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sgt. LOUIS E. DAVIS
us army, retired
Louis Davis was born on October 11th, 1970, in the city of Chicago, Illinois. In August of 1977, his family migrated to Minneapolis, Minnesota, by late 1985, he began training in martial arts at the age of 15, and by the summer of 1986, he began competing in local point Karate tournaments, some of which were hosted by Pat Worley.
During the 1993 USTU National Championships, which were held in St Paul, Minnesota, Louis came into contact with the All-Army Taekwondo team, and after searching the venue, he learned that there existed a team representing each branch of the US Armed Forces. After vowing (to himself) to one day become a member of one of these teams, he enlisted the following year.
In 1995 while at his first duty station Fort Hood Texas, he was approached by Sergeant Michael Bennett, who was a member of the All-Army Taekwondo team competing in the heavyweight division. Under Sergeant Bennett and Sergeant Todd Angel’s guidance, Louis went from an awkward novice to one of three team captains of the Fort Hood Taekwondo team.
In late April 1997, Louis, along with fellow Fort Hood Taekwondo teammates John Swan, Nicolau Andrade, Ryan Lundy, Howard Clayton and of course, Sergeant Bennett and Sergeant Angel, attended the 1997 All Army and Armed Forces Taekwondo trial and selection camp held at Fort Indiantown Pennsylvania. On April 27th, Louis took the silver medal in the welterweight division during the Armed Forces Championships, securing a place on the 1997 Army team.
In December of 1997, Louis relocated from Fort Hood, Texas, to Harvey Barracks in Kitzingen, Germany. By October of 1998, Louis began to establish himself as a competitor throughout the Bavarian (Bayern) area, winning the Bavarian championships later that same year, holding said title until the year 2000. During this time, Louis received guidance by phone from coach Rafael Medina on how to maximize his training and to improve his skill set.
During one of these many phone conversations led him to Georg Streif, the head coach of the German Armed Forces and German national team. Georg had invited him to attend one of his training camps which led to a major improvement in Louis’ growing abilities.
In 1999, Louis returned to Fort Indiantown Gap and secured a place on the team after defeating Daryll Woods in the finals and defeating London Arevalo of the Air Force Taekwondo team during the Armed Forces Championships.
In 2000 Louis began visiting Pickens, South Carolina, and entered a mentorship with former All-Army and national champion Reginald Perry. It was here that Louis began to research the history of the All-Army team.
The following year Louis returned to “The Gap,” securing a position as one of two middleweights on the Army team and by January of 2003 relocated from Germany to South Korea, joining All-Army teammates Kevin Williams and Johnny Birch as a member of the 2nd Infantry Division’s taekwondo team.
During this four-year tenure in Korea as a member of the 2nd Infantry Division’s taekwondo team, Louis quickly established himself as a talented competitor, winning any competition held by camp Casey or Camp Hovey, respectively, winning both the 2003 and 2005 Friendship cup (AKA the Commander’s Cup).
The 2003-2005 Area 1 Championship and the 8th Army championship. In 2005 Louis took Gold in the USA Taekwondo National Championships in San Jose, California, and took his second national medal (silver) in Austin, Texas, in 2009. In early to mid-2007, Louis was asked by Rafael Medina to attend the inaugural Taekwondo Hall of Fame banquet in Teaneck, New Jersey as a representative of the US Armed Forces, later becoming a technical advisor. Louis, himself received recognition from the Hall Of Fame for his efforts as a competitor. Louis continued to work as a technical advisor representing the US Armed Forces until 2015.
After retiring from both the Army and taekwondo competition, Louis returned to Minneapolis, Minnesota, where he volunteered his knowledge and experience as a coach in support of a collective of Taekwondo School owners within the twin cities metro area, his former All Army coaches and former teammates who operate taekwondo schools themselves and is currently a D- Level referee, D level coach under USA Taekwondo and a Coach under the Amateur Athletic Union.
In addition to coaching, Louis is currently researching the History of the All Army and Armed Forces Taekwondo program by locating many of its pioneers, former champions, and team members.
grandmaster MICHAEL BENNETT
My name is Michael Ray Bennett. I was born in Shreveport, Louisiana, and attended Woodland High School. I graduated from Southern University A&M College with a BS in Computer Programming and from, Houston Community College with an ASS in Criminal Justice, and from Texas Southern University with a degree in Criminal Justice.
I played sports in High School and College (football, basketball, and baseball). I studied and trained in Martial Arts (Taekwondo, Ju Bushi Do, Aikido and Fu Kung) I am a Grandmaster in CMK and Sports Taekwondo, Master in KKW, Ju Bushi Do, Black Belt in Aikido and Black sash in Fu Kung.
I proudly served in the Army for 24 years and am now retired. I was All Army Head Coach and Athlete, where I trained 50 All-Army athletes, which produced 10 US National Champions. I am now retired as a Federal Police Officer.
GRANDMASTER
RAFAEL MEDINA
I am from Candelero Arriba and Residencial Padre Rivera, Humacao, Puerto Rico. My inspiration for martial arts was watching the episodes of Green Horner; the main star was the legendary Bruce Lee. I retired as a Sergeant First Class (SFC) with 22 years of service in the Army.
