC is strategically placed for students to get back into a routine, now that school is starting. It's also strategically placed to finish right before the holidays. That way, when Thanksgiving rolls around, you feel good. You don't have guilt and you can enjoy the time with family and friends.
(Seriously, that was one of my most corny lines ever!)

The Ultimate Body Challenge is set to launch on Sept. 14th, for Boise and Eagle Students. Already, we have over 30 people on the waiting list. We have not allowed anyone to pay for this program to save a spot. It's strictly a waiting list at the moment.

In the next few days, we'll open the flood gates and begin officially enrolling students in the order that they were placed on the list.

Here is a conversation between me and a past UBC student just the other day on Facebook

Duncan-

I have been wanting to come to your classes again, but the doc says no. I had 2 knee surgeries on same knee this summer and i am still walking with a limp. I won a trip to Australia (be going in November). I need to get into shape, i am fat right now due to no activity all summer long (just got a cast off). I should be good to go in one month for your classes. I want to go everyday.
Thanks,Jeff
*************************************
Jeff-

Hey man! So if you want to go everyday, does that mean we'll see you in the UBC? That starts Sept. 14th, so the timing is almost perfect!Good to hear from you.Duncan
**************************************
Duncan-

I will do the UBC--as long as doc says its ok. I am pretty sure he will. the only way i know to lose weight and get in shape is your program.

Jeff
**************************************

If you're interested in getting on this waiting list. Don't wait! I know it's called a waiting list, and all, but you actually need to be on the list to get into the program:). Go to http://www.FreeKarateLesson.com/weight-loss.html put your name on the form that floats on the screen. Don't worry, it doesn't commit you. It just holds a spot for you just in case you want in.

If you'd rather chat with someone, call Kendal at 381-0587 and she'll answer all your questions. While you've got her on the phone, ask her how she lost all her weight, and became an instructor.

Respectfully,

Duncan Richardson
Chief Master Instructor
The Academy of World Taekwondo
Ph: 208.381.0587
http://www.FreeKarateLesson.com/weight-loss.html

Big Boned?, Weak Boned?, Tromboned?

Dear Students, Friends, & People that want a serious, no sissy's allowed, type of workout:

I'm sort of on a strong bone structure, avoid osteoporosis later kick. Did you follow that last sentence? In other words, your bone density is decreasing everyday you are sedentary.

Do you know how you increase bone density?

You put your bones under stress! Controlled stress of course. You do resistance training. Let's think about this anatomically. When you lift something heavy, with your arms, your biceps contract. While the bicep is contracting, the tendon is pulling on your ulna. In theory, if your bicep was super strong, and your bones were weak, it could essentially rip the tendon right out of the ulna. This doesn't happen because if your biceps were strong, that would mean you have also strengthened your bone structure.

Now, what would happen if you don't exercise and you don't put your muscles or bones under this type of stress to become stronger. You should be alright, right? Whatever clever!

Do you know what would happen if you go years without an exercise program and you experience an accident skiing, working, biking, etc? The stress is way more than the "weak bone, strong bicep" analogy mentioned earlier. What happens is the bone breaks several times easier than a person who exercises regularly in a program designed to build strength.

In plain English, when a muscle contracts and pulls on the bone, the body learns that in order to support the pressure being applied, that it needs to become more dense or it will snap. Does plain weight lifting do this? Well, yes, but I believe a program that includes the resistance training of weights, and multi-directional body resistant movements is ultimate. After all, we don't live our lives linearly, such as with weight lifting. We are constantly twisting, and bending in every direction throughout the day. Ever wonder why you twist a certain way, then ZAP! There went your back for 2 days.

Anyway, with all this in mind, we created our Thai-Fusion Fitness Bootcamp class. A program that combines the cardiovascular element of Thai-Robics with the resistance training of our Sport Fusion class. If you're unfamiliar with both of those programs- Thai-Robics is our longest standing fitness program (since 1995). It's a sweat dumping, cardio pumping aerobic kickboxing class.

Sport Fusion is a circuit training class that uses sport drills as the means to better fitness. You'll train like a soccer player at one station, then like a downhill skier at another, and so on. The exercises stay fun and challenging every single week.

Our June bootcamp at 6 am completely filled up. We're expecting a strong turn out for the rest of the summer. If you're interested, get your spot now.

Here are the knitty gritties:

12 session bootcamp is $79 (July)
24 session bootcamp is $139 (July & August)

Boise location (2475 Apple St.)

Two times- 6 am & 9 am

Want to talk about it, call us at 381-0587.

