Julie Farris, IV Dan
USTF-4-???
jfarris@foothillstkd.org
- USTF Class B Referee
- USTF Class B Instructor
- International Sparring and Breaking Competitor
- Head Instructor Ken Caryl Ranch Taekwon-Do
- Film Stunt Actress and Choreographer
My earliest hero was Wonder Woman. She was strong, she was good, and she tried to help people that needed it. As a young child in the early 70’s, I would run through the Arizona desert wearing mom’s go-go boots, pretending to be Wonder Woman. When I was six years old, we moved back to our native Colorado, and shortly thereafter, my family happened across a local martial arts demonstration. I was mesmerized by the fact that there were women performing. They were, to me, like real life super-heroes. It was then that I knew I wanted to do martial arts.
In 1981, my older brother joined Foothills Taekwon-do, under Doug Hinman and assistant instructor Dale Burkhart (now Senior Master Burkhart). I soon followed, at the age of eleven. We went through all the ranks together, training in Foothills’ famed concrete basement “dungeon” during the week and on weekends, and running the stairs and doing patterns at Red Rocks Amphitheater in Morrison, Colorado. It was always a privilege to have Grand Master Charles Sereff (then, Mr. Sereff) lead our colored belt testings. In 1985, my brother (age 17) and I (age 15) had the tremendous honor and unique opportunity to test before Grand Master Sereff and General Choi Hong Hi, the father of Taekwon-do, for our 1st Dan black belts. This historic testing, held in Boulder Colorado, was one of the most meaningful days of my life. My brother was awarded Highest Test Score and I trailed one point behind. A year or two following, we were privileged to have General Choi visit Foothills to conduct a seminar which students from many schools attended.
In 1986, our school decided that we needed a new mascot — a frog. I won the design contest, and ever since, my Foothills Froggy has donned our patches and flag. A little secret: The “fly” that Froggy is swiping with his tongue is actually a buffalo, the mascot of the University of Colorado, which is the home of our beloved sister school, C.U. Taekwon-do (now called Boulder Taekwon-do), led at the time by Master Rob Tobin and now by Master Jonas Pologe.
In 1988, I moved to Boulder to attend college at C.U. and for the next five years, had the privilege of training under Master Tobin and Jonas Pologe. In 1990, I received my 3rd dan black belt and had one of the most rewarding tournament experiences of my life, traveling to Odessa, Texas with friends from Foothills and C.U. for a regional tournament under Fabien Nunez. The great highlight from that trip was breaking four concrete tiles with a downward knife-hand (my personal record). I also received two out of five votes in pattern Juche (arguably the most difficult pattern) against Jeff Thompson (one of the best patterns practitioners in our organization’s history) – I was happy just to survive the round against him. I earned the Women’s Grand Champion.
I received my 4th Dan black belt in 2009, earning the award for Best Patterns. Because I was juggling the demands of raising two small children (one seriously ill at the time) and running a household while my husband worked full-time and completed a master’s degree, this was my most difficult testing to prepare for and one of my proudest moments in Taekwon-do.
A special aspect of my career has been the opportunity to train with people from and travel to interesting locations around the country and world, with the most exotic being Katmandu, Nepal; Maturin, Venezuela; and Cali, Colombia. In 2009, I competed in the ITF South American Games in Colombia and earned a silver medal in patterns. In 2011, I received a gold medal in sparring, a gold medal in side kick power breaking, and a silver medal in punching, at the USTF International Tournament, in Broomfield, Colorado. I enjoyed meeting practitioners from Australia, Ireland and across the globe.
Thirty years after walking into Foothills Taekwon-do, I am still here, training proudly under Senior Master Dale Burkhart and Master Dennis Swan, and surrounded by the people whom I love and admire. Foothills has always had an earnest commitment to the code of Taekwon-do as defined by General Choi Hong Hi’s tenets: courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self-control, indomitable spirit. As I have grown at Foothills, my life has been shaped and enriched by great men and women of strong moral character. I owe a great debt to them all. They are my true super-heroes.
Ms. Rebecca Louden, IV Dan
