Untitled - PUMA Martial Arts

What's Inside
Editorial 2
Why don’t they get proper jobs?
Interview: Daniel Lammin 4
Mr Get Involved explains how he got involved.
The Kenya Project 7
Phil Whitlock nips over to east Africa.
Random Stuff 10
This feature extrudes to a highly amusing high-dimensional shape in the Multiverse.
The Cardiff Weekend 12
P.U.M.A. Day on the Saturday, junior tournament on the Sunday.... What’s not to like?
Trailwalker UK 2008 14
Aileen Edwards dons her big boots and goes for a wander.
Summer camps 16
Adult and junior summer camps
Taekwon-Do 18
What makes a good patterns competitor - by a good patterns competitor.
Kickboxing 20
Kicking in sparring: you’ve got legs, so use ‘em...
Tang Soo-Do 22
Jang Bong introduction, theory and syllabus.
Health And Fitness 24
Weight Management - Kirsty Oliver tackles some myths.
Children’s Corner 27
Whose is that floating head of doom? Isn’t it just a bit... well... scary?
The Team
Editor Mr Daniel Lammin
Assistant Editor Mr Richard Potter
Contributors Mrs Aileen Edwards, Mr Daniel Lammin, Mr Philip Whitlock, Ms Sarah Zama, Mr John Black, Mrs
Wendy McColl, Mr Ian Bedborough, Mr Richard Potter, Mr James Taylor, Miss Jenny Francis, Mr
Brett Dowling, Mr Steve Weyman, Miss Kirsty Oliver.
Email magazine@puma-uk.com
Planet P.U.M.A. is published quarterly. For letters or article proposals, please contact the editorial team at the email address above.
To locate your local club or for further information about P.U.M.A. please visit the official website at www.puma-uk.com or call the
P.U.M.A. hotline on 0845 600 1967.
This magazine is copyright 2008 The Professional Unification of Martial Arts Ltd. All individual articles are the copyright of their
respective authors. Opinions expressed are those of their authors and do not necessarily reflect those of P.U.M.A.. Unauthorised
reproduction is prohibited.

Daniel Lammin
Daniel Lammin is tall. Not as tall as Master Ogborne,
but still pretty tall. There’s a lot more to him than
knowing what the top of his fridge looks like
though... Find out how he got to be magazine editor,
squad member and assistant squad coach...
(Interview by Mrs Aileen Edwards)
Can you tell me how long ago, or when it was that you started
Taekwon-Do?
I first started in October of 1991 whilst studying for my A-levels.
Unfortunately after 8 months I ended up working evenings over the
summer and then headed to university and so stopped training. As
I’d only been training for a short time I didn’t really miss it, but came
back to it whilst back in Swindon doing my university placement
year three years later. I haven’t looked back since.
Which school did you start at?
I started with training in Swindon with Master Gayle and Master
Ogborne when they were members of the T.A.G.B. I remember
turning up for my first class: there were about sixty people in the
room. I took one look through the door, bottled it, and went and sat
in the changing room. Master Gayle had obviously seen me at the
door, came and found me. He asked me if I wanted to join in and
before I could think I said ‘yes’. I was petrified as I walked in to stand
at the back of a large number of people in pyjamas who all looked
like they knew what they were doing.
So for what reasons did you decide to start Taekwon-Do?
I started for a few of reasons, the main ones being weight loss,
self-defence and because I’d always wanted to do a martial art. I
swam competitively as a kid, competing up to national level as well
as doing a lot of other sports, but when I stopped competing I slowly
started to put on weight. I was roughly 18½ stone when I started
training. Also, as I started going out to pubs and clubs in town I felt
that I stuck out like a sore thumb due to my height. I wanted to build
more self-confidence as well as the ability to defend myself.
It was purely an accident that I started Taekwon-Do as opposed to
any other martial art. Someone came up to the newsagent I was
working in at the time and asked if they could put up a flyer about
a local class and I decided to go along as a result of that. It could
just as well have been anything else as I didn’t know anything about
Taekwon-Do at all when I started. I’m pretty tall and having swum
a lot I was quite flexible, so the fact that there was a lot of kicking
suited me and I really enjoyed that aspect of the training.
Thinking back again to when you started, the first few months,
I know you trained really hard but how did you find it. Did you
have the same challenges as most beginners with regards to
getting yourself coordinated, getting your legs and arms to do
what you wanted them to do?
I certainly wasn’t a natural. Although I was fit my coordination with
things like football wasn’t great. I always tried hard and probably
looked very awkward at times, it certainly felt that way. I suspect
that anyone watching would have been thinking ‘Tries hard but…’
Obviously you lost the weight. How did that go?
To be honest with you, I lost around 4 and ½ stone in just over 6
months and then was not that well for about three months. I wasn’t
4
badly ill, just constantly run down and with hindsight it was clear
that I’d lost too much weight too quickly. Over the next couple
of years I slowly gained weight (around 2 stone) but this time I
built up muscle rather than fat. As I trained more I slowly became
fitter and stronger.
If I was at your first degree grading as a grading examiner
and my question to you then was ‘What is your philosophy
on Taekwon-Do’ and I was to ask you the same thing now,
how would the two answers differ?
I can’t really say how I’d have answered as a first degree, but I
doubt whether there’d have been much thought in what I’d have
said. I enjoyed the physical side of it and I would probably have
said that I enjoyed the mental side of it, probably because I
thought that was what would have been expected rather than
actually meaning it. Now, the answer I would give is that it’s
become a way of life (some people may well say too much so
but what would they know). Taekwon-Do has shaped me into
who I am, both physically and as a person.
What would you consider your greatest strengths to be,
both as a student and an instructor?
I think that I would have to say drive, enthusiasm and
commitment. I enjoy every aspect of Taekwon-Do from technical
work, sparring and self defence and try and give time to all of
them. Most people probably think of me as a fighter/coach first
and foremost but this isn’t the way that I see myself. I attend as
many events, camps, seminars and tournaments as I can as I
believe that everything that we experience during our lives,
whether good or bad, can benefit us. As an instructor I try and
impart this enthusiasm to my students and those who I coach
within the P.U.M.A. squad in the hope that they will get as much
from Taekwon-Do as I have. As an instructor/coach it’s a
fantastic feeling watching your students improve, develop and
achieve their goals. I fully believe that you only get as much out
as you put back in and that there are no short cuts to achieving
your goals. I have never been a natural and always worked hard
to achieve the goals that I set myself. Whilst I haven’t achieved
everything that I set out to do I am happy that I can look back in
the knowledge that I gave everything my best shot and so have
no regrets. All I ask from my students is the same.

What are your long-term goals?
I was asked this question at my last grading. If I’d been asked the
same thing when I was a coloured belt I would’ve said the usual
things for a young competitive man - to become world heavyweight
champion, a master etc. At my last grading I answered that I would
like to continue to progress as a martial artist and hopefully in the
long run be remembered as a good martial artist and person. I will
continue to set myself goals and believe that if I continue to train
hard and try to improve myself as a martial artist these things will
fall into place. Having been told I might not be able to train again
after a serious knee injury I’m grateful that I am still able to do so
and long may it continue.
I know that you’ve had a number of serious injuries but can
you tell us how you did that knee injury?
I’d volunteered at a demo to do a flying side kick and the grass
was slightly damp so I didn’t get much height on the jump. It’s a
technique I’m very confident with and so I didn’t have any worries
about, but on the day I didn’t get a proper take-off and one foot
landed as I hit the board with the other foot. I tore three ligaments
out of four in my left knee, both cruciate ligaments and my medial
collateral ligament. My leg was pointing out at 90 degrees (the
wrong way) at the knee and not only did I manage to turn myself
a deep shade of green but most of the spectators looked pretty
green as well!
That started quite a long journey for you because you weren’t
too far off taking your fourth degree at the time as I recall?
I would potentially have been eligible to take my grading around
eight months after I initially injured my knee. Obviously that was
straight out the window but that was the least of my concerns.
When I saw the consultant he said that in all likelihood I would
never train again and certainly not to the level that I had before. I
turned to him as I walked out of the room, nodded and said ‘I will’
and I remember him looking at me as if to say ‘hmmm okay?’.
Eight months later he signed me off to train and even compete
again although when I saw him again earlier this year he couldn’t
actually believe that I’d started competing and winning
tournaments again.
Can you give us an idea as to what you had to go through to
make that recovery, I’m sure it didn’t just happen on its own?
I joined the gym for the first time in my life. I hated gyms! I had to
obey doctor’s orders, another thing I’m not very good at. For three
months I wasn’t allowed to do a great deal, except for light cycling,
something very low impact. Then I could do some cross-training
and rowing where there’s a bit more weight bearing and finally on
to running. With the running in particular I had to start very slowly
and it was surprising how hard it was. Once I’d built up the strength
I came back to training and had to re-teach my knee to twist and
bend correctly again due to the damage to the surrounding nerves
caused by the injury.
Good grief, is there no end to this man’s talents?
Mr Lammin is officially entrusted with refereeing people.
5
You make it sound as if the recovery wasn’t a lot of work,
when I specifically recall how much hard work you actually
put in.
I didn’t really see it that way, because it was just a way of getting
back to doing what I wanted to do. I couldn’t do Taekwon-Do
training so I had to get a way to get my physical energy out. I
became a bit of a gym-junkie and was doing four or five times a
week as the leg permitted…if it was tired-out I’d stop, but if it wasn’t
I’d push it bit further…probably I would try and push it a bit more
than maybe they wanted me to, without doing anything specifically
that they said would endanger it. Every time I went to the physio
I’d just push them saying ‘Will you let me do that now? Or can I
do that?’ and eventually they’d say yes. I also remember that in
the weeks following the initial injury the 2004 Paralympics were
on TV a lot whilst I was stuck at home and that also inspired me
greatly. I looked at some of the people competing with missing
limbs or serious cerebral palsy and it made me realise that I didn’t
have anything to complain about and that there are so many
people out there far worse off than I was but with no chance of
recovery!
How long did you have to wait to be able to do your fourth
degree?
I only did it six months later than my minimum time and looking
back that was probably a mistake. At the time, I genuinely thought
I was completely healed but looking back six months to a year
after my grading, I realised how much stronger I had become. One
of my goals during recovery had been to grade at this time but
looking back I should have waited six months, possibly a year and
I would have undoubtedly have been able to have done a
physically better grading. When all is said and done it would only
been another 6 or 12 months, which is nothing after all the years
I’ve been training.
Do you work very hard as a member of the P.U.M.A.
management team?
I’d like to think that I support P.U.M.A. as much as possible just
as I feel that P.U.M.A. has supported me. As well as the usual
things like helping at tournaments I edit the magazine, help out at
the black belt gradings and am the assistant coach for the squad.
With everything that I get out of Taekwon-Do I think that it’s
important that I put a lot back in.
So, how did you come to be the editor of Planet P.U.M.A.?
I place the blame for that one squarely at the feet of Master
Ogborne. I was speaking to him about the idea during an
instructors development weekend in Minehead about five years
ago now and asked if P.U.M.A. had considered having its own
magazine. Master Ogborne thought that it was a good idea and
asked me to raise it at one of the sessions the following day….at
which point he nominated me to edit the magazine. It took a fair
bit of time to get the magazine going along with Mr Potter’s
technical expertise to produce it, the rest as they say is history.
And how did you come to get involved with coaching the
P.U.M.A. and UKITF ITF Squads?
I started coaching with the P.U.M.A. squad after the injury to my
knee. At the time I was the senior fighter on the squad and soon
realised that I wouldn’t be able to compete for a long time so I
offered my help with coaching helping Master Ogborne initially
and Mr Bradshaw when he took over as the head coach. It wasn’t
something I was planning at the time but I wanted to stay involved
with the squad in some way and so coaching was the obvious
choice. I still enjoy competing but have moved on more towards
the coaching side, partly on the basis that I’m not getting any
younger and there’s a limit to how long I can compete for at the
highest level. I think potentially I can be a far better coach than I
was a fighter.