Register Online Here

Respectfully,

Duncan Richardson
Chief Master Instructor
The Academy of World Taekwondo
Ph: 208.381.0587
http://www.FreeKarateLesson.com
http://www.FreeKarateLesson.com/blog

Sunday Square Foot Gardening

This blog post is going to be a little different than the others. I am going to take a break from writing on life lessons and experiences that happen in my life and share my Sunday with everyone.

Of course, we can't start out a Sunday without Taekwondo training, right. Aside from training a student from 7 to 9 am, we immediately hauled ourselves to The Home Depot today and loaded up the cart with all the necessities to continue our square foot gardening project we started at the end of last summer.

Rachel got really excited about square foot gardening. It's actually pretty cool, mainly because I got to use my tools to help with the project. The concept is simple. It's a portable container that has several plots for different vegetables, and stuff.

I'll have to ask what the benefit is again, because I always forget. One moment...[asking Rachel across the dinner table]

She said that people do it because it takes a lot less maintenance time, and it's movable. Aside from that, I think it's just cool. Evidently, quite a few people use the square foot gardening method when space and dirt is an issue. We qualify. We decided to put our garage in the back of the house which means we've got lots of concrete, and little yard. It's perfect for basketball, bike jumps, etc., but bad for gardening. On the other hand, we have a 13 acre park behind us that we debated cultivating. Think anyone would've noticed?

There is something about gardening that really brings the "green" out of me. We completely built our container out of old building supplies, for example... a door that came off our house when we remodeled, old cedar fence pickets, and redwood that I just couldn't get rid of years ago.

I didn't think to take a picture of the whole family, probably because I was in the mix. But, one of the things that I think is so cool with square foot gardening is that the entire family can be around the container helping. It was an absolutely amazing day because of it.

Happy Sunday!

Duncan Richardson

Meeting with My First Taekwondo Instructor

As you may know, I made a trip over to Portland, Oregon this weekend to meet my first Taekwondo instructor from 1978. I must say, I was a little nervous. It had been 29 years since he has last seen me. I was only 5 years old at the time we moved away and came to Boise.

I didn’t train while I was there, but I sure wish I could’ve. Timing didn’t allow it. Instead, Rachel and I enjoyed listening to stories from long ago. For instance, in 1980, my old Grand Master, Hong Sik Kim, insisted that Master Bettencourt move to Boise to open a Kim’s Taekwondo school. I had known this, but didn’t know some of the details that went along with it.

First, let me explain something about native Koreans. Their culture is based strongly on hierarchy. The hierarchy exists in practically every industry, be it- politics, airline pilots, schooling, or martial arts. In the United States, we have the same hierarchy, just not taken to the same extreme. For instance, a person lower on the hierarchy tree does not question the person above. In addition to that, there is strict seating order at a table, as well as in the car, and even criteria for who enters a building first. In the United States, we follow many of the same criteria to be polite. In Korea, it’s to establish pecking order.

WhenGrand Master Kim decided that there should be a Taekwondo school in Boise, he chose Master Bettencourt to run it. Grand Master Kim took Master Bettencourt on a trip to Boise to show him where the new school would be. Master Bettencourt thought the trip was to see Boise and to decide if this were a place he would want to live and operate a martial art school in.

Well, upon arriving to Boise, Grand Master Kim was excited to show Master Bettencourt the half page phonebook ad he had already placed… with Master Bettencourt’s picture! I could only imagine the look on Master Bettencourt’s face at that very moment. Master Bettencourt enjoyed Oregon and Washington and was used to the environment, and felt uneasy about making the decision to pack up and start a new life and business in another state.

While contemplating the decision on the way back to Oregon, a loud bang happened under the hood of Grand Master Kim’s car. Immediately, Master Bettencourt knew a push rod must’ve blown in the engine. He asked Grand Master Kim when the last time he checked the oil. Grand Master Kim responded, “Oil?”

Whether it was the chain of events, or his intuition, Master Bettencourt decided, at that moment, he would not move to Boise to open a school. Instead, it was my father that started a Kim’s Taekwondo, but not out of the pressure of Grand Master Kim, but rather because he took a job at Morrison Knudsen, coincidently, just after Master Bettencourt decided to stay in Oregon.

Two years later, my father took a different job in Saudi Arabia. At that point, his students were then turned over to Master David Knife who came over to Boise in 1982, of course, under Grand Master Kim’s gentle recommendation.

“So what now?” some people have asked? Master Bettencourt and I decided that there are many things that we can share with each other to help ourselves and our students grow. We discussed many things relating to both the curriculum as well as the business aspect of our Taekwondo schools.

We also discussed doing seminars for each other. In fact, I am going to be getting him some dates to have him come to Boise to put on a special workshop for all of our students. It would mean the world to me to have all of you attend! I will keep you posted.

