> >> >Subject: Crackpot friends
> >
> >
> >
> >An elderly Chinese woman had two large pots, each hung on the ends of a
> >pole
> >which she carried across her neck. One of the pots had a crack in
it while
> >the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water.
> >At the end of the long walk from the stream to the house, the cracked
> >pot arrived only half full. For a full two years this went on daily,
> >with the woman bringing home only one and a half pots of water. Of
> >course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments.
> >
> >But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and
miserable
> >that it could only do half of what it had been made to do. After 2
years of
> >what it perceived to be bitter failure, it spoke to the woman one
day by
> >the
> >stream. "I am ashamed of myself, because this crack in my side
causes water
> >to leak out all the way back to your house." The old woman smiled,
"Did you
> >notice that there are flowers on your side of the path, but not on the
> >other pot's side?" "That's because I have always known about your flaw,
> >so I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while
> >we walk back, you water them." "For two years I have been able to pick
> >these beautiful flowers to decorate the table. Without you being just
> >the way you are, there would not be this beauty to grace the house."
> >
> >Each of us has our own unique flaw. But it's the cracks and flaws we
> >each have that make our lives together so very interesting and
> >rewarding. You've just got to take each person for what they are and
> >look for the good in them.
> >
> >
> >So, to all of my crackpot friends, have a great day and remember to
> >smell the flowers on your side of the path! And send this to any or all
> >of your crackpot friends within 5 minutes and see what happens!
> >

"Small deeds done are better than great deeds planned." -- Peter Marshall
(1902-1949, American Presbyterian Clergyman)

Benefits for Adults

Brad Evenson
National Post

Thursday, March 25, 2004
Pacifists take note: Medical research shows why Vikings, gladiators
and samurai were so vigorous. It turns out fighting is good for you.
Two studies published today in the British Journal of Sports Medicine
suggest martial arts and wrestling can stave off disease.

"The true meaning of martial arts is the prolonging of life, not just
self-defence," says Peter Douris, a professor of physical therapy at
the New York Institute of Technology. "It's self-defence against the
ageing process. If you notice these [martial arts] masters as they get
older and older, they stay in incredible condition."

What makes fighting unique among most forms of exercise is the way it
blends strength, endurance, flexibility and balance. Although the
studies were small in scale, their findings should make people aware
of fitness alternatives to traditional sports such as running and
lifting weights. In recent years, millions of elderly North Americans
have discovered the benefits of tai chi, a Chinese martial art that
uses slow, smooth movements to train the body in balance, endurance
and strength. But Dr. Douris wanted to see whether a more dynamic art
form could offer benefits to people aged 40 to 60.

"I was interested in middle aged people like me," said the 47-year-old
researcher.

Dr. Douris recruited seven men and two women who had practised a
Korean martial art called soo bahk do. However, he says other forms,
such as karate, judo, tae kwon do and kung fu would confer similar
benefits. The subjects had done the martial art for three years or
more, but did no other exercise.

He compared them with adults of the same age and gender who did no
exercise, measuring body fat, balance, flexibility, muscle and grip
strength. "The difference was incredible," he said.

For example, the sedentary group had 12% more body fat than the soo
bahk do group. The martial arts group performed more than twice as
many push ups and situps in 60 seconds.

They could also hold their balance on one leg with eyes closed for an
average 62 seconds, compared with only 26 seconds for the sedentary
group. In a test called the "sit and reach test," the soo bahk do
group enjoyed 114% more flexibility in the hamstrings, low back and
hip joints. Not only does fighting help fitness, but it may also
prevent illness. In a study of teenaged boys, a team of California
researchers found wrestling added a powerful boost to the immune system.

Until now, most studies of immunity and activity focused on adults.
But in recent years, evidence has piled up that exercise can bolster
the immune systems of children, which can influence their growth.
"What is emerging from this is that the role of exercise in children
is not only for growth and development, but also in the immune
response," says researcher Dan Cooper, a professor of pediatrics at
the University of California, Irvine.

Dr. Cooper and his colleagues measured the levels of white blood cells
of 14- to 18-year-old boys at a high school after a 90-minute
wrestling practice.

They chose wrestling because of its intense blend of resistance,
endurance and stretching exercise.

"What I think is interesting about the wrestler paper is here is an
activity that is done by kids," he says. "It's comparable to other
sports, and before we had sports, probably it's comparable to what
children did during the early evolution of man."