So you obviously enjoy coaching?
I do! In an ideal world I would not have had destroyed my knee in
the way I did but I feel that I made the best of a bad situation.
Whilst the injury has caused to miss out on certain things as a
fighter it has also led to me doing things that I wouldn’t have done
had it never happened. I’ve coached at 2 world championships
including travelling to Australia for the 2006 Junior World
Championships. As I said earlier I think that we learn from every
experience, whether good or bad. I would never have chosen to
go through what I have with my knee but feel that I have used
what was essentially a bad experience to develop further as both
a martial artist and person and it certainly opened up some new
opportunities for me. We’ve got some very talented competitors
within our group and after a quiet time this year the future looks
bright. I hope to play my part in that.
What have been your most enjoyable moments over the year,
those that stand out for you?
After the time that I’ve been training there are too many to recount.
Probably the best and also most intimidating was attending the
seminar with General Choi just after P.U.M.A. had been formed
in September 2000. I remember the excitement of training with the
founder of Taekwon-Do as well as feeling like an utter beginner
(despite being a 2nd degree) due to the fact that I knew nothing
of Sine Wave at that time. Another moment that I can remember
like it was yesterday was finding out that I’d passed my first degree
black belt grading. I didn’t stop smiling for about three months,
every time I did my belt up a broad smile would creep across my
face. Obviously there have been many competitions but probably
the one that stands out in my mind the most would be the first
Clash of the Titans purely for the adrenaline and the fear of fighting
in front of over a thousand people, it was completely different to
anything I’d done before. I remember my first fight in the Clash
against the Irish national team’s heavyweight fighter. The match
score was 2 - 2 at that stage and I remember going up to fight and
feeling completely numb, but once the bout got going it was
fantastic and probably the biggest buzz I ever had as a competitor.
Having around a hundred and fifty P.U.M.A. members who’d
travelled up to Huddersfield cheering myself and the rest of the
Team on was unbelievable. The bout meant we won the Clash at
our first attempt. More recently the majority of my highlights have
come from seeing the achievements of my students and coaching,
although winning the British Championships last year for the first
time since injuring my knee was also very rewarding.
Any other moments, or things that you particularly enjoy?
As I said earlier I enjoy everything I do within martial arts but I do
love summer camp in particular, it’s the best week of the year!
Everyone should go and there should be thousands of people
there! I did my first one as a yellow belt and it actually introduced
me to a lot of other students and instructors and opened my eyes
to the world outside my own school. When I went to events after
that I knew far more people from the camp and progressively year
on year I got to know more and more people this way. I have made
a lot of great friends through summer camps, including Mr Potter
and Mr McLaren, who I ended up being best man for when he got
married in 2003.
What does success mean to you, within Taekwon-Do?
I think success in Taekwon-Do, as in life is really about giving
everything and doing things in the right way. From a personal point
of view I would have loved to have won a world championship but
it’s not been due to a lack of training or effort. Maybe I was unlucky
with injuries or maybe I just wasn’t good enough when I had the
chance. The important thing from my point of view is that I don’t
look back and think that if I’d done that differently or trained harder
I may have done better. I gave it all I had and still do when I
compete and so maybe I’ve achieved everything I could, not
everyone can be a world champion. Does the fact that I have never
6
The Lamminator (back row, second from right),
contributes to the squad’s post-victory joy at P.U.M.A.
Fight Fight 2003.
won a world championship mean that I’m not a success? I don’t
think so. If my peers and those who I train view me in a good light
then I consider that success.
Have you ever failed a grading?
I haven’t, although I think that I have an idea how people must
feel as I was convinced I had failed my third degree grading for 3
days whilst I waited for the result. I had already mentally started
preparing for retaking my grading and going up to the presentation
evening to support my friends who graded with me, I was totally
shocked when I found out that I’d actually passed. I made what
was probably a small mistake in my highest pattern and finished
it about 12 feet from my mark facing the wrong direction and
wanted the ground to swallow me up. After this initial feeling I took
a quick breather, refocused myself and carried on with the rest of
the grading trying harder still in an attempt to make up for the error,
particularly on the spirit test. I guess that was enough too convince
the panel that it was only a technical mistake and that my overall
standard/attitude warranted a pass.
Shall we talk about the spirit test?
I think I’m starting to get a reputation about for liking the physical
side of things… I get to make candidates work hard, feel unwell
(and a few actually had been) and at squad training I give people
a good workout as well. The spirit test is a really good idea and
in my opinion is actually the easiest part of the grading. Physically,
it should be hard because each individual should push themself
as hard as they can but at the same time people need to remember
that it’s not a fitness test as we can’t all keep up with people like
Mr Dave Pixton.
Which tenet most describes how you choose to live your life?
I’d like to think more so now than when I was younger that the
answer is all of them. The two which are probably most
representative of me are perseverance and indomitable spirit (in
particular in overcoming my many injuries). We were actually
asked on the winter camp a couple of years ago to have a think
about the tenets and, if we could keep just one, which would it be?
My answer at that time (after a lot of changing my mind) was
indomitable spirit. I think there are not enough people in the world
who actually stand up for what they believe in. You look at a lot
of bad things that go on in the world and maybe if more people
stood up and did what was right the world would be a better place.
Finally, finishing off with a fairly clichéd question: what does
the future hold for you? Where do you see yourself in five
years time?
Hopefully not in hospital! Over the past few years quite a lot has
changed so it’s hard to say exactly where any of us will be in five
years time. That said, I see myself still training hard, coaching and
hopefully helping my students and P.U.M.A.’s members to achieve
their goals.

OPERATION KENYA:
Building a more peaceful world
Early in 2008 squad member Phil Whitlock decided to take a short break from
being hit and undertake some voluntary aid work in Kenya.
My journey started back in January. I was reflecting
on the Taekwon-Do oath, which contains the two lines
‘I shall be a champion of freedom and justice’ and ‘I
will build a more peaceful world’ and thought to myself
what have I done to stay true to that oath that I have
sworn to since I was 7 years old? The answer was not
much. So, I thought what can I do to correct this and I
decided my abilities and skills would be best put to
use volunteering.
So, after months of fundraising with the help of a lot of
people, namely Master Gayle, Mr Ian Bedborough,
Mrs Tiina Yuseri, Mr Richard Thornton and everyone
else that attended the events that I put on along with
masses of support from my family, I managed to raise
all the money I needed and booked myself on to a
project that entailed labouring in Kenya. I didn’t know
much else until I got there and I was extremely
nervous, this 20 year old country boy from the village
of Frampton Cotterell was about to throw himself into
the slums of Kenya!
On my departing flight I thought about what my aims were
and what I wanted to try and gain from this experience.
This was the list that I came up with:
� To do as much as I possibly can out there.
People have given me their hard earned money
to go and help these people, so I need to try and
work as much as I can.
� To teach some Taekwon-Do. I know ITF
Taekwon-Do is not hugely popular as it is over
here so I will attempt to spread some of the joy.
� To gain as much character growth as possible. I
know that I have been extremely blessed in my
life as I have a roof over my head, food in my
stomach and a very loving family. All of this is
great but it also means that I have to go outside
of my comfort zones to be able to look at the
world the way many others have to and thus try
and gain a better perspective of this, sometimes,
cruel and crazy world of ours.
After a long flight, some food and not much sleep we
landed in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya. I could not believe
I was finally there, after all the planning and waiting I was
in Kenya and what a beautiful country it was! After a day
of orientation and meeting the other 6 volunteers we
headed to Nakuru, where we were going to be working for
the next 3 weeks.
7
We had quite a unique experience as because of the
internal conflict in Kenya in the recent months we were the
first volunteers there for 7 months. This meant for some of
the younger children we were the first ‘mzungus’ (white
people) they had ever seen. Everywhere we went we
heard ‘hey mzungu, jambo (hello)’, it was like being a
celebrity. It was the exact opposite of London, almost
everyone would say hello, people would stop and shake
our hands and kids would just follow us out of fascination.
The following day we were going to be taken into the slum
to see where we were working, I asked if we were going
there why didn’t we start work? They very politely told me
that I would need to just walk around first as it is very
different to anything I would have seen. It was horrific. The
slum where hundreds of people lived was built next to the
city dump. For food all the young men wait until they see
the garbage truck coming and race to try and find scraps
for their family to eat. The ‘houses’ were made of sticks
with paper for walls and ceilings, unless they had a
volunteer built structure which had corrugated tin roofs and
wood that wasn’t rotting away. Very luckily I was wearing
sunglasses as I could not help but let a tear go when I saw
children ranging from one to four years old sat around with
flies all over them, no parents to be seen, eating a bit of
rotting orange segment. The women collect scrap plastic
wash it and make bags to sell, whilst the majority of the
men are drunks. They make a local brew, which is
extremely toxic and is sold to the men from the slum.
Some of them work at the brewery but don’t receive money
just more of the brew. This leads to a vicious cycle of
alcoholism and poverty.
The city dump and yes,
those are small kids.

