European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 20, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse Pm Over Young with his intensity and his feet ninja by Mark k1nkade staff writer Tommy Coby was supposed to be proving his skills to earn his second Black Belt in Tae Kwon do at the. Hennerberg Community Center in Wiesbaden Germany last month. Instead he put on a martial arts exhibition worthy of Bruce Lee. First he cracked a 1 Inch thick Board by leaping Over four crouching students and kicking the Board with the Side of his right foot. Then he. Jumped off his instructor s knee and split another a Board with a High kick. Then he jumped Between two boards held above him and simultaneously split a Board with his foot and opposite fist. He finished with a 360-degree Roundhouse kick to shatter a 3-Inch-thick cinder lock. The Only thing he could t do was a simple chop with his hand on a Board held at Waist level. He tried three times but could t crack the Board. But then what can you expect from a 50-Pound a year old who has been in Tae Kwon do for Only three years he May have won 13 trophies most for first or second place in competitions in and around Germany. He May be the student his instructor says is the Best Young Talent he has seen in More than 20 years of Tae Kwon do. He May be what fellow student and first degree Black Belt Tom Handey 25, called the Quot most intense and hardworking kid Quot he s Ever seen. But he s still just an 8-year-old boy. Tommy came to the sport after his Mother took him to see a class and he thought it was baseball he said was too slow for him Tae Kwon do according to Mother Pat Coby was a Chance for Tommy to discipline himself and release his kid nature that he worked so hard to keep inside. Quot Tommy s always been a bookworm Type Quot she said As he stretched his left Heel above his head during warm for the exhibition. Quot he likes school and he reads a lot. This gives him a Chance to release a he took to Tae Kwon do immediately. In the three years he s practice the Art he has gone from White Belt to Black Belt a feat that would take most people at least four years his Mother said. But it has t been easy for him. His chief problem is his size his Mother said. At just Over 4 feet tall Tommy can t compete in tournaments with other Black belts because most of them Are older and larger Quot it would t be fair Quot she said. Quot besides he May be a Champion at this but i still Don t want to see him get Hurt Quot but if he competes with children his own age he could Hurt them Coby said. That gives his opponents an advantage because he won t be As aggressive As he must be to win Quot he s not the aggressive Type Quot she said. Quot if he has to fight his brother he cries. So he won t go All out against someone he knows he can Tommy looks at it differently Quot i Don t like getting in trouble Quot he said a amps Dave Ditillo Tommy Coby loosens up before going for his second Black Belt. Quot and if i Hurt someone i get in becoming a martial arts Star has meant sacrifices Tommy said. He gave up baseball and basketball so he could attend Tae Kwon do class three nights each week and practices fives Days each week for up to an hour. At one Point in his of Tab up the Belt ranks Tommy stalled at red Belt which is two below Black Belt. He was having difficulty learning some of the forms or routines that display martial arts knowledge. Quot i was getting bored Quot Tommy said Quot but i decided to keep on going. I Don t like being a Tommy stuck with it and soon after got his next Belt. Now As a Black Belt he can demonstrate More than 10 forms. Each form is a series of Complex movements and motions reflecting Tae Kwon do teaching. For example one of the forms is called Quot fight against invisible sometimes the pressure of Fame gets to him he said. When some of the pupils in school found out about his talents they began to pick on him. That pushed him into the same conflict he has had on the tournament Mats Quot i Don t want to Hurt them and i know i can Quot he said with a smile. Quot so i Tell them forget it Man. No thanks i la Hurt you i guess i should have kept Tae Kwon do a now that Tommy has his second degree Belt it s time for him to move on said instructor Seo Jeong Soo perhaps to weapons fighting. He wants to learn my technique Quot Seo said. Quot he s ready for another Type a maybe weapons or new kicking techniques. In six months to a year he will know the new after the instruction is Complete if he does t outgrow the sport Tommy would like to own his own school. According to Handey Tommy is already an instructor to students in his class. Quot Tommy can t take class with the other kids Quot he said. Quot he s too Good so he takes his classes with us. He s the one who has taught me All i know i be Learned to never question him. I questioned him once on something and he proved me Handey a specialist in the army was attempting to earn his first degree Black Belt at the meet. As he demonstrated his technique it was obvious he had More Power than Tommy but while both Handey and Tommy earned their belts it was obvious who the crowd favorite was. Quot i be s Gonna be a ninja Quot said a Little girl in the audience about Tommy. Quot you know Why cause he s the Best Quot St thanopoulos Short subjects Clinton and friends travel Rhodes to glory by Charles t. Powers los Angeles times q How Many of Rhodes scholars does it take to screw in a Light bulb a three and they All put it of their r6sum6s. It was just two Days after the election of Bill Clinton As . President that former and current Rhodes scholars began calling Byron Shafer professor of american govern a ment at Oxford uni verify in England asking for a letter of recommendation. Many of them were preparing applications for jobs in the Clinton administration. The Calls came As no great Surprise. Quot i won t say they re common but it is happening Quot he said adding that it is Only natural. Quot the kind of americans who come Here in these special programs Are very Likely to be interested in Public life eventually. And Stu. Dents like that cannot miss what has just the Rhodes scholars have gotten themselves a at last a an american president a Man destined to be if he in t already the most famous former Rhodie of them All. And they re. Out to make the most of it. Ambition and accomplishment Are common among Rhodes scholars. American rhodies have produced three . Supreme court justices six . Senators two governors one Singer songwriter movie Star Kris Kristofor Sonand a Host of achievers in Law business education Medicine science and the arts. Still More rhodies loom on the horizon As names to know in the incoming administration. Among the highly ranked Quot friends of Bill Quot who Are former Rhodes scholars Are Oxford classmate Robert Reich who headed the economic transition team Ira Magaziner another economic adviser and Oxford classmate Bruce Reed the Campaign issues director and Clinton spokesman George stephanopoulos.1 the Rhodes House the base for some 79 students from 17 countries who enter the program every year is considered a hotbed of political aspiration. Part of it comes from the provisions of the will of Cecil Rhodes the British Diamond magnate and african colonialist whose Fortune funded the scholarship plan after his death in 1902, the will specified that the scholarships were not designed for Quot Mere bookworms Quot but for the student who displays Quot instincts to Lead Quot and who might choose Quot the performance of Public duties As his highest aim Quot Quot no doubt about it there s a lot of political ambition around Here Quot said Patricia Lopes of Honolulu a second year Rhodie. Quot there Are one or two who Are already planning to be president Quot she said. Wednesday january 20, 1993 a the stars and stripes 17
