On June 8, 2001 Chief Master William Clark was awarded his 8th degree black belt in Songahm Taekwondo. Upon accomplishing this honor, Chief Master Clark like all other 8th degree black belts, set his goals on becoming 9th degree and possibly Grand Master one day, the highest rank and honor in the American Taekwondo Association. To date, only two individuals have reached this level. Before being able to become a Grand Master, all candidates have to complete nine steps. Steps two and three of the nine steps were the inspiration for the creation of Warrior X-Fit.
Step 2: The Master's Council must approve the candidate one hundred percent. Once approved, the Grand Master candidate is asked to have a complete physical. Not only must the candidate pass, but also their fitness level should place them in the top ten percent of their age group. Once a candidate is approved and has passed the physical, step two would be complete.
To complete Step 2 and ensure he is in the top ten percent of his age group, Chief Master Clark formed a team of martial arts and fitness experts to research his journals and training manuals and create a martial arts fitness program based on how he trained during his professional fighting career (His fitness level was a large part of what help enable Chief Master Clark to achieve the 1976 PKA Fighter of the Year). Utilizing the data and information which enabled Chief Master Clark to be one of the most physically fit professional fighters of his time, combined with his extensive knowledge of the martial arts and fitness, along with the assistance of his team, enabled Chief Master Clark to create the martial arts based fitness program with a belt level that is based on an individual’s fitness level.
During his team’s research through past journals and training manuals, they found during an eight year period from 1971 to 1978, he had logged over 2,475 workouts (with the exception of few weeks, Chief Master Clark averaged 6 workouts a week and sometimes even two a day). His approach to fitness was similar to a fight in that it took 15 rounds of training on a consistent basis to get in optimal shape. Also, when possible Chief Master Clark would add martial arts based movements to an exercise in order to sharpen his fighting and self-defense skills. These concepts were the foundation for the program design component of the workout.
After taking the data from his journals and training manuals, his team took the best exercises and combinations to create the initial Warrior X-Fit program consisting of 31 different workouts. Before releasing his program to his schools, Chief Master Clark wanted to make sure the training principals he had used and created over thirty years ago, were still fundamentally sound and would create explosive change. Chief Master Clark uses the term “explosive change” because he wanted a program that would not only make people more fit, but also healthier and living a better, higher quality of life.
The same routines he was doing years ago because he felt got him in the best fighting shape possible are now what fitness experts across the country recommend as the most effective and efficient way to exercise. Scientists have concluded high-intensity provides greater benefits than traditional exercise, particularly in developing stronger muscles and improved aerobic capacity. Also, high intensity training achieves markedly greater improvements in anaerobic performance without increasing risk to the user.
Step 3: The new candidate must circulate a petition signed by 300,000 students, or sixty percent of the current Songahm membership. Every Songahm Master, Instructor, School Owner, Club Owner, and Member would participate in the process of gathering signatures. A complete list of all signatures would become a part of the permanent record, and would be displayed with the first letters so that all will know that step three has been completed.
With the research on the benefits of his program and desire to help Songahm Taekwondo continue move forward in a positive direction, Chief Master Clark wants to use Warrior X-Fit as a tool to transform the body, fitness level and frame of mind of each individual who would be asked to sign the petition required in Step 3. Chief Master Clark realizes this program will not only help an individual get in optimal physical shape and have a better quality of life, but will ensure they exceed the physical fitness requirements passed by the ATA to test for their belt levels. It is the hope of Chief Master Clark that his legacy will be one in which he helped transform and improve the health and fitness of the ATA.
After his research and feeling confident in the safety of the exercise program, Chief Master Clark had Warrior X-Fit independently tested to determine output levels for each of the workouts he had created. Chief Master Clark took a scientific approach to this program in order to quantify fitness levels based on an individuals output level (the total number of repetitions an individual was able to do for the workout of the day). After additional research and studies, Chief Master Clark and his team were able to create a belt system based on an individual’s fitness output. To ensure the accuracy of the belt system in conjunction with their fitness level, Chief Master Clark again had his belt system independently tested and results verified. The results and testing of the program have led to the first martial arts based fitness program with a belt system based on quantifiable results. Although this is not a martial arts ranking, it is a way to correlate one’s fitness level to a ranking.
Officially launched, Sunday July 6, 2008, Warrior X-Fit is a new program that provides each individual the opportunity to have a ranking according to their fitness level. An exciting component to the program will be to see who becomes the 2nd individual to accomplish the Warrior X-Fit Black Belt. During his team’s research of Chief Master Clark’s detailed journals and manuals, they discovered he had far exceeded the number of “wins” for what would be consistent with achieving the 1st Degree Black Belt Fitness Level (the current highest level of the Warrior X-Fit program). Prior to the launch of this program, his team awarded Chief Master Clark with the first Black Belt for the Warrior X-Fit program. Since beginning the program, Chief Master Clark has lost over thirty pounds.