Webster's Dictionary defines tradition as "the handing sown of information beliefs and customs by word of mouth or by example from one generation to another." Philip Ameris of Pittsburgh, PA, is a first generation American Tae Kwon Do master who honors his Art and fulfills the tradition and legacy of his mentor and instructor, Grandmaster Hee Il Cho.

Grandmaster Hee II Cho has become a legend in the martial arts community for his unparalleled physical abilities, for his innovative training methods and for his diehard dedication to perfection. He is the complete martial artist. For the past 25 years, Philip Ameris, sixth degree black belt and Master Cho's highest ranking student, has eye-witnessed Master Cho's tireless effort to overcome obstacles, to achieve goals and to live his art.

Ameris feels that it is his responsibility to carry on his instructor's teachings to future generations of martial artists.

"Grandmaster Cho has contributed an enormous amount of information to the martial arts community through his books, videos and worldwide seminars," states Master Ameris. "I have been fortunate to have studied with him for almost 25 years. He exemplifies what a grandmaster stands for and what a grandmaster should represent. His dedication to his students and Art are unmatched."

In this in-depth interview Master Philip Ameris discusses his relationship and dedication to his instructor and how he plans to carry on the tradition.

TAE KWON DO TIMES: How did you first start training under Grandmaster Cho?

MASTER AMERIS: After years of searching for an instructor who would satisfy my craving for traditional martial art values, I read Master Cho's first book, Man of Contrasts, and was in awe of his technique. I contacted him to come to Pittsburgh to conduct a seminar and ever since I have been with him as a student.

How did you continue your study with Master Cho when you live on two separate coasts?

I made several trips a year to the A.I.M.A.A.'s (Action International Martial Arts Association) World Headquarters. I also traveled to where Master Cho would be conducting seminars throughout the U.S. In addition, I attended Master Cho's annual Los Angeles Open Martial Arts Championship where many of the world's best competitors were represented. I really enjoyed the competition and it was a great learning experience.

Speaking of the L. A. Open, I understand the team competition is a highlight of the tournament. How did you qualify to make the A.I.M.A.A. Team?

Yes, the team competition is great. Master Cho had teams from Ireland, England, India and many other countries. It was Master Cho's decision as to who would qualify for the A.I.M.A.A. team. The great part of the team competition was actually the week before when everyone would come to the A.I.M.A.A. Headquarters to train. I remember many great sparring matches at Master Cho's dojang.

Speaking of competition, what was your favorite form of competition?

I really enjoyed all aspects of competing. I have been fortunate to have had the opportunity to compete in point fighting, full contact, and Muay-Thai kick boxing as well as Kyokushin knockdown tournaments and form competitions. If I had to pick a favorite aspect of competition, it would be knockdown fighting and forms. I don't have long legs so fighting without the rules that allow leg kicks always presented a problem. In order to be a complete martial artist, Master Cho has always given attention to forms. I really enjoy doing traditional patterns and love to compete in form competitions.

I have read that you were going to participate in the "Ultimate Fighting Championships" against one of the Gracies.

I am glad you brought that up. To answer your question, I must first give a little background. First of all, I have an enormous amount of respect for the Gracie family and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. I really believe they have an effective form of ground grappling. However, I do not think that the Ultimate Fighting Championship is a martial arts event. I think this type of competition tarnishes what martial artists try to instill in their students. Things like discipline, control and self-development are a far cry from what the ultimate fighting championships stand for. To me, the Ultimate Fighting Championship is nothing more than a street fight that has rules and because there are rules, it favors a grappler. When the promoter of the ultimate fighting championship (Not the Gracie family) challenged Grandmaster Cho, I took it as a grave insult. The promoter only wanted to add credibility to this circus event by issuing a challenge to Grandmaster Cho who, at that time, had not competed for several years.

If you were so against the Ultimate Fighting Championship, why did you accept the challenge?

If you understand the history of martial arts, the senior student of any master must be willing to accept this type of challenge. I did not like the promoter of the Ultimate Fighting Championship constantly downgrading Tae Kwon Do. I felt it was my obligation to stand up.

What happened?

