4/1/2008 10:54:00 AM Quite a feat! Lauers earn black belts;
HERALD PHOTO BY HARRY HANSON
Five-eighths of the Lauer family who have achieved black belt status include (from left) Rich, Mary, Rachel, Sam and Abe. Not pictured but also owning black belts are Dan, Ben and Joe Lauer.
By Harry Hanson
It took 19 years for the Richard and Mary Lauer family to accomplish this feat. But there are now eight Lauers-Mary, Richard, Dan, Ben, Sam, Rachel, Joe and Abe-displaying black belts on their Soo Bahk Do Moo Duk Kwan uniforms. Soo Bahk Do Moo Duk Kwan is an ancient Korean martial art.
Mary became the eighth family member to have passed the necessary tests to qualify for a first degree black belt which was taken before regional examiners in Brooklyn Center last October.
There are three degrees granted from area testing, and four through eight are given only nationally. One only gets to test for fourth degree and higher by invitation and those tests last eight days.
Last summer the Lauer family attended the National tournament and clinic in San Diego and were able to train under other senior masters.
"We were proud that Abe took a second in form, and Rachel was a member of the Minnesota sparring team which took first place," Richard noted of the individual and team competition.
Mary took second in both formal and sparring competition.
Of the six siblings, Dan is a teacher in South Carolina and Ben is a theater technician in North Carolina. Sam and Rachel are in college. Joe is a Rotary foreign exchange student in Brazil, and Abe is a junior at Sauk Centre High School.
How the family took to Soo Bahk Do Moo Duk Kwan
Rich, originally from rural Farming, purchased a dairy farm near Browerville. In 1986, the farm was sold, and he became associated with Agri-King as a livestock nutritionist at their Sauk Centre location.
He had always been in pretty good physical shape while farming, and was looking for something to prod him to keep from becoming a couch potato.
"I found this to my liking," he remembered after meeting Bruce Westbrock, Sauk Centre's primary instructor.
Mary's brothers and sisters, as well as their father, from Melrose had become stalwarts in the program there. She is the daughter of Lucille and Eymard Orth.
"As I moved through several stages of Soo Bahk, I encouraged each child to begin, but only when they were around 11 or 12," said Rich.
"We wanted it to be of their own choosing because we didn't wish to see burn-out from their starting too young," said Rich.
The sessions soon became more of a family thing from watching two hours to participating Thursday and Sunday nights at the elementary gym.
During the time lapse to today, Richard has become certified as an assistant instructor under Westbrock, helping newcomers to the art.
Art has been
continuous for 29 years
Over 800 people have taken part in the art since its start in the Sauk Centre gymnasium 29 years ago. Dr. Brian Van Gorp, a veterinarian now located in Rushford, Minn., was the first instructor.
In the first class there were 45 people. Allen Emblom became the first student to attain the coveted black belt. Westbrock was second. Mary Lauer is the 27th to become a first degree black belt from the Sauk Centre school.
"The process isn't for everyone," reminded present leader Bruce Westbrock. "Some have lasted two weeks, others 29 years. A regimen must be built to sustain both physical and mental endurance."'
He was speaking for himself in this instance.
Before testing for black belt, neophytes must pass the white, orange, green and red belt stages first.
"It requires three years minimum to advance through the first four stages of Soo Bahk Do Moo Duk Kwan, in attaining a black belt,' stated Westbrock. "It's a lot more than just the breaking of a board."
The main thought of this particular segment of Korean culture is to "avoid conflict but to be ready to defend one's self," said Westbrock describing that for each action taken by a foe there is a defense mechanism to counteract the initial thrust.
There are openings for recruits to take part in the program by calling the Lauers or Westbrocks.
So what does earning
so many black belts
mean for the Lauer family?
Rich Lauer says training for the black belts has helped his family grow both individually and as a group.
"It gives us a sense of accomplishment," he said. "It has helped us all grow individually in discipline, respect and persistence, and we know each other better by training together. We have become closer as a family and have a greater sense of cohesiveness."
