Honoring Their Fallen Comrade
In the aftermath of tragedy, martial arts tourney draws 1200 to Pittsburgh
By Joseph E. Yi

The national martial arts community honored the family of Garry Lee at a special ceremony during the 26th annual National All Martial Arts Tournament, held at the University of Pittsburgh May 6. Lee, an African American Tang Soo Do student, was the last of five victims in the racially-motivated shooting rampage, which shocked the usually bucolic, blue-collar suburbs of Pittsburgh on April 28.

Grandmaster Kim, the founder and president of the tournament, eulogized Lee as an earnest student of the martial arts, which “teaches the core values of respect [for others], self-respect and dignity.”

Friends and family of Lee expressed their thanks. “Garry and I saw martial arts as a way of life, it was more getting in touch with yourself, finding inner peace,” said George L. Thomas II, a longtime friend and spokesperson for the Lee family. Thomas trained with Lee on the day of the shooting incident. Since then, he said, “there has just been an outpouring of support from the martial arts schools. People came to the funeral we didn’t know, giving donations.

“I am going to train for two, that’s what Master Kim says. I am dedicating my work to Garry,” Thomas said.

Reflecting the Lee tragedy, the 26th annual tournament, nevertheless, was also a celebration of the values that martial art teaches to students like Lee. The event drew more than 2000 spectators and 1200 martial artists of all ages from all over the country.

Participants, grouped into categories based on belt color, age and gender, competed for points on form, sparring, board breaks, and weapons technique. Of them, 70 percent practiced the Korean-based Tang Soo Do, while 20 percent were students of Tae Kwon Do, and the remainder practiced hap-kido, karate, kung-fu or other forms of martial arts.

Zachary “Zack” S. Kumer, 17, from Fairoaks, Pa., whose martial arts style includes Wing Chun Kung Fu, Akido, Judo, Ninjitsu, and Tang Soo Do, placed first in sparring for intermediates, 15-17 years old. Kumer said before he took up martial arts, he “used to have a very bad temper. The martial arts has calmed me down a lot. I have a lot more self-confidence,” he said. “And I am actually kinder because of it.”

Martial arts also bridge different communities, one facet of the sport that attracted Lisa Mombo, an African American Tang Soo Do student, from Chicago, Ill. “You come into contact with a lot of people,” she said, “African Americans, Asians, Caucasians, Hispanics, you name it. I really like that aspect, I really do.”

The sport can also serve as a family hobby. Indeed, it is attracting increasing numbers of women and children. At this year’s tournament, women made up more than a quarter of the black-belt participants.

Though the sport has become more open to women and people of all races, one key barrier remains: The cost of tuition precludes widespread participation of low-income families. To change this, some private instructors offer quality training at minimal cost, often in their own homes. One such instructor, Kevin Karney, from McKees Rocks, Pa., has taught martial arts for a minimal fee in his basement for the past 18 years.

“The martial arts is a great way to build the minds, especially the young minds, and the old,” he said. “It can reform them, without it being so costly that it burns a hole in their pocket.”