Fulton martial artist sees practice as lifestyle over hobby
Jan. 6—For PaSaRyu instructor Jackie "Falcon" Smith, martial arts is a lifestyle he chooses every morning. After 36 years of training, he doesn't foresee stopping soon.
Adorning the walls of Falcon PaSaRyu Martial Arts school in Fulton are a multitude of photos of Smith's master and founder of PaSaRyu, Kang Rhee, throughout the years. There are images of Rhee alongside martial arts powerhouses like Chuck Norris and Bruce Lee, as well as photos of Rhee with his most famous pupil, Elvis Presley. Also displayed are Smith's black belt certificates and the myriad belts he and his wife have earned over the years.
Not a hobby, but a lifestyle
Smith, 52, began his martial arts training in his early teens and became a branch instructor in PaSaRyu in his early 20s. Now an eighth-degree black belt, Smith serves on the PaSaRyu Advisory Committee, a group of five high-level practitioners that preserve Rhee's techniques.
Rhee created PaSaRyu — which incorporates elements of karate, taekwondo and kung fu — after moving to the United States from Korea in 1964. Over the years, Smith has run multiple dojos in north Mississippi but now trains and teaches in Fulton at the dojo he opened in 2011.
The longtime martial arts practitioner said PaSaRyu represents a not a hobby, sport or pastime. It's a way of life.
"I've probably been in the dojo every week, two or three times a week, since I was 14 years old," Smith said. "That is the thing that makes you a martial artist ... You train in martial arts and learn, stick to it and become skillful in the entire tradition."
For Smith, PaSaRyu has become a family tradition. He said his wife, whom he met through martial arts, is a black belt, as well as his stepson and daughter.
Body and mind
Smith, who has a doctorate in physical therapy, said his training has helped him in his work as a physical therapist. He often incorporates his knowledge of martial arts in his treatment techniques.
In the inverse, he said, physical therapy taught him better techniques for stretching and proper form for martial arts.
"(Martial arts and physical therapy) complement each other," he said. "I've been able to take a lot of things I learned in martial arts and help my patients with their balance and different things."
But practicing martial arts is good for more than just the body. It's a tool that helps focus the mind. Smith called martial arts training fantastic for relieving stress, often changing the way the practitioner moves and thinks.
Techniques and exercises found in PaSaRyu and other martial arts forms focus on memorization and muscle memory.
"When you add (repetitive movement) on top of the memorization required to learn many of the martial arts patterns, katas and forms, it becomes quite the exercise for the mind," he said. "Then, with a lot of repetition, we begin to memorize and become rooted in how to do these things."
Rooting forms into memory, Smith said, helps sharpen the mind. In turn, this can help individuals that have memory conditions.
"Oftentimes, with Alzheimer's patients, they forget a lot of things, but often can remember things that have become ingrained for a long time," he said. "Therefore, the repetitive training is very good for building these repetitive pathways."
A long-term investment
As someone who has devoted his life to training in and teaching PaSaRyu, Smith knows the investment martial arts training requires. Those interested in learning a martial art should think of it as a long-term investment. It takes time.
"It is like going into college where you are earning a degree," Smith said. "You know, starting out, it is going to take you four years or more, and you accept that."
For those who stick with it, learning a martial art can be extremely fulfilling.
Smith said the most important thing to keep in mind when starting martial arts training is to know your limits. Find your level and build from there.
"There are so many different ways of thinking from one school to the next, one instructor to the next," he said. "My advice to someone coming in is that we are trying to that person when they walk into the door as they are and make them a better person."