During the course of the day I went from being
extremely upset to one of the happiest people I could
imagine. After seeing the slum they took us to the
core of the project, The Walk Childrens Church
School. This amazing project has helped get
hundreds of kids off of the dump site and into the
classroom. They learn maths, English, Kiswahili,
physical education and arts & crafts. They are given
one meal a day, which for the majority is the only bit
of food they receive each day. These children live in
some of the harshest environments in the world but
they are constantly smiling. As soon as they saw us
the teachers were in for it as they could not keep
them still and quiet. As soon as the bell rang they
came sprinting out towards us climbing all over us
shouting “how are you, how are you?” we were
treated to this daily and it never got old. The project
doesn’t stop there though, The Walk also looks after
the adults in the slum, which is where we came in.
A few of the children
helped by The Walk.
My accommodation was brilliant. I was staying with a
lovely woman called Rosemary, who did a very good job
of Our being first ‘mum’ task was for my to dismantle 3 weeks with a chicken her. She hutcooked
some that was lovely based Kenyan in the food school. called Previous ugali and chapati was
one volunteers of my favourites. had built it so the children could
have eggs once or twice a week, but the
One security evening was I not was good sat watching enough and the it news was with her and
some constantly WTF Taekwon-Do broken into during came the on, night I started andto
jump
about the chickens shouting stolen. “Taekwon-Do, We dismantled Taekwon-Do!”. it and
Once had to she rebuilt calmed it in me the down back garden she said of that Alex’s that place was
in house Nakuru (Alex and started she knew this the project TV reporter. back in The following
day 2003/4). she took This me took to meet us about him a and week he and took aus
to the place
where half as they the trained. hut housed It was about brilliant! 100 chickens. The children train 6-7
days a week for 2 hours a day. They were extremely
polite and all came and shook my hand as they entered,
before the instructor had even introduced me. The
dojang was a hard place to train, concrete floor with huge
chunks missing, even my feet, that have been hardened
over the years, were struggling. The children were
jumping around taking no notice of it! There was a very
old makeshift punch bag at the back that I warmed up
on, not noticing until I finished and looked up that they all
had stopped what they were doing. After watching me
they applauded when I had finished, that is how polite
and respectful they were. I decided that would not be my
last visit there.
8
The chicken hut:
looking good.
Back to work and after we had finished the chicken hut
for the children we were sent off into the dump again.
There was an elderly gentleman whose house was
falling to bits. We tore it down and rebuilt it with fresh
wood and then put some corrugated tin for a roof
(replacing the paper and old plastic that was previously
there). The labouring is hard work in the sun but it is not
hard to find motivation and keep working when you see
the conditions these people live in every day. The work
is very rewarding and satisfying and the group were all
really keen to get as much done in the short time we
had as possible. The list of tasks we completed looked
like this:
� Dismantled and rebuilt a chicken hut for the
school
� Re-roofed a house
� Tore down and rebuilt one house
� Built a house from scratch
� Built a ‘long drop’ toilet
� And started, though not finished the
repainting of the school
I also spent a bit of time in the kitchen helping prepare
the children’s lunches.
With so much to do and so little time it was very hard
deciding what to do and the best way to go about it and
how to be most productive. With the guidance of our
project leader for our time there, Ken ‘The Kenyan’, I
definitely feel we got the most from our collective skills.
Nakura’s Taekwon-Do school.

Some rhinos, obviously.
Oh, and some other beasties.
I had so many moments during my time in Nakuru that
will stay with me forever and definitely way too much to
write up in one article, but here’s a favourite of mine. On
one Friday I was just working with Ken as the others had
gone on a safari trip and we were carrying some tools
back to Alex’s house. We were just chatting away and
this old woman carrying what must have been at least
20-30kg of wood on her back was walking behind us, I
turned and said ‘Jambo’ she then asked (in Swahili, with
Ken translating for us) about my tattoo on the back of my
leg (it has the Taekwon-Do tenets in English). She asked
“why have you marked your skin like that? Skin is
precious, did it not hurt having your skin marked?” I
replied “Yes, but the words mean a lot to me and I wear
them with pride.” She then asked Ken what they were
and he explained them to her. She then put down the
wood, stopped me, looked me in my eyes and said “If
these words mean that much to you, that you went
through the pain of having them marked onto you, then
you must be a good person.” She then explained that
she was going to go to her church and pray to her gods
that I live a long, happy life and that I have beautiful wife
with healthy children. She then picked up her wood and
walked off in the other direction. That woman’s words
made the whole trip worth it.
“So why do you wear
those ridiculous shorts?”
9
I was dreading getting to the end of my time in Kenya
because I knew that it was going to be horrible saying
good bye to everyone. I met so many inspiring people
over there and when Ken threatened to steal my
passport so that I couldn’t leave, I almost gave it to him. I
went to say good bye to the WTF school that I had
trained with a few times whilst I was there (I very luckily
packed an emergency dobok just before I came). When I
got there the instructor said they had prepared a
demonstration for me to watch, which apparently was the
same as the demo performed by the 2000 Kenyan
Taekwon-Do team at the commonwealth games, it was
brilliant! I felt really sad that children this talented will
never have a chance to prove themselves as they can’t
afford to compete abroad or have no passports. After the
demo they sang a song for me, wished me all the luck in
competing and my day to day life and told me that I was
an honorary coach of the Nakuru Taekwon-Do team.
Needless to say I left with a heavy heart after all the kids
lined up to shake my hand. The next morning I had to do
the same again with everyone at the Walk, the kids,
teachers, cooks and the principle. I said my last goodbye
to the slum (not before swapping my shorts with a guy
that had shorts that were ripped and falling apart (I still
have them in my wardrobe at home).
After an interesting bus journey to Nairobi I hopped on
my plane and raced back to Chippenham, where I threw
on my dobok for P.U.M.A.’s Battle of Britain Fight Night,
but I don’t need to tell you guys how that went.
I hope you enjoyed reading about some of my stories, but more
importantly I hope it urges you to go out and do some
volunteering yourself. I am sure that some of you have done so
yourself already but if you haven’t, ask someone who has and I’m
sure they will tell you it was better than any holiday they have
ever had. Next year, instead of looking at lounging around on a
beach, perhaps think about doing something really meaningful
and worthwhile with your time abroad…
If you would like to know anymore about volunteering please
email me at philwhitlock@hotmail.com .
Also, if you want to know more about the project that I worked on,
‘The Walk Children’s Church’, then please visit
www.thewalkchildrenschurch.org.uk .
Thank you.
Mr Whitlock, another volunteer
and umpteen locals.

P.U.M.A. BERKSHIRE AREA SPARATHON
The crowds were gathered, the atmosphere electric and
tensions were running high. The press were there, cameras at
the ready to capture the action as and when it happened.
On June the 17 th, members from Thatcham, Basingstoke,
Newbury and Reading Taekwon-Do all joined together to raise
money for Living Paintings, a national charity that creates
Touch and Sound Packs for blind and partially sighted people
of all ages. The Sparathon was to go-ahead courtesy of
P.U.M.A. and Mr. Spreadbury, Instructor and Fitness Training
Torturer who decided to run two events, 1 for the juniors/Little
P.U.M.A.s and 1 for the adults on the same evening. All
participants were encouraged to raise sponsorship from family
and friends.
The participants faced up to each other with fire in their eyes
and pads on all available targets as everyone waited with
baited breath… charyot, kyong ye, sijak and the sparring
began. What followed was a full hour of man against man, no
holds barred, full contact sparring, the 2008 Thatcham
Sparathon had officially begun! (Although technically Little
P.U.M.A.s aren’t really men, there wasn’t really a great deal of
contact and participants were actually allowed a break every
few rounds to get a drink of water from their mums and dads.
Oh and the local photographer had to leave after 5 minutes as
the local W.I had an event on he needed to cover urgently).
The juniors went first and for an hour they sparred each other
pretty much constantly, with the odd game of rats and rabbits
thrown in to keep them entertained. Luckily the event passed
without any injuries or any tears, although the same can’t be
said for the adults (some black belts just can’t keep their
emotions under control!). Sweets, lollies, water and certificates
were their reward, the juniors and not the adults…
After the Juniors, the adults warmed up and took their places
in the Dojang, a slightly more competitive edge to their
attitudes and with a spring in their step (like gazelles trying to
kid the lions into thinking how fit they are). And surprise… the
adult sparathon was to be to music in order to keep everyone
energized. The lights went down and silence descended on the
crowd as the speakers in the corner of the ‘arena’ boomed into
life. To be fair, Johnny Cash wasn’t really what everyone
expected, but they carried on gamely. The adults also sparred
Clash ‘08 – A personal perspective
As I write this, I am on the minibus for the 5 hour journey home from
the 2008 “Clash of the Titans”, and I make no apology for the tone
or content of this piece.
It has been a few years since P.U.M.A. attended Clash – in fact I
fought on the P.U.M.A. ladies team in 2005. The time had come to
give it another try
It was never a case of P.U.M.A. fighters thinking they would walk
into this event and just win – competition was always going to be
fierce and no-one expected to walk away with every trophy. What
we did expect was courteous, ethical and fair treatment, unbiased
refereeing, clear cut rules and some martial arts integrity.
At P.U.M.A. we like to think that we are fair, open-minded and
sporting, both as fighters and as spectators – after all we all strive to
live by the tenets of Taekwon-Do. We cheer for our guys and gals,
10
News and nonsense,
but no newts.
for a full hour with a water break every 15 minutes and
eventually to music such as the Prodigy’s ‘Fire starter’ which
was somewhat more conducive to sparring than ‘Folsom
Prison Blues’ (sorry Mr Spreadbury, harsh but true).
The evening was a resounding success with only a couple of
minor injuries. The final total raised for Living Paintings was a
very respectable £1612.92, including a £700 donation from
Vodafone.
The event was also followed up with an interview on Insight
Radio who thought punching and kicking each other was an
‘interesting’ way to raise money for charity.
For more information about Living Paintings please go to
www.livingpaintings.org .
Sarah Zama (still smiling, whilst trying to understand the
‘semi’ in semi-contact), 3 rd Kup.
we applaud the opposition, we give credit where it is due. We chant,
we sing, we support. We give a little heckling and we expect a little
back from the opposition crowd. For the most part it is good natured
– if somewhat heated at times! Give respect, receive respect for that
is the martial arts way.
Sadly this was not the case at Clash 08.
The event started off well. There were some brilliant displays
throughout the evening – XMA teams, and demo teams, a few
words from Olympian Aaron Cook, Strike (from Britain’s Got Talent)
and many others.
The boys were on first and they fought brilliantly. There were a few
attempts at holds and sweeps, tactics which we aren’t used to in
Taekwon-Do, but we coped and spirits were high. There was a
controversial decision with the judges changing their calls after 1

