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thedrifter
11-16-06, 01:29 AM
11/15/2006
A martial arts salute to Marines
By: James Cullum

What better way to celebrate the 231st birthday of the Marine Corps than at Kingstowne Karate Dojo?

Dojo Grandmaster Lt. Col. Garry Klaus (Ret.), a 27-year Marine veteran with scores of black belts on his resume, honored his comrades with the second annual black belt demonstration and testing event. Fifteen black belts and belt upgrades to higher levels were awarded to Klaus's students and colleagues.

Dojo incorporates two martial art forms: Tae Kwon Do, translated from Korean to mean "the art of punching and kicking," which is generally known for its high flying kicks, and Goju, a hard and soft style that trains a student to use the weight and speed against an opponent by dodging and rolling against an aggressors punches or kicks.
Klaus has led Kingstowne Dojo since 1995. He spends his days as a safety program manager for expeditionary fighting vehicles for the Marine Corps in Woodbridge. The rest of the time, seven days a week, he works from 4:30 to 9 p.m. teaching martial arts.

Of his 37 years of experience in martial arts, Klaus said that he has only used his abilities three times. Two of those times were while he was in uniform, the other was when he caught two men trying to break into his car.

"One of them had a broken leg, that's for sure," Klaus said. "The other had a broken arm."

And all Klaus has to show of that fight is the pinky finger of his left hand.

"That's it," he said, showing off the slightly irregular finger, unable to straighten it out.

Klaus takes special pride in the fact that every one of his martial arts students so far have gone on to college, except for one who is serving in the U.S. Army in Iraq.

"I believe that's because of my leadership and that they have learned a discipline here that has made them serious and focused," he said.

Ellie