Master Balon Visits TMAFC

The Competition Team with Master Kevin Balon at TMAFC

"If it doesn't challenge you, it won't change you."

Master Kevin Balon

TMAFC students listening to Master Balon's advice.

One of the greatest martial artists I have ever met is my mentor Master Kevin Balon. He is a 7th Degree Black Belt and the AAU New Jersey District Director. He is a phenomenal mentor. Everyone who knows me knows the story of how I was on my own back in 2009, just starting up my own business and looking for someone who knew my forms and could test me for my 3rd Degree and I came across the AAU. Little did I know, Master Balon WAS New Jersey AAU. I took three lessons with him before he tested me for my 3rd Degree Black Belt in 2009 and it didn't take much time to see how phenomenal he was.

In 2012 he tested me for my 4th Dan Black Belt, my master level, which was a goal of mine since I was a young kid. Over the years I continued to train with Master Balon in Taekwondo. He has a superb eye for detail and a fantastic ability to think outside the box and be innovative in training. His knowledge and passion for teaching Taekwondo goes beyond measure. I strive very hard to attain the vast ability he has. Like any truly great mentor, he always pushes the envelope for me, always keeping me on my toes and striving to become better, as a martial artist and businessman.

When I wasn't well last year, Master Balon had offered to come up to my school. But we never arranged anything. After getting back on my feet and clearing my head the last few months I have been up to some great projects and building anew at my center. My team and I have planned ways to build up my fitness program and I also incorporated a more regimented and structured competition team. I expressed to Master Balon that I have been looking into bringing in to my center a lot of "new", new classes, new programs, new routines, new energy. So I asked him if he would come to the center and offer his experience to my students.

I love watching my mentor in action. 

Master Balon explaining the importance of uniting as a team!

I have never had Master Balon at my school before and it was a really big deal to me. I made sure everything was clean and right, and I was also nervous too. It was an honor for me to have him at TMAFC. He arrived for the first class and I told him that the mats were his. He was going to introduce Point Sparring to my students on our new competition team and review competition forms.

What I absolutely loved was that he had no problem getting in their face and calling them out about being a TEAM. Not in an abrasive way, but in a way that built unity. He made everyone go into a circle and perform their favorite move and introduce themselves and say their name while everyone clapped and cheered them on. He encouraged everyone to woot and cheer and encourage each other to build unity and communication. Enthusiasm builds energy and Master Balon was on it! He also caught them off guard with something as simple as one question: What is your team name?

Everyone kept wanting to use my name, but this is about THEM. To build communication and interest as well as enthusiasm, it gave them a sense of unity that will make them stronger as a team. That's what I love about Master Balon. He's not only teaching technique, strategy, and exercise, but comradery and teamwork, and he does it in such a unique way!

Master Balon observes Aram before his competition. 

Three generations of martial artists. 

He did just as much drills and application as he did lecture. His advice was great and all the students thought so when I got their feedback. But I also knew a lot of it was for ME as I observed carefully. As he was explaining the drills and purpose behind what they were doing to the team, I could catch how he was indirectly advising me how I could incorporate these drills into the classes as well. The team was excited as they were learning this new style of sparring and Master Balon got right in there with them too! He put his gear on and moved around with everyone just as much. It was a thrill for my students to get a chance to spar with Master Balon himself!

I think for me, one of the greatest points of the day was watching Master Balon get to work and advise my own students with their forms as he does with me. It was special to me to watch him give his advise and watch them do their forms. He was honest, encouraging, gave pointers to improving, and I was happy for my students to see how great his eye for detail was, as well as possibly reiterate some things that I would say. But sometimes, we need someone else to say it for it to be heard or mean something sometimes! In fact, I made a bet with one of my brown belt girls that Master Balon was going to make a comment about her running jump side kick. Sure enough, he did and also gave her humbling advise on not being afraid of being hurt and overcoming her fear. By the way, Samantha N if you're reading this you owe me fifty bucks! =P

My advance belts were introduced to breaking. Some were very nervous as they have never broken before and one inch boards on top of that. Master Balon's students always impressed me with their breaking and I wanted to uphold those same standards for myself and my students. Master Balon is excellent at board breaking and gave some phenomenal tips and drills to help the students board break. The girls getting ready for Black Belt testing were extremely surprised at how much they were able to break their boards after listening to Master Balon's advice and feel so much more confident in their breaking.