out, heated words were exchanged with one umpire and our
coach, but still it was nothing major. Then came the first incident of
the night. Our junior heavyweight was in the ring and fighting a
‘blinder’. At one point he lost his footing and ended up on the floor
by the opposition team. Their ‘coach’ took it upon himself to slap
him around the head, then grab hold of his head and throw him to
one side. Of course our coach did not take too kindly to this and
words were exchanged, however no-one was reprimanded (from the
opposition!).
Still the P.U.M.A. boys deservedly won and it was time to move on
to the men’s rounds.
There was more holding, more sweeping, some take downs. This
was news to our crowd (and came as a surprise to some of the
fighters too!) Were these the rules we had been told? The P.U.M.A.
crowd was a bit confused but the fighters adapted and did well in all
of their bouts.
Then came round 2. Hang on - what were the rules again? No-one
seemed to know, including the officials. There was no scoring
system, just who the corner judges thought had won. There was
coaching to the opposition, from the corner judges. There were
P.U.M.A. fighters being picked up and body slammed into the
ground, there were punches and kicks being thrown outside of the
ring, there was punching and kicking of our guys whilst they were on
the floor. The referee and officials were absolutely fine with this. The
P.U.M.A. supporters however were not. Tempers were fraying and
chants of ‘Off’ and ‘Cheat’ were formed. Appalling though this was, it
was just the beginning. Junior team members from the opposition
started to run pass our stand, shouting and gesturing abuse. What
kind of martial arts group sets this kind of example, or condones it?
I’m proud to say not us. Some of the calls were controversial – in
my own personal opinion there was blatant bias by the officials.
Still perseverance – it was time for the ladies to fight. Unfortunately
one of our fighters was ill and had to pull out at this point. I am not
ashamed to admit that when I heard my daughter was going to take
her place I was completely distraught. I did not want her to fight in
this event (thank you by the way for all the lads who reminded me
that she can look after herself!)
So the ladies round started well enough. The first bout was won.
The second bout was a little controversial as the decision was three
draws and 1 win. There was another blurry line about the rules of
the event that the P.U.M.A. crowd did not understand. In went the
3 rd fighter. At this point I would like to mention that P.U.M.A. were
fighting Strike Kickboxing.
There is no doubt that their fighter was good. The round was full
On September 10th, Saint Paul’s Cathedral hosted a special
service to commemorate the end of Operation Banner, the
British Army’s 38 year peace-keeping deployment from 1969 to
2007 in Northern Ireland. This service was held in the presence
of Their Royal Highnesses The Prince of Wales and The
Duchess of Cornwall and paid tribute to the more than 300,000
personnel who served, the more than 1,000 personnel who died
and the 6,116 who were wounded.
Mr John Black, who kindly recounted some of his experiences in
Northern Ireland in last issue’s “Tales From The Black Side”,
was among the ex-servicemen who attended the event. He’s
seen here reunited with Lieutenant Colonel Stockton MBE, the
man who put Mr Black forward for his General Offficer’s
Commendation.
11
contact and our girl was not winning. After being knocked down for
the 3 rd time, however, I witnessed the most disgraceful thing I have
ever seen in a competition. Whilst on the floor our girl was
deliberately kicked full power by the other fighter. To chants of ‘off’,
‘cheat’ and boos from the P.U.M.A. crowd, the fighter gestured to
P.U.M.A. in a very arrogant and un-sportsmanlike manner,
encouraging the chants. Was she reprimanded? Given the red
card? Disqualified? Actually no, she was declared the winner.
At this point, Mater Ogborne took the decision to withdraw our girls
from the event in the face of this blatant cheating. He then gathered
the teams together to decide on a course of action: should we stay
or withdraw?
During this discussion the “un-biased” referee announced that those
people who couldn’t handle continuous sparring shouldn’t enter
Clash.
P.U.M.A. can handle fighting, and losing. What we absolutely will
not tolerate is cheating, poor sportsmanship and unacceptable
behaviour.
Our supporters were in uproar. After all many of us had paid a lot of
money to be there, had brought our families and were expecting a
good show. Well we got a show alright. As the so called ‘ladies’ of
Strike kickboxing passed our stands, they swore and shouted
obscenities at the crowd, making rude hand gestures. The female
who had kicked our girl was a really gracious winner. She hand
gestured in the face of a small child as she passed him and as the
“ladies” were awarded their trophies, they stuck 2 fingers up at us.
What manners, what gracious winners, what an example to set the
martial arts community. As they were joined by their coach or
instructor for a victory photo, it came as no surprise to see he was
one of the corner officials.
Almost as one, we decided to walk out of the competition. The man
with the mike gave a few heckles, but I am proud to say that
P.U.M.A. responded with dignity and self-respect.
This whole event was a disgrace to martial arts. The hosts can put
whatever spin on it they like. They can call us poor losers, bad
fighters, cowards or whatever they choose. Watch the videos that
will no doubt be on youtube and make up your own mind. All I can
say is that I am more proud than ever to be a member of P.U.M.A..
We don’t just talk about martial arts integrity, we actually put it into
practice.
I suspect we will not be participating in this event in the future
Wendy McColl
John Black (right) and Lieutenant
Colonel Stockton MBE

Our annual association day was held this year at the National
Indoor Athletics Centre (NIAC) in Cardiff. There are not many
people who, when presented with a running track, don’t have the
urge to run around it and for most of the day there was at least
a couple of students (or instructors!) taking the opportunity to
dash along the lanes!
The day kicked off with Body Combat with
the legendary Mr John Black. This
session is now a P.U.M.A Day tradition
and is great for a student of any age and
grade to ease/sweat themselves in to the
relaxed, friendly, and respectful nature of
what our group is all about.
John Black and Sue Raven
tire everyone out at the start
of the day.
Fun with bos, courtesy of
the Tang Soo-Do crowd.
Nicci Ogborne leverages visual
communication resources for
augmented mindshare.
David Murphy pwning
(just look it up) someone.
The day continued on this theme with
seminars and fun with some of our senior
grades. There was something for all the
family – Self defence, sparring, Squad
Training, more self defence, kicking, Little
P.U.M.A.s with Master Little P.U.M.A.,
even more Self defence, Soak the squad
member, a Flowering Youth audition, and
a raffle for Mr Phil Whitlock’s Team UK
dobok signed by the squad members.
Some team hugging
yesterday.
12
P.U.M.A Day is a yearly celebration of
the anniversary our organisations
inauguration, and a chance for the
management team to give something
back to us all by delivering and
seminars and fun. Did you know that
General Choi Hong Hi's last seminar in
the UK, back in 2000, was for P.U.M.A.
around this time of year also?
“Please don’t hit me!” exclaimed
Gary Bradshaw.
Disclaimer: we just made that up.
If that wasn’t enough there was a
free chocolate bar on arrival
(sampled I hear, by Masters
Gayle and Ogborne for quality
control) - fantastic!
Spiderman, last seen on Kids
Camp, also put in an appearance
and in true Clark Kent fashion
whenever Spiderman appeared,
one of our most senior members
was nowhere to be seen – a
coincidence? You decide!
Mike Whitlock carries on the
family tradition of getting
photographed whilst looking silly.
Good show.
This was another great P.U.M.A. day, with
students and instructors from as far afield
as Scotland, Cornwall and Gravesend.
The worst thing about it is that P.U.M.A.
day only happens once a year!
Can you kick it? Yes you can!

The day was further enlivened by the appearance of a special
guest: Aaron Cook, a member of Great Britain’s Taekwon-Do
team in this year’s Olympics.
Mr Cook demonstrated what a gentleman he is by sportingly
shaking lots of hands, posing for photos with most of those
present and handing out trophies to some of the day’s
winners.
Aaron Cook poses with
some squad members.
Master Ogborne calculates
how many kick shields he
could carry about in that van.
Myriad young competitors from up and down the
land converged to compete against each other in
the full range of tournament categories * , from the
high kick and patterns to continuous sparring.
* Except destruction, obviously. Do you think we’re
crazy or something?
Some sprinters, sprinting
as fast as their little legs
can carry them.
Master Gayle concluded the weekend with a
special presentation to the official sponsors
Motorwell Citroen of Yeovil, whose
invaluable assistance helped ensure the
success of our weekend in Cardiff - thanks
guys!
If you’re on the lookout for a new or used
vehicle or a service for your current one,
please see their advert on the back of this
magazine and give them a call.
13
Sunday morning saw various curry-addled
instructors, students and officials tumble
from assorted hostelries and return to once
again terrorise the NIAC. Their mission: the
biggest and best junior tournament
imaginable.
Master Little P.U.M.A.
demonstrates how to break
out of a strangle hold.
To break things up and offer even more trophies for
the taking, we laid on some extra events, including
the egg and spoon race and the mighty 100 metre
sprint * . Hey, with a surface that nice It would have
been rude not to.
* Actually it was more like 25 metres.
So, overall a truly splendid second half to the
weekend. A lot of junior students dipped their toes
into the competition waters for the first time and
found they had a taste for it. Are there any future
world champions there in the making?
I don’t doubt it.

“The most life-changing,
foot-slogging,
friendship-forming,
group-hugging,
greatest team
experience.
Ever.”
That’s the tag line.
Bournemouth 2nd degree
Taekwon-Do person Aileen
Edwards goes for a walk.
The history of Trailwalker goes back to 1981 in Hong Kong when the Queen’s Gurkha Signals
Regiment, who were based there at the time, started using the Maclehose Trail for training. The trail
stretched for 100 kilometres from coast to coast and would serve to test stamina and teamwork. The
event was quickly adapted to raise funds for the Gurkha Welfare Trust. Oxfam was invited to collaborate
with the the Queen's Gurkha Signals on the event, which to this day has lead to a highly successful
series of fund-raising events that occur world-wide! Trailwalker is now Oxfam's top fundraising event in
Australia, the UK, and Hong Kong. Oxfam Japan held its first Trailwalker in May 2007 and Oxfam
Belgium had their first Trailwalker this year.
Trailwalker sees teams of four trekking from Petersfield to Brighton Race Course across the South
Downs Way, a distance of 100 kilometres which each team is required to complete in under thirty hours.
The walk is continuous with checkpoints along the way where teams can refuel and take much-needed
loo breaks. Our team consisted of myself, my hubby Andre and two of my work colleagues, Ian and
Jeremy. None of us were super-fit, but all of us were determined to do it!
Our Trailwalker experience actually began a couple of years ago. I heard about it at work as we had a
few teams that had registered. My interest was immediately piqued but I never got round to registering
and before I knew it, it was too late. So, in 2007 when it was time to register for the 2008 event, I made
sure I got our forms in on time. My husband was as keen as I was…he’d spent a number of years
trekking around Namibia with an army radio on his back, so I think he wanted to relive his youth!
Anyway, the day approached rapidly and we had to campaign for sponsorship. Each team has a
minimum amount to collect, ours being £1500. This is where P.U.M.A. came in. Master Gayle rallied for
support and the response was fantastic. I was pretty overwhelmed by the sponsorship we received from
association members as it was so much more than I’d hoped for!
Pretty soon, the day was upon us. We were taken to the start by our very patient support crew where we
signed in, had our kit checked and were fitted with our tracking armbands.
The start was abuzz with excitement and at 8:30 promptly we set off to the wistful wail of bagpipes…bless
the pipers actually, as they were there at the finish line to see us in again J
The first 40 kilometres was fairly uneventful, although we were thoroughly enjoying ourselves as the
weather was good and the countryside was beautiful. We were starting to feel the strain of the walk by
about now with all of us nursing massive blisters on our feet. I was so sure that I’d made the right choice
of footwear, but no, I had blisters the size of a small country under my feet. At the half-way point I was
helped by an angel of mercy…I swear she had wings…who taped up my blisters with some sort of
plaster backed with super-duper epoxy nuclear resin stuff…nothing was going to move the tape which
made walking on raw feet a bit more comfortable.
Before we knew it, the sun had set and we were into the night walk. This made things quite interesting,
especially as we couldn’t tell how far a hill stretched, so at times it seemed we were climbing forever!
The Trailwalker trail climbs the equivalent of Ben Nevis, so perhaps it’s better sometimes if you can’t see
the up-hill ahead of you! We were approaching the 70 kilometre mark and were in sight of checkpoint
seven when disaster struck. My hubby, who was doing a sterling job until then, ruptured a tendon under
his one foot. What a mare! We managed to help him to the checkpoint where he was taken to the First
Aid tent. The First-aiders took one look at his foot and decided to get the ambulance in to take him to
Brighton Hospital. What a dilemma…I had to decide whether I kept walking with my remaining team-
14
The happy team set off.

