Welcome to Modern Farang Mu Sul

It looks like we have a theme to this month in Modern Farang Mu Sul®. It is color belt testing. I have received so much news about testing, and I must say that I am thrilled. This not only shows that the art is growing, but also that there are now more and more individuals from all walks of life beginning to achieve goals that many times have exceeded expectations. Congratulations to all. Here are some updates:

FMS - WHQ: Well let's start the month off with color belts testing at World Head Quarters. I would like to congratulate Mark Shekoyan, Thomas and Brandon De Alba on a fantastic test. We don't have that many tests each year, and this one was way overdue. Mark had been working real hard on his next belt all the while still working on all past material, regular classes and assisting instruction in class.

For those that did not know, Mark comes to us with a 2nd Dan in Tang Soo Do, and is a black belt in Hapkido, and is a teacher of Yoga as well. He is a very hungry yet humble warrior. His energy and great work ethic are infectious in class. We missed color belt testing the last couple months, but that did not detour him. He stuck to his guns, stayed patient and just kept improving, and I'll tell you, it showed at the test. Thomas and Brandon have been purple belts for over a year now, and it was time to move on. As you all know, that doesn't mean I'm just going to give them (or anyone else) their next rank. They have to EARN it. And they did a splendid job. Especially impressive was Brandon, who was sick with a flu for a week, but he showed up, and gave it his all. Remember that showing up is usually the hardest part. How many times have we "missed out" on something just because for whatever reason, we did not even show up.

Great job everyone. I am so proud of you all. A very BIG thank you the WHQ black belts Inst. Kim Leith, Inst. John Stenson and Inst. Joseph Gumina for braving the weather (it has been storming over here lately, and even blew down a tree in front of our Dojang, which took out the power for the whole block. Thank God, it was all fine in time for testing). Well, thank you for being on the judges panel with me and even putting on the gloves for some good sparring and helping their FMS brothers in this test.

FARANG!!!

Speaking of Inst. Joseph Gumina, for those that do not know, he is not only a black belt instructor here at WHQ, but he also does double duty as an academic teacher at Sacred Heart Preparatory High School here in San Francisco, and also teaches a martial arts program at the Salesian Boys and Girls Club in the North Beach district here in the city. He took over the Tae Kwon Do class from his first instructor, Master Sydney Saide. Inst. Gumina has augmented the original program with Kempo with help from Inst. Jim Staley, and now has incorporated a Modern Farang Mu Sul® component. Whew, what a challenge. Well, he recently had his first group of black belts test, and Proffesor Bill Dewart (who is Inst. Gumina's TKD teacher now) and myself were honored to be on the judges panel. This is such a milestone. Needless to say the four young men did an amazing job. After the test, they performed an awesome demo, and they even coaxed Prof. Dewart and myself to get out on the mats and do a little something as well. Huge congratulations to all on a job well done.

FMS Huntington Beach: Inst. Larry Saindon reports that his group has been very busy lately. They also had color belt testing and had a group of 32 students enter in the Annual Red Scorpion Martial Arts Tournament down in Orange County. The students did a fantastic job testing and an equally impressive showing at the tournament. They came home from the tournament with plenty of hardware to show for their efforts. They ended the day with 8 first places, 14 second places, and 12 third places. Not too bad, I'd say. Inst. Matt Wagner and Inst. Dylan Hamilton competed in weapons and sparring. All the FMS students not only made their parents and teachers proud, but we are all beaming with pride here as well. Way to go, and way to represent. Congratulations and keep up the good work. Farang!

FMS Portugal: Inst. Nelson Pinto has notified me that he was invited to a Submission Grapping Tournament, and Tiago Soares from Cadaval entered. His first opponent was a crafty Brazilian which he made tap in 30 seconds. Just awesome. In the end he lost his final match on points against the Portuguese champion in their category. What a great showing. He not only did a fantastic job and won in everyone's eyes, but he showed great courage and class representing FMS. Great work Tiago. Keep working hard, and I look forward to seeing you and all the Portugal FMS family, hopefully this year.

FMS - Michigan: Inst. Robert Hudson not only recently conducted another successful Women's Safety and Self Defense Seminar, but he also had color belt testing. See what I mean about the color belt test theme? Well, Michigan now has their first green belts. Congratulations to Michael Garnett, Nicholas Garnett, Judah Pemble, and Kyle Hildebrandt on their new green belts and to all the rest that tested. I know Inst. Hudson is very proud of you all. So are we. Keep up the good work.

FMS - Puerto Rico: Master Dennis Vega has notified me of some very shocking news: One of the best black belts, Inst. Inocencio Molina had a motorcycle accident and broke the tibia and femur bones in his left leg. At this time he is in recovery at his home. We are all relieved to hear that his operation was a success. He is a very strong man both physically and spiritually. True to his nature, he took everything so easy and in stride and is really not worried about a thing. We are all praying for him to have a speedy recovery, and everyone is very proud of him. Much love and good wishes Inocencio. Behave yourself and follow your doctor's instructions on healing and rehab. We'll have plenty of time to get back into action, once you are ready. Farang!

Other News: Our good friend out in Texas, Master Michael Massie has been dealing with a battle to recover from a series of injuries that would have made the average person just hang up the gloves. Well, he has not only persevered and recovered, but has been working on accomplishing one of his longtime goals, which is to test for his Masters degree. He recently did just that and was awarded his 5th Dan in Tae Kwon Do and 4th Dan in Hapkido by Grand Master Lascelles McCarthy II. This has been 21 years in the making, Congratulations Sir!

For those not in the know, Master Massie is training in our long distance program and he also has a fantastic website with tons of resources on how to run a successful martial arts school. Check it out here. Keep up the good work Sir. I look forward to training with you in person very soon.

More news: WHQ students will remember my sister Norma, as she was a force at our dojang. Well, she is down in Australia now and is adjusting well. She recently came to San Francisco for a quick visit, which she plans to do on a regular basis. Trust me, I know the feeling of being away from home (San Francisco) and making a new home in a new place. This one just so happens to be a few thousand miles and a few time zones away. One good thing is now, I will have an extra excuse to make a trip down under to visit her and her husband Tenis, and at the same time, I can also visit Inst. Nigel May in Bendigo. I look forward to getting to know our new FMS family in Australia.

Birthday News: We are happy to announce the birthdays of our FMS Black Belts from all over the world, so all of you students will know exactly when you can show your gratitude and celebrate with your teachers. FMS Black Belt Birthdays for this month:
Inst. Anthony Spataro Feb -19th, Inst. Joseph Spataro Feb -19th, and Inst. Joseph Gumina Feb -24th. Remember, you are an inspiration to so many, and this is your special day!