They found the cell counts rose sharply after the exercise, especially
a class of cells called natural killer (NK) cells. The most aggressive
of all immune cells, NK cells are the first line of defence against
viral infections and cancers. They patrol the bloodstream, seeking out
"banners" on healthy, normal cells. When they find diseased cells
without this flag, the NK cells blast them with a lethal burst of
chemicals that destroys them.

Dr. Cooper suggests immune chemicals produced by exercise, such as an
inflammatory protein called IL-6 may help children grow. "[IL-6] may
cause the formation of new blood vessels," he says. "The formation of
new blood vessels in the muscle is probably one of the most important
adaptive mechanisms. It's what allows you, the second time you do the
activity, to do it better and more efficiently." In fact, he suspects
many forms of illness caused by defects in the immune system, such as
diabetes, asthma or arthritis, may be caused by a lack of vigorous
exercise, such as wrestling or martial arts, in childhood.

© National Post 2004

TaeKwonDo Benefits:
Benefits for Childeren
     * In a survey of 200 parents whose children (ages 5-11) have been
in Martial Arts training for at least six months:
       98% said their childrens' behaviour improved!

     * Out of 127 teachers who had hyperactive students in Martial Arts
for at least six months:
       (Ages 5-8)  79% improved
       (Ages 9-11)  87% improved
       (Ages 12-16)  97% improved

     * Out of 172 adults enrolled in Martial Arts training, when
questioned about their attitude towards life:
       (Ages 18-30)  97% said it had improved
       (Ages 31-50)  100% said it had improved
       (Ages 51-74)  100% said it had improved

     * Out of 111 parents with handicapped children enrolled in Martial
Arts, when asked if there were any improvements in their childrens'
self-esteem and attitude:
           o 87% saw improvement
           o 13% saw no change (after six months)


     * Academic teachers with students in Martial Arts training who had
practiced for at least one year:
       (Ages 5-8)  95% improved dramatically
       (Ages 9-12)  81% improved academically
       (Ages 13-18)  91% improved academically

     * In a survey of 121 adults (ages 18-65) enrolled in Martial Arts:
in their childrens' self-esteem and attitude:
           o 73% lost 25 lbs. or more
           o 25% lost at least 5 lbs.
           o 2% gained 5 lbs. or le


       Source: According to the United States Martial Arts Foundation
       Chairman, Robert Ferguson.

I just got back from  Kickfest 2008 and it was definitely an action
packed
night. 18 fights, both MMA  and kickboxing and one boxing match.

Juan won his fight by judges  decision though he injured himself part way
through the first round. He went for  a left leg fast kick and when he
put his
back foot down he hit the ground  instantly. I'm not sure if maybe he
twisted
his knee or ankle. He was pretty  impressive to me for my first time
seeing him
fight at all. I've met him before  years ago but never saw him fight.
It was
obvious that his hands needed work but  he got off two very nice cover
punches
that made sweat fly off the guys head.  Overall he looked good.

Someone that I didn't expect to see was fighting  also, Eui Lee. He
had an
MMA match.  I was hoping I'd get to see his kicks,  as I'd seen him
competing
and competed at his tournament before in the past.  However, he
quickly took the
guy to the ground, took full mount and proceeded to  "ground and
pound" until
the ref stopped the match. Overall he looked good also,  I just wished
the
fight was longer.



Mike  Hollingsworth
Capoeira & Taekwondo

Understanding More About The World Hanmadang

   To understand more about the World Hanmadang, a Kukkiwon
International Event we must think outside  the box of  sport Olympic
Taekwondo. Yes we will still do sport Taekwondo, but now in America
we have more than just sport. Now we as instructors can offer every
student in Taekwondo an international event with the possibility of
winning. In actuality we can now build all student's confidence to a
higher learning capability with which they can become stronger and
better because we have more tools to do it with. In traditional
martial arts of old it's about family and the building of each
individual to be unique. In order to make the Kukkiwon Hanmadang
Methodology useful to each instructor we must get back to traditional
martial arts with the teaching, that all Taekwondoians are family and
that unity with loyalty is necessary. In order to do this we need to
think:

   Family

   Unity

   Technique

   Festival

   Fun

   Stressless competition environment, yet teaching the important
points of life that make things more enjoyable.



   Some of the Hanmadang events are listed here:

   Team Poomse

   Individual Poomse

   Aerobic Poomse

   Musical Poomse

   Self- Defense with different categories

   Board Breaking with hands and feet.



