August 2014 Dragon’s Den V඗ඔඝඕඍ 14 Iඛඛඝඍ 3 Aඝඏඝඛග 2014 Vaughn’s Dojang 2808 Audubon Village Drive Audubon, PA 19403 Phone: 610-676-0691 Fax: 610-676-0693 www.vaughnsdojang.com Email Comments or Pictures to: [email protected] A Purpose Driven Life Inside this issue: By Master Vaughn This newsletter features an interview with Master Vaughn, the Why is it that today people are My life now has much more WTSDA World Championship, trying to find happiness in obtaining meaning, and I truly feel my purpose in Black Belt Camp, farewell from the more and more material things, and yet life is to teach, and to share the Waldies, and Hapkido! happiness seems to escape shortly wonderful world of martial arts with my after those things are obtained? It fellow human beings. I never tire of appears to be a paradox, does it not? watching the joy that people experience We as human beings have needs. We when they set their course to Black Belt, need shelter, food, clothing, we need to and how this allows them to grow in be loved, and we need to feel useful. mind, body, and in spirit. Master Vaughn’s Reflections on 2-3 7th Dan Most of these things can be obtained I truly believe choosing Tang Soo through work, determination, and Do as a path to enlightenment, can lead Farewell from the Waldies 3 perseverance. to a more purposeful life. Sometimes it But what happens when these becomes difficult to stay on that path, WTSDA World Championship 4 things are accomplished? Do they but to those who endure, the walk has Journey to Black Belt Camp 5 make us satisfied? I think not. From great benefits. Ask any Black Belt if the my experience, material things cannot rewards are worth the effort, and you Youth Black Belt Camp 6 completely satisfy all of our needs. will most likely get a positive answer. Even if one reaches the top of his/her You may even get a tale of how Tang Hapkido Journey 7 profession, there is still emptiness and a Soo Do has put more meaning, or lack of accomplishment if we do not purpose into his or her life. Spring Cleaning 8 contemplate, and strive to find our We all like to have fun in our lives. purpose in life. Wise Guyz 9 But fun is usually elusive, and short- I myself struggled for many years lived. Fun is easy come, easy go. Congratulations 10 working in the electrical industry until I Usually, fun takes little work, and that’s had risen as far as I could go. I went why it’s fun. Joy on the other hand, Testing Your Knowledge 11 from being a journeyman lineman, to usually takes work, and sometimes hard foreman, to general foreman, to the job work. But joy tends to last longer, and Want Ads 11 of superintendent. I was making more comes with a clear conscience. money than I had ever dreamed of, but I If you stick to your training and stay was very unhappy. My real passion on the path, even when it becomes was in the martial arts. difficult, then you too can experience Upcoming events: I prayed for years to God that I the joy of walking the earth as an Aug. 19—Gup Testing & Graduation might experience my dream of opening accomplished warrior. a commercial studio, until at last I Sep. 20—Region 8 Dan Testing prayed, “Lord, if it is not in the cards, Oct. 4—Hapkido with Dojunim then let me submit myself to whatever Oct. 21—Gup Testing & Graduation purpose You have for my life.” It was shortly after this that the opportunity to Oct. 24-25—Region 8 Championship open a school full time became Dec. 7—Vaughn’s Holiday Party available to me. Dragon’s Den Page 1 August 2014 Master Vaughn’s Reflections on 7th Dan By David T. Painter, Sah Dan At the 2014 World Tournament in Master Vaughn began his training requirement. Grandmaster Shin wanted Greensboro, North Carolina, there were outdoors in the mountains at midnight with me to write about instructing special many memorable and some landmark Master White who would become his needs students because of our long moments in the history of the World Tang instructor. Master White introduced history here at Vaughn’s Dojang with our Soo Do Association (WTSDA). Among Master Vaughn to Kwan Chang Nim Shin Special Dragons program. There was these moments were the promotions of in the early 1970’s shortly after also the physical test which is a two-year Masters, Senior Masters and the Grandmaster Shin came to the United requirement at the annual Masters’ Clinic promotion of William Strong to 8th Dan States to teach traditional Korean martial as it is for all other Masters candidates. I Grandmaster (now sharing Grandmaster arts. Master Vaughn