Hapkido
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Began September 1983 under Master Yong Chin Pak at Iowa State
University. Achieved 1st degree black belt in the fall of 1987.
At the time Master Pak was not certifying HKD black belts, so
I don't have a piece of paper from him to stick in a frame and
put up on the wall. But I have the knowledge, the actual belt
he gave me, and pictures. After graduation in December 1988, began
study with Master Yon Sun Kim in Richardson, Texas. Achieved 2nd
Dan under Master Kim on 3/29/90, and 3rd Dan on 6/17/92 (certification
via World Hapkido Federation). Split with Master Kim because of
a number of philisophical differences and opened Beck Martial
Arts in September of 1993. Met Sin Moo HKD Master David Henderson
in March of 1995 and began occasional seminars with Masters Henderson,
Larry Dorsey, Chad Zweig, and Dojunim Han Jae Ji. Achieved 4th
Dan on May 14, 1996 (certification via World Sin Moo Hapkido Association.
Went back to World Hapkido Federation in late 1999 to certify
3 of my HKD students as 1st Dans during a time when Dojunim Ji
was moving around and difficult to contact. Promoted to 5th Dan
on June 29, 2000 via the WHF. Re hooked up with Dojunim Ji in
2004 and after hosting him for a couple seminars to better master
the Sin Moo curriculum and its updates since 1996, accepted promotion
by Dojunim Ji to 6th Dan on June 11, 2005 (World Sin Moo Hapkido
Association). Have also trained in numerous seminars with other
masters, including Master Sun Kyu Yang, Master Geoff Booth, Grandmaster
JR West, and Grandmaster In Sun SEO. Continuing training and teaching.
Taekwondo
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Began training in 1986 under Master Yong Chin Pak at Iowa State
University, achieving 7th Gup. Continued with Master Yon Sun Kim
in Richardson,Texas in January, 1989; achieving 1st Dan on January
21, 1991, certification via the Kukkiwon (World Taekwondo Federation).
Continued study and achieved 2nd Dan on June 21, 1993 (Kukkiwon
certification). After split with Master Kim later in 1993, began
training with Grandmaster Sun Hee-Sup Lee. Achieved 3rd Dan on
Sept. 20, 1996 (Kukkiwon certification). Continued training and
achieved 4th Dan on Nov. 5th, 1999 (Kukkiwon certification). Continuing
training and teaching, though less frequently than Hapkido.
Arnis
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Began with seminar training in Modern Arnis in 1993 under Professor
Remy Presas. Began group and private lesson training with Guro
Anding de Leon in late 1994, training off and on somewhat sporadically
as time allowed, including attending the Professor's summer camps
in Dallas 1993, '94, '95, and '96. Did not test at the camps in
'95 and '96, wanting to master the whole curriculum as taught
by Guro de Leon. Did so and achieved black belt on August 25,
1999 (certification via International Modern Arnis Federation).
After the Professor's death and the formation of the International
Arnis de Leon Federation, achieved black belt in Arnis de Leon
from the IADLF in 2002. Have also attended seminars by other arnis
teachers such as Remy's brother Ernesto Presas and Datu Tim Hartman
and seeing other Filipino systems such as Pekita Tirsia, Inayan
Serrada, the Dog Brothers', and Dan Inosanto's. Continuing training
and teaching.
Other
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Informal boxing training with a longtime Dallas Golden Gloves
competitor.
Grappling training with friends involving wrestling and Brazilian
jujutsu.
Seminars and informal training with friends in aikijujutsu, Shorin-Ryu,
Kempo, Pekita-Tirsia, Eskrido, and jo staff.
Seminars and certification by NAPMA to teach Cardio Karate aerobic
kickboxing.
Certification in CPR and First aid.
Teaching and Beck Martial Arts
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First started thinking about teaching about blue belt or so, after
being the highest rank on a Saturday HKD workout at Iowa State,
running the class, and finding out how much I enjoyed it. From
that point on I was studying how to teach from my instructors
besides studying the martial arts themselves.
Taught HKD under auspices of Master Pak beginning in 1985.
Taught HKD and TKD under auspices of Master Kim beginning in
1989.
Opened Beck Martial Arts as a sole proprietership in September
of 1993. Taught HKD and TKD out of the Olympus Gym in Garland
from 1993 - 1995, then from the Kids in Motion dance studio in
Sachse (1995-6) then from the North Texas Performing Arts Academy
dance studio in Wylie (1996-7). All three went out of business!
I finally got tired of finding new locations on short notice and
teaching out of non martial art places and opened my own storefront
in Wylie in September 1997. Taught HKD, TKD, aerobic kickboxing,
and arnis from the storefront. I was there for 3 years, but with
a full-time job, the birth of a daughter, the distance from my
home in Plano, and an illness in the family, it was taking too
much time. Closed the storefront in September 2000. Since then
have taught out of Sun Lee Texas TKD Center, first in Plano and
now Richardson.
Taught many self-defence and HKD seminars, including to sororities, family and friends of existing students, gym members, company employees, and the general public.