FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 04/27/09Historically Guarded Martial Arts System Presents First Public Workshop
Researchers from the Ving Tsun Museum are presenting their latest discovery with a
workshop on Fukien Black Flag Wing Chun.
Saturday May 16th and Sunday May 17th 2009.
Dayton, OH: The Ving Tsun Museum is sponsoring workshops Saturday and Sunday, May 16th
and 17th from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Meng's Martial Arts and the Ving Tsun Museum are proud to
host Suhu Kenneth Lin of the Fukien Black Flag Wing Chun system for the first ever public
workshop. Participants will receive actual experience from a living expert of this rarely
seen System, hear about its history and philosophy, and have the opportunity to
experience the Fukien System directly from the Fourth Generation Master.
Wing Chun is known for efficiency, the ability to be dangerous by generating explosive
power in very short distances, such as Bruce Lee's famous 3-inch punch. Says Master Benny
Meng, Curator of the Ving Tsun Museum, Can you imagine being able to do damage and
finish an altercation quickly, with one move - and no distance. This is something that
most people have only heard about. This workshop will be a chance to see and experience
it for yourself, from the only Master currently teaching this System in the U.S.
The Martial Arts Workshop Saturday is $125, for six hours of sweating, smiling and
learning with Suhu Lin. The Taoism Seminar on Sunday is offered free of charge, by Suhu
Lin, for those interested in gaining a greater understanding of Taoism's ancient wisdom.
Benny Meng , Museum Curator, Master Instructor
Meng's Martial Arts, 5715 Brandt Pike, Dayton OH 45424
937-236-6485
www.vtmuseum.org5/1/09Dear Students, Parents, and Friends,
Please keep Ms. Missy (Pruden) in your thoughts as she recovers from surgery.
Second, as a courtesy from our newest family to enroll in Huber, David Litteral donated
tickets for tonight's MMA fights at Hara Arena, starting at 8pm. If anyone is interested
in attending, please join us at 7pm at the Huber school. Please be on time! Sorry for the
late notice on this one.
Best of luck to our Wolf Pack going to Columbus for the Ohio Taekwondo State
Championships. Winners will advance to Nationals.
Finally, the testing in Centerville this week went very smoothly. Sifu Jeremy reports
that the feedback has been very good from students and parents.
5/8/09The BoxThe beveled glass box atop my dresser dances with color when morning sunlight streams
through the window. The multitude of color prompts me to pause; it's become a special
time each day when I reflect on memories of my mother.
I remember well the Mother's Day it was given to her because the prior month had been my
parent's 50'th wedding anniversary. After a reception in their hometown, the following
month we kids sent them to Jamaica to continue their celebration. They returned from the
trip on Mother's Day weekend.
Mom loved the glass jewelry box from the moment she opened the package. All sides were
beveled and the top was finely etched with flowers and hummingbirds; or as she always
referred to them "hummers." It wasn't large; actually it was just the right size for
dropping earrings and a necklace into at the end of the day, or for holding pieces worn
most often.
Many years passed that I didn't really see it up close, but on the occasions I entered my
folk's bedroom it always caught my eye as it rested upon the dresser.
The glass box is more than a beautiful, cherished accessory that holds a variety of Mom's
favorite jewelry items; the essence of who she was is tucked inside. Hence, the contents
will remain as they are; my gemstones will not be intermingled.
The strands of cultured pearls trigger memories of the many pearls of wisdom she shared
with me.
The few diamonds bring to mind her viewpoint in regards to judging others. No matter
their social status or background each person is unique and many are a diamond in the
rough just waiting for their time to shine.
The gold items hark back to Mother's certainty that silence is golden and one should be
open-minded as to the opinions of others, whether you agreed or not. A difference in
beliefs was no cause for discord but probably indicated the subject of conversation
should be changed.
The silver items prompt me to maintain a positive attitude; Mother chose to believe that
most dark clouds were lined with silver.
While sorting Mom's earrings, necklaces and such I discovered several retro pieces I'd
not seen before. They were passé by the time I was of the age to admire baubles and
beads, but she had stunning brooch and earrings sets. The entire collection creates a
myriad of hues that transform the beveled glass box into a device with the ability to
capture a rainbow.
After suffering through the Great Depression, Mother's passion for lovely but tasteful
costume jewelry revealed that she always remained quite frugal. Still, when morning sun
strikes the authentic and artificial display of stones, gold, and silver a mighty shimmer
is unleashed; I feel I'm being reminded to reflect on and live by the pearls of wisdom
Mom felt most important.
Mother was one of eleven siblings raised by parents that spent their lifetime as tenant
farmers. Add to that the Great Depression, and she truly understood the fundamental
priorities necessary for a fulfilling life.
I've done my best to live by her teachings and hope she left this world satisfied that I
did grasp and appreciate her life lessons.
In Memory of Mother,
Lovey Arlene Boucher
Mother's Day, 2009
5/13/09Dear Students, Parents, and Friends,
I would like to take a moment 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=80642http://espndb.go.com/nfl/draft/player/profile/_/playerId/23969/marcus-freemanIn 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 twice, but never trained as a competitor at the USOTC.
There are only 40 spots available in the entire US for teens 12-17 years in age. This
group of 40 are all National-level caliber martial artists.
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 1st place competitors from all 50 US states.
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 has 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 activitity 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!
