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http://enquirer.com/editions/2001/07/29/spt_local_teams_win_on.html
"Teen Overcoming Odds In The Face Of Rare Illness"
Just ask his friends, family members or fellow Tae Kwon Do students - Jarod Barndollar is not your typical teenager. On a daily basis, Jarod faces trials and tribulations that most teens would find unfathomable, while fighting a rare condition called Adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD), also known as “Lorenzo’s Oil Disease.”
Imagine the heartache he and his family faced when told that Jarod, at a very tender age, would not live to see his teen years. Try to envision the thought that every day spent must be guarded and cherished, as if each day will be his last.
Add to those thoughts the reality that Jarod would lose his eyesight, hearing and nearly all motor function before his tenth birthday, if he would be lucky enough to reach that milestone. Now, take all of those somber images and give them a swift, hard punch in the face. That’s exactly what Jarod has been doing for the past eight years of his life.
Jarod, a 16-year-old Cincinnati resident, studies Tae Kwon Do at eastern Cincinnati’s Tiger’s Lair Martial Arts, while also attending school at the Ohio State School For the Blind in Columbus, Oh. Jarod is the first to cringe at the thought of being called “special.” He would prefer to be termed “unique” or “exceptional,” if termed at all. But, ask those in the medical field, and they would be quicker to use the designations “miraculous” or “anomalous.”
By taking up Tae Kwon Do training years ago, Jarod and his parents invested in the hope and dream that he could keep his ailing condition at bay by strengthening his mind while keeping his body solid and flexible – areas that are incrementally destroyed by ALD. It seemed to be an unorthodox and unproven approach at the time, but today, Jarod has medical specialists baffled as to how he has managed to hold onto his life for so long.
Jarod’s rare condition affects only males and is genetic (passed only by female “carriers”), causing the loss of the fatty covering (myelin) on nerve fibers within the brain and progressive degeneration of his adrenal gland. In Jarod’s case, his system is missing the key enzyme that degrades fatty acids that would normally be found in his blood’s plasma and bodily tissues. The enzyme deficiency that prevents the breakdown of the fatty acids is still not fully known. This deficiency then leads to an accumulation of fatty acids in the brain, which contributes to the gradual loss of myelin.
Many physicians around the U.S. are very hesitant to officially discuss ALD because it is a controversial and mostly quizzical topic in the medical field. New York-based Hunter’s Hope Foundation, established in 1997 by Buffalo Bills quarterback Jim Kelly, specializes in educating the public about diseases similar to ALD. According to representatives at Hunter’s Hope, an exceptional child like Jarod would have been diagnosed with ALD at age five, with a life expectancy of 2-5 years beyond that, while suffering through ALD’s debilitating symptoms.
In the organization’s collective opinion, the fact that Jarod is able to stand upright and walk is almost unheard of. Representatives of United Leukodystrophy Foundation in Sycamore, Ill., concur with this thought. According to ULF, for a child to live more than a few years beyond their date of diagnosis is extremely rare, to the extent of being unbelievable. The fact that he is also kicking, punching and jumping is even more unusual. Even though his eyesight and hearing capabilities hover at less than 25 percent and his ability to balance himself is less than ideal, Jarod is still able to successfully complete a 1-hour Tae Kwon Do class with energy to spare.
“We are extremely proud of the work our school has done with Jarod since he came to us years ago,” said James Howard, chief instructor of Tiger’s Lair Martial Arts. “I have personally witnessed Jarod progress through his medical condition, and can easily say I have never known anyone with so much determination and inner strength."
Upon officially presenting Jarod with his black belt recently, Mr. Howard gave him the nickname “Rocky” and had the name professionally embroidered on the belt. What better nickname than that of the underdog boxer, portrayed by Sylvester Stallone, who continually overcame long odds to achieve what seemed to be unattainable goals?
“Jarod has lived up to his nickname in every sense, and I can’t think of anyone who is more deserving of it,” Howard said. “One tenet of Tae Kwon Do is the development of a student’s indomitable spirit, and in that regard Jarod excels beyond belief.”
