mikemapage

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picture of man kicking a bag. Michael's Martial Arts Page picture of a man kicking a bag.

Below you will read about my adventures in the Martial Arts. I am a student of Karate, under Grand Master Michael McGann. I was also a student of Tae Kwon Do, under Master Alberto Friedmann, while he lived here in Brooksville. I am a very lucky young man whom because of these great teachers, has been allowed at a very young age to reach levels older students of the Arts can only dream of. At age nine I have already had personal instruction from fifteen Black Belt Instructors, eight Master Instructors, and three Grand Masters. I wish to start this page by thanking ALL of my TEACHERS! I already know that without each of you I could not be where I am.
Below I have placed pictures of my two primary instructors, to the left is Soke McGann and to the right is Shihan Friedmann. I am very proud of both of this instructors.

I am a student of Wa No Michi Ryu Karate and Kobudo, and take class every week at the Torii of Wa Dojo here in Brooksville where I am a Sankyu (3rd Kyu) That's a brown belt. Wa No Michi Ryu has a web site that can be accessed by clicking on the picture of Soke McGann above. The Torii of Wa is also on the Web and can be reached by clicking here! I think this is the place to let you know that my whole family is involved with Wa no Michi Ryu and the Torii of Wa Dojo. My dad a Rokudan (6^th Dan, sixth degree black belt) is the chief instructor for the Torii of Wa even though Soke McGann is my primary instructor. My mom is a Shodan (1^st degree black belt) and an instructor at the Torii of Wa Dojo too. It is neat, all of us taking Karate together as a family. I have two more belts to earn before I can go for Black Belt in our system. I am proud to say I'm on my way to Black Belt in Wa No Michi Ryu. I have received the 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2002 Student of the Year, the 1998,1999, 2000 and 2001 Competitor of the Year. 2002 was not my year for competing. I earned the 1997/1998, 1999/2000, 2000/2001 and 2001/2002 Scholastic Achiever of the Year Awards in Wa No Michi Ryu. In the 1998/1999 school year I placed runner up to the Academic Achiever of year. My grades stayed the same, straight "A"s, but Reginald Tran of Orlando Florida has turned in "perfect" grades and therefore beat me out for first place. Good going Reginald! I have already received my first report card for 6^th grade and I received straight "A"s once again so I am well on my way to receiving the 2002/2003 competition again. Below I have placed a photo of me receiving the 2001/2002 Academic Aciever of the Year Award.

Along with these major awards I also have received ten plaques honoring me as an outstanding student in both my school and in our dojo. As you can understand I am very proud of these awards. This past year I received the once in a lifetime, "Uncle Joe's" Peaceful Warrior Award from our system for representing the best of mind, body and spirit! The award is named for my Uncle who passed away this past year. I am very honored to be the first to receive this prestigious award.Below I have placed a photo of me receiving the Peaceful Warior Award.

White Dragon Tae Kwon Do is the name of Master Alberto Friedmann's school. I was a student of this school when Master Friedmann lived in Brooksville, and still take class from him when I can. He is now living in Illinois, so I do not get to see him very often. In September he was at our banquet and I got to spend some time with him and the three students he brought down with him. The White Dragon has a web site too. You can reach it by clicking on the picture of Master Friedmann near the top of this page.

I started my Martial Arts training at Brooksville Tae Kwon Do and am a Fourth Gup, that's a Blue Belt. Both Brooksville Tae Kwon Do and The White Dragon Tae Kwon Do recognize my rank as Fourth Gup that means I have just two more belts to earn before going for my Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do. Because of my outside activities in soccer, baseball, and basketball, I have put Tae Kwon Do on the back burner for a while. I miss it very much but love my other team sports and know I will return and get my Black Belt in the future when my schedule permits. I received the 1998 Tiny Tiger of the year, and the 1998 Academic Achiever of the year awards in Tae Kwon Do. I also know that trying to learn two styles at once is not allowing me to be as good at either as I should be. Once I have my black belt in karate I will go back and get my black belt in Tae Kwon Do.

I belong to the Florida League of Martial Artists (F.L.M.A.), and have earned the 1997 Florida State Champion in sparring for my age group, and I placed third in the state in Forms in 1997. For 1998 I received three awards, first I repeated as State Champion in Sparring, making me a two time State Champion and the 1998 Florida State Champion in sparring for my age group. I am even happier to report that I am also the 1998 Florida State Champion in Forms for my age group. I also received a double division winner certificate for my efforts. Click Here to see a photo of me with my two State Champion Trophies for 1998. In 1999 I was able to place third in the State in Forms even with my missing a lot of the tournaments. I am very proud of this fact. In 2001 I did return and got first in competition even though I had real time problems. In 2002 I was not able to hang on as it has become a choice between going to enough tournaments to be competitive at this level or going to less tournaments and playing my other sports that I also love. I have chosen to play basketball and baseball and even though I will not quit my martial arts, I have decided to only go to tournaments that do not conflict with a game in my team sports. Both mom and dad support me in this as they always say do everything you can and get every experience you can while you are young. I guess that is why I started taking piano lessons in 2000 and now have joined the school band as a tuba player.