Respectfully,

Master Richardson
Chief Master Instructor
The Academy of World Taekwondo
www.FreeKarateLesson.com

Reconnecting With My First Master

I was so excited the entire way to Taekwondo school. I was going to do my first Taekwondo class with my dad in Longview, Washington. It was 1978.

I remember the day vividly. When we got to the Taekwondo school, I received my dobok (uniform) from Mr. Bettencourt, now Master Bettencourt. His first name is Steve. I went into the cramped changing room with a few other students, giants actually (adults).

I was so embarrased to change in front of them, that I put my uniform on completely over my clothes. I came out with about 5 inches of blue jean material sticking out below my dobok.

I'll admit, I didn't think anyone would notice, but everyone did. It was okay, because nothing was going to hinder this day. I remember my attention being quickly drawn to a group of students huddled in the corner. After I made my way over there, and peering through the legs of the other students, I saw a young gentleman, probably 19 or 20, being rooted on as he cranked out endless fingertip pushups. When he finished, the students applauded him. I asked my dad why he was doing all those pushups and he told me that he was preparing for his Black Belt test. I was hooked!

It was my first exposure, that I can remember, to perseverance. The will and the discipline this gentleman had to get all these pushups done touched me. It was my first Black Belt lesson as a white belt.

Two days ago, I spoke to Master Bettencourt on the phone and we chuckled about that first day in class over 31 years ago. Although it's been 29 years since I've seen Master Bettencourt, he still remembers me, my mom and dad, and two sisters.

I must say, I am really looking forward to this trip!

Respectfully,

Master Richardson
www.FreeKarateLesson.com

1,000 Pushups in a Day

Today, I pledged that I would do 1,000 pushups. A few people have asked why? Of course, I responded with, "why not?"

I'll have to admit, I became inspired to do this by a little girl in Isaac's kindergarten class. Yesterday, I was volunteering in his class and I noticed this girl would quietly get out of her chair and do 10 pushups. She did this about every 2 minutes at every single station. She didn't do it for attention nor did she disrupt anyone at the same time.

I asked her why she was doing them, of course shy as all get out, she just shrugged her shoulders. I thought to myself after that, "what an opportunity to challenge my self discipline." Besides, if a kindergartener can do it, I can too!

So here my little self discipline project...

1,000 pushups in 12 hours. I remembered an old statement, "How do you eat an elephant?" Answer- "One bite at a time." So, my plan is to do 50 pushups every 30 minutes. Now that I'm halfway through the day, I can see that I set my sights a little too low. It's funny how daunting tasks suddenly become small once you decide to take them on!

Stay tuned for when I do 2,000 in a day!

Respectfully,

Duncan Richardson

B.E.A.T. Down Defense

B.E.A.T. Down Defense

It's early in the morning...

You stop at the grocery store to pick up treats for a Birthday party later that day.

Suddenly, the painful groan of a man laying beside his car calls your attention. He appears handicap as he lay helplessly trying to reach his cane which is under the car.

You look around, and see there is nobody to help. You make the decision to help the man as he painfully reaches for his cane. You help.***

Ted Bundy was convicted of murdering over 30 women, and later confessed to over 100 moments before he was executed. Playing the role of a handicap man was one of Ted Bundy's many roles to lure women.

There are many stories like this in history that bring frustration to me. It frustrates me that these people
exist in our society. It frustrates me when a woman is attacked by a man like this, and they don't always
have the skills to give them a B.E.A.T. Down Defense.

B- Beware. The first rule of self defense is to always be aware of your surroundings. Never take anything for granted, and approach unusual situations with caution.

E- Empowered. It's time to become empowered and know that you are strong and that you can possess the knowledge to take somebody down twice your size. The moment you realize this, is the moment an assailant chooses not to mess with you.

A- Attack. If the moment comes that you must fight for your life, then you will not just defend yourself, but you will attack with a storm of thunderous punches, kicks, and elbow strikes. Getting attacked by a swarm of killer bees would be more favored by your assailant.

T- Take off! When your first opportunity arises to get away, you will take it! Whether you are winning or losing the battle, your goal is to break free and get to safety in order to win the war.

The Academy of World Taekwondo will be providing a 2 hour B.E.A.T Down Defense workshop to teach women the physical & mental skills of self defense described above.
Here are some FAQ's

Q. What will be covered in the program?

A. Participants will spend a portion of the class learning about:
1. The criminal mind and how they choose their victims
2. How to remove yourself as a potential target for these criminals
3. Simple tips to stay safe while you and your family sleeps
4. How to implement B.E.A.T. (Beware, Empower, Attack, Take Off)
The other portion of the program will teach students:
1. Verbal defense and non-violent techniques for low risk situations
2. Techniques for: Striking, joint submission or breaking, and leveraging someone much larger than you
3. Scenario defense- Pinned Against a Wall, Pinned on the Ground, Attacked in Your Car, Grabbed Unexpectedly

Q. Is this appropriate for all ages?

A. No. This program is specifically designed for adult women and teenagers. Keep in mind, the attacks and motives for criminals vary for men and children targets.