Jarod’s martial art classmates agree with Mr. Howard as well. Gary Branam, an assistant instructor for Tiger’s Lair, was working with Jarod one-on-one in class recently during a sparring session, when Jarod fired a punch that caught Branam square in the jaw. Although stunned, Branam was more impressed than anything with Jarod’s deceiving sense of power and accuracy.
“After class, I talked to Jarod’s mom and joked that he drilled me in the face with a punch… and she took that as a bad thing,” Branam recalls. “I tried to explain to her that Jarod was doing exactly what he was taught, and that I was just caught way off guard. He hits so much harder than he realizes, and we make sure he knows he’s making good use of his skills.”
And it is these same skills that he uses every day to fight back against his internal aggressor - ALD.
(January 1, 2001) -- As the cold of winter falls upon the Midwest, children have scurried inside like ladybugs to seek warmer cover. Away from the undesirable elements and far from the playing fields of baseball, softball, soccer and football - parents now must face the test that Mother Winter so methodically imposes… what activity can your child enroll in, now that the great outdoors have frozen your options?
Searching for an activity that improves your child's mind, body and spirit may be a demanding task. However, you may not have to look any farther than your own neighborhood community to find a Tae Kwon Do school that can kick-start your child's interest. After 2,000 years of rich history and generations of gradual changes, the Korean martial art of Tae Kwon Do used the power of the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games to explode onto the national stage… and parents around the U.S. are standing up and taking notice. "Soccer moms" are now converting to "karate moms" and Tae Kwon Do instructors are seeing a steady influx of newly energized students in their classes.
Around the world today, there are more than 20 million Tae Kwon Do practitioners in 120 countries, all punching and kicking toward similar goals. Although the Tae Kwon Do craze seems almost sudden, many factors have contributed to the movement. James Howard, a 4th degree black belt and chief instructor/owner of Tiger's Lair Martial Arts in eastern Cincinnati, runs his school six days a week with separate classes for his younger students. According to Howard, parents are enrolling their children in Tae Kwon Do classes at a higher rate today as a cumulative response to the Bruce Lee era of the 1970s, "The Karate Kid" phase of the 80s and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Power Rangers phenomena of the 90s.
"When parents get a feel for what their kids are in to, my recommendation is to find an activity that can put that interest in motion," Howard said. "Whether children are watching the Power Rangers, or playing a video game involving fighting, I think parents should be aware that there may be a healthier level of interest for the kids that can taken beyond just sitting there."
To understand Tae Kwon Do is to understand its history, origin and philosophy. Literally translated in English, Tae Kwon Do means 'the art of hand and foot fighting.' Through 20 centuries of refinement Tae Kwon Do has evolved into not only an excellent system of self-defense, but also more importantly, a means by which personal achievement and enlightenment can be attained. Traditional instructors such as 6th degree black belt Len Mennes, also of Tiger's Lair Martial Arts, understand that through hard work students attempt to improve not only their physical ability, but their mental and spiritual natures as well.
"One common trait that I've seen in younger students in my 26 years as a martial artist is that they always seem to mature so much faster than other children," Mennes said. "It's not a knock on other children, but Tae Kwon Do introduces kids to positive ideas and goals that allow them to develop faster. Odds are, they'll likely become more productive teenagers and adults as a result."
For parents looking for a school that matches their children's needs, Howard feels that for a beginner, the instructor is more important than the art style itself. Regardless of the martial art a parent or child chooses, under a qualified instructor the child will be sure to become more disciplined, respectful, flexible and physically fit. Additionally, according to Howard the children will learn how to defend themselves effectively if they are ever forced into a position that warrants the use of their training. It can often be the instructor that determines how effectively children pick up on these positive aspects of Tae Kwon Do. One instructor may have the ability to motivate your child and teach them techniques and ideas that perhaps another instructor may not.
Howard and Mennes both agree that it is important to find a Tae Kwon Do instructor that is patient with students, firm yet fair, and has proof of their qualifications and a complete explanation of the instructors that instructed them. Howard's school in particular urges its students to compete in Tae Kwon Do tournaments, which helps students monitor and rate their own skills versus children of similar age and size.
