The official publication of the United Fighting Arts Federation-Chun Kuk Do May 2006 IITC2006TC2006 RRegistrationegistration OOpen!pen! SSeeee ppageage 4 fforor ddetails.etails. WWho’sho’s WWhoho aatt UUFAF:FAF: MMeeteet oourur lleaderseaders KKataata - WhyWhy DDoo IIt?t? Remembering our friend, Mr. Howard Jackson I am so pleased to see the continued growth and de- velopment of Chun Kuk Do. Team CKD continues to make an impact in our world of competition; I look for- octagon ward to following the team’s progress and success and I am very proud of the dedica- United Fighting Arts tion of each individual par- ticipant. I am also very excited about the opportunity Federation to teach at the International Training Conference. This event provides first class training in the art of Mission Statement CKD from a great lineup of instructors and allows us to renew friendships and build camaraderie. I hope The United Fight- to see all of you in July! ing Arts Federation Sincerely, (UFAF) is dedicated to Chuck Norris providing and facilitat- Founder ing quality martial arts instruction, leading to the most prestigious black belt ranking The book,Good to Great, certifications in the martial arts world. points out that great orga- nizations have annual com- Through the disciplined, internal pound growth and a culture growth of its membership and the devel- of success. One of the ways opment of world class teaching ability they accomplish this is by be- ing the best at what they do. and leadership within its ranks, UFAF This standard of being the seeks to make Chun Kuk Do one of the best is called the hedgehog most recognizable and respected martial principle. Our organization arts styles in the world. and style of Chun Kuk Do are certainly following the premise of good to great. Our Building on these principles, UFAF ITC event, Master Development Series, Professional is committed to assisting its member Development Series, Jiu-Jitsu training, Instructor Development Series, and our rank advancement schools in providing a quality martial process certainly show that one of our hedgehog arts training experience to every student principles is training. of Chun Kuk Do, and to enriching and serving the communities in which it is At this year’s ITC we present a great lineup of in- represented by cultivating high char- structors of which the highlight will be a seminar acter in the lives of its members. taught by Mr. Norris. Along with his many other accomplishments, Mr. Norris was once Black Belt Magazine’s Instructor of the Year! What a great op- portunity for us to be trained by a true master of the martial arts and the master of Chun Kuk Do. With you, I look forward with great anticipation to what will certainly be a banner year. Yours for a better UFAF, Ken Gallacher Executive Vice President ooctagonctagon The official publication of the United Fighting Arts Federation-Chun Kuk Do May 2006 CONTENTS Editor’s Note COVER STORY: Although I never had the honor of meeting ITC 2006 Mr. Jackson, I did experience one of the things Presenting the 2006 instructor line-up 4 that made him so special: his aura. A few years A few years ago, when Mr. Presti took over as Director of Special Events, the ITC was only a ago, I was standing in a group three feet away three-day event. It has since grown to a full-fledged weeklong conference. from him waiting to introduce myself. Suddenly our attention was diverted and everyone scattered but I remember that he FEATURES: gave everyone he spoke to his undivided attention. Even from a distance Who's Who at UFAF I sensed the calm happiness that radiated from him. UFAF Organizational Chart 6 UFAF is governed by a group of loyal individuals who work togeth- The Octagon has asked several of Mr. Jackson’s closest friends to er to make our organization the best it can be. In this series of articles, we will recount some of their fondest memories of an individual who will be truly “meet” these dedicated members in random order to help us learn who’s who. missed. I received many touching memories, excerpts of which are shared with you on page 19. Master Development Series Report 8 UFAF is well on its way in creating great leaders, teachers and practitioners of the core concepts As I believe Mr. Jackson would have wanted, we shift our thoughts and principles of Chun Kuk Do. to the ITC 2006. Pages 4-5 profile all the fabulous instructors who will share their knowledge, and don’t miss the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity Kata Training- Why do it? 9 we have to be able to attend a seminar led by Grand Master Norris! Kata training is a fantastic tool for your overall martial arts development. Unfortunately, many students find themselves battling a “can’t do it, can’t remember it” attitude... One of the things I love to ask people is how they got started in the martial arts. Everyone always seems to have a very specific incident that Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu 13 began his or her martial arts journey. My own began when my then six- How Chun Kuk Do/ Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has influenced my family, my school and me. year-old son wanted to do karate along with his best buddy. As both of them were small for their age, I thought this would be a great idea. But I also wanted my then eight-year-old daughter to participate, but she was Remembering our friend, Mr. Howard Jackson 19I not so enthused. Looking up at me with big blue eyes, she said, “Mommy, We all know Mr. Jackson because of his accomplishments, but we will remember him for the I will if you will.” person he was. How could I insist that my child do something that I was not willing to do? So I joined. departments Honestly, while Mr. Elias taught great classes, I just felt it wasn’t for 8 TRAINING me…actually I hated it. I didn’t kiai until my gold belt promotion (you should hear me now). I was planning to quit, but I wanted to walk the 10 KIAI CORNER walk, so to speak, and set a good example to my children of not being a 12 TEAM CKD NEWS quitter. Of course, as I began to understand the benefits of the journey, 14 REGION NEWS it became my passion, and the rest, as they say, is history! 18 spotlights Sincerely, Astrid Fabian register for itc2006 today by Mr. John Presti Region 8 A few years ago, when I took over as Director of Special Events, the ITC was only a three-day event. It has since grown to a full-fledged weeklong conference. We at UFAF have embraced the fact that the martial arts have grown from a hobby into a committed profession. The members of the UFAF Board of Directors (see pages 6-7 of this issue for detailed information) all have the same goal: to profes- sionalize our industry. The ITC provides resources to help you, whether you are a Chun Kuk Do student, a school owner or an instructor. Actually, many of us are all of the above. We (the board) want you to leave the conference 2006 International Training Con- with a sense of accomplishment, a sense that you learned a great deal, a sense of belong- ference & World Championships ing and camaraderie. But most importantly, we want you to be proud! I’m proud each time Schedule Highlights (a detailed schedule is available at www.ufaf.org I see how hard the board works to bring you an event, and I’m proud each time I see our and will be arriving soon in your mailbox) members attend any of these events. Attendance at all events has been steadily increasing! Monday – Tuesday July 10th-11th I invite you to contact me with any questions and input you may have about this event, or anything Master Development Series (MDS): Teacher, Trainer, Coach – Level One else. I want and need your feedback. Parents, you can contact me too. I know the first year at the Open to 4th degree black belts and above conference may make you nervous; rest assured that we are there to make it comfortable for you and your family. We can help you decide where to eat, give you suggestions, tell you what to bring, and Wednesday July 12th give you the when, where, what and why of the conference. Register online at . Professional Development Series (PDS) www.ufaf.org Open to CKD school owners Note that registration for the World Championship tournament is mandatory by June 10, 2006. th Thursday July 13 My contact information is: Office (school) 716-285-9242 (Niagara Falls, NY) CKD Jiu-Jitsu Program Mid-Term Evaluation and The best time to call is between 4:00am and noon, Monday-Friday. After 12:00, my staff will know Training Session Instructor Development Series (IDS) how to reach me. My home number is 716-751-6775; please make sure you call at a reasonable Open to all black belts hour. Email is always the best way to start - [email protected] or [email protected] Master Rank Induction Ceremony and Reception Friday July 14th Presenting: The 2006 Instructor Line-up General Education Series Seminars CKD Grand Master Chuck Norris: It would take pages and pages to list the Cung Le Seminar martial arts accomplishments of 10th degree Chun Kuk Do black belt Grand Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Seminar by John Will and .