Q. What do I wear?

A. Comfortable clothes (exercise attire). We are going to move around and sweat! B.E.A.T. Down Defense is more than just self defense techniques, it's also about building strength and endurance to dominate any situation from a sleazy, no good- attacker!

You can get more information here: BEAT Down Defense

When: Monday, Apr 27th
Where: AWT-EAGLE
Time: 5:45 to 7:45 pm
Cost: $25
Who: Students & Friends of AWT (13 yrs +)
Enrollment Limited to 30

When: Wednesday, Apr 29th
Where: AWT-BOISE
Time: 6:00 to 8:00 pm
Cost: $25
Who: Students & Friends of AWT (13 yrs +)
Enrollment Limited to 20

1 Fat Burning Tip I Bet You've Never Heard Of

Dear Friend,

I have a fat loss tip that I bet you've never heard of, but first, let me explain a couple things. We've all heard that having a Lean and Strong body comes from exercise and good nutrition. Let me remind everyone, there are many items to the equation. It's not JUST exercise and good nutrition. If you've followed me, or have done our Ultimate Body Challenge (UBC), then you also know that I am a proponent for revving up your system... getting your metabolism working for you and not against you.

Having a metabolism that is rippin' and roarin' is like owning cash flowing rental property- your money works for you. A faster metabolism will be working for you to ensure food doesn't have a chance to get stored as fat, but rather gets burned up.

There is still another piece to the puzzle though. Let's say we get our metabolism just smoking, does that mean no matter how much we eat, we'll burn it off? The answer is a resounding no. Have you heard of "Calories IN, versus Calories OUT?"

In our Taekwondo class, I was explaining this concept to two of our teenage students before class. Yes, I preach good nutrition in all of our programs;). I explained it like this- How often do your parents fill up their car with gas? (Answer- Once a week.) So, 4 times a month? (Right.) So, that's probably 15 gallons of gas a week, or 60 gallons a month, right? (Right.) Why not just stuff the car with gas and fill it up with 60 gallons once a month? (Uhhh, because the gas will not fit in the tank all at once)

Aren't our bodies very similar to a car? What happens when we put too much gas (food) in our tank (stomach)? If we overflow our tank, guess what happens? The food gets stored as fat. A car is designed for only so much gas, just like our body is designed for so much food.

A car also has a built in mechanism to let the driver know when it's full and empty. Well, a body has one too. The problem with our body's mechanism is that it has a difficult time sensing when you slightly over-eat. Do you have unwanted body fat? Did you get this unwanted body fat overnight? Or, was it a slow accumulation over the course of 5 years, 10 years, or 20 years? Slightly over-eating mulitplied by the number of meals you have in a day, times several years equals that slow accumulation of unwanted body fat.

The answer is Cholecystokinin (CCK). CCK is your body's overflow mechanism. CCK is a hormone that is released in the presence of proteins and fats. This is why people can devour an entire pizza or large bowl of pasta when they are starving. It's pratically all carbs (undesirable carbs, too). The CCK hormone was never released, or it took too long.

The key is to include a healthy source of fats with every meal. In the UBC program, we advise students to eat some nuts or other source of "good" fats with every meal. Again, this ensures that we don't overflow our tanks when eating, and also gives us that satisfied feeling.

I hope you benefited from one of our UBC's strategic eating principles.

The last Ultimate Body Challenge Before Summer begins this Monday. To learn more about this program, visit-
The Last Ultimate Body Challenge Before Summer

Respectfully,

Duncan Richardson
Chief Master Instructor
The Academy of World Taekwondo
Ph: 208.381.0587
http://www.FreeKarateLesson.com/weight-loss.html

P.S. If you want to ask some questions right now about the UBC, call Kendal at 559-1424.

8 Students Can't Seem to Find 60 Pounds of Fat

60 Pounds of Fat, Lost, Gone, Shedded Away- Family and Friends are Stunned
During our 6 am session, I did body compositions for 8 students. Collectively, they lost 60 pounds of fat. Keep in mind, these are not Biggest Loser contestants. These are everyday individuals like you and I. Unlike the Biggest Loser whose contestants start at around 400 pounds, our students range from 240 pounds down to 115 pounds.

