Anyone studied with Myong Mayes?

**TheWanderingTaoist** · Posted On: 8/28/2009 3:22am

Originally Posted by korean dragon

Grand Master Myong Mayes is the highest ranking female tkd instructor in the world (9th dan)

I'm well aware of what her site says about her as well as the local newspapers. No disrespect to her if she is the real deal. However, it sent up a waving red flag when I was unable to locate her certification at Kukkiwon using both her married and maiden names. Not to mention numerous others claim to be grandmasters who aren't so I'm leary of everyone. In case you aren't aware Tae Yun Kim also claims to be the first female Grandmaster and claims a higher rank matter of fact ie:10th degree and anyone who does any research knows she's phoney baloney. Another woman also claims to be a TKD grandmaster I believe her name is Brenda. Another thing that is really weird is the TKD Hall of Fame lists GM Kim numerous times even though she has never turned up to have certification in TKD and GM Mayes who is suppose to be a National, World and Olympic champion is not listed in the H of F site. Odd! Also she is suppose to have been a MA movie star in Korea yet can find no videos or listings of her even when surfing Korean based sites. Again no disrespect; I look up everyone now because there is so much BS in the MAs.

I also went to classes with a dude 17 years ago who quit classes before I did yet he now is claiming to be a grandmaster and he's extremely overweight. Yes I admit I need to lose a lot of weight myself to get back to where I used to be, but good grief I'm not claiming to be a grandmaster. At least GM Mayes is built like a grandmaster should be and thus is more believable than the others claiming the same rank.

***DerAuslander*** · Posted On: 8/28/2009 12:07pm

Originally Posted by Wohali

I kinda had my fill of male run schools where women were not taught the same techniques or not allowed to attend advanced classes.

You actually trained places where women were not allowed to attend advanced classes?

People still think like that?

Where was this?

***DerAuslander*** · Posted On: 8/28/2009 12:10pm

Originally Posted by Wohali

I'm well aware of what her site says about her as well as the local newspapers. No disrespect to her if she is the real deal. However, it sent up a waving red flag when I was unable to locate her certification at Kukkiwon using both her married and maiden names. Not to mention numerous others claim to be grandmasters who aren't so I'm leary of everyone. In case you aren't aware Tae Yun Kim also claims to be the first female Grandmaster and claims a higher rank matter of fact ie:10th degree and anyone who does any research knows she's phoney baloney. Another woman also claims to be a TKD grandmaster I believe her name is Brenda. Another thing that is really weird is the TKD Hall of Fame lists GM Kim numerous times even though she has never turned up to have certification in TKD and GM Mayes who is suppose to be a National, World and Olympic champion is not listed in the H of F site. Odd! Also she is suppose to have been a MA movie star in Korea yet can find no videos or listings of her even when surfing Korean based sites. Again no disrespect; I look up everyone now because there is so much BS in the MAs.

I also went to classes with a dude 17 years ago who quit classes before I did yet he now is claiming to be a grandmaster and he's extremely overweight. Yes I admit I need to lose a lot of weight myself to get back to where I used to be, but good grief I'm not claiming to be a grandmaster. At least GM Mayes is built like a grandmaster should be and thus is more believable than the others claiming the same rank.

1) You are aware that the Kukkiwon is not the only rank issuing body in TKD?

2) Have you tried searching for her name in Hangul?

3) Don't worry about disrespecting anyone. This is Bullshido. Searching rank and asking questions is not viewed as disrespect. It's our job.

Now, if you started insulting her, then I'd say you were being disrespectful.

**maofas** · Posted On: 8/28/2009 1:26pm

Originally Posted by Wohali

Hey cool thanks Korean Dragon. I can't remember where Durham is in relationship to Spring Lake, but are you familiar with that area? I've read online that the whole general Spring Lake/Hope Mills/Fort Bragg/Fayetteville area is like ghetto or something and a bad place to live. What do you know about the area? I am free for first time in my life to move about anywhere I want so long as I can be closer to my family as they are starting to need my help on occasion and I'm over 1500 miles away.

Do you know what areas have a decent Korean population? lol One of the things I miss living out here is lack of Asian community ie: traditional Korean martial arts, restaurants (though we do have some good Mandarin places in town but the Korean restaurant closed down) and there's no Asian grocery store/markets. No I'm not Korean but I miss the huge population where I used to live, made life interesting and a lot of my friends were Korean back home. I totally do not fit into the culture out here and I hate the weather!

