3 November 2010 No Comment
Jacob Laden-Guindon talks about his long time passion for Martial Arts
by Bushra Kabir
Jacob Laden-Guidon, Adv. 307, strikes a Martial Arts pose during one of the Martial Arts Show Team’s training sessions. Photo by Bushra Kabir.Jacob Laden-Guindon, Adv. 307, a junior black belt, has been practicing Martial Arts for over nine years. Utilizing his experience in Martial Arts as an advantage for society, Guindon works with disabled children at his Karate school. His interest in Martial Arts takes Guindon to Germany every summer, where he began to learn Kung Fu, one of the many disciplines of Martial Arts.
What kind of sports or activities are you involved in?
“Well, no sports; I do martial arts. I don’t think that counts as a sport.”
What would you categorize it as?
“Art. It’s an art.”
How do you usually present martial arts through music?
“Well, it’s Capoeira1, which is kind of different.”
What other Martial Arts interpretations to do you practice?
“Karate and Kung Fu.”
How long have you been involved with Karate and Kung Fu?
“I started Karate, here in Chicago, right before I turned 6, and have been practicing ever since. I started Kung Fu three years ago, but my school is not in this country. Three years ago, my dad was offered a fellowship from a university in Frankfurt to come study, give talks, and write a book. We all lived in Berlin for one year. We had to find a Martial Art [class] to practice during that time. One day, we find a Shaolin temple of all things, run by monks from the actual Shaolin temple in China. They spoke barely any German [and] neither did we, [but] the place really spoke to us, so my siblings and I started Kung Fu. I have been going back every summer since then to train with the monks. All told, I have been practicing Martial Arts in general for over 9 years.”
What is your position in these practices called?
“Well in Karate, they called me sempai, but that just means student. I was taught Kung Fu by monks, so they didn’t have titles for me.”
What got you started in Martial Arts?
“When my little sister was born, my parents wanted me to have a ‘big boy’ activity. They had heard about [the] great place where I [currently perform] Karate and they got me started. I have come to really, really love it (martial arts). That’s a part of my life now.”
Where do you usually practice?
“Here in Chicago. My dojo is called Thousand Waves Martial Arts and Self-Defense Center. The address is 1220 W. Belmont. The closest intersection is Belmont and Racine; [the dojo is] a tad west of that. The Shaolin Temple Deutschland is in Berlin.”
Do you teach martial arts to other people?
“A little bit. This performance (International Day and International Night) thing only started last year. I have never really performed like that. That’s not what Martial Arts is about. It’s about working hard to make yourself a better person…”
Where and how do you work with disabled children in terms of teaching Martial Arts, specifically Karate?
“My Karate school has a special outreach program affiliated with the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago. Our members are encouraged to volunteer to go down to the Drucker Center/ Menomonee Club every Sunday afternoon to teach kids with disabilities. They all have a physical disability, and some are mentally disabled as well. For those with minor impairments, we can teach a pretty regular class, only slower, with lower kicks, sometimes helping them to balance. Some kids however can barely move at all. It’s [trickier] to teach them. I don’t do it personally because it takes a much more experienced teacher … With the less mobile kids, it’s pretty much like physical therapy [as] we work a lot on core strength. We also teach everybody empowerment skills … I really love working with these kids. They’re very affectionate, funny, and they have the most admirable spirit. They really show what ‘giving your all’ means …”
How has Martial Arts benefitted you?
“It made me very strong [and] pretty flexible. I guess it has helped me focus.”
Which art do you prefer? Karate or Kung Fu? How does your opinion about them differ?
“Kung Fu looks a lot cooler. It’s big and circular [and] the movements are almost dance-like. However, my karate dojo here, Thousand Waves, is a really incomparable place. I could not do without it; it’s the main reason [why] I am who I am today.”
What are you some of your accomplishments?
“Well, I tested for junior black belt because I’m not old enough to get an adult black belt yet, but that’s about to change. [I received] the second degree junior black belt and [it was a] pretty amazing [and] really hard test.”
Do you plan on continuing Martial Arts?
“Yeah. Of course.”
How much time do you dedicate to practicing Martial Arts?
“I don’t have as much time as I would like to, but three, maybe four hours a week.”
Why did you participate in International Day last year?
“Well, I had a bunch of friends from my karate school and Zoe [Netter, Adv. 108] was one of them. [She] told me that there was a martial arts performance for some event, so I was like ‘Wow, I totally want to be in that,’ and I got here [and] it didn’t happen and it didn’t happen, so I just said ‘you know what, I’m going to do this myself.’ I got Zoe and … two other people to join and put on a show, and it was a lot of fun.”
Is there any club at Northside for Martial Arts?
“Well, I started [a club] this last year. Last year, I didn’t want to teach anybody anything, I just wanted people with experience so we can just get right into performing, but this year, we’re going to teach people with no experience.”
What do you do in your free time?
“When I do have free time, I make beaded jewelry and I draw, but that’s when I do have free time which I don’t [have] right now. [I also] hang out with my family.”
Where did your interest in making beaded jewelry come from?
“There is a bead shop a couple blocks from where I live. A few years ago, … my mom was taking a walk around the neighborhood, [went] into the store, and [came] back home with a starter kit. She [said] to my little brother and me that we should try it out with her. We did. She eventually lost interest [as] she couldn’t see the small beads anymore, and she didn’t have the patience. My brother and I stuck to it though. We’ve taken a couple of classes, but we’re pretty much self-taught. We figured out all the designs in the magazines and instruction books we had, and it became a beloved hobby.”
What made you interested in drawing?
“I guess it’s something I do well enough and enjoy. It’s something that has grown with me. Everyone draws in preschool. So when other kids moved on to TV or video games to feed their imagination, having neither, I kept drawing. It was and still is a way to get my imagination on paper. I created other worlds, [wrote] stories [about] parallel universes, and drew all the characters with their costumes and accessories. It was how I told and continue to tell make-believe stories: through pictures. I don’t think I’m that great at drawing. Sure, I can sketch a pretty realistic human body, and put believable clothes on it, but that’s about it. My drawing is at least decent enough to have helped me get into art cubed last year.”
Do you plan on pursuing a career related to martial arts?
“There is a tiny possibility that I want to become some kind of [action] movie director … Maybe something like that, but otherwise, not really. This is just something that’s part of my life; a hobby, but more than that.”
Is there anyone else in your family who practices martial arts?
“Yeah, my brother and my sister.”
What is your plan in terms of Martial Arts, after you receive an adult black belt?
“A common misconception is that black belt is an end-point in training. You get your black belt, you’re a master, and you can kick butt. I can’t emphasize enough how wrong this is. Martial Arts should be all about the way, the path. The Chinese call it Dao, like from Daoism, the Japanese say do, like budo, judo and aikido. Achieving the rank of black belt is nothing; getting there is what matters. More important though is continuing, because black belt is only a beginning. After I get my black belt, I’ll just keep training like I’ve always done.”
1Capoeira: A style of martial arts developed by Brazilian slaves in the 1700s. Capoeira was developed surreptiously, with practitioners pretending that they were taking parts in dances, when in fact they were practicing their kicks and blows. Thus, there is also a whole style of capoeira music which goes along with the martial arts culture. This definition was attained from http://www.slipcue.com/music/brazil/brazilterms
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