Martial arts teacher offers his best to community

Thursday, May 18, 2006

Whether it’s thrusting a punch in self-defense or providing alternatives to violence for area youth, Clifford Thomas understands the importance of giving back.

Although he’s a District resident, Thomas spends most of his time teaching self-defense classes at the Bladensburg and the West Lanham community centers.

‘‘I’ve probably been there for about 15 years,” Thomas said. ‘‘I’m just doing the thing I love doing. I love working with the kids and trying to make a difference in the community.”

Thomas began studying martial arts in 1964, becoming a junior judo champion and one of the first students of Jhoon Rhee, the father of American Tae Kwon Do.

He said he learned from Rhee the importance of being a leader and not a follower – a creed he endeavors to impart to his own students.

‘‘Coming up in Southeast D.C., a lot of people weren’t into the martial arts because it requires a lot of discipline. There was a very old school with no equipment and you fought barehanded,” Thomas said. ‘‘It kept me out of trouble. That and my parents kept me on the even Steven.”

Thomas has taught since 1973, professionally and voluntarily, working particularly with youth.

‘‘It’s especially important in times when we have child molesters, anger management and the peer pressure issues they face,” Thomas said.

‘‘I deal with the mentally challenged, attention deficit disorder and Down- Syndrome kids who need that extra step.”

Susan McCutchen has a unique relationship with Thomas. Her son, Charles Wisher, took classes with him for seven years and Wisher went to college, she decided to take classes herself. McCutchen also helps Thomas in his demonstrations while continuing her studies.

Teaches seniors defense

‘‘He’s a true teacher,” she said. ‘‘He’s someone able to understand the individual needs of his students. While teaching a class, he is still able to focus on individuals and their needs, from three year olds to seniors.”

Thomas has visited area senior centers, including the Emerson House in Bladensburg, to educate residents on his newest endeavor, ‘‘Save the Seniors,” in which he teaches ‘‘street smart” tactics.

Those tactics include the use of a cane and walker as a deterrent to protect against would-be preys.

Another aspect of the program is making seniors aware of scam artists who might pose as cable operators or police officers in attempts to enter their homes.

‘‘I’m also working with them on real estate scams because a lot of seniors are taken for everything they have. All of that is self defense,” Thomas said.

For seniors, Thomas administers the training for free, saying his payment comes in other forms.

‘‘A lot of these senior programs don’t have the funds to support a program as expensive as mine but the seniors are our wise people and everything doesn’t deal with money all the time,” he said.‘‘You have to give back. They do offer me a nice lunch so I do eat well.”

Outstanding awards

Thomas has been the president and CEO of the ‘‘Tae Kwon Do Ramblers Self- Defense Systems: We Lead by Example” since 1970 and has trained over 5,000 people in the metropolitan area.

Among his impressive accolades, Thomas was named the head coach of the Amateur Athletic Union Potomac Valley Team in 1989. It was the first to win the Olympic competition on martial arts for the Potomac Valley region.

Thomas was awarded the World Martial Arts Hall of Fame Diamond Life Achievement Award in 1998 and President George W. Bush presented him with an Unsung Hero Award in 2001.

Thomas also holds the distinction of being one of the few non-Asian Americans to receive rank under General Chai of Korea and the World Korean Martial Arts Union.

‘‘He’s just the best. He’s a total community guy and superior martial arts instructor,” said Steve Ellis, director of the Bladensburg Community Center.

‘‘He teaches real world application, not just the physical aspect of martial arts. He’s like the unknown living legend to me, doing these things for the community.”

Ellis said that Thomas’ greatest asset is his ability to communicate with his pupils, whether it’s the teens he works with at the center every Saturday morning or the area’s senior citizens.

‘‘He’s able to touch everyone,” Ellis said. ‘‘He doesn’t seek the credit but he deserves all of it.”

Bladensburg Mayor Walter James said Thomas is a tremendous community resource with whom Bladensburg is fortunate to have developed such a beneficial relationship.

‘‘One of the basis for development of our community is public safety so we look forward to partnering with him,” James said.

‘‘I’m hoping that we can find ways to stretch his program through the community as a whole.”

E-mail Jeffrey K. Lyles at jlyles@gazette.net.