When I was a color belt, even and earlier ranked Black Belt, I remember my fellow training buddies and I felt like 4th Dan was untouchable! We never saw a Black Belt rank higher than that. And we also really never learned from anyone else other than our own master and our school instructors. I emphasized to my students that it is not every day you get to work with, not only a 7th Degree Black belt but a Black Belt at such a caliber as Master Balon. I had a white belt and a couple of yellow belts getting to experience working with Master Balon and I think it's so awesome for them to have that experience.  I will do whatever it takes to help my students have the best experience in the martial arts and to improve and sometimes that means bringing in the best of the best. And Master Balon truly is the best.
         

   

 Not only did Master Balon work with the martial arts students but also taught my kickboxing class with my ladies at the end of the day. I was happy to have my fitness members experience Master Balon as well. I explained to him that for a long time I have been looking into changing up my style and adding up and changing routines and bringing in some "new" to the program. My routines and style is very different from Master Balon's, but we always bounce ideas off each other, and Master Balon knows I am always open to change and new.

I also wanted him to see what a great group we do have. Some couldn't make it to the class, but the ones who did make it I was happy they were there. We had not only a great workout but some good laughs. When I used to teach at my old master's school, and when I taught at the gym, and when I first started, my classes were full of energy and I'd get the entire class to woo hoo and ha ha and count loud with energy. Classes are still great but it's been missing that energy and I told Master Balon I needed along with new and rejolt of energy.

Well Master Balon definitely delivered. The class counted loud, they were enthusiastic, and they liked a change of pace and new way of working out. As much as he was explaining to the class, he was offering me advice as well of how to change up and build the program. At the end Master Balon also explained Advocare products which he has incorporated at his school and something I will be doing at my school that not only had his members benefited from but his entire family as well. (later blog on that one).

It was a fantastic day. Master Balon has always looked out for me, since I was that 19 year old kid wandering out of the fog one day wanting to start my own school. Each year I have accomplished all the goals and did exactly what I would do as to not overwhelm myself, but true to my word. I am a full supporter of the AAU program as it has taken great care of me over the years. It meant a lot to me to have him at my center and to bringing his experience to my students on our mats. I hope he knows that he and the rest of our AAU NJ family are always welcome to TMAFC and we want to extend a huge thank you to Master Balon for his tremendous support and experience to our center! Thank you Master Balon! (BOWS)

Master Balon helping the Samantha, Danielle, and Tomasz. 

The Ravishing Red Belts having fun with Master Balon. 

Master Balon and Master Trento with Thomas Cubby who broke his first board ever!

Yours in service,
MASTER A TRENTO

DON'T FORGET TO SUBSCRIBE TO MY CHANNEL! YOUTUBE.COM/TMAFCONLINE

Grandmaster Suh Chong Kang

My Interview with 10th Degree Black Belt, Grandmaster Suh Chong Kang

My original master did not talk much about his early training years with me as my current master and mentors do. But I knew a little bit on my own. I love history, not only culturally and socially but our own personal histories as well. To go back to our roots and bond with a certain understanding of where we came form in essence to grow further. I also love learning. I love people. And I love teaching. There are many avenues to doing this. So on my YouTube channel, besides talking about topics that come up that martial arts can answer, I also wanted to interview the greatest martial artists of all time.

I always wanted to meet Great Grandmaster Suh Chong Kang. All I knew about him was that he created two of the forms I was taught by my original master, that I continued out of respect for our small lineage. I also knew he was a former Vice-President of the International Taekwondo Federation (ITF) in the 1970s into 80s. I wanted to find him and learn more about him as I felt a connection for some reason because, to me, it was a missing link to the origins of my martial arts.

I also knew he was one of the best and a great contributor to an art that is important to me and that I have been training in for over 16 years. So when I decided on doing my Martial Arts Masters project, the idea to do Specials for the YouTube Channel came to mind. I wanted Grandmaster Kang to be my first Special. But finding him was not going to be easy. I had no clue where to start. My first master was from Brooklyn. So that is where I began searching.