"Tournaments are a great way for a child to see how far they have come in their training," Howard said. "But also, it shows them what it feels like to have someone coming after them aggressively. If a child never learns what it feels like to get hit, they will never be prepared for what the playground bully has in store for them. We want our students to be mentally and physically sharp and prepared for all situations.
"Although we prefer to teach children tactics that will keep them from having to defend themselves," Howard said, "it is great to see the confidence that children and parents build when they learn that the child can effectively deal with these circumstances if they should ever arise."
GREATER CINCY RESIDENTS TURN TO MARTIAL ARTS FOR EXERCISE AND DISCIPLINE ...
Adults and Children Alike 'Get Their Kicks' At Tiger's Lair School
By Shannon Russell
(June 20, 2000) -- In these times of 12-hour work days, power lunches and relative physical inactivity among the American population, one local resident and his martial art students are doing their part to kick the trend of sedate living - for good.
Although Cincinnati resident and Tae Kwon Do instructor Jim Howard puts at least 50 hours a week into his construction contracting business, add to that 20 hours of martial arts teaching and another handful of hours for administrative work and you would expect to be staring into the blank eyes of an overworked, burnt-out individual. But, ask anyone who knows Howard, and you'll see that's clearly not the case. Howard recently opened Tiger's Lair Martial Arts in eastern Cincinnati, running his own Tae Kwon Do and Cardio KickFit program in the back room of Powerhouse Gym on State Route 74 by Eastgate Mall. With 900 square feet of high-quality training space to work with, Howard and his students are poised to take the area by storm.
The room Howard rents out was previously used by Powerhouse for aerobic programs that never seemed to catch on with gym members, and with Howard and his corps of students looking for a change in venue, a mutually beneficial match was made. Howard, 41, has been involved in martial arts training since age 14 and is currently a 3rd degree black belt in the Korean martial art of Tae Kwon Do. With Cincinnati's surprisingly rich tradition in martial arts, Howard and his students are able to trace their martial arts roots back to the 1600s in China. More recently though, Howard has had the opportunity to train with, and under, some of the city's most highly regarded instructors, Grand Master Il Kwon Kim and 6th degree master Len Mennes, both of Cincinnati.
"I've been very humbled by training under some of the best martial artists in the city, and it is my hope that I have been able to pass this type of quality instruction to my students at Tiger's Lair," Howard said. "We have over 30 students now, and we've only been up and running since January of this year, so I'm very pleased with our building progress. I have several students who have really gone the extra mile to help make this venture a real success, and eventually we just may grow out of our dojang (training hall). But we're still looking for new students for our growing programs."
Although Howard is very motivated and enthusiastic about his training regime, he prefers to train his students to accommodate their goals. While he has trained two local Tae Kwon Do Junior Olympians to national medals, he realizes not every student has dreams of competition glory. Some students want to lose weight, some want to conquer or manage stress - some just want to be involved in an activity that makes them feel like they are part of something special. Sometimes 'special' means being able to soar through the air and split three pine boards with a flying kick… or, the ability to smash a concrete cinder block to pieces with a focused kick or punch... or, simply gaining the will to lose weight and keep it off while enjoying working out with others who share common goals.
"We've been through thick and thin trying to make a good martial arts program work and succeed, and I think we are all very positive about the fact that Tiger's Lair is doing very well," Tiger's Lair assistant instructor Larry Wical said. "We are all adding our individual talents to make this a team effort, and we have kids and adults alike that would drop anything to help Mr. Howard and the school. It's really our home away from home, and we are just as proud of our abilities as we are our school."
For more information on Tiger's Lair Martial Arts, please call (513)225-KICK.
Master James Howard
Tiger's Lair Martial Arts, Inc.
4530 Eastgate Boulevard Suite 620
Cincinnati, Ohio 45245
513-752-8552 Business
513-225-5425 Mobile
513-753-3379 Fax
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