   More information to come. Closely watch for the United States
Taekwondo Federation web site which will be up Friday 1-11-2007 at
www.unitedstatestaekwondofederation.com

Kevin Kastelle wrote:
Check this out!

http://www.history.com/minisites/humanweapon

2008 Hanmadang, To Be Held in the USA

HAN, Hye - Jin: Translation by James Kim (2007/11/28)

Kukkiwon Committee, 2008 World Taekwondo Hanmadang in USA confirmed

Anaheim Convention Center

To determine next year's World Taekwondo Hanmadang's location, things
are getting hectic. In the midst of it all, Kukkiwon finally confirmed
that next year's host will be United States.

Kukkiwon announced this decision on the 27th and confirmed that '2008
World Taekwondo Hanmadang' with the proposal from President Sang Chul
Lee from USTF, will be held in the United States at the Anaheim
Convention Center.

Hanmadang will take place from July 16th through the 20th of 2008 at
the Anaheim Convention Center. USTF will contribute $600,000 out of
estimated cost of $900,000 to host the event and the remainder will be
provided by Kukkiwon in the amount of $300,000.

With this announcement, Hanmadang which is held in Korea for the past
16 years is finally taking place in a foreign land. Kukkiwon also
announced that every other year, Hanmadang will be hosted by a
different country. That means 2008 will be in US, 2009 back in Korea,
and in 2010 different country will be hosting Hanmadang.

USTF's President Lee told MOOKAS NEWS "to host Hanmadang in the US
means that Taekwondo is finally a global martial art." "this will be a
memorable event that surpasses even an Olympic Taekwondo that will
make Korea proud."

http://www.martialartsteachers.com/index.php?page=Jim+Carrey+Karate+Segment&acti\
on=download&file_id=350

Recently I watched two young boys following their dad into the store
as they were saying, "Daddy, what do we get if we're good in the store
today?"

His answer was, "A happy family. That's what you get!"

Now there's a dad I like!

Kevin Kastelle wrote:
Feel free to post WTA videos on this youtube site
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=songmookwan

PS
Let me know what you want to see on our youtube channel!

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=songmookwan

OLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- Steven Lopez (Sugar Land, Texas) and his
sister Diana Lopez (Sugar Land, Texas) captured the final two spots at
the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Taekwondo on Friday at the U.S.
Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. Steven defeated Antony
Graf (Miami, Fla.), 5-3, in the men's light/welterweight finals, while
Diana beat Nia Abdallah (Houston, Texas) in overtime to claim the
women's bantam/featherweight title. They join brother Mark Lopez
(Sugar Land, Texas) and Charlotte Craig (Murrieta, Calif.) on the U.S.
team that will compete at the World Olympic Qualification Tournament
in Manchester, England, Sept. 28-30. Mark Lopez and Craig claimed
their respective divisions on Thursday.

"It was an exciting final match," said Steven Lopez of the finals,
where Graf jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the early going. "I give all
credit to Tony. He's a great competitor. I knew he was going to come
out strong. It was the first round, so I knew I had a lot of time.
Little by little, I kind of broke him down. He came out strong, that's
all. I came out a little lackadaisical, and he woke me up. I need a
little bit of excitement, I guess."

Lopez credited his mental toughness for pulling him through.

"That's the edge I have over most athletes," he said. "Mentally, I
never break down. I don't let myself. A lot of times when you're in a
high-pressure situation, the first thing you do is kind of freak out.
I was always composed. I always knew this would be my day. I've been
in this situation before. I'm very experienced."

In a rematch of the 2004 Olympic Trials, the women's bantam/feather
division came down to Diana Lopez vs. Abdallah. Abdallah won the 2004
Trials and went on to win the silver medal in the Athens Olympic
Games. In Friday's rematch, Lopez won a hard fought 2-1 decision in
the opening match of the double elimination event. Abdallah then
defeated Christina Johnson (Rockville, Md.) in the elimination bracket
to set up a finals matchup with Lopez.

In the finals, Lopez jumped to a 3-0 lead only to see Abdallah come
storming back to hold a 5-3 advantage in the waning seconds of the
final round. After a point was deducted from Abdallah for stepping out
of bounds, Lopez delivered a kick with three seconds remaining to knot
the score at 4-4 and send the match into a sudden death overtime
period. Then, 0:47 into the overtime stanza, Lopez scored the decisive
point to clinch the win.

"The whole day, I felt really on," said Diana Lopez. "I've been
waiting for this rematch for three years now."

