By Bob Cox
The
year Chief Master Willie Rankins began his martial arts career,
McDonalds had just rolled out the Big Mac, gasoline was 34 cents a
gallon, Hey
Jude
was a number one hit song for 9 straight weeks and the Viet Cong
launched the Tet Offensive. While all those events happened the year
after he graduated from high school in 1967, Rankins enlisted in the
U.S. Air Force and would serve his country for the next six years in
Taiwan as the war in Southeast Asia dragged on.
During
his years in the military, Rankins immersed himself into a daily
regimen of practicing his primary passion: martial arts training.
Karate and judo were the only self defense styles available to
foreigners at the time, so that’s where Rankins got his initial
training. A short time thereafter, he met Grand Master Clinton
Robinson, who had just won the Taiwan National Taekwondo
Championship. The two bonded over their love of martial arts and
shared a grand vision of opening their own martial arts studio once
they returned to America.
They
follow through with their vision and now, nearly 50 years later,
there are eleven Robinson’s Taekwondo franchises in the greater
Sacramento area. I sat down with Chief Master Rankins, the owner of
Robinson’s Taekwondo in Rancho Cordova recently to learn a few
secrets about his long and exciting taekwondo journey.
Q: Why did you choose to
learn taekwondo?
A:
I got my first taste of taekwondo watching martial arts shows on
television like The Green Hornet and Kung Fu. Any show that involved
kicking and punching, I was glued to it. At that time, I didn’t
know the difference between karate, kung fu or taekwondo. I just saw
a bunch of people kicking and punching and it looked cool!
Q:
Aside from the kicking and punching, was there anything else about
martial arts that appealed to you?
A:
Yes, I was taken with the ceremonies, especially the bowing and the
show of respect. There is visible order that a person can see and if
you apply yourself, you can achieve higher and higher ranks. I also
like the meditative and spiritual side of martial arts.
Q:
Is there anything else that has made martial arts appealing to you?
A:
Yes, the fact that you know how to do something that very few people
know how to do, that’s pretty cool. It’s like a big secret and
everybody wants to know that secret. But, the only way you can
receive that secret is to train. All credible martial arts have
secrets, but they’re not given to new students.
Q: Why do martial art
instructors conceal these secrets to new students?
A:
To prevent their students from abusing their new skills and power.
Sharing the secrets too early on how to do certain things in martial
arts with a new student is like giving a bully a loaded gun. Our
secrets are passed down to students that are loyal, disciplined and
persevere.
Q: What are the
differences among the most common martial arts like karate, kung fu
and taekwondo?
A:
All three include kicking, punching and jumping, so the difference is
where the martial arts place their emphasis. Taekwondo puts its
emphasis on the lower body, but it doesn’t mean that it’s not
effective with using the upper body. Karate typically puts a lot of
emphasis on the upper body but they also kick. Kung fu puts a lot of
emphasis on circular motion and redirecting but it has linear
movements too.
Q:
What are the greatest gifts and benefits you’ve received from
taekwondo?
A:
When I came into martial arts, I was a young guy, fresh out of high
school, very healthy, energetic and athletic. At this age, I’m more
comfortable with my feet on the ground and being able to move with
ease. I also concentrate more on the internal and spiritual parts of
taekwondo for my personal health, especially breathing exercises and
flexibility training.
Q: Is martial arts just
for young people?
A:
No, we have members in the taekwondo community that are over 75 years
old and they still perform as if they were 25-30 years old. It’s
really amazing, but taekwondo is part of their lifestyle. The body
has to move in order to stay healthy. So that’s what taekwondo
offers. I’ll absolutely never stop because the benefits are too
great.
Q:
When I was younger, I confused confidence with arrogance, but they
are quite different, right?
A:
Yes, night and day. Typically, people who lack confidence project
arrogance. The structure of martial arts allows you to build
confidence within yourself by building a strong mental attitude as
well as a strong physical presence. It allows you to build that
confidence from the inside out. Most people that practice martial
arts are very confident and relaxed.
Q: What brings you the
greatest joy when you’re teaching a new student?
A:
Oh, success and helping a student develop confidence over time
through training. I get positive feedback from my student’s parents
all the time. One student named David started in my Dragon’s
Program, which is for kids under age six. He started with me and
stayed with me all the way through school. He later went to college
and graduated from M.I.T. Parents have periodically come back to tell
me how grateful they are that taekwondo played a major role in the
children’s success by giving them the discipline and confidence
that started right here.
Q: Is there one secret
that’s helped you teach your students to excel in the classroom and
in life?
A:
Over the years, I’ve learned not to take second place in students
training. Sometimes, students try to do too many things at the same
time and they’re not becoming very good at anything. Taekwondo
requires focus and practicing taekwondo will give you the focus you
need to excel in life.
Q: What other
organizations are you associated with besides Robinson’s Taekwondo?
A:
I sit on the board of the United World Taekwondo Association (UWTA)
and am an international instructor. The UWTA is a kukkiwon trusted
organization and is the approved authority for progress, rank and
curriculum worldwide for taekwondo. All athletes must have kukkiwon
certification to participate in the Olympics.
Editor’s
notes: Robinson’s Taekwondo of Rancho Cordova has been part of the
community since April 1983. For more information, call (916)
638-5411, check out their website at www.robinsonstkd.com or visit
their facility at 11015 Olson Dr. in Rancho Cordova.
