Picture Worthy!

The above picture is of Master Mark Williams. Anyone who is anyone who trains in Taekwondo knows who he is! If you haven't heard of Mark "the Shark" Williams, then you don't know Taekwondo! Master Williams is a great Taekwondo coach, instructor, and a fantastic competitor himself. You can YouTube him and you'll find a few great videos of some of his early fights. Master Williams is presently inducted into the Taekwondo Hall of Fame and was for YEARS the President for New Jersey USTU, later USAT.

I met Master Williams when I was 13 years old. I just became a Black Belt and began competing for the first time in the THEN USTU (United States Taekwondo Union) tournaments. He used to hold Regional Center of Excellence seminars all over New Jersey in different schools to help bring together the New Jersey schools and help the next generations of students improve in sport Taekwondo. I went to many of them when I was a teenager, and competed at his tournaments as well. I have competed in his Grand Prix Winternationals twice and my first State USAT Gold medal in sparring was when he was President of the New Jersey USAT. I am very proud of that.

I even brought a couple of my own students to his seminars when I was still apprenticing under my old master, and later with some when I opened my own school only a few years ago. I learned a great Deal from Master Williams, especially when it came to note taking and studying, which I do to this very day and preach to my students EVERY DAY. I quote him quite a bit, not only philosophically but in sparring class as well. If he is reading this, I just want to say Mount Everest!

Master Williams has recently begun a new venture that he has always wanted to do. If you're a school owner or train in a martial art, listen closely. Going through the ranks, I have absolutely NO pictures of me as a color belt. Once in a while will a vintage Trento picture emerge of me as a color belt. Otherwise, my four years as a color belt don't exist in photo form. There are so many moments and viewing of the journey that gets missed when not archived in pictures. Well Master Williams has a solution to that.

Another passion of Master Williams is photography. Anyone who knows him, knows he never travels without his camera. And over the years he has taken a few photos at tournaments and will give them to friends, but some of those friends keep those pictures up for decades plus after! They say pictures speak a thousand words, but pictures with your martial arts related to it, can tell an entire story. Master Williams can go to your school during classes and promotion tests and capture the Taekwondo moments that are only ingrained in memory. Imagine having those moments on camera? Do you know how many sparring moments in class, or successes in forms training, or my first throw in self defense that could have been caught?

This is a phenomenal opportunity to catch those moments. Below are a few pictures he has taken at my own school with my own students:

My student Aram and I learning the side kick.

My student Tomasz figuring out his new form.

My student Samantha learning the Taeguek forms for the first time ever!

William Stiehl taking his high red belt test before AAU Nationals!

Armina working hard for her high green belt. She finally got her hands correct!

Megan Ouellette's last color belt test before Black Belt as she does a head shot in sparring!

Aram, who has been working on his flexibility so he can compete in forms next year.

Sade testing for her intermediate level rank.

I was very happy when a few parents took advantage of the opportunity to have Master Williams photograph their kids. One of the parents called her husband in excitement "You won't believe what's going on here! We have to get these!"

A tradition at my school, because I believe in picture taking so greatly, is before Black Belt testing, the candidates make a poster collage of all their years training and it's fun to see them grow up and advance through the years on the road to Black Belt. Something like this is absolutely amazing to have. Master Williams can arrange to come take pictures during a busy day of classes, promotion tests, competitions! This is something as parents, students, and even school owners should take advantage of. You can email Master Williams at mwilliamstsk@yahoo.com or call him at 201-245-2209, after 9pm is the best time.

I want to thank Master Williams personally for taking on this beautiful venture and look forward to his presence at our future events, and hope all my fellow school owners from all over contact Master Williams for this wonderful opportunity! (BOWS)

The last TMAFC beginner/intermediate belt testing group.

 

 

 

 

Yours in service,
MASTER A TRENTO