On being down late in the final match, Lopez said: "I wasn't anxious
at all. I've matured a lot. Three years ago, I probably would have
gotten all flustered, but I kept my composure. I knew I was going to
take it. Nia is a tough fighter. She'll do anything to try to make a
point. She adjusted, and I just adjusted to what she was doing."

With the victories, the Lopezes remain on track to become the first
three siblings to qualify for the same Summer Olympic sport in the
same year since 1904. They will need a top-three finish at the World
Olympic Qualifier to earn nomination to the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team.

"It's incredible," said Diana Lopez. "Words can't explain what I'm
feeling right now. It's just a dream come true and one step closer to
being on the Olympic Team."

"It's a dream come true," added Steven Lopez. "This is the first step.
I'm very happy that we all performed well. We still have to do a job.
I'm confident that we'll go out there and do our job."

Dear politicians

June 18, 2007

The remains of 13 members of an Iraqi taekwondo team kidnapped last
year have been found in western Iraq. The team had been driving to a
training camp in neighboring Jordan in May 2006, when their convoy was
stopped and all 15 athletes abducted along a road between the cities
of Fallujah and Ramadi, in Anbar province.

"We join the victims' families and civilized people everywhere in
mourning the deaths of the Iraqi taekwondo athletes," says USAT CEO
David Askinas. "The targeting of athletes, coaches, sports
administrators and all innocent people by terrorists is one of the
truly abhorrent tactics of this war. I am reminded of an Elvis
Costello song from the 80s that included the lyrics,  'What's so funny
about peace, love and understanding?'  The world needs a lot more of
all those things right now."

Written by an Australian Dentist....and too good to delete....
>
>
> To Kill an American
> You probably missed it in the rush of news last week, but there was
actually a
> report that someone in Pakistan had published in a newspaper an offer
of a
> reward to anyone who killed an American, any American.
>
> So an Australian dentist wrote an editorial the following day to let
everyone
> know what an American is. So they would know when they found one.
(Good one,
> mate!!!!)
>
> "An American is English, or French, or Italian, Irish, German,
Spanish, Polish,
> Russian or Greek. An American may also be Canadian, Mexican, African,
Indian,
> Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Australian, Iranian, Asian, or Arab, or
Pakistani or
> Afghan.
>
> An American may also be an Apache, Blackfoot, Cherokee, Comanche,
Osage, Navaho,
> Seminole or one of the many other tribes known as Native Americans.
>
> An American is Christian, or he could be Jewish, or Buddhist, or
Muslim. In
> fact, there are more Muslims in America than in Afghanistan. The only
difference
> is that in America they are free to worship as each of them chooses.
>
> An American is also free to believe in no religion. For that he will
answer only
> to God , not to the government, or to armed thugs claiming to speak
for the
> government and for God.
>
> An American lives in the most prosperous land in the history of the
world.
>
>
> The root of that prosperity can be found in the Declaration of
Independence,
> which recognizes the God given right of each person to the pursuit of
happiness.
>
> An American is generous. Americans have helped out just about every
other nation
> in the world in their time of need, never asking a thing in return.
>
> When Afghanistan was over-run by the Soviet army 20 years ago,
Americans came
> with arms and supplies to enable the people to win back their
country!
>
> As of the morning of September 11, Americans had given more than any
other
> nation to the poor in Afghanistan. Americans welcome the best of
> everything...the best products, the best books, the best music, the
best food,
> the best services, but they also welcome the least.
>
> The national symbol of America, the Statue of Liberty, welcomes your
tired and
> your poor, the wretched refuse of your teeming shores, the homeless,
tempest
> tossed. These in fact are the people who built America.
>
> Some of them were working in the Twin Towers the morning of September
11, 2001
> earning a better life for their families. It's been told that the
World Trade
> Center victims were from at least 30 different countries, cultures,
and first
> languages, including those that aided and abetted the terrorists.
>
> So you can try to kill an American if you must. Hitler did. So did
General Tojo,
> and Stalin, and Mao Tse-tung, and other blood-thirsty tyrants in the
world. But,
> in doing so you would just be killing yourself ... because Americans
are not a
> particular people from a particular place. They are the embodiment of
the human
> spirit of freedom. Everyone who holds to that spirit, everywhere, is
an
> American.
>
> Please keep this going!
> Pass this around the World
> Then pass it around again.
> It says it all, for all of us
> Please do not just delete.
> Pass it on first.
> Thanks!