Veteran's martial arts school hosts Battle for the Troops
Air Force veteran Jeremy Talbott's introduction to the military came early.
As a child in Springfield and Downers Grove, the "lanky and uncoordinated" Talbott was given a choice between ballet and martial arts to improve his physical abilities. He chose martial arts and scoffed at first at the demanding nature of the strict and traditional instruction that in hindsight he describes as "militarylike."
"There were really no kids' classes," he said. "You just trained with the adults."
As a 9-year-old, he didn't think the sport was for him. But when he got a break because his family moved from the state capitol to the suburbs, he realized he missed the discipline and structure.
"I wanted someone who was going to push me," said Talbott, 46.
Now, as the owner of Baekwoon Martial Arts in Naperville, a school he named for his wife's hometown in Korea, which translates to "White Cloud," Talbott pays it forward. He upholds high expectations for the 53 students he teaches with the help of his sons, assistant instructors and Marines reservists Sebastian, 22, and Elijah, 20.
"We push our students," Talbott said. "We're not what I consider a 'fluffy' school."
The third annual tournament hosted by Baekwoon won't be "fluffy," either. Hosted to commemorate Memorial Day, the Battle for the Troops tournament is open to all ages and ranks of martial artists and includes competitions in sparring, self-defense, forms and weapons. It begins at 10:30 a.m. Sunday at Lifetime Fitness, 28141 Diehl Road, Warrenville.
Talbott, who has lost friends while they were serving in Iraq, says the tournament gives him a chance to educate his students about the solemn remembrance of Memorial Day.
"This wasn't the day that God invented the barbecue," he tells them. "This is a day to reflect."
A $5 portion of every competitor's $50 entrance fee will be donated to the Wounded Warrior Project, a national nonprofit that provides free programs and services for veterans who suffered injuries or illnesses related to their service after the Sept. 11 attacks.
Spectators can access the tournament for an $8 entrance fee, $3 of which will be donated to Turning Pointe Autism Foundation in Naperville.
Aside from benefiting veterans and people with autism, the tournament helps the development of young competitors as well. Competing helps advance the skills of leadership and toughness that Talbott and his sons try to instill in their students.
"It teaches them you're not always going to win. Not everyone gets a trophy," Talbott said. "Failure to me is one of the best things to learn because it gives you the character you need."