Sure enough there were several Kang schools still in operation in New York area. I contacted each one several times all summer. Until finally I began doing some very deep, and difficult research. I tried to get in touch with the youngest son. One day I got a receptionist on the phone and she told me it was the middle son I would want to talk to. Okay. Where is his school? He doesn't have a school?
 -__- Do you have a phone number I can reach him at? Afraid I cannot. -__- How can I reach him? She responds, maybe Facebook.

I said "Hold on,"...click, click, click, "Okay...spell it." She stayed on the phone until I found the correct name. I friend requested him and sent a message. One night, I see he accepted my request and he was up on Facebook and sent him another message and we began to talking. I told him the idea of my project that would lead into a few other projects. We spoke on the phone a few times and I immediately loved talking with Grandmaster Hosun Kang. Sometimes you talk to people in the industry and you can just tell from the conversation that they are real martial artists. The Kangs are such people. I was told his father does not normally do interviews. But we were able to arrange a day to interview.

Me interviewing Great Grandmaster Suh Chong Kang, founder of Kuk Mu Kwan and great contributor to Taekwondo.

I was absolutely THRILLED to meet both Great Grandmaster Suh Chong Kang and his son Grandmaster Hosun Kang. I was meeting my original master's masters. I am a fourth generation of the Kang legacy and yet this is the first time we met. I was well prepared, as I usually am VERY thorough and had all my questions prepared. Sometimes when I do this, I know more about the person than they know about themselves!

Interviewing Grandmaster Kang was fascinating to me as well. He was so kind, and the history was superb! He just turned 85 years old, yet he is a walking history book and remembered everything to the last detail. We talked about his earlier beginnings in martial arts during the time before Korea's independence from Japan, how he was involved in the first Korean martial art, his founding of his own martial arts, his Korean War experience, his working with General Honghi Choi, his personal accounts with working with General Choi, and some of his well known students such as Jhoon Rhee, Hee Il Cho (Who'se birthday is today), and Hangun Lee.

There were accounts Grandmaster spoke about that have never been spoken about before such as General Choi's involvement in the formation of the art and the beginnings of the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF). It was all so fascinating to me. When the interview went live, I couldn't believe the response we would get. There were so many who knew of Grandmaster Kang who were so thrilled that "the truth has been told" and that it was "about time". I am happy to have done that for the Kangs.

There were also some who did not agree with some of the things said in the interview, but respected a great deal of what Grandmaster Kang had to say. General Choi's granddaughter was NOT happy with the interview, actually. I contacted her asking for an interview with me on her own account of her grandfather's history, but I have not heard back from her. Either way, people know about Grandmaster Kang and Kuk Mu Kwan.

I have to thank my friend Brian who produced the Special. I was a royal pain in the butt in every detail of the Special and it took so much of his time. God bless him, but it looks fantastic. I cannot thank Brian Wreckler enough and if there is anyone who wanted to do a video project with him, he's worth every dollar and comes highly recommended! Thank you Brian, for all your hard work! And thanks to Thomas Cubby and Heather Marte who helped on a few of the in betweens I needed to take care of in its production.

I want to thank Grandmaster Hosun Kang who is a true martial artists through and through. He and I can talk for hours about martial arts and never get tired. It's great to see a Grandmaster with such great values the arts provides as well as a straight forward perspective with such depth of it's history. and of course a special thank you to Great Grandmaster Suh Chong Kang himself! Without him, any of us in this country who owns a Taekwondo school wouldn't HAVE schools if it weren't for this man's involvement in it's history, especially in this country.

PLEASE SHARE AND SUBSCRIBE TO THE YOUTUBE CHANNEL! Below are links to the channel, the interview, and below is the promo video on the interview. My goal is to get 1000 subscribers by Christmas, and I also hope the world gets to know Grandmaster Kang and his contributions to the Korean arts and Kuk Mu Kwan further gets recognized in the world. I also hope the martial arts world continues to learn from other masters that I get to interview on the channel. In the end, we're all teaching the same principles that martial arts has to offer. (BOWS)

Grandmaster Hosun Kang, Great Grandmaster Suh Chong Kang, and I having coffee after the interview. 

Yours in service,
MASTER A TRENTO