The exciting part is, we just begun our final testing. I'm just so excited from the results so far. Here are some comments that have been made about the program over the past 10 weeks.:

"I have so much more energy..."
"I feel great and motivated..."
"I've gone shopping in my own closet..."
"Duncan, you owe me money for new pants, since they all don't fit anymore..."
"My [censored] life has improved..."(told to Rachel)
"The UBC has helped my running program..."
"My inner thighs don't touch anymore!"
"I have more patience with my children..."
"It feels sooooo good doing something for myself for once."

Alright, now it's time to relax, do some spring skiing, yard clean up, garage clean up, bike riding, or whatever, because we're back at it in 1 week. A good majority of our UBC students are saying, "I'm not quitting now..." They're ramping up for summer! This next UBC will start March 30th and will end right when school get's out.

FYI- This is the last Ultimate Body Challenge until the fall. If you want to super charge your body, chisel those arms and abs, and roast off that extra luggage in the midsection and rear end, this is it!

Visit http://www.FreeKarateLesson.com/weight-loss.html to get the whole scoop on the UBC. I hope to see hear from you soon because the last UBC is filling up.

Respectfully,

Duncan Richardson
Chief Master Instructor
The Academy of World Taekwondo
Ph: 208.381.0587
http://www.FreeKarateLesson.com

A Speech for YPO/EO Boxing Event

Yesterday was the big Boxing event for the two organizations YPO & EO. This event involved having 8 fighters, who trained diligently for 4 weeks, fight in a real boxing match. The participants are not boxers, but trained to be one for a night.

Of course, YPO & EO is not in the business of putting on boxing matches. Their purpose is rather to help their members become better in business as well as with their family. The night was meant to be symbolic of their fighting spirit to achieve their goals- whether in business, with their family, or personally.

Aside from training four of the fighters, I also gave a presentation to help shed light on the educational component of the event. Since the event was a private function, I have provided my speech for everyone to read. Enjoy!

********YPO/EO Boxing Event Speech**********

I would like to open with a story about a boxer from Kampala, Uganda named Bashir Ramathan. Bashir trains in a musky gym where the weak aren’t welcome. It’s a gym for hard core fighters and that’s it.

Bashir lives the classic life of a boxer. He dresses old school, with a tank top, and shorts over his sweat pants. He wakes up and runs the dusty, rock strewn roads of Kampala. It’s just like the old Rocky movies- people stop what they’re doing when Bashir passes by. They all cheer him on and chant for him.

He hits the boxing gym everyday for several hours working the bag, hitting the mitts, and sparring. His opponents are usually apprehensive to go toe to toe with him, because they never see his razor sharp hook coming. Bashir is pretty intense when he spars. His coach says that he fights completely with his mind, using all of his senses. You see, Bashir is blind.

His success as a boxer comes from hearing his opponents feet shuffling and smelling their sweat and feeling their body heat.

Bashir, maybe blind, but the thing he doesn’t lack is vision. He is passionate about boxing and works harder than everyone else, not because he wants to be a champion, but because he has to. His perseverance, drive, and motivation is what makes him succeed.

Cleveland and I were brought in to train 8 fighters to compete in a real boxing match. The event is meant to be fun, but more importantly it’s to symbolize your current position in business or with your family in a down economy.

Believe me… the correlation between a boxers regiment and your life is impeccably similar.

First of all… who here believes with a 100% certainty that there is something you can do in the next 4 weeks to make your business life, your family life, and your personal life… worse?

Okay, how many of you believe there is something you can do in the next 4 weeks to make your business life, your family life, and your personal life… better?

How many of you believe that the choice is yours?

Over the past 4 weeks, Cleveland and I have been training 8 fighters to jab, cross, slip, dip, catch, and perry. We taught them to be offensive, but yet evasive. We taught them how to roll with the punches, recover, and bounce back 100%.

For 8 training sessions, they sweated, they bled, they fatigued themselves to total muscle failure. They sparred with each other, they encouraged each other. They all took some hard shots, and learned some hard lessons about boxing. They each returned to the next session, sometimes with black eyes.

They pushed themselves to the limit, and when they got there, they pushed themselves a little bit further. In their minds, failure is not an option.

Most importantly these 8 fighters have already dominated their toughest opponent… themselves.

If you’ve ever boxed, or competed in martial arts, or even wrestled it’s a completely different world and it’s night and day to team sports. You see, the moment you enter the ring, you are essentially alone. Alone with one person who is trying to dominate you and a referee who can care less about you.

Until you experience that intense sensation of realizing that your success and failure is completely in your hands and no one else’s, do you come to recognize your true inner strength.

It’s this inner strength we are bringing out of these 8 fighters that Steve Marlo & Pete McDonald wanted to showcase for everyone.

