Yong Studios Instructors - Interview with Mr. Jeffers

Mr. Jeffers earned his Black Belt at Yong Studios. He came to the studio already armed with a few life achievements under his belt including having served in the Navy submarine service as a nuclear reactor operator and earning a Georgetown law degree. He also writes. A lot. Which is why you won't find him teaching lately as much as in the old days.

Q: What inspired you to start studying martial arts?

Since I generally look down on television, I hate to admit that two TV shows probably influenced me heavily in learning to value martial arts. There was Kung Fu, the original show with David Carradine, and there was The Green Hornet with the amazing Kato. I don't think we knew that Kato was Bruce Lee, but we did know he was the best thing about the show. There were not many opportunities to learn what we saw on television, however. It took some Judo, but didn't really stick with it, and later some fencing. However, the only people teaching Kung Fu in my small town were obviously charlatans, people with a little knowledge making quick bucks on a newly popular fad. I did study some Taoist philosophy and read books, but for a long time Martial Arts was more of a dream than something I was able to devote time to.

Then came Law School. I started Law School in 1994, and quickly discovered that someone was offering Tae Kwon Do classes at the law center. At the time I didn't know why that would be any better or worse than any other martial art. But it was right there. I quickly learned that Tae Kwon Do was a good choice for me. And I learned that the combination of physical training and mental discipline were the perfect solution to the stresses of Law School.

Q: How has the study of martial arts changed your life?

There are the basics: confidence, physical conditioning, flexibility, strength, self-defense skills, focus, and mental acuity. Any of these, alone, would justify the place Martial Arts hold in my life. But probably the biggest thing it offers is the study itself. I believe that if you are constantly learning something new, you won't get old. The study of Tae Kwon Do is always fresh. There is always more to learn. There are many ways to apply the same basics as every situation, every nuance deepens your understanding.

Q: What do you enjoy most about teaching martial arts?

If you really want to learn something, teach it. I used to teach electronic assembly to Department of Defense contractors. I had thought myself a decent hand with a soldering iron, but when I was forced to demonstrate techniques in front of questioning students, my education really began. Teaching is a constant challenge, especially when students are eager to learn. When I am teaching, I feel as though I am constantly in the moment, always aware of what I am doing and what others are seeing and hearing. This is a feeling I rarely get sitting at a desk.

I also enjoy the passing on of the art. It's a great feeling when a student finally understands a technique, throws a good sidekick, executes a combination, or does well in the graduation. I know that the best students are usually the ones who put in the most of their own effort. Still, I can't help but feel pride for my part when someone makes a correction that I've shown them, and progresses as a result.

Q: What keeps you here?

Somewhere, in the course of studying martial arts, I became a martial artist. I wouldn't claim to be a good or great martial artist, but studying martial arts has become a basic part of who I am. After I left Law School, I stopped studying Tae Kwon Do regularly. It was easy, at first, to pretend I was just taking a short break. But soon it became clear that I was no longer in shape, no longer capable of performing the things I had learned. When Yong Studios opened in my neighborhood, I walked by the school every day on my way to the Metro. I felt something, a vague guilt, a sense that something was missing. When I finally tried a class, I realized pretty clearly that I belonged there. It was kind of a struggle to get back into it. I was out of shape, it was a different style, I was no longer working out with fellow law students. But the school has a real chemistry, more permanent than classes at the Law Center can ever be. As I continued to study, the Studio came to feel like a home, a community where I could always go and know I belonged. I am here because this is where I should be.


Instructors