Karate teacher finds joy with art form

By Misty Higgins Journal Sports Staff

INWOOD- In a society where successful athletes are placed on pedestals, showered with wealth and celebrity, one might wonder why someone would spend 20 years perfecting an art such as karate- a sport that doesn’t seem to get much attention in mainstream society.

For Timothy Clyde, one work sums it up- enlightenment. “In an art form such as this, money prizes would depreciate the value of our goals,” Clyde said. “It would ruin the integrity of the art”

“This is not about who the best is, but about personal progression.”

From the trophy-lined walls and perfectly polished floors to the respectful way his students address him and follow his commands, and overwhelming sense of honor, dedication and discipline is evident at Clyde’s Karate.

Those traits served his students well as they earned two first and several other high finishes at the recently concluded 25th United States Soo Bahk Do Moo Duk Kwan National Championship and International Goodwill Festival.

Clyde, 26, has owned and operated Clyde’s Karate since Aug. 2002. He is a fourth- degree master instructor in the art of Soo Bahk Do Moo Duk Kwan. Clyde is an active student at the Ginyard Achievement Center in Cherry Hill, N.J., with more than 20 years experience in training and instruction.

Clyde’s Karate is a self defense based Korean martial art center. Classes are non-contact with heavy emphasis on control, discipline, courage, concentration and building character and self-esteem.

Clyde is quick to point out that Soo Bahk Do is an art form rather than a sport, yet the flushed faces and labored responses of “Yes Sir!” from his students prove this ‘art’ is no less physically challenging than any other sport.

Several of Clyde’s students participated in the United States Soo Bahk Do Moo Duk Kwan Nation Championship and International Goodwill Festival. The competition, which lasted just more than a week and ended in early August, took place in the Sheraton Meadowlands, in East Rutherford.

More than 1,000 participants from around the country and 19 visiting countries competed. The competition included Forms (standardized patterns of movements put together to give a combat-like sequence) and Sparring (one-on-one non-contact fighting in which winners are based on a point system of technique and precision).

This was the first major tournament for these students who prepared as much as two moths in advance.

“Some of them trained two classes a night, some five nights a week - and this was their doing, asking me if they could train extra,” Clyde said. “That’s what dedication is all about- not being forced, wanting to be there.”

And his philosophies ring true through his students as well.

When asked what their favorite part of the tournament was, not one student talked about winning. Instead they focused on the fun times they had, the learning experiences involved and how karate has given them not only a good sense of sportsmanship, but also mad them better people.

Darcia Mickey, 12 years old, enjoyed watching the Master’s level competitors perform at the tournament. She is a green belt who placed second in Forms.

“I almost got first” she said. “But I wasn’t sad because it was a friend of mine who got first.”

Through more emphasis is placed on training rather than competing, Clyde’s students fared quite well at the tournament.

Competing along with Mickey was her sister Salle Mickey, 15, who is Clyde’s most senior student. She placed third in the 14-15 Green Belt girls.

Scott Kidwell, 33, Clyde’s oldest adult student, placed third in Green Belt Sparring. Kidwell believes that the benefits of karate go beyond the physical as well.

“I have enjoyed many new experiences, have more energy and I have learned things such as humility, which has led to an overall self-improvement.”

The other compeditors were Cheyenne Simpson, 11-13 Green Belt girls – first place Forms, first place Sparring: Chelsea and Theresa Slaughter (part of a father, daughter and granddaughter combination). Theresa finished second place Forms, third place Sparring Orange Belt and Chelsea took third place for Sparring Orange Belt Women. Other s was Alexandria Hersom who received a medal for effort and participation in age 7-8 Orange Belt boys and girls: Hersom’s sister Jessica placed first in Forms for age 6- and under White Belt boys and girls.

Clyde’s own competitive background is filled with numerous grand champion titles on both regional and national levels. The highlight for him was in the 1993 selection to the United States Soo Bahk Do International Demonstration Team where he traveled to Switzerland to compete and demonstrate in a world peace demonstration. Only 10 people were selected from across the country and selection was based on individual merit in competition, recommendations by high ranking Federation members and school academics.

But Clyde is quick [to] sum up his career with much deeper meaning than simply wins and titles.

“For me, it was never about winning or losing,” he said. “It was always about enjoying the experience.”

“Soo Bahk Do has always been a lit path for me to follow. Everything from training to gatherings has always been so positive. And there will never be a plateau where there is nothing left to learn. This is a lifetime progression for me with no end in the road.”

So, has Clyde’s’ Karate been a success in the eyes of the owner? Without a doubt, he claims.

“It has been worth every ounce of energy I have invested,” he said. “Educating people in the art of self-defense as well as physical and mental self-improvement has always been something I have enjoyed doing.

“To see a student succeed when they thought they would fail brings warm feelings to me. It’s about giving these kids a positive activity where they cam make friends with no judgments, have a positive role monde lint heir lives, and help them on their way through life.”

The parents of Clyde’s’ students also see a positive defense in their children.

Jim and Felicia Hayslette, who have three children training at Clyde’s, say that karate has kept their children away from the Playstation and given them something active to do.

Karate has also benefited the children on a deeper level.

“This has helped with school and has given them more confidence,” Jim Hayslette said. “Before karate, Jacob (their son) had problems in school and felt like an outsider.

“Now he is more confident in himself and feels like he belongs.”

Marti Hersom also has three children in Clyde’s classes. She believes that karate helped her children become more motivated.

“They set goals now and are able to achieve them,” she said. “And the respect carries through long after class is over into the school and the home.”

Though Clyde is able to sum up Soo Bahk Do in one word, it takes his students many more. With so many positive things about this art, it is amazing though that the same idea remained student after students. J.D. Hayslette, 14, said it best when sharing his favorite part of Soo Bahk Do, and seemed to capture the ideas of all of Clyde’s’ students with his two words: Master Clyde.

Clyde’s Karate is located at 31 Hovatter Drive in Inwood. Call 229-6410.