mates or whether I should go with him to A&E. In the end, we
decided that it would be best if I continued the walk, while the
support crew would accompany him to hospital. Just as
well…checkpoint seven is the checkpoint everyone looks forward
to on the walk (besides the end, of course J) as the Gurkhas
have a delicious hot meal for everyone!
The last twenty kilometres were really hard… we were cold
(believe it or not, even though it was July!), tired, we hadn’t slept
since Friday and it really was a case of mind over matter. This is
where you come in…thank you again for your sponsorship,
because I can honestly say that it kept us going through those
last few km…the thought of not finishing and not being able to
collect the sponsorship that had been pledged to us kept us all
going through to the end. Jeremy, was really struggling at this
point, he was probably the least fit of all of us but hung in
there…literally, he was hanging on his walking poles!
Finally, we caught sight of Brighton Race Course…only a couple
of kilometres to go…and boy, those were the longest two Ks I’ve
ever walked!
The end was everything we’d hoped for. I’d love to say that we
skipped across the line, but it was more of a drag in reality. We
tried to look fresh-faced and sprightly but the looks of pity as we
walked across the line showed we’d not succeeded in that. We
received our medals on the finishing podium, including my hubby
who by this time was hobbling on crutches, then it was off to
enjoy our much-awaited Gurkha curry, the promised prize for all
Trailwalkers.
“Ah. This must be the finish line“ said the survivors.
Would we do it again? If you’d have asked me that on the day I
would have answered with an emphatic ‘No!’…however, we’ve
already put our names down for next year J so watch this space!
The swollen feet, swollen knees, missing toe nails and aching
legs are all distant memories…except for my hubby, who is still
hobbling around on crutches with a cast on his foot, following
surgery to reconstruct the tendons…his aim? To FINISH the
Trailwalker next year!
15
“Right, where’s me curry then?”
Thank you again to everyone at P.U.M.A. that sponsored us. In
the end our team collected just over £2000.
Until 2009. Who knows, perhaps we could have a couple of
P.U.M.A. teams next year!
The money collected by the event makes a BIG difference to
the Oxfam and Gurkha Trust projects addressing poverty both
longer term and in emergencies at home and around the
world. To give you an idea:
In Emergencies
£23 buys 10 Oxfam buckets specially designed to keep water
safe and clean
£36 can provide safe water for 50 people
£1440 can provide safe drinking water for 2000 people
£1500 could pay for 11 Oxfam bicycle ambulances, so that
people in remote villages in Malawi can reach medical care
when they need it.
Longer Term Developments
£5 can buy 2 school text books
£50 buys a donkey, which can carry large loads over long
distances, which really eases the burden of fetching and
carrying supplies to and from a market. Plus free fertiliser!
£3000 – could allow the GWT to build six tap-stands to provide
safe,clean water for a Gurkha village.
£8000 – could provide an irrigation system for 33 families,
helping them to grow more to eat and to sell: improving
nutrition, health and incomes.

After a very wet summer the weather outlook didn’t look great for
Kids Camp 2008 but as around 100 juniors arrived at Sparkford
cricket ground in Somerset their enthusiasm wasn’t to be
dampened. As it turned out the site was bathed in sunshine
making the job of putting up tents all the easier. Tents shot up all
over the field with parents helping their kids to build their shelters
for the weekend (and the other way round in some cases). By
early evening over 60 tents filled the field and there wasn’t a
parent to be seen.
With over 20 helpers already there, the marquees were in place
and chef Mr Steve Dearlove and his band of helpers in the
kitchen were already busy preparing dinner for over 120 people.
With tents safely pitched it was time to get everyone into their
teams for the weekend. After the teams were formed they were
given time to get to know each other as well as their team leaders
for the weekend before getting ready for dinner. After a hearty
meal there was plenty of free time to make some new friends as
well as catch up with friends from previous camps. As always, the
day finished with a large cup of hot chocolate, a biscuit and then it
was time for bed (after brushing their teeth of course).
As dawn broke the sound of chattering voices was coming from
tents everywhere but it wasn’t until around 7 o’clock that everyone
started to get up wondering the day had in store. After breakfast
the children were given free time and games of everything from
football to cricket to Frisbee popped up all over the field. Whilst
there were a few brief interruptions for rain the weather generally
held up pretty well until and before everyone knew it, it was time
for lunch.
After lunch it was time for a visit to the Haynes Motor Museum, a
couple of miles down the road. Mr Charlie Dowling had the
mammoth task of ferrying all 13 teams to the museum and back
again by minibus. Once at the museum each team was guided
round by their team leaders, seeing some of the fastest, most
expensive and oldest cars in the world, with many interactive
displays to maintain everyone’s interest. After a good look around
most groups then spent some time in the amusement arcade
before heading to gift shop for some souvenirs. Finally everyone
headed outside to the adventure playground to await the minibus
back to the campsite.
By Daniel Lammin
16
As dinner time approached the weather finally decided to take a
serious turn for the worse and after everyone had gotten their rain
coats they were ushered into the marquees ready for dinner. With
the weather not looking as though it was going to be a bit of a
wash out but the adult helpers managed to keep everyone
entertained as the rain fell. Another cocoa and biscuits session
rounded the day off and then it was time for bed.
Sunday came around and with all the rain over the weekend
you’d have thought that the last thing on everyone’s mind would
have been another chance to get wet, but no! Despite the regular
showers everyone seemed just as keen as ever to get on with the
annual water pistol fight, probably the most eagerly anticipated
event of the weekend. After lunch as the skies cleared a large
gang of young Spartaci filled their water pistols and prepared to
take on the small brave band of 20 adults in a very one sided
battle to the soak. The 20 adults armed with some serious water
pistols and a lot of water bombs fought bravely but in the end
were no match for the mass of kids who were intent on ensuring
not one person made it off of the field without being soaked from
head to foot! At the end of the battle everyone was called in and a
few unfortunate souls were put on trial for cheating during the
battle, the punishment being a hefty saturation with ice cold
water. Mr Black, Mr Lammin and Miss Udall were all condemned
to this fate before the tables were turned on the judge himself,
Master Ogborne who ended up the wettest on camp.
After some time to dry off and get some warm clothes on the
parents started to arrive ready for the talent show. As is tradition
each team had to show a talent or perform a short sketch, with
themes this year ranging from the Olympics to the X Factor. As is
the case every year there were some fantastic sketches showing
great imagination which had everyone laughing out loud and
provided a fitting end to the weekend. After the sketches were
completed a number of awards were handed out for everything
from the best team to the tidiest tent and then it was time to take
down tents and head home. Whilst everyone was very tired
(especially the helpers) and the weather hadn’t been the kindest
the camp had once again been a great success. As they packed
up and left many could already be heard planning for next year’s
camp, where hopefully the weather will be a little kinder.

Being the winner of the competition to win a place on Summer
Camp was great, I was looking forward to the camp as it was,
but when Master Gayle told me I had won, I couldn’t quite
believe it but it set me up for a great camp.
Summer Camp 2008 was my first camp with P.U.M.A. and I
really didn’t know what to expect when I got there.
I arrived on the Saturday and started setting up. The weather
was really hot and I was looking forward to getting into the
training the next day.
By James Tayler, Swindon Taekwon-Do School
There was a camp meeting in the evening and this explained a
lot about what was going to happen over the course of the week.
After this we were put into our teams that we were going to
spend the rest of the camp with.
When we got up the next morning to begin the run to the beach
for our first training session. I got talking to a few of my other
teammates, getting to know them, where they usually train and
so on. I asked them about what they thought of the camp and
they were all saying how good it was.
We all arrived at the beach and dived into the training and I then
understood why everyone enjoyed camp so much, it was really
great fun.
There was a great mix of fitness and technical elements
including patterns & set sparring. Obviously being on a beach
meant that we had to hit the sea too – but that just made things
more interesting!
17
The rest of the day was filled with either relaxing or training on
the optional sessions. These were varied throughout the week &
meant we were able to learn a lot on camp from better sparring
blocks & attacks, to Knife Defence & Bo Staff.
After the evening session we were just left to wind down from the
day.
Being so close to the village meant that we didn’t always stay at
the campsite. There were restaurants & pubs to have a meal and
a few drinks at. It was a really good social time and because the
town was so lively, there was never a dull evening.
There was a real mix of grades on camp, from the Masters (like
Master Gayle) to the lower grades like the yellow and green
belts.
On a personal level I love being a red belt, I enjoy performing the
patterns and techniques I have been able to learn during my
Taekwon-Do career and look forward to many more years
training.
Overall I thought Summer Camp was excellent, I met loads of
new people & learnt many different techniques but at the same
time I felt I was able to really chill out & relax.
I will definitely go to Summer Camp again & would recommend it
to anyone – I look forward to seeing you there!

By Jenny Francis, 3rd degree black belt - Former ITF World Junior Patterns Champion (Australia 2006)
Having many years experience myself, and seeing people compete
in patterns from around the world I would like to share with you all
what, in my opinion, makes a good patterns competitor. To be a
good competitor you need a combination of things, many of which
I hope to cover. Be warned, it takes time and a great deal of practice
before you get onto the ring, as preparation is the key.
Firstly to be a British, European, World champion, or whatever you
set your target to be, does not happen over night. Mind, body and
spirit all need to be incorporated into a successful person. In order
to achieve this you need to practise your tournament pattern, and
those competing at black belt or international level need to practise
every pattern. Many people have told me that I am a perfectionist
and I think that having a degree of criticism is good. Someone who’s
naturally gifted will do well, but the person who has the mindset to
practise something until it is to the best of their ability, and having
the knowledge of each move, will truly shine.
Mental Preparation
The right mindset for me took time. Entering a tournament, you
need to discover what works for you, in order to work with your
adrenaline, rather than let it work against you, making you a bag
of nerves. This may be that you need confidence and tell yourself
that you’re going to win, without saying it rudely to others of course.
It may be that you think the other competitors in your division are
really good, and you need to work harder every time you perform
your pattern. Also I think pressure from parents, guardians, friends,
and family can contribute towards this. So for those that know of
someone who competes, please bare this in mind, encouragement
and support is important, and with children, don’t pressure them
too much - they need to make their own decisions. Remember that
you are wearing that belt because you have earned it. Take criticism
on board to improve on your weaknesses and reinforce those
strengths that got you to where you are.
Here’s a useful tip to help focus your mind, OR send you to sleep;
I have often gone through my patterns mentally before bed: either
starting from the lower grades up, or your highest pattern down.
Personally I usually fall asleep after two or three! Or try meditating
on it.
18
Practise (Physical Preparation)
I mentioned how you need to learn your pattern or patterns inside
out. So some things you should ask yourself about each movement:
NB: I have made reference to previous issues of Planet P.U.M.A,
which explain things in more detail.
1. Have you prepared for the move accurately?
� Correct hand positions for blocks and how high they should
be.
� Chamber for kicks.
� You have a reaction hand if appropriate to the technique.
� In between each finished move, the body should be in a
specific place. So get it right!
� Have you used the correct sine-wave (issue 4, page 20)
� Is the move continuous, connecting, fast or slow motion?
Show a difference in rhythm, determined on the type of
move. (issue 7, page 26)
� Utilise the body rotation.
2. Are your stances right? (issue 6, page 24)(issue 12, page 26)
� The right length.
� The right width.
� Have you turned/pivoted correctly ( issue 11, page 28)
� Are your legs suitably bent.
� Are your feet pointing in the correct direction.
� Is the weight distribution precise.
3. Are the shoulder lines correct at which the technique finishes?
( issue 3, page 24)
� Centre line.
� Chest line.
� Inner shoulder.
� Outer shoulder
4. Is your body facing the right way?
� Full facing.
� Half facing.
� Side facing.
5. Have you kicked properly? (issue 9, page 24)
� Are done at the correct height.
� Are chambered correctly.
� Are done at the right angle.
6. Is the finish position exact?
� Hands
� Legs
� Body.
� Tense every muscle in your body.
� Did the move finish using a twisting action (there are few
exceptions).
� Don’t forget to keep your head up with a serious face.
7. Do you know what your move is for?
(issue 10, page 23, under General Advice)
� What part of the hand/foot do you block/ attack with?
� What is the specific area that you are attacking to / defending
against?