immediately am a traditionalist. I consider myself to be status with Grandmaster Robert recognized Grandmaster Shin’s unique a Black Belt first. All of the other Beaudoin). Closer to home, we were qualities as a martial arts instructor and as promotions after Black Belt add to, but honored to also witness Master Vaughn’s a great leader. Over the years until take nothing away from the fundamental promotion to 7th Dan. This promotion Grandmaster Shin’s untimely death in requirements of living the Black Belt life. elevates Master Vaughn’s position in the 2012, Master Vaughn shared a very close Having achieved 7th Dan, I feel like I’ve WTSDA to a very elite level because relationship with Grandmaster and earned my place in line, but it also means there are fewer than ten individuals at the WTSDA Founder, Jae C. Shin. that I will continue my service to the 7th Dan level in the entire international After returning from the World Association, to the Region and of course WTSDA. Tournament, we sat down with Master to my students. Most people in Vaughn’s Dojang Vaughn for his reflections on achieving know that Master Vaughn began his 7th Dan. Did you have any other feelings at the martial arts training with the late Master promotion ceremony at the World Michael White in 1970 after returning from Tournament? a tour of duty in the Viet Nam war. Many I was honored to be promoted to 7th of us have heard Master Vaughn describe Dan with my friend Master Steven the path of a Black Belt warrior as a never Chambliss. He deserved the promotion. -ending path of constant improvement. That needed to happen. He trained with Probably few people know that Master Grandmaster Shin very early on in Vaughn has lived that value from a very Burlington, New Jersey, and has been young age. When he entered the U.S. around the Association from the Army in 1967, Master Vaughn continually beginning. He was Grandmaster Shin’s volunteered for additional training. From “go-to” guy in showcasing what Tang Soo basic training he went to infantry training. Do was all about in the “old-school” open From there he volunteered for NCO (Non- tournaments of the past. He is a true Commissioned Officer) training and from fighter and warrior. I terribly missed there he volunteered for Ranger training having my old friend Master Causerano and then Airborne training which meant there with me when I was promoted. He that he would be part of a unit responsible and I go back a long way and I wished for long range patrols (LRP). As a very much that his battle with cancer had Ranger, Master Vaughn was in charge of not prevented him from attending. I was a small, independent unit of men also extremely proud of our Creativity unattached to a particular division tasked Team’s performance and with reconnaissance patrols behind accomplishments at the World enemy lines. This meant that he and his Tournament this year. They worked very men were dropped by helicopter in the hard and deserved to be recognized. I back country to find the enemy, disrupt was also honored that Region 8’s Director and destroy their positions, and report Master Fattori nominated us, and we were intelligence back to headquarters. It was recognized with the Association’s Dojang in Viet Nam that Master Vaughn was of the Year award. It was also great to exposed to and impressed by Korean see Professor Weinberg honored for his warriors when he came into contact and What does your promotion to 7th Dan humanitarian contributions. Overall it was coordinated with elite units of the South mean to you? quite an honor to be recognized for what Korean Army White Horse Division ROC It hasn’t really settled in yet. Ever we do here at our dojang. Marines performing similar LRP since Kwan Chang Nim Shin told me that operations. Very few Senior Master he wanted me to test for 7th Dan I had We heard many people remarking martial artists have the kind of authentic been looking forward to it. I feel good about the sword form you warrior training and experience as that of about it. Like all of the other Dan and demonstrated at the World Tournament Master Vaughn. Master promotions in the Association, it is during the Senior Masters’ program. When Master Vaughn returned home not something that is just handed to you. What can you tell us about that? to Phillipsburg, Pennsylvania after the war You must be invited, in my case by Years ago when Grandmaster Shin he met Master White in a chance Grandmaster Shin, and you must test in contemplated introducing sword skills in encounter.