... As rare as a White Tiger

In a relatively short time, Mike Mason rises to third-degree black belt,

tae-kwon-do instructor, owner of his own academy, and now creator of a new

form

By Dean Poling

dean.poling@gaflnews.com

VALDOSTA

Mike Mason has immersed himself in the martial art of tae-kwon-do. He is a

third-degree black belt. He has won two national championships: sparring in

2003; forms in a tournament a few weeks ago. During the day, he works with

computers, but Mason also owns and operates White Tiger Martial Arts

Academy, ......... Gornto Road, Valdosta. The academy instructs people of

all ages in the art of tae-kwon-do, while also regularly performing at local

events such as the upcoming Senior Living Show. And this month, Mason takes

his training a step further with the creation of a new form that combines

the movements of tae-kwon-do with the rhythms of tai-chi.

Given these accomplishments, one might assume that Mike Mason has been

studying martial arts since childhood. This assumption would be wrong.

Mason has studied tae-kwon-do, he says, for only nine years. He began at the

age of 34.

"I started late," he says during a recent interview at his White Tiger

location. "There wasn't any place that really taught martial arts locally

when I was growing up. I was always interested in martial arts. I remember

watching Bruce Lee and the 'Kung Fu' TV show, but there wasn't any real

opportunities for me to learn martial arts as a child."

Mason moved with his family to Valdosta in 1976, with his parents, Don and

Ann Mason, and brother Rob Mason. His father was assigned to Moody Air Force

Base, when Mike was in middle school, and the family made Valdosta their

home. Mike graduated from Lowndes High School and attended Valdosta State,

where he earned degrees in biology and secondary education. He has worked

with computers for several years, but his life changed when he was given the

opportunity to learn tae-kwon-do.

He was introduced to tae-kwon-do through a friend, and Mason began taking

lessons. He doesn't like saying that he became obsessed with tae-kwon-do,

but Mason did immerse himself into studying the Korean-originated

martial-arts form which is known for its many moves that combine power and

speed. By the time he earned his brown belt, Mason began helping with

instruction at the school he attended. With his college degree in education,

teaching tae-kwon-do, which he already loved, became a natural progression

for Mason. "I remember thinking early on when I began teaching that this

would be a great way to make a living," he says.

As he climbed the ranks of tae-kwon-do, he taught more often. He eventually

made a move to teach tae-kwon-do at the YMCA. In March 2003, Mason opened

White Tiger, bringing along instructors who were friends he made while

teaching at other locations. These instructors include Brent Fletcher,

Norman Peacock, Justin Turner, and Codi Wilson, a teen-ager who has been a

student of Mason's for several years. Along with Mason, these instructors

are known by students and called by each other simply as Mr. Mason, Mr.

Fletcher, Mr. Peacock, Mr. Turner, and Mr. Codi. They bring a sense of fun

to learning tae-kwon-do's movements and philosophy, while providing serious

instruction. Mason attributes much of White Tiger's success to the

dedication of his instructors.

Despite his many achievements in tae-kwon-do, Mason says, "Nine years is a

small amount of time to be involved in this. As far as I'm concerned I'm

still a beginner, but I became very absorbed in it. I'm still learning, but

I think anyone who takes tae-kwon-do seriously is always learning new

things." Mason notes that there are nine degrees of black belt in

tae-kwon-do, with the ninth degree being the highest. Meeting a ninth-degree

black belt is exceptionally rare. And each degree higher requires a great

deal of study and practice. Mason says he feels that he has learned more

between his first-degree black belt and his third-degree black belt than

everything he learned from the time he started to the time he earned his

first-degree black belt. "Looking back, I feel like I really started when I

earned my first-degree black belt," he says.

Yet, the pursuit of black belts and tournament wins are not the main goals

of White Tiger. He wants his students to learn self-defense and a philosophy

of discipline that will help them in their daily lives. Though many White

Tiger students and instructors participate in tournaments, Mason says the

primary focus of the school is to teach self-defense. "If Johnny or Suzie

learns something here that can help them get out of a harmful situation

that's better than a wall full of trophies and awards," Mason says. In this

effort, White Tiger breaks from traditional tae-kwon-do by making ground

fighting and other self-defense techniques part of the curriculum. If a

student is interested in tournaments, White Tiger can prepare them, but

students are not expected to or required to participate in tournaments.

White Tiger is also not a black-belt factory, Mason says. Students must earn

the rank of black belt. A student should not expect that, because they have

enrolled, they will automatically earn a black belt. "The national average

is about 10 percent of those who start will make it to black belt," Mason

says, adding that White Tiger has had a handful of students promoted to

black belts since the school opened. "Earning a black belt should be a very

rare thing," Mason says. "It should come through perseverance, study, work,

development of skills. That's why I named the academy White Tiger because a

white tiger is a rare thing. A black belt should also be a rare thing."

Another rare thing in the ancient martial arts is the introduction of a new

form, but Mason has spent the past year developing a new form that combines

the movements of tae-kwon-do with the rhythmic techniques of the Eastern

philosophy of tai-chi. Mason calls his new form tae-kwon-chi, and he will

premiere this new technique during Valdosta's Senior Living Show on Aug. 14.

Last year, when Mason opened White Tiger, several people called asking if

the academy offered tai-chi. White Tiger did not offer tai-chi, but the

calls inspired Mason to attempt a new form, by using the tae-kwon-do

techniques that he knew. He studied many tapes and sessions of tai-chi. He

slowed the speed and power movements of tae-kwon-do to become more rhythmic

and relaxing forms. He demonstrates. He performs a series of tae-kwon-do

moves which are a rush of sharp punches and quick, hard moves, punctuated by

outbursts of exhalation. For tae-kwon-chi, Mason slows these moves and his

breathing becomes more deep inhalations and slow exhalations. He says

tae-kwon-chi is a relaxing form for people who may not be interested in the

fighting aspects of martial arts but are looking for the philosophy and a

mode of exercise that will relieve stress, increase flexibility, range of

motion, balance, coordination and physical strength.

But the new form did not come easily to Mason. Several months ago, he nearly

abandoned the form. He was ready to give up and quit the concept. After all,

who was he to create a new form in martial arts? Yet, his doubts were

dispelled when he happened upon an ancient martial-arts saying, which

essentially states, "Traditionalists are busy learning what's taught and not

what's left to create." Mason returned to developing tae-kwon-chi. He knows

many traditionalists will be unhappy with this new form, but he felt there

is a need for it and possibly a demand. While he will demonstrate

tae-kwon-chi at local events for the next several weeks, White Tiger will

likely begin offering tae-kwon-chi classes in September.

For more information on White Tiger Martial Arts Academy and its class

schedule, visit the web site ( www.WhiteTigerAcademy.com) or call 244-4110.