Did you know Meng's Martial Arts produce Champions every year since it open?

[Benny Meng]

Our youth wolf pack training program continues to shine. Even new members who recently joined are showing the excellent results of their training.

This weekend, members of the Wolf Pack Team competed in Columbus at the Ohio State AAU Taekwondo Championship. Six team members, led by veteran Vincent Meng, showed that they have the will and discipline to compete at this level and give a good showing. This is the second State Championship for Michael Vann, Tayler Hunt and Aryel Newman. The two other team members Ryan Miller, and Christian Campbell, competed at the State level for the first time.

Vincent Meng, black belt, advanced level, was last year’s National AAU Champion in the Black Belt category for his weight class. This year he moved up to a higher weight class, competing at 88 lbs. against competitors 87.1 -100 lbs., fighting kids taller and at least 10 lbs. heavier. He beat his first opponent, moving up to the finals against a much stronger opponent where he took a couple of solid shots to the face and the body. Even though he lost, the referees and spectators commended him on his mental toughness. From what they’ve seen, kids who take shots like that usually cry or give up, but they were impressed by seeing Vincent come back just as strong and determined as ever. Vincent took second in Sparring. He was coach by Dayton's local Master Instructor Christina Bayley. Master Bayley and Master Meng were TKD classmate under GM YC Kim. Now Vincent has the honor to train with both Masters.

Master Christina Bayley is a 6th Degree Black Belt in Taekwondo certified by the World Taekwondo Federation (Kukkiwon) and brings over 25 years of experience as an international competitor, coach, and instructor to Taekwondo students.

Master Bayley has not only achieved great success as an instructor, she has also found that same success throughout her years as an Olympic international and national competitor. Master Bayley is the only instructor in Ohio who has been a member and a coach of  the U.S. National Taekwondo Team. A multiple National Champion, Master Bayley also won Bronze Medals internationally at the World University Championships. In 1993, she was named "Athlete of the Year" in Taekwondo by the United States Olympic Committee.



Taylor Hunt, blue belt, Intermediate level, was a Forms Champion before she joined the Fight Team. Now after two seasons of Wolf Pack Training, she continues to win with forms but now, after putting in consistent training, she also excels at sparring as well. This weekend she proved her fighting skill by dominating very tough opponents, finishing with scores 7-8 points ahead. Taylor took second in Forms and first in Sparring.

Aryel Newman, yellow belt, beginner level, did really well. This was her second State competition. She went against tough opponents with good skill. She finished with a first place in Forms, and a third in Sparring.

Michael Vann, black belt, advanced level, took third place in Forms and second place in Sparring. This was good experience for them both in handling themselves well at a large competition.

Christian Campbell, green belt, Intermediate level, and Ryan Miller, red belt, Advanced level, were competing for the first time at the State level. For them it was a great opportunity to gain experience in competition, and to test themselves against strong opponents. They came up against good fighters, but they didn’t show mental weakness. And they both placed! Christian won second in Sparring, and Ryan took second in forms and second in Sparring.

In additional news, Vincent Meng and Taylor Hunt have earned the right to train at the United States Olympic Training Center this June. This act surpasses even Master Meng - who has been a guest Instructor , but never trained as a competitor at the USOTC. There are only 30 spots available in the entire US for teens 12-17 years in age. This group of 30 is all National-level caliber martial artists. Master
Bayley will also be there as a OTC coach.

Vincent and Taylor, together with Aryal Newman, will represent Meng's Martial Arts and the state of Ohio at the Taekwondo Junior Olympic Nationals this July in Texas. Vincent will be competing in the 'World Class' Division, which is a division that features only top four competitors from all 50 US states.

Also, I would like to announce the Professional NFL draft of a Meng's Martial Arts student, with a Black Belt in Taekwondo and an advanced rank in Kung Fu - Marcus Freeman.

Together with his brother, Michael, the Freemans were the first Meng's Martial Arts National Champions in the Black Belt division. You can see their pictures as young athletes are on the wall at the Huber school. They started in our Might Might program, which is tailored to 4 and 5 year olds. Through consistent effort, they earned their way up the ranks and participated in competitions. Master Meng had this to say, "I attribute their success to two factors: one, they participated at an early age in training and competition. And two, the support and vision of Mr. and Mrs. Freeman. Their parents were 100% behind helping them to focus on the task at hand, such as training for the Nationals. 