� Can the move be interpreted for a different purpose?
8. Can you put any more power into the movement?
(issue 1, page 23)
� Instead of kicking with your leg have you kicked with your
body? The same applies for any technique.
� Have you used the correct breath control (think about the
motion the move is done in) ?
� Are you concentrating to help further your understanding ?
� Ensure you are balanced throughout.
� Does it have enough speed?
Oh and don’t forget to eat… healthily. This means no last minute
trips to Burger King. Or if you’re more of a cake person like me don’t
eat that ridiculously chocolatey muffin, as I nearly threw it up midway
through a pattern. Never again!
Etiquette
Hopefully you will soon be on your way to getting the pattern in
place. But it doesn’t end there. I am big on etiquette, and hopefully
you have learnt that it is important, inside and outside the dojang.
The correct etiquette for when your name is called to the ring, is to
respond to it with a "Yes Sir/Ma’am". You should then walk to the
back of the ring, facing the umpires and referees that are sat down.
Before walking onto the ring, ensure your dobok (suit) is tidy (facing
away from the umpires whilst adjusting, as you would do so in class).
When suitably dressed, you should bow and make sure that the
centre referee, has noticed, before walking onto the designated
area. When you land on the spot marked you should then bow
again. The next steps you don’t need to remember, as the caller
will tell you to bow to both the opposing person, and the umpires
and referees. To me, these first few steps need to show that you
are serious, and by that I mean having the correct posture, so don’t
walk on with that limp in your leg, but compose yourself with your
head up high. After all it’s an achievement just getting to that stage,
and being there must mean that you have practised. After
performing your fabulous pattern, you should remain respectful, and
keep good posture, no matter HOW tired you are. You should then
embrace the decision, shake hands with your opposing partner,
bow, and go to the top table with your name if you have won that
round. Not forgetting to bow as you leave the ring. If the decision
is in your favour than that is brilliant, and you need to continue
focused. If not then try not to worry too much, and give yourself
time. If you’re upset this is fine, as long as you are courteous to
others. Being upset shows you care, and hopefully you will aspire
to be better. If you did not get through a round, I recommend that
you watch others,
not only to
support them, but
also to see what
they do well.
19
Training Aids
Having a training partner is also something that really made a
difference to me. As having someone support you in order to reach
a target, will keep up your motivation. But for those that prefer to
work alone or for deeper analysis, a video recorder can be very
beneficial. Alternatively a dojang with mirrors enables you to spot
mistakes yourself. Which allows for extra criticism. But to me,
nothing beats a training partner… and they’re free.
Attitude
Having the right attitude is not only showing the right etiquette and
presence when competing, but seeing that the true winner is the
person who walks away having learnt something. After all, your
toughest opponent, and the one you should always strive to be
better than, is yourself. This knowledge and experience will make
you a better person and competitor, which can then be used in
practice towards the next competition, or personal goal. My attitude
is that it’s not good enough until you have performed and
understood every move to the best of your ability. Having the
commitment to drill things over and over until they are correct, shows
the determined spirit within you. To me at the higher level
tournaments, this is truly what defines the good competitors from
the outstanding ones. So it’s your choice if you want to be good or
outstanding, you know what to do.
One last thing, very few people are lucky enough to go into a
tournament in patterns and come out a gold medallist first time. So
stay by your tenets, and persevere! Your efforts will be rewarded.
Taekwon,
Jennifer Francis
Big thanks to P.U.M.A for giving me all this experience and
knowledge, and for being able to share it with some of the readers,
as well as everyone who has helped me along the way. The people
who taught me, the people who supported me, and most importantly
the motivation given from all my friends and family. A further thanks
to Mr J. Francis, Mrs C. Francis, Miss L. Francis and Mr A. Swain
for taking the time to check my grammar!
Jennifer Francis has trained in Taekwon-Do for 11 years,
currently holding a 3rd degree black belt.
She has represented P.U.M.A. in both the Flowering Youth
demo team and when competing internationally. She has
recently started her first Little P.U.M.A.s class, and has
been an assistant instructor for Master Gayle’s junior class
for over 4 years. She trains under Mr Derek Skidmore, IV
Degree, and hopes one day to open a school of her own.

Listening to some of the comments made by the Kickboxers
regarding the P.U.M.A. Taekwon-Do rules competitions, it’s easy
to see why there are few kickboxing competitors seen at these
events. “It’s not fair” – “We don’t stand a chance” – “Why is it point
stop” strange comments from practitioners of an art specifically
designed for competition sparring. Before we look into the reasons
why, and look at ways to remedy the problem we first need to look
at the background of Kickboxing and its origins.
Kickboxing is a hybrid, bits of this and parts of that. Often confused
with Muay Thai which many people refer to as Kickboxing, mainly
due to films such as ‘Kickboxer’ starring Jean-Claude Van Damme
where the storyline revolved around Muay Thai. Kickboxing as we
know it began life in the 1970’s in the USA and is referred to by
some as American Style Kickboxing. Originally it was known as
‘Full-Contact Karate’ and was pioneered by among others, Joe
Lewis who was the first World Heavyweight Full-Contact Karate
Kickboxing Champion. The fighters of that era found that their
traditional martial arts punching and kicking techniques weren’t as
effective as they had hoped. Their fitness levels along with a lack
of conditioning and stamina meant they struggled to endure 10
rounds of fighting. Becoming tired and losing their technique
resulted in the fights becoming scrappy and not at all entertaining.
They put this down to the fact that their traditional training caused
them to ‘pull’ their punching and kicking techniques and they found
it difficult to adapt to full-contact when in the ring. Martial artists
of the many varying styles that competed in these early events all
found the same problem, so they looked towards good old
fashioned boxing for the answer. After all, these guys spar
countless numbers of rounds virtually full-contact just to prepare
for a fight. So the early pioneers began training in the boxing gyms
working with heavy bags and sparring in the ring boxing style in
an effort to condition themselves for their own Kickboxing
competitions. It didn’t matter what traditional style of martial art
they trained in, they found that the boxing training and use of the
techniques gave them huge benefits when competing in the
full-contact events. Even though we don’t practice full-contact
within our own competitions, the principles remain the same.
So it would be fair to say that Kickboxing is a mixture of Martial
Arts style kicking and boxing style punching, therefore it is
essential to maintain a good balance of kicking and boxing skills.
As P.U.M.A. Kickboxing is derived from Taekwon-Do, the kicking
techniques are somewhat similar to, and in most cases the same,
and are just as effective in both disciplines. On the other hand,
20
“Go on, have some of that”
said Mr Dowling to another
Mr Dowling.
the punching techniques are derived from boxing, although, bear
in mind the resemblance to certain hand techniques used within
Taekwon-Do. Sometimes there seems to be a misconception that
a kickboxer should use a majority of boxing skills within
competition, and in effect, neglect kicking techniques.
Taekwon-Do is widely regarded around the world as ‘The Kicking
Art’ – many famous exponents of martial arts have trained in
Taekwon-Do (regardless of their traditional style) to improve their
kicking ability and generally improve their flexibility. Bruce Lee,
Wesley Snipes, Chuck Norris to name but a few. Why then do
Kickboxers tend to rely on boxing skills when competing? Is it a
comfort thing, is it because they don’t feel kicking is effective, or
is it that they just can’t kick well enough to make it effective?
Personally I feel it’s probably a combination of reasons.
With some martial arts, Kickboxing in particular, kicking is often
seen as a means to ‘throw your leg’ in an effort to land any part
of your foot on any part of the opponent. Sometimes this is effective
and sometimes not and is often thought of as a waste of energy.
In Taekwon-Do kicking is a science requiring very precise

“You still here? In that case have this
as well” he said shortly afterwards.
application of technique, where specific parts of the foot are
targeted to specific parts of the opponent to either score points in
sparring or secure defeat in a combat situation. A Taekwon-Do
practitioner is taught from day one the importance of using correct
technique while kicking, as the kick is most effective only when
using the proper mechanics to execute it. I’m not suggesting that
one must use ‘traditional’ style kicking when sparring because it’s
not always practical, but if the practitioner is competent in
traditional technique, he is more likely to execute an effective kick
while sparring in competition.
Boxing is a devastating art in its own right, so to combine this skill
with the devastating kicking of the Taekwon-Do practitioner, would
seem to produce an all round skilled kickboxer. After all it is called
‘Kick-Boxing’.
Within past P.U.M.A. competitions, there have been a number of
kickboxing students competing against Taekwon-Do students
having little or no success. I feel this was due largely to focussing
on, or relying on boxing skills. Trying to use this to defeat a skilled
kicker appears to be an uphill struggle for the Kickboxing
competitor, certainly within a semi-contact environment. After
analysing the results and outcome of these events, it became clear
that as the Taekwon-Do student utilises their kicking skills, it would
seem foolish for the kickboxer not to try and further develop the
skill of kicking. Personally I spend time developing kicking and
boxing skills to an equal level in my students, and my Kickboxers
who compete have proved that adapting to the style of the
opponent, “to fight fire with fire”, so to speak, produces a much
higher success rate within competitions. This is no different to that
of a Taekwon-Do practitioner developing boxing skills in order to
attain extra tools when entering a Kickboxing competition.
Those of us that practice Taekwon-Do are aware of the importance
of traditional Taekwon-Do, but is there a traditional side to
Kickboxing? Boxing has a traditional side although for the
purposes of Kickboxing some of the tradition needs to be adapted.
For instance: the traditional boxing stance lends itself quite nicely
to the application of certain kicking techniques, but has to be
adapted to allow the execution of other techniques when needed
(could this constant need for change be the reason few kicks are
used while sparring?). As for traditional Taekwon-Do, that too
differs for competition sparring which is the element used in our
21
Kickboxing. So as the early pioneers adopted new ideas to
enhance their fighting skills we need to gel together the arts of
Taekwon-Do and Boxing. It’s a fact that the vast majority of
Kickboxing instructors within P.U.M.A. are black belts in Taekwon-
Do and therefore skilled in the art of kicking. Yet often when
teaching Kickboxing, many instructors tend to focus on the boxing
element and neglect kicking. Is this a subconscious effort to keep
Kickboxing and Taekwon-Do separate? The truth is P.U.M.A.
Kickboxing is derived from our Taekwon-Do and that’s what gives
the P.U.M.A. Kickboxer the edge over any other style of Kickboxing
- we can kick!
Mr. Brett Dowling
3rd Dan Kickboxing
IV Degree Taekwon-Do
About the author
In 1995 Brett started training in Taekwon-Do in Exeter at
the age of eight with Mr John Black. He attained his Black
Belt at age 12 and was a founder member of the nationally
acclaimed Dream Team.
At 13 he became Mr Black's Junior Assistant Instructor
and captain of the Dream Team.
At 14 he attained 2nd degree and at this time Brett helped
Mr Black start P.U.M.A.'s first Kickboxing School. (back
then had a minimum age of 14).
At 17 he achieved 3rd degree and under Mr Black started
the very first junior kickboxing school and also became a
registered 3rd dan with the World Kickboxing Association.
At 18 Brett became P.U.M.A.'s youngest full time
professional instructor and officially became Mr Black's
Assistant Instructor at the Exeter Taekwon-Do school.
When he was 19 he took over the running of the Exeter
adult kickboxing school and started regularly training at the
Exeter ABA Boxing Club, where he was able to learn the
art of boxing from some of the best trainers around.
Becoming 21 years old just three days before his grading
(the minimum age requirement) he has just attained 4th
degree in Taekwon-Do and has become a member of the
newly formed P.U.M.A. Kickboxing Committee.

