MA and ME (Cap.12 PROF. Carlos Damasco

MARTIAL ARTS and ME (p. 12)

Professor Carlos Damasco

Today I meet Ruben Alberto González Maya, a Taekwondo reference from the 80s. Direct student of Master Lee Byung Sup, instructor of the Taekwondo of Urguay, and one of the founders of the Uruguayan Federation of Taekwondo.

Ruben tell me about your beginnings in Martial Arts.

Well Carlos, I started practicing Kyokushin Karate with Sensei Ricardo Sosa. I practiced with him for a year, in a very strong and very difficult Karate. Looking at Judo Karate magazines. I watched Taekwondo and was fascinated by the jumps and flying kicks that the masters performed. Without knowing that Taekwondo was practiced in Uruguay, one Sunday I went with my parents to visit a Military Frigate in the Port that had docked at the pier. Coincidentally I saw on the street 25 de Mayo and Colón, a sign that said TAEKWONDO. I got closer and on his billboard I saw Master Lee developing techniques and flying kicks that caught my attention. The next day I went to the Academy and talked to the Master and signed up. I started practicing in some very intense and different classes than today, by telling you that at the beginning of the class, in the middle and at the end, 70 push-ups were performed each time. I practiced for a month and in the meantime I lost my job, and I didn't attend the following month because I didn't have the money to pay. Not many days later I had the surprise of meeting Master Lee, and he asked me why I didn't go to his classes anymore, and I explained the reason and he replied that I was a very good student, and that I should go without paying the fee. I can say that the Master was like a second father to me, since I never paid the fee and neither did the exams. In 1983 I graduated first Dan and received the black belt, belonging to the teacher who, in turn, had received it from his teacher. Something unique and that fills me with pride. I can say that modestly, I have repaid what I received from the Master, since being a blue belt, I gave the classes, in some schedules. Tell me something about Master Lee, how was his technique.

Well, I can tell you that he had an impeccable technique and in addition to that, he had a high level of Military Art in the development of the bayonet rifle. One day I saw him in his demonstration in a military regiment, leaving the soldiers present there very impressed.

Ruben, moving forward in time, I know you spent a lot of time practicing in gyms in Buenos Aires. If it is true since blue belt, I practiced in both ITF and W T gyms achieving a vast experience. I will tell you an interesting anecdote, I went to an ITF gym for several days, and all this being a blue belt and the teacher who owns the academy, to my surprise he summons me to give a class that Saturday. I arrived and there were a lot of black belts and the teacher asked that everyone take away his degree, and that on that day they were all going to be white belts and that I stand in front of the class. At the end I was very applauded, and I did not know where to go because of the shame. But obviously the class had been very enjoyable. I simply developed a class with the program that we had in the Uruguayan Federation. What's more, the Master asked me to dictate the entire technical program and took notes, as a reference for his classes.

Speaking of your competitive period, what can you tell me?

I participated in the first National Championships in Uruguay in 1983, 1984 and 1985. In the first one I lost the final in a Tekwondo still with sweeps. In the years 84 and 85 I achieved the first place as National Champion, and there were no more sweeps. It is noteworthy that my competitors here in Uruguay always had many kilos ahead of me, because there were not many black belts.

Tell me about your international competitions.

Well I participated in two South American tournaments, held in Argentina, 85 and 86. I achieved First Place in both. I want to especially highlight the Second Tournament, since in the first fight I had to face Juan Carlos Mangoni, the best Argentine competitor, category up to 64 kilos, several times Argentine National Champion and world medalist, one of the first to win a medal for the Argentina. I can say without fear of being wrong, in one of my best competitive fights, I beat him with authority and beat him after he didn't know defeat for a long time.

I want to emphasize that I rivaled my Dan degree in Argentina, since he participated in several national championships, winning some of them. At the end of 1986 I decided to leave the Uruguayan Federation and belong to the Chung Do Kwan Association, directed by Master Oscar Tajes, currently 9th Dan of Kukkiwon, since it gave me the opportunity to practice a more modern and competitive style. Along with Carlos, my interviewer, we managed to get the Master to come to Uruguay to give a Technical Seminar. We also promised to organize an International Tournament with the participation of competitors from the Argentine Confederation. It was held on February 28, 1987, and around 150 competitors participated, half of them Argentines, this being the first WT International Taekwondo tournament held in Uruguay. I participated in it achieving first place. We spent 2 years with Master Oscar Tajes, and after that time it was decided to move to the Seng Do Federation of Argentina, which is in charge of Master Carlos Filippa, currently 7th Dan. At that time, he was coach of the Argentine National Team in its competitive part and since I really liked the competitive part, it seemed appropriate to be there. My students agreed and that enriched his technique. In short, together with Carlos, I am the introducer of the Argentine branch of Taewkondo WT. Over time, other Masters follow both branches of the two Argentine Federations. For many years I continued to teach and compete less, since my job takes a lot of time to train me in the proper way to compete. Today, at the age of 60, I continue in my job as a specialized car mechanic and I practice for myself. I am very satisfied with the path traveled. I have a 12-year-old daughter who follows in my footsteps and she is a very good practitioner. I have more children, but only she follows this path. Ruben, thank you very much for this interview, many things were left unsaid about your career.

P.S. In my view, it was the best competitor in the category up to 64k. from Uruguay and one of the best in Argentina, at least in the 1980s, and until the next.