Success involves about 10% the student's attitude, 45% the support of family, and 45% the support and leadership of the Instructors."

Specifically about Marcus, Master Meng said he was not the most motivated student when it came to training, but was very highly motivated when it came to competition. If his parents would have allowed him to do what he felt like doing at any given moment, his success in the martial arts and his success with the NFL draft might not have been possible.

For more information on the NFL Draft, and to see some video highlights of Marcus, visit the following two sites:

http://www.nfl.com/draft/2009/profiles/marcus-freeman?id=80642

http://espndb.go.com/nfl/draft/player/profile/_/playerId/23969/marcus-freeman

Finally, we would like to recognize Patrick Ho for his successful academic career in High School, graduating 1st in his class at Sydney High School. This is an impressive outcome for any student, and one that Meng's Martial Arts have been honored to help students achieve on more than one occasion. He is also very committed to his martial arts training - driving almost an hour each way to attend classes at the Huber school.

In each case, the study of the martial arts, training with the Instructors, and fellowship with other students has played an integral role in setting this young people solidly on the path of success.  Almost no other activity combines the power of body, mind, emotion, and spirit together with positive community of fellow practitioners, all focused on success and achieving the best in life.

Feel free to pass along this good news - and who knows, maybe we will write about your successes in the very near future!

[Benny Meng]

Vincent Meng was in the news today on ABC Channel 22. He was one of many athletes that were invited to a special gathering at the Old Hickory BBQ restaurant on Brown Street in down town Dayton. After extensive research and work, the restaurant now features a special area for the Dayton’s history and Dayton’s greatest athletes. It was an honor for Vincent as being the youngest. Among the VIP were many former Olympians and professional athletes from Dayton. Vincent was selected as the youngest athlete to be featured there. Besides our young champion Vincent, Former TKD Olympian Luong Pham, (classmate of Master Benny Meng), and Marcus Freeman were also featured there today. Marcus was recently drafted by the Professional NFL Chicago Bears and also a former Meng's Martial Arts student, with a Black Belt in Taekwondo and an advanced rank in Kung Fu. Together with his brother, Michael, the Freeman boys were the first Meng's Martial Arts National Champions in the Black Belt division. You can see their pictures as young athletes on the wall of the Huber school. The two brothers started in our Mighty Might program, which is tailored to 4 and 5 year olds.

For this special occasion Old Hickory BBQ cooked up a feast for all the guests to enjoy.  In my opinion, they have the best BBQ and steaks in Dayton.  I strongly recommend everyone to go enjoy a great meal and take the opportunity to appreciate the Dayton’s history and athletes.  They have many priceless photos on display now with great foods.

Recently Vincent just comes back with his team mate Taylor Hunt from the OTC training. It truly was an experience of life time for them.

Taylor is our up and coming champion. She and Vincent took 5 gold medals each in the recent Battle of Cincinnati competition. Here is Taylor’s report on her trip from the OTC.