JANG BONG (BO) THEORY
Jang Bong is the Korean art of using a weapon called a Bong or
Bo, and literally means "long staff". It is one of the core elements
of classical martial arts training in many different disciplines.
Many students have attended the seminars that I’ve held at
P.U.M.A. schools and are following the grading syllabus, as well
as taking part at competitions. It’s great to see such interest and
enthusiasm! As with other disciplines, the Bo grading exam
includes questions about the history and theory behind the art,
and this article can be used as a reference for all existing
students, as well as hopefully encouraging more students to take
it up!
History
Sticks are perhaps one of the earliest weapons used by man.
Long staffs were either a walking staff, or a long wooden tool to
help carry very heavy loads across the shoulders, which could
then be used as a weapon if needed. The jang bong has been in
use for thousands of years in Eastern Asia. In ancient Korea and
feudal Japan, it was part of the early forms of martial arts and
was used by samurai, priests, and commoners alike. Its length
made it an apt weapon against swordsmen, disarming the
opponent while allowing the user to remain at a safe distance.
Various forms of stick fighting have since been developed in
many other countries using sticks of different lengths. For
example Kali, escrima or arnis de mano, stick fighting was
developed over a period of many centuries in the Philippines as
her people fought for their independence from foreign invaders.
Kali employs many techniques, including strikes, stances and
weapon handling, which have influence from China, Arab
missionaries, Indonesia and Spain
The quarterstaff was historically a common weapon in medieval
England, where it featured in the Robin Hood legend as the
favourite weapon of Little John. Because it can be employed as a
less-than-lethal weapon the name is said to refer to the act of
giving quarter (showing mercy, pity or pardon to a defeated
enemy).
Advantages of Using a Bong as a Weapon
1. The Bong is very easy to obtain or make*
2. It gives the user a psychological advantage as in a
sense of security.
3. Intensive training is not required for instant usage by the
practitioner.
4. The use of the Bong will extend the reaching distance of
the practitioner.
5. Since all directions of a circle can be covered quickly, it
is excellent for multi-directional combat.
6. Greater force can be used by the practitioner.
7. The artistry of the movements by modern martial artists
is attractive to observe.
* You could use a broom handle, but otherwise why not order one
from your instructor!
22
Bo Design
Bongs are pieces of well polished wood or a suitable man- made
material. Thickness varies depending on the style of the art,
although it obviously must be made so that the fighter can
comfortably make a tight fist around it, in order to block and
counter an attacker.
There are many different types of bong being used today. They
are different lengths (see Terminology) and are made from a
variety of materials. The materials include wood, bamboo or
rattan, plastic, graphite and metal (usually aluminium). The design
you use is a personal choice depending on what the bong will be
used for. You can get different shapes such as round, square
(four sided), hexagonal (six sided), or octagonal (eight sided). The
advantage of the multi sided bong is that the edges of the bong
give a better cutting impact. The modern martial artist mainly uses
a round bong as the cutting edge is not required.
A traditional tapered bo (thinner at each end than the middle) was
made of red or white oak, ash, or hard maple. This type of bo is
light in weight, more manoeuvrable and very well balanced due to
its design. The centre is the weapon's fulcrum and allows for
quick action. It has reduced rigidity because of its tapered ends.
Blocks and strikes can be executed with swift, whip like
movements. The thinner ends were excellent for penetrating
armour or flesh in a combat situation when used for spear
attacks.
A bong should be stored standing straight up or flat on the floor.
The room in which a bong is stored should be cool and dry for
best maintenance. A tapered weapon should have both ends
resting on a surface of equal height as the centre. To check for
the quality of a Bo's straightness, roll the weapon on the floor. If it
rolls smoothly without making much noise, it is of good quality
and has reliable strength.
Bo Ethics
1. The weapon should have an historical and heritage
value. ( as opposed to using a rock, bone or any blunt
instrument you can find lying around)
2. The weapon is considered an extension of the user’s
body and should be cared for as an additional limb.
3. In modern martial arts the weapon should not be used
as a weapon of destruction but as a tool for advancing
the mind, body, and spirit.
4. The purpose of the weapon is to assist in compliance
with the concept of the martial arts ethical code.
5. Weapons are only to be used against another weapon,
not against an empty handed opponent.
6. The weapon is effective only with proper training.
7. The weapon, and use, is a symbol of the user’s honour,
pride, and responsibility.
Anyone using the bo must know not only how to use it, but also
how to control it. Training is a long and demanding process, in
order to learn how to use the staff as an extension of your hands,
and to enable it to become at one with the body and mind.

Techniques and Terminology
Long staff techniques include striking, thrusting, blocking,
parrying, deflecting, sweeping and holding. It can also be used for
joint-locks. By quick changes in the grip, the length of the weapon
can be varied for long-range or close-quarter combat. Martial arts
techniques, such as kicks and blocks, can also be combined with
bo techniques to enhance their effectiveness.
1. Moo Ki = Weapon ( or martial tool or instrument)
Moo = martial. Ki = instrument
It is interesting to note that the Korean symbols
represent two words “stop” and “weapon-war“. So it
represents that a weapon is not actually for fighting, but
rather for stopping or avoiding a fight.
2. Bong Techniques = Bong Sul
3. Bong Patterns = Bong Hyung
4. Bong = Staff or club
5. Jang bong = Long staff – head height
6. Joong bong = Medium size staff – chest height
7. Dan bong = Short staff – 18 to 24 inches long
8. (mainly used against knife or other short staff attacks).
9. Bong Hyung Il Bu = Bong pattern No. 1
10. Bong Hyung E Bu = Bong pattern No. 2
11. Bong Hyung Sam Bu = Bong pattern No. 3
12. Chun kul Jaseh = Front stance
13. Hu kul Jaseh = Back stance or fighting stance
14. Kee ma Jaseh = Horse riding stance
15. Bong Ha dan Mahk ki = Bong low block
16. Bong sang dan mahk ki = Bong high block
17. Bong ssang soo sang dan mahk ki = Bong two handed
high block ( above head)
18. Bong kwan Kong kyuck = Bong spear attack ( or strike)
19. Bong Ha dan Kong kyuck = Bong Low attack (or strike)
20. Bong sang dan Kong kyuck = Bong high attack (or
strike)
Bong Grips
1. Two handed grip. This is the standard grip used by
Korean stylists. Both palms facing down approx.
shoulders width apart. This is very powerful and can be
applied to all techniques.
2. One handed grip. Hold the Bong with one hand on any
part of the Bong, depending on intended use.
3. Cross hand grip. This is used for complicated
combinations and is very effective when changing from
one direction to another.
4. Reverse grip. One palm faces down and the other faces
up (in Choon bee postion). This is advantageous when
shifting into multiple techniques, such as blocking with
one end of the bong and striking with the other
simultaneously.
5. End of Bong grip. This is used when needing the entire
length of the bong for remote long distance attacks.
23
Syllabus
LEVEL 1 ( GREY)
1. Bo staff etiquette (handling bo, bowing etc.)
2. Basic grips, Stances.
3. Basic blocks and strikes (Line Work)
4. Basic terminology for bong
LEVEL 2 ( PURPLE)
1. Basic drills, figure 8 etc.
2. Bong Hyung Il Bu–bong pattern no. 1
3. Theory
LEVEL 3 ( ORANGE)
1. Basic 4 block drill with partner
2. 1 – 5 set sparring with partner
3. Theory
LEVEL 4 ( YELLOW)
1. Bo drills and Line work
2. Bong Hyung E Bu – bong pattern no. 2
3. Theory
LEVEL 5 ( GREEN )
1. Basic 4 block + counter drill with partner
2. 6 – 10 set sparring with partner
3. Free sparring with soft Bo and head guards with point
scoring system
LEVEL 6 ( BLUE)
4. Bong Hyung Sam Bu – bong pattern no. 3
5. More free sparring
LEVEL 7 ( RED )
6. She Bong Hyung – Demo pattern no. 1
7. Theory
LEVEL 8 ( BROWN )
8. She Bong Sa – Demo pattern no. 2
LEVEL 9 (BLACK)
Seminar and grading including
techniques & theory from all levels.
If you require any other information about the syllabus or have
any questions about the bo, please feel free to contact me at
steveweymantangsoodo@hotmail.com .