Right now, our businesses have changed. Construction is down, consumer spending is down, and sales in practically every industry is down. What if we fought for our business the same way these 8 fighters prepared for this fight? Or fought for a healthy, happy family? What if we exercised the same focus with our kids that these fighters practiced in their training.

Earlier, I asked, is there something you can do in the next 4 weeks to change your business life, your family life, and your personal life. You said, “yes.” Right now, the economy has taken an unexpected toll on many areas of our life.

Do you know what the strategy is called in boxing to deal with an unexpected blow? To roll with the punch. This means you simply roll your body in the direction of the punch to lessen it’s blow.

Today is new economy from yesterday. It’s a new fight, and it’s an opponent many of us didn’t prepare for. Now that we are all in this fight, we must “Come Out Fighting” and quickly learn “To Roll With Punches” if we are going to “Go The Distance.”

If you find your business “On The Ropes”, you “Bob & Weave” and re-strategize. Everyday, we’re “Saved by the Bell.” It’s that precious time between rounds when you recuperate, and you come home to those beautiful children, and you kiss your lovely spouse.

It’s the only way true fighters “Go The Distance.”

*************************

Respectfully,

Duncan Richardson

Changing Your Perspective

Last week, me and the whole family went to a "well" visit for Zoey. The doctor's office is on the 4th floor. Rachel hung back to take care of the paperwork, so I decided to take the kids to get loaded up in the car. As we were entering the elevator, my 3 year old daughter asks, "What about mommy?" While we were riding the elevator down, I said, "She'll be okay. She'll catch up."

After exiting the elevator and walking to the car, my daughter asked the same exact question. Now, I'm thinking that she might be nervous that we are leaving her behind. I'll soon find out, she was horribly nervous.

So, I asked Reese, "Are you worried about mommy?"

"Well... what about when she goes into the elevator?"

Confused about what is troubling her, I say, "Then, she'll meet us at the car when she gets out of the elevator."

"But, when she goes into the elevator, the room will change..."

Ah hah!!! I wanted to snatch up little Reese and give her a big hug at that moment, but I had a carrier in one hand and we were crossing the street. Imagine having a 3 year olds mind and truly believing that the elevator is some sort of portal that when the door shuts and reopens, the room is actually different, then being nervous that mommy would be trapped in another realm.

Needless to say, I did change Reese's perspective on how an elevator works and that it's just a ride that carries people up and down a building.

Of course, there is a lesson in all of this. For me it was one lesson compounded by another. Did you imagine what Reese was thinking? You walk in a small closet, the door closes then reopens, and ta da..! A new room appears. What if life were this easy? Not for the shear ability to travel from point A to point B, but to literally change our perspective on life.

There are so many negative things going on right now with the government bail outs, the unemployment rates, the housing market, Angelina Jolie & Jennifer Aniston, etc. If only we could change the circumstances with an elevator.

What if we could change things? I believe we can. I believe we can change our perspective on life. Take this for example... what would happen if you and your spouse lost your job? I'm going to come back to this question.

Recently, Rachel and I, and the whole family, met up with a long time friend and her daughter. We met at Ihop, for National Pancake Day. I tell you, it's like Christmas when the kiddos hear we're going for free pancakes!

That day, I learned another amazing life lesson. A lesson that came at the ultimate expense. Our friends husband is an engineer at Micron, and they used to wonder what the heck they would do should he ever get laid off. If you ask either one of them today, they would say, "Oh well, it's not the worst that has happened to us."

Her outlook on the future is positive. A few months back, our friend lost their baby boy to an unknown cause. I couldn't ever imagine losing a child. From where our friend stands now, her perspective is completely different.

So let me ask again, "What would happen if you and your spouse lost your job?" Could it be any worse than losing a child? Not in a million years! I try and live by certain principles. Principle that our found in our Taekwondo- Black Belt Creed. Modesty, Courtesy, Integrity, Perseverance, Self Control, and Indomitable Spirit. I am always moved when someone displays more of these principles than I ever have. Our friend, not only taught me a lesson about changing our perspective, but also taught me just how far Perseverance and Indomitable Spirit can be taken.

The economy can be in the tanks, people can be losing their jobs, but there is one thing that can never be taken from us and that's our perseverance and indomitable spirit. Now, just change your perspective... that's up to you.

Respectfully,

Duncan Richardson

3rd Day- Black Belt Test (Official Test)

Day 3... The Test! Wow!!! What a journey it has been leading to this moment. Everybody, and I mean everybody has sore hamstrings, and back muscles from drilling for absolute perfection. The standard that was set for us was so amazingly high. I watched some of the officials basically tell some of the Black Belt candidates that there was no need for them to test. At least that was what was implied.

