MARTIAL ARTS AWARDS
A recently retired captain with the Jones County Sheriff’s Office has been busy with a Hall of Fame induction just one of the honors he received as a result of his dedication as a martial arts instructor.
Capt. James Clark’s final day with the JCSO was Aug. 4, and he was on a plane to Houston, Texas, the next day for the annual National/International Martial Arts conference that took place Aug. 10-12.
Clark was inducted into the Universal Martial Arts Hall of Fame Aug. 12, one of 50 inductees. He also received promotions and certifications during the conference. He is now a Master in Chinese Goju and Tae Kwon Do and holds the rank of 5th Degree Black Belt in Kakuto Shin Ryu and 5th Go-Dan Black Belt Master Instructor and Associate Professor.
The inductee also received a Lifetime Achievement Award for 5,522 hours of volunteer service and leadership from President Joseph Biden.
Clark received certification as a senior instructor in the disciplines and is now certified to teach anywhere in the world.
He started his martial arts training in 1966 during basic training at Fort Bragg, N.C., and became a black belt in Tae Kwon Do in Korea in 1975 while in the military. In 1976 he founded the Ft. Benning Tae Kwon Do Club and started teaching self-defense classes in 1979, which he still does.
Clark started working at the Junior Butts Boxing Club in Macon in 1994, and in addition to training amateurs, has worked with four professional boxers.
Clark said the martial arts community is a world to its own and reaches across the globe. He said he considers martial arts a scientific way of self-defense. Many of those who hold his rank and certifications open their own schools. He is not interested in that.
“But I will teach anyone who is interested,” he said.
Clark has taught thousands in his self-defense classes through the sheriff’s office, and he has no plans to stop teaching. A lot of the classes have been for women, but he said it not limited to the ladies.
Clark said senior citizens can learn to defend themselves without a firearm.
“Muscle memory is the key. It takes a little practice, but then you don’t even have to think about it; you just do it,” he said.
He is open to teaching church groups, organizations or anyone interested, and he does not charge for the classes.
Interested parties can reach him by email at jclark34894@gmail.com or by contacting The Jones County News.
