The Martial Arts Club teaches students traditional self-defense techniques that they can use in everyday life.    

This year, German teacher Mr. Bob Wyckoff and his son, math teacher Mr. Brian Wyckoff decided to co-advise the Martial Arts Club where they teach students traditional Tang Soo Do techniques. 

Tang Soo Do is a traditional Korean martial art. The father-son duo focus on teaching their students forms which teach people movement, wrist grips which teach defense against a grab and one-steps which teach defense against a punch. 

The club usually meets on Thursdays twice a month and at the moment they only have five members. 

The students practice techniques on exercise mats and the advisers demonstrate techniques first. Then, students practice the technique slowly to learn the motion. Students are also taught to tap out if they want their partner or instructor to stop.  

Mr. Larry Marcial, who retired last year, used to run this club and taught more takedowns and rolling. Mr. Bob Wyckoff said they may get into that, as of right now, he plans to teach more Tang Soo Do, so they don’t do takedowns. 

“Mr. Marcial [ran the club] for many years, and he had expressed an interest a couple years ago for me to keep the club up going when he retired. He showed me a lot of what he did,” Mr. Bob Wyckoff said.

Similar to how Mr. Marcial ran the club, students and parents must sign an agreement saying that anything they do in class is only for the club, everybody will conduct themselves safely and if a student is unsafe, they will not be asked to come back. 

Mr. Bob Wyckoff has been training in Tang Soo Do since 2012 and has achieved his 3rd Dan black belt. 

Senior Colin Stanley, a member of the Martial Arts Club, said the club has taught him discipline, how to defend himself and to be kind to other people. 

“The club is good physical activity and I have met new friends from it,” Stanley said.