I must say that I have some new heroes in my life. One of them is Grandmaster Park Jeong-Beom (pictured), as well as those group of participants testing for 7th Degree. Last night, approaching midnight, there were only a handfull of people still drilling. No surprise, but the ones left in the room were the best out of about 300 people, and most of them were Korean. Their discipline, their focus, their conviction, and their confidence was absolutely amazing. Never in my entire life have I ever seen such a large collection of devoted martial artists. I've seen many martial artists who were outstanding fighters or excellent technicians, but these individuals were on a whole new level. And, the best part about it is... I was a part of it!

This morning, despite the fact that we were all sore, we warmed up, drilled, stretched, rested... warmed up, drilled, stretched, rested, etc. Unfortunately, we were all unsure of our exact moment we would go. Many of us had flexibility that was comprised by tight muscles, so it was important to remain very warm and loose. It would have been detrimental to allow the body to cool down.

We drilled our techniques and poomse over and over again. We critiqued each other and never settled for anything less than perfect. It was stressed to us that we should not hesitate or pause. If we do, our test will be comprimised. The panel of judges were the official Kukkiwon instructors, and didn't want to see anything that was less than perfect.

Waiting for my turn felt like an eternity. I quit watching the people before me since some were cracking under the pressure. The room was filled with high ranking officials from Kukkiwon, as well as The World Taekwondo Federation, let only a few hundred spectators. Some people testing completely froze and couldn't even begin their poomse.

I decided to spend the next 30 minutes visualizing every possible poomse I could do. In practice, I was not always happy with my techniques, but I decided that I must do my best at this point. Every other poomse I would do, in practice, had some small error. Over the next 30 minutes, I visualized myself executing perfect techniques. I self-talked and commanded nothing but excellence, power, and conviction from my subconscious.

My number was called... and I couldn't wait to take the floor. I face the judges with confidence and poise.

Charyut!
Kyung-nae!
Koryo Joonbi!

"Adapt, adapt, adapt...!!!", was what went through my head. The last 32 people started with Taegeuk Pal Jang! Those of you who are martial artists must be thinking, what's the big deal? The big deal is that these judges what to see a poomse beyond what you can ever imagine. Beyond anything that I could ever imagine, up until this weekend! Every starting position, ending position, feet position (to the inch), balance, power, fluidity, with the proper combination of slow and fast movements, etc., etc., etc. Even masters testing for 7th Degree took this very seriously.

Hardly anyone arrived to this Black Belt Test with 100% of the knowledge the judges wanted to see. Even within the past year, their have been HUGE changes in poomse! Changes that needed to be mastered in 2 days, and habits that needed to be broken from over 30 years of training. The alternative is to fail the test.

I am proud to say that I nailed every single poomse as perfect as I could possibly make it. It was as flawless as I could presently make it. I could not have been anymore proud of myself for ending such a challenging journey. Oh, I almost forgot to mention, the sparring was a breeze. Funny how things have changed for me. The amount of pefection being demanded by Kukkiwon actually made sparring a walk in the park!

I won't know if I have passed this test for a few weeks. I am not worried one bit, because, if I have failed, I will at least know that I have experienced from this journey. I know that I am strong, both physically and mentally. I know that I am a true master with devotion, and conviction. I know that next time, I will be better.

Respectfully,

Duncan Richardson

2nd Update- Black Belt Test

The second day has ended up being a lot longer than the first day. I'm writing this blog post at 2:32 am, 20 minutes after leaving the Tropicana Hotel (site of testing). For the record, the official test is not until tomorrow. What is tomorrow? Is today, tomorrow?? I've been punching, blocking, and kicking for 16 hours straight, minus lunch, dinner, a few snacks, and restroom breaks. I'm a little delirious.

Believe it or not, there are 300 people testing for a different rank of Black Belt. Today, Grandmaster Park informed everyone that 10% of our group would pass the test if the test was right now. Well... I wish he hadn't told me that. I'm accustomed to long hours of teaching and training, and minimal sleep. Therefore, guess who was the last to leave tonight? You guessed it! Nery and I. Nery is my new hardcore training buddy from Los Angeles. I'm not sure what happened to Carston, my buddy from Germany. He called it a night after dinner.

I sure wish I could write more, but I'm thinking I need a few hours of sleep before I take the official test tomorrow.

Respectfully,

Duncan Richardson

1st Update- Black Belt Update

As promised, I am making a blog post on my quest for 6th Degree Black Belt.

