Kicking Ass at Master Park's

When I first contacted Master Park’s Champion Taekwondo Center and spoke with Master Kas about taking his XCKB Fitness Kickboxing class (Extreme Cardio Kickboxing), I was excited to try a workout that incorporated not only kicking and punching, but also flexibility training, strength training, plyometrics, meditation and even elements of hapkido, judo, yoga and tai chi. I think what intrigued me the most about this kickboxing class was that we only made contact with targets, bags and other equipment (not each other) while working in other various disciplines of training. Which is awesome because I only physically assault other human beings when I am out of popcorn kernels or am interrupted during Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. It was far too early in the day for either one.

Master Park’s school (or, dojang, as it’s called) is centered on the teaching of better mind/body awareness, and physical, conditional and mental health through a curriculum of sports-side and traditional taekwondo. The school’s heart and soul, in both the taekwondo and kickboxing programs, lies in local community involvement and martial arts training and fitness as a whole – a small piece of which is competitive (and that competitive side boasts a rich pedigree in tournament accolades). In other words, taekwondo students of Master Park’s school learn the Korean martial art of combat and self-defense mixed with sport and exercise, using zero brutality and a whole ‘lotta grace.

I’ve known Master Kas for quite some time, so I already knew what kind of energy I’d be engulfed in for his 9am Saturday morning extreme kickboxing class. He is the type of guy who everyone immediately likes and his positivity, humor and insane amount of liveliness can’t help but to draw you in and motivate. Starting his martial arts career in 1990, he competed regionally and nationally until the mid-2000s, and during his training for those early competitions, he began a fitness/aerobic curriculum to speed-boost his teammates. This eventually led into a full aerobics martial arts program, of which he’s taught for 20 years.

The first thing I noticed when I walked into the school was how clean the mats were. It might be the mom in me (since my floors are never that clean), but I was impressed by that bright blue ground. I was greeted by Kas and the influx of class members – some of which were black belt instructors themselves. Everyone was so incredibly friendly as they welcomed me as a new class member. I made my way out to the mat and was smiling and ready to go, until I noticed what we’d be doing for the first three straight minutes: The jump rope. Or as I like to refer to as, “the thing that you never give a mom who’s had three children.”

Having had to use a jump rope more than once in the last few new fitness routines I’ve ventured out on, I needed to just get over it. Kas cranked up the deep house music (reason enough to visit them again) and I began to jump. Carefully. As I watched everyone else, I was blown away. There is some pure magic in watching experienced jump ropers. Their feet and hips dance with that rope, their bodies never missing a beat. It was like watching a beautifully orchestrated rope dance, if one existed. I made it through my three minutes and vowed to work on it on my own. (Maybe.)

We ran through different types of stretching, posing and flexibility training (ever see other grown adults do splits?) and began our kicking series. First, it was while bouncing on our feet, kicking out to different levels (low, knee, high), which worked up a serious sweat. Then, it moved on to punching and kicking with the kicking targets. Master Kas took time to instruct proper technique as I pushed myself to focus on making repeated and significant contact with that target, while keeping my form intact during the combos. After the series, he incorporated planks and more funky body positions (which I’m sure have a proper discipline name) that worked muscle mobility and tested strength.

The class continued on like this: faster movements to slower ones, bouncing to holding, syncing technique to techno and working every ounce of your body. One of my favorite details of class was a meditation piece, where we visualized as we moved our arms and hands, with our feet planted, our eyes closed and our ears filled with trance.

At the end of class, I was a sweaty mess. I felt energized, clear-headed and ready to tackle the rest of my day. Whether it’s a straight sweat session or a more disciplined martial arts focus that you’re looking for, Master Park’s Champion Taekwondo has it all.

Master Park's Champion Taekwondo. 10 Pier Road, Apt. #1, East Providence. 714-0422. championtaekwondo.org