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In
his starched, white uniform, Brown, 45, leads a group of young men and
women, age 5 and up, through an intense technique of unarmed combat
exercises. The exercises involve skilled application of punches,
flying kicks, blocks, dodges and interceptions with hands, arms and
feet.
[Left to right: Kevin Biar, Andy Brown,
Charles Nelson, Scott Brown.]
Brown
sees himself as an artist, a martial artist. Brown said, “Twenty-six
years ago, Tae Kwon Do changed my outlook on life for the better. It
gave me a stronger work ethic and the ability to get along better with
others.” Brown now uses his art to give the same self-confidence,
self-discipline and physical fitness training to his students.
The
former Decatur resident came to Lincoln 20 years ago to take over the
school after the workload of its founder, John Rhodes, also from
Decatur, became prohibitive and he could no longer operate the school.
Brown said, “It was his love for the martial arts that brought him
to Lincoln and keeps him involved.”
“The
martial arts are good for people with a lack of confidence,” said
Brown. The training helps those lacking self-esteem and forces them to
interact with their classmates. If Brown sees that a student has a
particular strength, he has the student share his talent by showing
someone else, thus boosting self-esteem.
Scott
Brown demands and commands his students’ respect, attention and
intensity. During the exercises, Brown gave the lower-ranked students
– according to the color of the belt they hold – an opportunity to
continue their workout at a higher level. The students could choose
either to rest or to continue with the more advanced students, but
once they made the decision to continue, they had to complete the
entire exercise. They made the commitment, and Brown expected them to
follow through.
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High
standards are what Brown demands. He said, “The martial arts are a
lifestyle, and you must respect your body by keeping it in proper
shape and condition. Students cannot drink or smoke. If a student
smokes, he must stop before advancing to the next belt.”
Brown
also reinforces parents’ academic expectations for their children.
He said, “Parents know best about their child’s academic
abilities.” He makes study habits a game. If a student tells him
that he has a teacher that doesn’t like him, Brown tells him to
study hard and get an A on the next test. “‘A’ work cannot be
denied,” said Brown. “When you do this, you’ve won life’s
battle.”
Kathy
O’Connell’s 8-year-old son, Brandon, has been a Tae Kwon Do
student for three or four weeks. She said her son loves it. “I was
looking for something for him to do, something to keep him busy. Brown
holds the kids to very high standards in and out of the class, and I
like that.” O’Connell continued, “Brandon has begun to ask
himself, ‘What would Mr. Brown do?’ before he does things at
home.” She feels that her son is more disciplined. Brandon has a
behavior problem, and the class has made a big change, according to
Ms. O’Connell.
Tae
Kwon Do students must be intense. They train four nights per week for
1˝ hours each night. According to Brown, the academy does very well
in competition. He feels the object is not to win but to make sure
that everyone comes out of the competition safely. Conditioning is
very important, and in addition to his vigorous martial arts workout,
Brown also boxes and runs marathons.
He is
very proud of the students that he has taught, but two in particular
stand out for him: Charles Nelson, a Special Olympics champion, and
Brown’s 10-year-old son, Andy, a five-time grand champion. When Andy
was 8, he took the grand champion trophy away from an adult, which was
a proud moment.
Brown,
who has trained since he was 18 years old, said, “Tae Kwon Do has
been good to me and good for me,” He also teaches Jujitsu,
self-defense classes, as well as control and arrest tactics at the
police academy in Springfield.
Students
should expect to get bumped and bruised when learning the
Olympic-style Tae Kwan Do, “but in 20 years, I’ve only had one
broken foot and a broken nose,” he added. “I demand respect, but I
am still your friend. Students must be able to accept constructive
criticism, because that is a part of it. There are certain minimum
standards that must be met. I stepped into Tae Kwon Do with both feet,
and I thought this could be enjoyable and we can have a good time, and
I have,’’ Brown concluded.
[Kym
C. Ammons-Scott]
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The
Lincoln Police Department obtained a warrant for the arrest of Wesley
H. Johnston,
19 (d.o.b. 12/9/80), who resides at 1800 Meridian St.,
Shelbyville, Ind. Johnston was arrested by the Jefferson County Police
Department in Louisville, Ky., on the Logan County warrant at
approximately 1 p.m. April 25, 2000.
The
two counts Bill of Indictment that was returned and has been filed in
Logan County Case 00 CF 41 charges that Wesley H. Johnston, while
armed with a handgun, intentionally took a large sum of U.S. currency
from two persons employed by Kroger.
I
wish to recognize and commend the Lincoln Police Department and
Detective John Bunner for their hard work and persistence in the
investigation of this crime for the past 10 months. This case
demonstrates the best in cooperation between law enforcement agencies.
Other departments that were instrumental in assisting with the
apprehension of the defendant and his co-defendant, David JD Fries, in
Logan County Case 00 CF 40, include the Peoria County Sheriff’s
Department, the Illinois State Police, the Washington Police
Department and the Shelbyville Indiana Police Department, and the
Jefferson County Kentucky Police Department.
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Again,
a special thanks goes out to Crime Stoppers for their assistance in
the apprehension of suspects in this crime. Because of calls made
providing tips and information on this crime to Crime Stoppers over
the past year, evidence has been obtained that led to the arrest of
both David JD Fries and now Wesley H. Johnston.
If
citizens have any information of a crime that has been committed, we
encourage them to call with that information. They do not have to
identify themselves and may remain anonymous. As this case
demonstrates, the information does not have to involve a crime in your
own community, but could assist in solving a crime in another
community. Law enforcement relies on the cooperation and support of
citizens, such as those who helped in this case, to keep our
communities safe.
Wesley
H. Johnston will be arraigned in Jefferson County Kentucky in the near
future. He is currently being held in the Jefferson County Jail until
his extradition to Logan County.
[Bill Workman]
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