Centerline Martial Arts & Fitness

Mr. Michael Glencross

Michael Glencross is the Owner of Centerline Martial Arts And Fitness and is also the Systems/GIS Manager for the Walla Walla County Engineering Department. Mr. Glencross has a Bachelors Degree in Science in Technology from Eastern Washington University as well as numerous professional certifications. He is also a published author and has done technical writing and research for numerous Information Technology books.

"I have been a member of the United States Taekwon-Do Federation for over thirteen years. I chose USTF/ITF Taekwon-Do because it is the original Taekwon-Do created by General Choi Hong Hi . It is a true Martial Art, not Martial Sport like the "Taekwon-Do imitators". The science and real life application of USTF/ITF Taekwon-Do techniques, along with its outstanding moral culture, make it a very well rounded and very effective Martial Art. Many people think of Taekwon-Do as a kicking art, which it is, but most people don't realize that we use many more hand techniques and Ho Sin Sul (grappling) techniques then we do kicks."

Family:
I started Taekwon-Do one month after my 13 year old son Andrew Glencross was born. Andrew Started Taekwon-Do when he was 7 and he is now a Black Belt .... he's my "Side Kick" .... sorry I couldnt resist :-)

Hobbies:
Taekwon-Do, techno gadgets, hiking, biking, fishing, travel, Seattle Seahawks Football (Season Ticket Holder for over 13 years, no "bandwagoner" here), and any time spent with my family.

Education:
- Bachelors in Science in Technology - Eastern Washington University
- AAAS in computer support and repair - Walla Walla Community College
- AAAS in computer networking - Walla Walla Community College

Occupation:
Systems/GIS Manager for Walla Walla County Public Works Department.

Occupation/Education Highlights:
- Graduation Day with my mom and my grandparents.
- I was asked to Author Server + Certification for Dummies.
- Technical writing and content research for numerous other technology related publications. Numerous professional certifications such as Microsoft, Cisco and Comptia certifications.

Years in TKD:
13+ years

Why I started TKD:
I always wanted to do Martial Arts but as a kid I never had the opportunity. I started TKD when I was 21. Being the tech geek that I am I used a little known resource called the Internet to educate myself on the different styles before choosing to join Mr. Jeff Griswold's and Mr. Larry Bieghler's Walla Walla TKD in 1996. My son Andrew was one month old when I started; he is now a Black Stripe and I look forward to helping him achieve Black Belt someday.

Best TKD moments:
- Earning my 1st Dan Black Belt with Mr. Dale Hutcherson at my side
- Earning my 2nd Dan Black Belt with Mr. Dale Hutcherson at my side and my family and students watching.
- My instructor, Mr. Larry Bieghler, honoring me with a school plaque he made for my new school Centerline Martial Arts & Fitness.
- Black Belt Patterns Grand Champion 2004 Washington State Championships
- Placing 2nd in Patterns at Region One Championships as a 3 rd gup in Longview and again as 1st Dan in Las Vegas Regional's.
- 2nd place in Black Belt power breaking 2002 in Clackamas Oregon

Worst TKD moment:
- As a green belt, learning the hard way not to fall directly on your knee, that was knee surgery number one.
- As a yellow belt seeing Mr. Griswold blow out his knee... I still chuckle when I think about him apologizing profusely as he was being carried out of the dojang by the other Black Belts. In all that pain he was more worried about the yellow belts than his knee.
- I broke my ankle in a non-TKD related injury and instead of waiting six months as directed by the doctor, I suffered a High Ankle Sprain (hurt worse than the break) 8 weeks later while demonstrating a flying consecutive crescent kick to the youth class. I will be more patient next time.
- I have avoided politics as much as possible but I have seen a lot of ugliness that has no place in the world of Martial Arts and I will always do my best to keep my students from having to see that side of Martial Arts.

Favorite aspect of TKD:
Ho Sin Sul (grappling, self defense) is without a doubt my favorite aspect of TKD. I like to break concrete too :-)
All-in-all I enjoy all of it and really enjoy teaching and sharing what I have learned over the years.

Least favorite aspect of TKD:
Flying kicks because as I get older, and after a couple of knee surgeries and busted up ankles my landing gear doesn't work like it used to... as we get older we have to learn to fight smarter :-)

Advice for new students:
Perseverance; it took me almost six years to attain 1st Dan Black Belt. I was enrolled in double full time credits for two years of college and at the same time I was working 60+ hours a week which also required a lot of traveling. It was very hard to maintain consistant training, but I stuck with it and Mr. Bieghler and Mr. Hutcherson were always there for me, and they were there with me on testing day. Make goals for yourself and don't let yourself down, achieve those goals, no matter how long and how hard you have to work. Never quit, never give up!

"I advise anyone interested in joining a Martial Arts school to visit as many schools as possible and to ask a lot of questions before making a decision. Most schools offer a couple of free workouts; take advantage of these opportunities and choose based on your experience at the schools and the Instructors credibility, reputation and integrity. Also, observe the students. Even without speaking with them, an Instructors students tell a lot about the Instructors and the school. Are the students having fun? Are they respectful and eager to workout hard? If you see any hint of ego your in the wrong place. Also, it has to be fun and challenging or you won't stick with it. People ask me all the time which style they should do, or which style to get their kids into. The style is not as important as the Instructor. Find an instructor you are comfortable with and feel safe learning from. Be sure that Instructors are certified Black Belts ant that they are continuing to train too. a good Instructor is also a good student. A Martial Art is not just something you do to learn to punch and kick, it's a lifestyle. It is very important that each individual find the right Martial Art and Instructor for them. If I hadn't taken the time to do the research I may not have been fortunate enough to find the USTF/ITF and the quality Black Belt Instructors of the USTF/ITF, I probably would not be involved in Martial Arts today".

Advice for older students:
Fight smarter, not harder. I have been to two Grand Master Sereff seminars and I truly appreciated him sharing his stories and experiences with us. The experiences and words of our seniors are far more valuable to me than watching someone perform an outstanding flying triple combination kick. As we get older we need to be aware of our limitations, listen to our bodies, know when to take it easy, but always thrive to be better and continue to make progress in your training.

What does TKD mean to you?
As with any Black Belt that continues his or her training, Taekwon-Do is part of my life. When I was a green belt our local TKD School almost shut down. I watched Mr. Bieghler and a handful of students struggle to keep the school running. I was only a green belt at the time so there wasn't much I could do with regards to teaching and building the school but I decided back then that I wanted to be a Taekwon-Do instructor. I wanted to help people be better people and help them achieve goals that they never thought they could.

What keeps you going?
I want to be the best Instructor I can be. However, I feel that I need to be a good student if I want to be a good teacher. As a student I enjoy the challenge of working toward the next level. As a teacher I enjoy helping students progress with their training and achieve the goals they set for themselves. I have had the wonderful experience of helping about twenty students earn their Black Belt. To see these students perform with such confidence and pride is the ultimate reward.

Future TKD goals:
My next goal is to achieve 4th Degree Expert Black Belt. Another goal I have is to take some of our Black Belts to the next level, the level of Instructor. It takes a lot more than just being a good fighter to be an instructor and I look forward to helping Black Belts with that journey.

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