By Kirsty Oliver
Weight management: separating fact from fiction
As a Personal Trainer I am repeatedly asked what can I do to lose weight? What exercise can I do to lose my tummy? Do I need to turn
fat to muscle to lose weight? Are there any easier ways to lose weight then setting up residency at a gym?
The truth is that there is no magic trick, potion or pill to losing and maintaining weight. The law of thermodynamics states that to lose
excess body fat, an individual must consume fewer calories than they expend through physical activity and daily living, it’s that simple.
The difficult part is what follows, knowing how to structure your exercise, knowing what to eat, how much to eat, and when to eat it and
then doing it regularly.
In this article I am going to discuss the requirements of the body to successfully lose weight, how to maintain weight, and why the body
needs certain food groups.
I am also going to touch on typical diet myths and how these can be detrimental to the very goal of successful weight management.
Also, as martial artists it is important that the body receives adequate sustenance to sustain the physical demands of our chosen art. I
will be explaining how all this information ties into your typical training week.
Losing and maintaining weight is something that modern society
has struggled with for a long time. There are so many gimmicks
and quick fix solutions on the market today that people have lost
direction in how to lose weight the healthy way.
As previously mentioned, the law of thermodynamics states that to
lose excess body fat, an individual must burn more calories than
what they consume. The science behind losing weight is very
simple, be mindful of the amount of calories you put into your body
and get plenty of weight-bearing and cardiovascular exercise. This
is much easier said than done. It takes commitment, hard work, and
a lot of patience.
It is important to ensure that you have plenty of support from family
and friends, people to put you back on the straight and narrow if
you lose your focus.
To reduce the number of calories we consume on a daily basis,
firstly we need to know what we currently eat and drink daily. The
simplest method is to write it all down. Do this for a 2 week period
and I promise you will have a brand new perspective on all the
things you have eaten but totally forgot about! From previous and
personal experience, it will demonstrate your eating patterns and
indicate to you where your weaknesses lie. A food diary is an
essential tool to changing your eating habits.
Once you have established your typical eating regime, it is now
important to become aware of the calorific content of a lot of the
foods you eat regularly. This doesn’t mean counting all the calories
in every meal, but it does mean taking an educational trip to your
local supermarket and getting familiar with the nutritional labels.
An average meal of fairly healthy choices will consist of
approximately 500 calories, so the next time you fancy that
chocolate bar or or packet of crisps for a quick snack, just take a
look at the number of ‘empty’ calories they contain.
As we all know, knowledge is power, but it is only powerful if we
choose to apply it.
So now that we have an understanding of what we typically eat
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daily, and the general calorific contents of our usual meals and
snacks, we now need to look at reducing the number of calories we
consume.
The general recommendations for weight loss are to reduce your
daily calorific intake by 500 calories. So, you see from writing down
your daily consumption of food, you can ascertain where any excess
calories come from. Simply cutting back on sugary snacks and
opting for more wholesome food groups can reduce your intake
dramatically, thus losing excess body fat when combined with
exercise. It is important to have a benchmark, so prior to
commencing your new regime, ensure that you take body
measurements first thing in the morning before eating, and also
make a note of your scale weight. There are many more accurate
ways to assess your body composition, but for easiness scales and
measurements are adequate if no other system is available. I would
highly recommend limiting your weigh-ins/measurement checks to
once every fortnight. Bodyweight and composition can fluctuate on
a daily, even hourly basis. Checking your statistics too often will
give an inaccurate picture of your progress, thus reducing
motivation.
So what happens once you have achieved your goal? It is important
to remember that eating a balanced diet is a lifestyle change, not
a temporary measure to lose a few pounds. The only way to
maintain existing lean body weight is to review your long term eating
habits. We all have weaknesses, and we all ‘fall off the wagon’
occasionally, but it is important that minor indiscretions with food
remain just that, minor!
There are many diets, fat burning pills and fads available to the
public today. The sad thing is that so much money is wasted every
year on ‘quick fixes’ and short cuts.
It is important to understand how the body responds to these
gimmicks to truly get the results you want. Here’s the science bit:
Your body has what is called a basal ,metabolic rate. This is a
specific number of calories that your body must burn on a daily
basis in order to stay alive, it varies from person to person

depending on a whole bunch of variables. Typically, a woman will
burn approximately 1400, and a man approximately 1800. This
figure does not take into account movement or digestion, so it is
important to take exercise and daily movement into consideration.
Let me give you an example: If you imagine an individual goes on
a calorie-controlled Diet of, say, 1200-1400 calories per day
maximum, and their Basal Metabolic Rate is 1600. This means that
even eating the maximum number of calories (1400) that they are
allowed to have, they are living in a deficit of 200 calories per day
below their body’s functional requirements. Over an extended
period of time, the body is starving.
There are two prime sources of energy readily available within the
human body. The most important is fat, the second is muscle, or
lean tissue. If the body is being starved on a regular basis by not
consuming enough energy to sustain daily function and more, then
muscle will be the primary source burned, not fat.
It is very important to remember that if you are looking to reduce
body fat percentage, the body needs to receive fuel at regular
intervals throughout the day. If the body is being starved, it will hold
on to fat reserves more readily in preparation of ‘a famine’. It is the
body’s way of protecting itself from you! Hence why breakfast is so
important, it fires up your metabolism for the day to come.
When choosing a meal plan to follow, it is important that it gives
you a certain level of freedom with the food choices you make.
When it comes to diet and exercise, adherence is the most important
aspect to guarantee success, so having choices and moveability is
paramount.
Let’s quickly look at the different food groups and why they are
crucial to your balanced diet:
Protein
Proteins are made up of 20 different amino acids. Their primary
function is to build and repair muscle and body tissue. Amino acids
consist of 2 types; essential and nonessential. 8 essential amino
acids cannot be made in the body so must be obtained from the
food we eat. The remaining 12 nonessential amino acids can be
made within the body. Protein is broken down and used as building
blocks to increase muscle size/density, it is a very beneficial
supplement when used as part of a weight training regime. A
recreationally active individual should consume 1 gram of protein
per kilogram of bodyweight each day.
Carbohydrates (Carbs)
Carbs are the primary source of energy for all body functions and
muscle exertion. Carbohydrate compounds contain carbon,
hydrogen and oxygen and are generally classified as sugars,
starches and fibre. Carbs come in 2 forms; simple and complex.
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Simple carbs are very easily digested, whereas complex
carbohydrates take longer to break down, thus are digested much
more slowly. Complex carbs are the most beneficial to a balanced
diet, due to the less dramatic response from blood sugar levels. If
we consume too many simple carbs (chocolate, sweets, etc) then
our blood sugar levels will ‘spike’, creating a dramatic energy
increase. If we eat a good supply of complex carbs (vegetables,
certain fruits) in our diets, then our body has to spend longer
breaking it down, thus creating a much lower impact on blood sugar
levels. This way you won’t feel the ‘crash’ from the ‘spike’.
Fats
Fats are the most concentrated source of energy in the diet. They
also act as a carrier for vitamins A,D,E and K. Fats are also
responsible for cell membrane structure, body insulation and aiding
in the digestive process. It is recommended to keep fat intake to a
minimum, specifically saturated fats which have risk factors for heart
disease. Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats have beneficial
properties for effective health and functioning. Be mindful of
trans-fatty acids; which is the result of the hydrogenation process.
(This process involves adding hydrogen to unsaturated fats to make
them harder at room temperature, and increases food shelf life).
Trans-fatty acids have been shown to increase cholesterol.
Water
Drinking an adequate amount of water will improve (amongst
other things) body temperature regulation and metabolic function.
Water is the transporter for many chemical reactions. Guidelines
state that an individual should consume at least 2 litres of water
per day, and an additional 1 litre of water for every 1 hour of
vigorous activity participated in.

Guidelines
Consider these when planning your daily food intake:
� You should have 5 meals per day, breakfast, a midmorning
snack, lunch, a mid-afternoon snack and an
evening meal.
� Lunch should consist of ample protein and carbohydrate
portions.
� The evening meal should be protein-dense.
� Eat healthy choices for snacks, ideally fruit and
vegetables.
� If you absolutely cannot live without certain naughty
foods, plan it into your week.
� You should never go longer than 5 hours without eating,
the body will automatically switch to starvation mode
and retain fat reserves.
� If in between meals you are still feeling hungry, drink a
glass of water first before reaching for a snack. Hunger
and thirst signals are very similar within the body.
� Be mindful of eating late at night. The metabolism will
slow whilst sleeping, so when eating close to bedtime
the body will store what it does not need to utilize
straight away.
So how does all this information apply specifically to martial artists
you may well ask?
Martial arts are very physically demanding and to be able to function
properly and give your best performance, our bodies need to have
the proper sustenance to feed the demand adequately. Prior to
getting into the fitness industry, I remember on numerous occasions
finishing my job, getting into my car and driving straight to a
Taekwon-Do class without having eaten anything since midafternoon.
Then by the time I had finished the lesson, finished
chatting to my fellow students outside, actually gotten home and
eaten something substantial, well over 5 hours had passed, and it
was typically leading up to my bedtime. Does this sound familiar?
It is important to schedule your martial arts lessons into your eating
day, knowing when to eat a decent meal that will see you through
to a very physical activity. If you cannot find the time to eat a meal,
then at the very least think about what snack you could have in the
meantime, and that does not mean a chocolate bar and packet of
crisps at the local petrol station! Why not try a couple of boiled eggs
followed with some carrot sticks? How about some fruit, a protein
shake, and maybe some Ryvita with cottage cheese?
The choices available to us are endless, it all depends on how much
you want to improve your eating habits, and more importantly, how
much effort you’re willing to make to get the results you want.
Many people make the mistake of believing that if they exercise
regularly, then they can afford to eat whatever they want. Wrong.
Your body is constantly being reborn by way of cell regeneration;
the body you are in now is not the same cellular structure you lived
in this time last year. The food we eat is what plants the seed for
the quality of our cells to follow, so if you constantly live on a diet
of poor choices and unhealthy ingredients, its fair to say you will
inevitably grow cells of poor quality within your body. ‘You are what
you eat’, a very accurate statement and one worth giving time and
consideration to.
To eat well, it is important to take the
time and effort to find out as much
as you can about food and what
effects it has on your body. I have
endeavoured to give you the basic
guidelines on how to manage your
weight, if you have any further
questions, or would like me to point
you in the right direction for more
research, please email me on
kirstyoliver77@hotmail.com.
Kirsty Oliver has been training for 11 years, and holds a Taekwon-Do 1st Degree Black Belt. At present she lives and works in
Bermuda as a Personal Trainer, Group Fitness Instructor and Sports Therapist. Her qualifications include Premier and NASM Level
3 Personal Trainer, NASM Junior Athletic Conditioning, and RSA Exercise To Music Instructor. Kirsty is also a P.U.M.A. Assistant
Instructor.
26

Look what great pictures we’ve had sent in! These were the winning entries from
athe Little P.U.M.A.s Top Draw competition at the September Junior
Championships in Cardiff. Everyone did really well, but these ones caught the
eye of Master Ogborne, who had the following to say about them...
3rd place: Holly Curran
presents a mixture of
everything from the Little
P.U.M.A.s logo to the Korean
flag. great picture Holly.
So what do you want to see on
this page? Email us and let us
know, otherwise we’ll start
printing pictures of light bulbs!
2nd place: Libby Taylor
has boldly confronted the
real world dimension of self
defence. Her message is
simple: stay away from
golfers at all times.
27
ellow paint!
Baaaaaaarnacles!
Helmut
Mice crispies!
“Can I have fries with that?”
Finding half a worm!
Do you have jokes? Good. Send us jokes. We won’t have any jokes
otherwise. Email to . Thank you!
1st place: Chloe
Summerwell with a fantastic
drawing of Master Little
P.U.M.A., who will be turning
up at more P.U.M.A. events
soon. Well Done to Chloe,
Libby, Holly and everyone
else who entered!
Good grief! Mr John Black is having a weekend trip to Blackpool and is visiting the zoo there! There are many strange animals present,
but Mr Black is carrying a stick with a horse’s head handle and wishes to poke a lion in the ear with it! We don’t really approve of such
behaviour and the zoo doesn’t even have any lions, so Mr Black is going to go ahead and poke a tiger in the ear instead! He didn’t buy a
guide book, so help him out and show him where the tigers’ den is!