Monday, April 6, 1998
By Dennis Oda Star-Bulletin
University of Hawaii offensive linemen Keith Tomomitsu,
front, and Manly Kanoa work on a move during a tae kwon do
session last week. UH opens spring practice today at Cooke Field.
Martial arts give
’Bows a kick start
At the urging of
By Paul Arnett
Rainbow head football coach Fred vonAppen,
some players have tried to step up their
game via tae kwon do
Star-BulletinTHE first time local tae kwon do instructor Bob Smith talked with members of the University of Hawaii football team, he had more than a few skeptics.
"But I took care of that with some of my demonstrations of kick boxing," said Smith, who has spent the last few weeks instructing UH linemen and linebackers on the basics of the martial arts form. "When I kicked one player (lightly) on the side of the head, that got their attention."
If you are at Cooke Field this afternoon for the first day of spring practice, don't be surprised to see some of the players pretending to be Jackie Chan.
As Fred vonAppen prepared for his third spring session, the Rainbows' head coach decided some of the techniques used in martial arts are applicable to football.
"We used it when I was at San Francisco and it worked very well for the guys who practiced it," vonAppen said of his days with the 49ers. "It helps in your footwork and the kind of leverage the big guys use up front."
Two months ago, vonAppen asked strength coach Phil Frye to get in contact with a local tae kwon do instructor. He contacted Smith, who has helped popular local kick boxer Dennis Alexio and has fought on some of his cards.
At first, Smith wasn't overly enthused with the idea. Instructing large groups twice a week is challenging. But he said he is pleasantly surprised by the players' reaction.
"I'm very pleased with the results," Smith said. "A few weren't motivated and others didn't think I had the flexibility to kick them upside the head.
"But I got their attention by slamming their hands really hard. I guess you could say I'm a typical karate guy. I'm trying to increase hand-eye coordination, flexibility and footwork.
"If an opponent comes at them, I want them to know where their opponents' hands are, be able to track them and then get them to disrupt the balance of their opponent, and steer them in the opposite direction."
Of course, no session would be complete without kick boxing. Smith doesn't want the players to use it to get a 15-yard penalty for a personal foul. He's more interested in flexibility.
"The higher and more powerful the kick, the better the flexibility and footwork," Smith said. "Of course, most of them are so big, they aren't used to jumping and kicking. They also are used to running just straight ahead, so we're trying to work on the ability to cut more quickly."
Smith said the average class has about 30 players. VonAppen doesn't require players to show up. But the ones who come regularly have caught Smith's eye.
"Some of the players are already using intermediate and advanced hand techniques," said Smith, who is 6-feet, 160-pounds. "The challenge for me has been to introduce legal self-defense skills in game situations. That has given me a whole new insight into what I teach."
No matter how positive the results, don't look for Smith to give up his day job. He instructs more than 300 students at the Smith Tae Kwon Do Center in Kaneohe.
"Now that spring practice has begun, we won't be holding any sessions," Smith said. "I'm not sure what the future holds. I'll just wait and see what Coach vonAppen wants me to do."
VonAppen said money and player interest were the key to keeping the sessions going during the off-season. Linebacker Stephen Gonzales said he enjoys the classes.
"There are a lot of legal holds we can use to fend off blockers," Gonzales said. "I've really enjoyed the classes. They're fun and they teach you hand techniques that not everyone is familiar with."
He and fellow linebacker Matt Paul have been partners since the first day of class. Projected starting linebackers Rinda Brooks and Kamuela Cobb-Adams also have worked on the different hand movements.
"Not everyone bought into it right away," Frye said. "But this is something that can help their hand coordination and their flexibility. We'll see how well it works the next few weeks."
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