I have been to a lot of tournaments in the seven years I've been in The Martial Arts. I have now earned over fifty trophies, over forty medals, a wall full of plaques and many certificates from different Martial Arts events. However my greatest honor is my induction into The World Martial Arts Hall of Fame 's Junior Division, in Cleveland Ohio on March 27^th, 1999. I have been brought into the Hall of Fame by Professor Holifield of the Board of Directors of that Hall of Fame, and by one of my instructors Soke McGann. Both of my primary instructors are members of this Hall of Fame, and I can't believe I am really a member now also. As Shihan Friedmann has said.

I have been given another honor in 1999, on November 27, 1999 I was inducted into the Florida Hall of Fame Martial Arts Brotherhood, as Outstanding Youth Competitor. They have also honored my parents this year. My parents were inducted into the Florida Hall of Fame Martial Arts Brotherhood as "Outstanding Parents of the Year"! They deserve it believe me!

Our White Dragon Tae Kwon Do School is very special. We sent two people to the Junior Olympics, in 1998, and two other students got to go to Korea to represent the U. S A. in the fall of 1998. Our school can now boast two bronze medals from an International Event. In January 200 two members went to Madison Square Gardens and did very well. Team America 2000 sent a team to Australia to compete. Shihan Friedmann was chosen to be the team coach and White Dragon members (six in all) came home with 17 gold medals plus many of the silver and bronze also. They did very well. Master Friedman will also help with the US Olympic team.

My family, mom, dad, Uncle Joe and myself all belong to Wa No Michi Ryu Karate / Kobudo. By now you know that by clicking on the name in red, you will link to the homepage of Wa No Michi Ryu Karate and Kobudo. This is the art form that Grand Master McGann started himself, and where he gets his favorite title "SOKE" This means system head, and as Soke Mike McGann believes there is only one master, and that is God, he much prefers to be called Soke McGann. Wa No Michi Ryu means the way of peace. Click here to see a photo of Soke McGann doing a great double kick. By Clicking here you will see another great kick by Soke. I would like to let everyone of my Internet friends know that my family did well in Wa No Michi Ryu Karate and Kobudo for 1998 also. Dad earned two medals, two plaques, and one great big trophy. Mom earned two medals two plaques, and one trophy. Mom was named Student of the Year for all of Wa No Michi Ryu Karate and Kobudo for 1998. The year 1999 also brought many new awards to our home. Uncle Joe received the Robert McGann Memorial Award for 1999, which is the highest award given in Wa No Michi Ryu. Mom earned Adult Student of the Year for the second year in a row. Dad received one of the three Grand Awards of Honor for all of his hard work in the system, and received the Master Instructor of the Year award also. Wa No Michi Ryu has fourteen major awards every year for the entire International system. In 1999 our family has taken home six of those fourteen awards. We are all very humble and proud of this fact. When we add Shihan Freedmann's Black Belt Competitor of the Year it puts half of every major award earned for Wa No Michi Ryu in 1999, earned right here in little Brooksville, Florida! Remember Wa No Michi Ryu is an International System.

The year 2000 awards went much the same way with mom, dad, uncle Joe and myself taking home most of the major awards for Brooksville once again.

My mom is the Wa No Michi Ryu Executive Secretary/Treasurer and a Shodan 1^st degree black belt.

My dad who is the Wa No Michi Ryu President, and Soke Heir, is a Renshi with the rank of Rokudan, that's a sixth degree black belt.

My dad has been named to two Hall of Fames, and was just nominated to go into a third one as Master of the Year 2000. Uncle Joe who earned his black belt in 2000 was named to the Wa No Michi Ryu Board of Directors as our Spiritual Advisor, and Soke McGann says he is above rank. Uncle Joe Passes away in 2002 and Soke made an award in his honor called the Peaceful Warrior Award which I was honored to receive. Soke also is leaving Uncle Joe on the Executive Board as our Spiritual Advisor as even with him gone his memory is still guiding us. Our family is awesome.

Mom dad and I are all members of F.L.M.A. and will try to get to all of the tournaments together.

My whole family takes Wa No Michi Ryu Karate and Kobudo once a week from Soke McGann here at the Torii of Wa Dojo. I really like the fact that Mom, Dad & I all take our classes and practice our Karate together as a family. This is how we all three earned the Presidential Sports Awards in Karate and Martial Arts with the Family Fitness patch attached.

My goal is to earn all the Presidential Sports Awards I can. To date, I have earned the Award in Martial Arts, Tae Kwon Do, Soccer, Sports/Fitness, Judo, and the Karate, Baseball and basketball awards twice each. That is a total of eleven in all, four of them came with the Family Fitness attachment.

To learn more about the Presidential Sports Awards, just click on the Presidential Seal icon above.

Michael Anderson

The author is a member of