Sincerely,
Meng's Martial Arts
7/14/09 Dear Students, Parents, and Friends,
1) I had the privilage to attend Marvin Blankenship's retirement ceremony last night. I didn't know he had such a distinguished career in the Air Force. But it was a bittersweet ceremony as he will be relocating to Florida. Marvin, and both of his daughters, are first degree black belts so I anticipate him continuting to train in the future. From everyone at Meng's Martial Arts, we wish Marvin the best of luck for his future!
Major Marvin Blankenship was born January 1964, in Fort Jackson, South Carolina, to Mrs. Shirley Blankenship and the late Sergeant First Class Dean Blankenship. He graduated from Smyrna High School in 1982 and obtained his private pilot’s license. He attended Middle Tennessee State University and graduated in 1986 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Aerospace Technology. Marvin received his commission through the Reserve Officer Training Corp in May 1986 and began active duty in October 1986. Before entering Active Duty, he married his high school sweetheart, Tina. In 1995, Marvin completed his Masters degree in Aeronautical Science from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University. Marvin and Tina moved to Williams AFB, Arizona to attend Undergraduate Pilot Training. Marvin graduated near the top of his pilot training class in October 1987. In March 1988, he earned Distinguished Graduate of initial KC-135 Combat Crew Training at Castle AFB, California. His first operational assignment was with the 917th Air Refueling Squadron, Dyess AFB, Texas flying the KC-135A. While at Dyess, he supported Strategic Air Command’s nuclear deterrent mission, Pacific, Alaskan, and European Tanker Task Forces and combat operations JUST CAUSE, DESERT SHIELD, DESERT STORM and PROVIDE COMFORT. As a copilot, he flew the T-38A in the Accelerated Copilot Enrichment program. Upgrading to Aircraft Commander early provided him the opportunity to be selected for his next assignment as a Research Pilot at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio.
Departing Dyess in 1992, Major Blankenship was assigned to the 4952nd Flight Test Squadron as an Aircraft Commander flying the EC-135E and NKC-135A Advanced Range Instrumented Aircraft (ARIA). The ARIA mission primarily supported orbital and planetary spacecraft launches such as the Mars Path Finder, and Space Shuttle launches, as well as Cruise missile testing. Launching things into space was not nearly as important as the birth of Marvin and Tina’s daughter, Alyssa. Shortly after Alyssa’s birth, Marvin became the 4950th Test Wing Flight Safety Officer and upgraded to Instructor Research Pilot in the ARIA. His efforts as an instructor pilot and Wing Flight Safety Officer significantly contributed to the 4950th Test Wing’s safe transition to Edwards AFB, California.
In 1994, Major Blankenship moved to Edwards AFB, California as the squadron Flight Safety Officer for the newly created 452nd Flight Test Squadron. He continued flying the worldwide ARIA mission and added the EC-18 ARIA and KC-135R to his aircraft qualifications. The Blankenship family added another great event to the list with the birth of Deanna. Marvin’s flight test missions also expanded to include testing new aircraft systems, new fuels, defining and expanding in-flight air refueling envelopes, aircraft icing test, Airborne Laser Lab development, Space Based Defensive Initiative testing, and capturing data to improve aircraft simulators for most Air Force aircraft. In 1996, he was selected as the Chief of Tanker Transport Flight Safety for the Air Force Flight Test Center. In that role, he improved the testing of new technologies for the entire air Force.
In 1997, Major Blankenship was one of the very few tanker or transport pilots selected to instruct the Air Force’s next generation of fighter pilots in the advanced portion of Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training (SUPT). He completed T-38 Pilot Instructor Training at San Antonio, Texas and was assigned to the 50th Flight Training Squadron (FTS) at Columbus Air Force Base Mississippi. Marvin instructed T-38 student pilots in the 50 FTS and was selected to join the Quality Assurance Flight to oversee and evaluate T-38 academic and simulator instructors. He later became the Quality Assurance Flight commander overseeing the multi-million dollar training contract for The T-37, T-38, and T-1 at Columbus AFB.
In October 2000, Major Blankenship left active duty to fly the F-100 for American Airlines but continued his service to the country in the Air Force Reserve as an Instructor Pilot. He was assigned as a T-38 Instructor Pilot to the 43rd FTS at Columbus AFB, Mississippi. Marvin traveled over 800 miles each way to fly with student pilots one week each month for the next 3 years. During that time, he transitioned to the new T-38C with upgraded aircraft systems.
In November 2003, Marvin left American Airlines and the Air Force Reserves to return to the Active Duty Air Force. He was assigned as the Aerospace Vehicle Resource Manager for HQ Air Force Materiel Command (AFMC) at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio. There he managed AFMC’s Flying Hour Program, Air to Air missiles, Unmanned Aerial targets, and provided AFMC senior leadership with critical updates on high visibility test programs. In September 2006, Marvin moved to HQ AFMC Flight Safety. Since then he has served as a Command Flight Safety Officer, Chief of AFMC Flight Safety and functional manager for AFMC’s Flight Safety career field.
2) I would also like to wish the best for Ray Crawford as he goes through a major hip surgery next week. Long-term wise, this will enable him to continue to practice and improve his martial arts skills. Ray is one of my first generation students, starting back in 1987. He just recently started back to training this year. He is almost third-degree, with just a few things needed to earn his next rank.
3) I want to welcome Aaron McKillip and his family. He moved to Dayton from Kansas City just so he can study full-time.
Again, don't forget that we have testing this Friday and no classes on Saturday as we will be having a special Black Belt Class - all Black Belt students are required to attend.
Sincerely,
Master Meng
