Grandmaster Ken MacKenzie - Taekwondo Times

When did you first realize that, perhaps Korean
martial arts would become a lifetime pursuit for
you?
What had once been an interest, soon progressed
beyond even a hobby. In an era where it was still a
mystery to most of the public, the martial arts had
indeed become and would remain my lifestyle. At
the age of eleven or twelve, I knew that it was for
me. I had selected the martial arts as my ‘Do’ (way
or path), and they had chosen me back. By the age
of fourteen, I had already set my sights on someday
becoming an instructor, and I dreamt of owning my
own school.
follow, I learned a lot about myself. I learned to
train harder every day, to build greater knowledge,
and to push my limits. Without a doubt, I learned
the most from those matches where I was not the
victor, always going back to the drawing board and
seeking to better myself.
In my early days of competition, I traveled with
champions such as Steve Ayscue, Bob Ott, Carl
Hettinger, and Dan Allebach. I used tournaments
as a ‘measuring stick,’ allowing myself to evaluate my
own level of skill and conditioning. Soon, I began
winning…and winning big. I went on to win over
500 matches, hundreds of trophies, several national
titles, and numerous grand championship titles in
both fighting and breaking (Kyuk-Pah). While I
did both contact and point fighting, the full-contact
events seemed more realistic and were always my
favorite! While many of my opponents went down
for the count…over twenty years of competition, I
was never either knocked down or out.
In 1995, I achieved a world record break, going
through 28 concrete blocks using a double knifehand
strike. I later went on to win three gold medals
and world titles in Korea in full-contact Hapkido
fighting.
As a promoter, I hosted the ‘Best of the Best’
Nationals for ten years. I now host the annual Gold
Medal TaeKwon-Do and Hapkido Federation’s ‘All-
Star’ tournament every winter and continue to support
outside events as both a referee and arbitrator.
Were you a martial arts competitor and what are
your feelings about tournament competition?
It is important for martial artists to challenge
themselves. The competitive spirit is part of the human
spirit. For achievers, it’s what drives us on and
allows us to discover our greatness in life. While the
biggest competition is always with ourselves and
from the inside, being challenged by another forces
us to reach down deep within, pulling out our very
best spiritually, mentally and physically. As martial
artists, we must strive to be better today than yesterday.
This is how we grow as individuals.
I remember my first tournament. I lost my very
first match. With that match, and the many to
Ji Han Jae & Ken MacKenzie
52 November 2009 / taekwondotimes.com