I went to Master Cho and, at first, he just said to forget it. I was really persistent and finally he said that in order to compete I must study and train in ground fighting. I started to train with many grapplers and was extremely fortunate to have a good friend, Mr. Ed Vincent, who is an excellent grappler and third degree black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. I trained hard with Mr. Vincent. Master Cho was then contacted by another promoter to fight one of the Gracies. I said I would compete and do my utmost to uphold the reputation of my instructor and Tae Kwon Do.

Did the fight ever happen?

No. I signed a contract but the promoter never came through. I was then contacted by Art Davie, the matchmaker for the Ultimate Fighting Championship, to fight Ken Jackson. Mr. Davies only offered a two week notice and very little money to participate but I told him that whatever Master Cho said, I would do. Master Cho tried to get more money and better conditions but Mr. Davies would not move on his original offer. Master Cho's decision was to decline the offer and I stand behind whatever he says.

I read that Mr. Davies implied you were a paper tiger?

This is the Ultimate Fighting Championship mentality. I have nothing to prove. I had competed for more than 20 years. I did my best; learned a lot; won some; lost some. The people who know me know how serious I was about competing. Mr. Davies is not of any concern to me, I think his reputation speaks for itself.

Would you compete in Ultimate Fighting Championships today?

No, I do not think that it would be beneficial to me, Master Cho or my students. The Ultimate Fighting Championship is not as popular today as when it first came out and Art Davies is not the matchmaker any longer.

I understand that this experience led you to produce a grappling video.

Yes. As I stated, I really think grappling is a necessary part of self-defense and without it you can be at a distinct disadvantage. Again, I think this goes back to what made Master Cho so successful: his open-minded approach to training. Tae Kwon Do is an effective form of stand-up fighting but has very little ground fighting. I have studied grappling for the past ten years and Grandmaster Cho has made it part of the A.I.M.A.A. curriculum. Master Cho always teaches his students to hold on to the value of tradition while expanding methods to improve their lives and their training. Our grappling video really gives students a great deal of information on how grappling can enhance stand up fighting skills.

What areas do your other tapes cover?

We have a total of four videos. Tape one is How to Defend Against a Grappler. In this video we teach what to do and what not to do when faced with fighting a grappler. Tape wo is Grappling and Ground Fighting. In this video you will learn throws, takedowns and submission grappling. Tape three covers how to put the four zones of fighting together. An example would be starting with a kick and closing the distance with a punch to set-up your opponent for a takedown then finishing him off with a choke or submission technique. The fourth and final video is Practical Street-Defense. This tape teaches how to effectively deal with a real street encounter. It is a no nonsense approach to a street altercation and will teach the techniques that are effective for anyone.

Sounds great!

Yes. I am very happy with the way the tapes came out. Grandmaster Cho put a lot of time and spared no expense on the production of this video series.

What does being Technical Director for the A.I.M.A.A. entail?

It is a great honor to be Technical Director for the A.I.M.A.A. My first and foremost duty as Technical Director is to assist any A.I.M.A.A. member worldwide. This may be through our seminars, help with the operation of their dojang or whatever they may need assistance on. We are very fortunate to have a great group of people in our organization. One example would be Mr. John Darcy from Ireland who is a fifth dan black belt under Grandmaster Cho and an extremely proficient martial artist. He exemplifies what the A.I.M.A.A. stands for coupled with dedication, discipline and overall commitment. His students are some of the best I have ever seen and when I work with people like that, it really makes my duties as Technical Director much easier.

You stated that you feel it is your obligation to pass on Grandmaster Cho's philosophy and teachings. Why is this so important to you?

I have studied the martial arts for close to 30 years. I have been fortunate to have seen many fads in martial arts come and go from the Ninja movement to Tae-Bo. I think everything has its place. If the traditional teachings of instructors are lost, future generations of Tae Kwon Do students will never really understand the true art. The will only have a watered-down version. Grandmaster Cho was one of the original Tae Kwon Do masters to come to this country. Although he is extremely open-minded his traditional philosophy and standards can really improve the quality of a student's life. The main aim of a martial artist is perfection of self and character.

Person-to-person contact is essential to the learning process and traditional martial arts. Tapes and books can teach great techniques but the heart of martial arts is respect. You need a person to respect. Master Cho gave heart to my training.