Fayetteville/Bragg is an army town in the middle of nowhere. I would not want to live there.

There are barely any Asians in NC, to the point where you will probably start to doubletake when you see one, however, you'll find more in Raleigh/RTP imo (about 1.5 hours from Ft. Bragg?) than in the boondocks. Raleigh has a fairly large Asian market off Capital next to Fortune Palace which is as good as any restaurant in NYC from whence I came with my carpetbag.

NC actually has a lot of charm, but more so in the rolling hills, big full trees, quaint houses with beautiful porches, parks, etc. etc. The more dense commercial areas tend to be eyesore stripmalls, but downtown Raleigh and Durham have some fairly decent snipits of cityscape if you want to walk around.

***DerAuslander*** · Posted On: 8/28/2009 2:14pm

Durham does have a decently tiny Korean population. My ex's family lives down there. Like I said, decently tiny. It's got nothing on NYC, LA, or MD/NOVA.

**TheWanderingTaoist** · Posted On: 8/28/2009 3:46pm

Originally Posted by DerAuslander108

1) You are aware that the Kukkiwon is not the only rank issuing body in TKD?

2) Have you tried searching for her name in Hangul?

3) Don't worry about disrespecting anyone. This is Bullshido. Searching rank and asking questions is not viewed as disrespect. It's our job.

Now, if you started insulting her, then I'd say you were being disrespectful.

Yes I'm aware there are several governing bodies. However everything I've read about her says she is certified in Kukkiwon under WTF. In fact she is suppose to have been a WTF chairman.

Never thought to search in Hangul. I haven't a clue how to write it. It also occurred to me that I should have tried last name first ie:Namkung as that is traditionally how Koreans used to write their name. I believe its only in the West that some decided to switch the order of their names.

***DerAuslander*** · Posted On: 8/28/2009 4:10pm

Korean names are set up utilizing three sets of phonetics, based off of Chinese characters. It seems like you've been searching with completely the wrong name.

Myong is not her first name, it's likely only the first character of her name. Nam is likely her family name. Myeongkyeong is a girls name that might work. Without seeing her name in Hangul, I can't be absolutely sure.

**TheWanderingTaoist** · Posted On: 8/28/2009 4:32pm

Originally Posted by DerAuslander108

You actually trained places where women were not allowed to attend advanced classes?

People still think like that?

Where was this?

I hope people still don't think like that. Keep in mind a lot of time has passed since I actively studied with teachers. You said in a previous post that I was younger or something and actually I'm not; I'm nearing 41 so I'd say I probably qualify as an ajumma now. This occurred 1987-1993 in TN known for its backwards treatment of women. By the time I got to red belt I was the only female of that rank. I would start to bow into class and would be told "oh its just us 'guys' who are going to spend the class sparring tonight so we don't want you in class" and "we can't teach a WOMAN Keumgang". I got this treatment in both TKD and Judo classes, oh most especially in Judo. I would sometimes attend the older adult class with the other women all beginners and the women would whine that I kicked too hard yet I was pulling my kicks as we were taught to pull kicks in class. Good God its Taekwondo you're suppose to learn to take hard kicks to the solar plexus. Despite the men disliking me or whatever it was they felt I was constantly utitlized to teach childrens classes and help run the office.

I visited an Issinrhyu(sp?) school for a month and got similar treatment as I was the only female there and the male students would say nasty stuff to me. Though in all fairness the instructor wrote me a letter to please join their school which I didn't of course. Went to a small American Tang Soo Do school and they sucked. Then spent a couple years with Taoist Tai Chi and that was boring.

**TheWanderingTaoist** · Posted On: 8/28/2009 4:49pm

Originally Posted by DerAuslander108

Myong is not her first name, it's likely only the first character of her name. Nam is likely her family name. Myeongkyeong is a girls name that might work. Without seeing her name in Hangul, I can't be absolutely sure.

Namkung is suppose to be her family name which is more commonly written as Namgung in Korea and is fairly rare name. Myong Sok is suppose to be her first name. On her BB she has Myong Mayes embroidered. Mayes is of course her American husband's last name. Her website lists name as Myong Sok Namkung Mayes. On one USTA site it lists her as Myong S. Mayes.