5:30 am - Wake up (Boise)
6:00 am - Cringe as the taxi driver rings the doorbell (3 sleeping kids!)
7:45 am - Land in Las Vegas. I did travel light. I checked in a bag, but carried my hogu (chest protector) with me. I have traveled to a lot of tournaments with this hogu, and never have I had so many people ask me what it was that I was carrying. Evidently, 3 people had a bet on what it was. Apparently, one gentleman thought it was a ping pong paddle case.
8:10 am - Picked up by the Hampton Inn shuttle (that I called for, by the way)
8:20 am - Arrive at the wrong Hampton Inn.
8:25 am - Get back on the shuttle I thought I called, but really didn't, and head for the airport. Mine was there waiting.
8:35 am - Get to the right hotel, check in, shower, eat breakfast, and head to the Tropicana hotel for the poomse seminar.

As some of you may know, I wasn't super excited to do 2 days of straight poomse training before the actual test. After spending about 8 hours on poomse, then an additional 2 hours working with some new friends, I'm actually kind of excited. I've been to a lot of seminars, but this one is different. The seminar leader is a 9th Degree Grandmaster. He started his training in the 60's, and has the agility of a cat! He doesn't speak a lick of English, and has a translator relaying his wealth of knowledge to the participants.

Many of the Black Belt participants have their school logo on the back of their dobok (uniform). Not the seminar leader and assistants! The back of their uniform has one word written in big bold letters... KUKKIWON. Let me explain- Kukkiwon is the heart and soul of the Black Belt curriculum. Kukkiwon is the headquarters for the development and processing of Black Belts and their certificates. Having KUKKIWON on the back of your dobok is about the equivalent to a room full of people with their state on their back, and a few people with the words- WHITE HOUSE.

Aside from having some very knowledgable big dogs, it was actually quite exciting to understand the development and changes of the particular techniques in a poomse. I understand that students aren't thrilled about change. It has actually occured to me that our students must simply understand that poomse changes, not because it was being down incorrectly, but because it must evolve. There are vast changes in poomse from just 5 years ago! It's no wonder there is so much controversy over the correct techniques. Let me back up. There is controversy amongst those that don't keep their knowledge updated. Don't misunderstand me, I still have my thoughts on the starting and stopping positions of a poomse:).

Alright, it's time for me to veg out and visualize Pyongwon, Sipjin, and Jitae.

Respectfully,

Duncan Richardson
The Academy of World Taekwondo

6th Degree Black Belt

I am excited to announce that I have applied to participate in a historical Black Belt exam. It's the first Black Belt exam, of this nature, in history. So far, there is no other test like this foreseen in the future. The test is being conducted by a panel of high ranking Black Belts, including 9th Degree Grandmasters from the Kukkiwon headquarters in Seoul, Korea.

The test is being hosted by the United States Association of Taekwondo (USAT) at the US Taekwondo Open Championships in Las Vegas this weekend. This historical event can be best described as a make up test. It's for Black Belts who had errors in processing their applications, or for whatever reason, missed their opportunity to test when they were scheduled to.

11 years ago, I participated in a Black Belt test that was supposed to transfer my current rank, and move me up 1 degree as a Kukkiwon Certified Black Belt. Evidently, when my application was processed, I was actually 1 degree lower as a Kukkiwon Certified Black Belt. Four years ago, I opted to take my 4th degree Black Belt test from my sisters instructor in Los Angeles, Ca. No problems with processing there.

When I learned about this special Black Belt test, I contacted the CEO of the USAT, Mr. David Askinas, and we determined that I indeed qualify for a promotion. This year, I am technically up for my 5th degree Black Belt test. I had every intention of testing in Korea this year, until I learned about this historical test. Due to the circumstances 11 years ago, I was adviced to apply for a skip promotion, which would allow me to test for my 6th degree Black Belt. I prepared all the necessary documents, including a 10 page thesis on my philosophy of Taekwondo, plus my Taekwondo resume that began in 1978. My application, thesis, and resume was reviewed in Korea, and... ACCEPTED!

Although I am thrilled that I have this opportunity to test for my 6th degree Black Belt, I am more excited that I made contact with my original instructor from 1978 because of this event. I was documenting him in my resume and wanted to confirm that I was spelling his name correctly, so I Googled him. Surprisingly, I found him! I had actually sought him out a few times over the past 15 years with no luck, therefore, I assumed he was no longer involved in martial arts. His name is Master Steve Bettencourt, and he has 7 schools in his organization. http://www.worldmusadofederation.com. He is still very much involved with martial arts!

I sent him an email explaining who I was. I was hoping that he would at least remember my father, who was a Black Belt at the time. He responded within 12 hours and remembers exactly who I am, as well as my entire family, even affter 31 years! We've been in touch since I made contact with him, and I hope to visit him and his schools this year.

See you in class!

Respectfully,

Duncan Richardson