Self defense and martial arts
During their regular meeting at Prante’s on October 7th members had the pleasure of hearing from Grand Master Eric Greenquist. Titles are frequently inappropriately used in the modern era but in this case the “Grand Master” prefix has been earned by Tae Kwan Do and other martial arts training since the 1980’s under South Korea’s Great Grand Master Moo Yong Yun.
The Grand Master started by explaining the some of the many names involved with martial arts. The striking attacks: Tae Kwan Do – kicking (“kick boxing”); Wing Chun – punching (“boxing”). The more complex attacks: Judo – throwing; Jiu-Jitsu – joint locks and submission holds Hap Ki Do – joint lock, throwing and the striking attacks and Kendo – use of a sword.
Aside from the obvious physical activity benefits the martial arts teach respect and discipline. Both children and adult students are taught to watch people’s eyes when they are spoken to and to treat each other well. They are also taught to never apply more than sufficient force and to do it in a very disciplined and controlled fashion. The latter two lessons are applied with one of the best uses of martial arts: self-defense.
Children begin training as young as six. That anyone can do martial arts to a greater or lesser extent is emphasized by his own story. In his late twenties due to a genetic disorder, hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) he had a stroke and was in a coma for 5 days. He began his training as a part of his recovery moving on to become a Grand Master while controlling the HHT.
Finding a place to train is simple: Breckenridge, the northeast corner of Minnesota Avenue and Fifth Street North (Highway 75). The Greenquist Academy of Taekwondo located there is the flagship of 38 Greenquist Academy “franchises” (academies lead by masters trained by Grand Master Greenquist and thus from Great Grand Master Moo Yong Yun) in Minnesota, North and South Dakota, Wisconsin and Wyoming. Locally there are about one hundred students many of them women.