How do you plan to carry on this tradition?

I teach everyday at my dojang in Pittsburgh. I love teaching. It is such a great reward to introduce people to this beautiful art of Tae Kwon Do.

I will teach and train as Grandmaster Cho has instructed me. This means that I will always look for ways to improve myself and my Art yet hold on to the traditional values that transcend time. I hope one day to do a book and to continue to do seminars throughout the world and carry on Grandmaster Cho's example.

What are the first steps beginning students learn at your dojang?

The first and, I believe, most important part of any new student training is to learn that Tae Kwon Do cannot be learned over night. It takes time, commitment and dedication. We also explain to our beginning students that the dojang is not a gym or health spa. It is a place where they must follow the customs, procedures and disciplines of Tae Kwon Do training; that we strive to improve not only physically and mentally but also instill strong positive character traits. As Master Cho has said, "The rewards are limitless."

How do you explain the philosophical aspect of Tae Kwon Do to your students?

I tell them that without sweat, effort, discipline and physical training it is extremely diffficult to appreciate the philosophical benefits of Tae Kwon Do. How can you really know what indomitable spirit is if you do not know how to reach deep inside yourself and push until you maximize your own potential? To learn how to develop self-control you must repeatedly put yourself in a circumstance where you will need to learn how to control yourself and your impulses. In every Tae Kwon Do class students need to be taught all aspects of Tae Kwon Do through their physical training. You cannot separate the physical and the philosophical aspects of training. Grandmaster Jhoon Rhee said that martial arts without philosophy is mere street fighting, and I agree and respect his position.

Many "Masters" seem to hide behind the philosophical aspect of martial arts and not properly train.

Yes, that is true. Again I am extremely fortunate to have Grandmaster Cho as my mentor. Master Cho always--and I mean always--trains. He is the first one at the dojang and the last one to leave. He instilled this in all of his black belts and instructors. He told us that as we age we may not be able to perform as well as we did when we were younger but not to use age as an excuse. We must do our very best to lead by example and the only way to lead by example is to show your students that you still train and discipline yourself--that you live your Art!

Speaking of this, you stated that Master Cho lives his Art. Could you go a little more into detail on how this is done?

Yes. Tae Kwon Do has the tenets of modesty, self control, perseverance, indomitable spirit, courtesy, and integrity. If you are truly training in the right way they are not just words, they are principles that you strive to live by. Again, you cannot separate the physical and the philosophical aspects of Tae Kwon Do, it is a complete package. Of course there will be times when you fall short but, this is where discipline comes in and the spirit to persevere at all cost. Anyone who has known Master Cho has witnessed how he exemplifies the future of Tae Kwon Do.

I understand your entire family are black belts?

Yes. I am truly blessed with the best family; I could not have accomplished anything if it were not for my mother and father. They have supported me since I began my martial arts career when I was only 7years-old. My father was a professional boxer and my best friend. He instilled in me the hard work ethic and taught me that a person's character is more important than anything else. My wife and two children are black belts and help run the dojang. Actually my wife does all the work, I only teach. The success of my dojang is all her doing; she is my backbone. My second brother is also a black belt. For the past 30 years, I have been trying to get my oldest brother to start training. Maybe when he sees this article it will motivate him!

What do you think makes a good instructor?

Commitment to your students; never being too tired to teach; always doing your best; and being a good example.

Who were some of your main influences in your Tae Kwon Do career?

Without a doubt Grandmaster Hee I1 Cho. As I have stated, he is the complete martial artist. He is my mentor and master. Next would be one of my best friends, Father Robert Connolly, a seventh degree black belt and my first Tae Kwon Do instructor. He is a Catholic priest and has taught Tae Kwon Do for close to 40 years. He is not only a great person who has always been there for me, he is a walking encyclopedia of Tae Kwon Do knowledge.

Where do you see yourself in the next ten years?

Teaching, training, learning, enjoying life, appreciating all God's blessings--my family, my friends and my students--writing a book, doing seminars, promoting the A.I.M.A.A., and carrying on the tradition of Grandmaster Hee II Cho.

 

© copyright Tae Kwon Do Times July 2000