Master Meng


 The Adventure at the OTC

I was very happy when I found out that I had the opportunity to train at the OTC.  I was excited to learn from some of the best coaches in the world and I couldn’t wait for the great experience.
We left Dayton on June 2nd and after almost missing our plane, we arrived in Colorado Springs, CO before lunch.  We signed in and I went to my room.  I’ve never traveled without my family before so this was very exciting.  In my dorm room was a small refrigerator, small TV and a sink.  There were three beds, but I only had one roommate for the camp.
We trained on a lot of movements, counter attacks, and offensive attacks as well.  The main footwork that we worked on was back cut.   A back cut is when you take your back foot and step to the side getting out of the way of the oncoming attack.  This sets you up for a counter attack.  The main overall technique was to line your shoulder up with your knee for better mobility.  We used paddles or chest protectors most of the time so that it could be as real as possible. 
Conditioning was also a primary focus of the training.  The first conditioning session was very intense.  We ran, side shuffled, and sprinted around the parking lot.  We did each of these for 10 minutes.  We also ran up and down stairs, did pushups, squats, and high knees for 10 minutes each.   Doing this has helped me build up my speed and gain more endurance.  The second conditioning session wasn’t as bad as the first one because we worked on explosive power and that’s my specialty.  It was still hard, but not as hard as the first. 
Even though the training was hard I pushed myself as much as possible without hurting myself.  I didn’t want to injure myself and have to sit on the side and watch everyone else train.  If that had happened I would have left with lots of regrets. There was one kid that hurt himself on the first day of training and I could see how depressed he was since he couldn’t train.  Everyone felt bad for him because he had to miss out on a great opportunity.
While I was there, I met some great friends that enjoy the same things that I do and they were really cool to have fun and hang out with.  Most of them were going to nationals so I should see them very soon.  We will probably have just as much fun as we did at the OTC. Everyone will probably be cheering for one another.  Some will even have to compete against each other.  That will be cool to see.  On June 7th when everyone started leaving, that’s when it hit me that the great time I was having was over. I will never forget the training experience that I gained at the OTC.
When I got back I went to the sparring class on Tuesday and I could tell a very big difference in my fighting.  I was fast and I was making the right moves at the right time.  I felt more confident.  I didn’t realize how much I had changed until I had to spar.  I didn’t get tired as fast and I felt light on my feet.  Not only did the OTC help my sparring skills, it also helped my grappling skills too.  I could tell that I had more energy than usual.
On June 13th I competed in the Battle of Cincinnati.  I was in 5 events:  Kung Fu forms, Taekwondo forms, MMA, breaking, and Olympic Style Sparring.  There were no girls in my division for Olympic Style sparring so I was asked if I wanted to do an exhibition fight against the boys 10-13 Heavy weight instead.  One of the boys in the holding area said that I didn’t have a chance, since I had to fight with the boys. That comment sealed the deal.  I had to try then.  I thought that I would just do my best and in the end it was good practice for the Junior Olympics. 
Since I was a girl, I got a bye and the two boys fought first.  The winner of the first match was at lease 6 feet tall and he weight at least 200 pounds.  I was a little bit worried about having to fight someone so much bigger than me.  I went out there and did what I learned at the OTC and hoped I would do well.  It was early on in the match when I found an opening for headshots and I took advantage of it.   I had at least 5 kicks to the head during the match.  I realized I could do this when he would bend down to throw punches.  He bent down just enough for my short legs to reach his head.  I’m not sure what happened with the score, but at the end of the match the score was tied and we had to do a sudden death round where he got the first point.  So, if I were a boy I would’ve placed 2nd, but since it was only an exhibition match I placed 1st for my division.  After everything was done and the medals handed out, several coaches came to congratulate me for doing as well as I did with such a bigger opponent.
 I wasn’t gasping for air like I normally do during sparring and my Kung Fu form.  I believe that my endurance was better because of the hard training at the OTC.   I went home with 5 gold medals.  I even got 1st in breaking and this was only the second time I had ever broke a board.  I believe the confidence I gained at the OTC help with this event as well. 
I plan to continue training like I did at the OTC and I will continue striving to improve myself.  I hope to continue getting better and to be able to attend the OTC camp again next year.  I wonder if I will improve dramatically like I did this year……I want to thank my Mom for everything, without her none of this would be possible, and thanks Master Meng for this special opportunity of a lifetime.


6/15/09                                                                                Taylor Hunt-Johnson

[Benny Meng]

For the 2009 Junior Olympic Nationals, the results were that we had national champions again this year! Aryel Newman took first in forms competition and third in sparring. This was her first national championship as a junior rank. She sets a great example for all the beginners. Taylor Hunt did not place in forms but took second in sparring. Even though there were five girls in the division, every match was a heated battle. All the matches were very close, especially the first where Taylor came from behind to win. Her hard training paid off, especially with the mental toughness to beat out top national athletes from different states. Both girls accomplished great results especially as this was their first National level competition. Participating in the Nationals is a great honor.

Our veteran competitor, Vincent Meng, did not place this year. However, his division was the toughest and had the most numerous competitors. At the black belt world class level, even though they are 12 and 13 years old, their skill is mature as any adult's. Every one of them was a top fighter with great technical skill combined with explosive speed and power. It was a great place to gather and test skill. I am very proud of all three young champions. This year is special because two female athletes brought back medals and Aryel became my first female national champion!

Even though the Nationals are over, there are many great tournaments still coming up. Our hard training will resume in August with Summer Camp Session II, but our regular schedule is still in effect for the Fight Team in July. For anyone that is interested in joining the competition team, please stop by the office to get more information.

Sincerely,
Master Meng