Martial Artist Joanna Maxwell THE
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f you need a good swift kick in the youknow-what to start a fitness program, Joanna Maxwell may just be the woman for the job. As a two-time songahm taekwondo world champion, Maxwell delivers a pretty potent kick. Need proof? In 2007 and 2009, Joanna won songahm taekwondo world championship titles in the women’s sparring 50-59 age division. In 2010, after winning the Florida state championship in sparring and weapons, she was the runner-up in a sudden victory match at the world championships. Governed by the American Taekwondo Association, the world championships are held every June in Little Rock, Arkansas. “As a martial arts, taekwondo is about more than just punching and kicking,” says Joanna, 56, who has been involved in the sport for a little more than a decade. “Songahm taekwondo is about the development of the mind and the body. You have to have both inner and outer strength to become a whole person.” Taekwondo traces back to an ancient Korean martial arts known as t’aekyon. The contemporary taekwondo term is a blending of Chinese and Korean words, which loosely translate to “The Way of the Hand and Foot.” The songahm form of taekwondo, which focuses on a non-aggressive and ethical system of selfdefense, only came into being two decades ago. In an ironic twist of fate, Joanna actually graduated from high school while living in “Songahm Korea. But she taekwondo involves admits she didn’t total commitment get introduced to to mind and the martial arts body fitness.And discipline there. if you make that “My father was commitment,you in the Air Force, will be rewarded by so we traveled a lot becoming a stronger and I grew up on whole person.” military bases,” says
Joanna’s
Photos by John Jernigan
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I’m proof that taekwondo is for anyone who makes the commitment. Joanna, who adds with a laugh, “but when I was in Korea, I wasn’t into taekwondo. I was into GIs.” Many years later after settling in Ocala, Joanna became involved with taekwondo through her brother Chuck Franz and his kids, who were taking classes. Then her son Alex also became interested and soon Joanna was spending a lot of time watching taekwondo. “I had been looking for something to get myself in better shape,” says Joanna, who has had multiple careers in horse farm management, security and mortgage lending. “I thought taekwondo was something I could do physically and I liked the mental discipline aspect of it, too.” In 2000 and at the age of 45, Joanna began her commitment to songahm taekwondo. She moved through the nine-levels of color belts, earning her black belt in 2002. In 2006, she became a nationally certified instructor and in 2008 opened ATA Martial Arts of Ocala.
“I’m proof that taekwondo is for anyone who makes the commitment,” says Joanna, who has been married to her husband, Barry, for 31 years. “We have students from four years old to 77, boys and girls, men and women. We had five state champions and seven championships in 2010 come from our gym.” Six days a week, Joanna incorporates training and teaching into her classes. The adult classes begin with “a boot camp-style, full-body warm-up.” Core strength is emphasized because “there is a lot of balance involved in taekwondo.” The three disciplines of form, sparring and weapons are taught. During the competition season, at least one tournament a month is entered with a focus on the Southeast region. Points are accumulated during the season, which culminates with the June world championships in Little Rock. “It’s a lot of work, but we don’t sell black belts,” says Joanna. “They have to be earned.”