I was smaller than my peers and an easy mark for the bullies in my tough rural Puerto Rican neighborhood. To shift the balance, I had to learn karate. "I was tired of being the loser or feeling the agony of defeat. I wanted something different in my life.
My first instructors were Luis Díaz, a green belt in Okinawa-Te Karate, and Juan Ruiz (RIP) green belt in Judo. My first year's learning karate was difficult because my father didn't want me to learn this new way of life. He didn't believe in violence. I did train in secret from him.
On February 2, 1972, I moved in with my mother. In the meantime, I started learning and practicing karate through books and magazines until I found a Shotokan dojo at the University of Humacao with Sensei Michael. From February 15, 1973, to 1975, I started training Kyokushinkai with Sensei Miguel Acevedo and Sensei Fernando Caraballo. As a brown belt in Kyokushinkai, opens his first karate dojo in Humacao, Puerto Rico, which was the first dojo ever in his town.
In 1977, Train with GM Giovanni Rosario (RIP) International Taekwondo Federation (ITF-Young Brother Association). Around June or July 1978, Sensei Caraballo and Sensei Acevedo tested me for black belt in Kyokushinkai. In August, I got married, and in October, I was into basic training (Fort Jackson, SC).
I have accomplished many things in my life since I have been in the military. In 1985, I was among the first members of the newly formed Army taekwondo team that represented Fort Bragg in the 1984 and 1985 North Carolina and South Carolina state championships.
I established the motto "One team, one fight." Unifying the sport of Taekwondo for all the armed forces. Now my motto is "One team, one fight, one family, stay strong."
In May 2019, I was recognized as a Grandmaster of Taekwondo by the government of Puerto Rico and certified by The House of Representatives of P.R. This was done by GM William Sanchez Cardona.
In September 2019, the International Military Sports Council (CISM) selected me as the first military and the only person in the United States to represent the nation in the World Military Taekwondo Championship as an athlete, coach, International Referee, and first Latino soldier among 140 member-nations of CISM.
After I retired from the service, I began working with children as a coach for the Liberty County Recreation Department's (LCRD) sport taekwondo team. I advise kids to stay away from guns, not violence at home and school, no drugs, no bullying, and listen to the teachers and parents. Kids who train in Taekwondo not only become combat capable but also become better human beings by learning discipline and respect.
But my greatest accomplishment came as a complete surprise when I received the news that I was being nominated for the Taekwondo Hall of Fame as The Outstanding Pioneer Armed Forces Player Award. I feel very honored that our Armed Forces Technical Advisor (SGT Louis Davis) nominated me.
I also was worthy of recognition twice by the U.S. Taekwondo Champions as the Pioneer Award of the Year for my performance in the role of an athlete, coach, and referee, first in organizing the Armed Force's taekwondo reunion and tournament coordinator at the same time our senior GM Bobby Clayton was recognized as well. Thanks to GM Jojo Stage and GM Ron Berry for this awesome award.
In 2015 I was selected as the President of the United States Military Taekwondo Foundation. The goal of this foundation is to assist our veterans and active military athletes. As a nonprofit organization, our foundation does not receive government funding. We rely solely on individual donations and corporate sponsorships.
I have produced more qualified athletes for the Armed Forces taekwondo teams, many of which continued forward to become All Army, Armed Forces, CISM, and U.S. National medalists, coach, and even President for the CISM Taekwondo committee; I will continue to guide future military athletes to the Army Taekwondo Team as well civilian to continue with discipline and tradition of the martial arts.
Around 1986, The Department of Sport/MWR, for the first time, paid us all competition expenses. As a result, we were literally the first soldiers (Pedro Laboy, Mark Green, Leo Oledan, and Rafael Medina) representing the Army and Armed Forces in a Taekwondo competition.
I and SFC Bennett opened a Taekwondo dojang on base (Fort Bliss). I was getting SFC Bennett ready for the All-Army Taekwondo team trial during this time. Then, in 1995, Coach (MSG) Bobby Clayton asked me if I would like to be his assistant coach.
My achievements have been thanks to the support of the people around me because, without them, I would never have gotten good results. It is my great pleasure and honor to name the following people for their support; my wife Nilsa, Luis Diaz, Miguel Acevedo, Fernando Caraballo, Giovanni Rosario, Pedro Laboy, Bruce Harris, Paul Boltz, Michael Bennett, Bobby Clayton, Bongseok Kim, Mr. Phil Cota, Mr. Brown, Mr. Workman, COL Marm, and COL Thomas A. Allman, the Puerto Rico Taekwondo Federation, United States America Taekwondo (USAT), Amateur Athletic Union (AAU), and many more. I'd also like to give special thanks to my coach, teammate, roommate, and our senior Grandmaster Bobby Clayton. Bobby, thanks for the support and understanding through the years and for listening to me. We are the ambassadors for the future, and we should all try to make this world a better place for the next generation.
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HONORING OUR PIONEERS. DOCUMENTING OUR DECORATED HISTORY.
AVAILABLE IN HARDCOVER, PAPERBACK & KINDLE!
The U.S. Armed Forces in general and the U.S. Army in particular, are known worldwide for being an all-volunteer military force, for its war-fighting ability, for accepting all who serve regardless of background to include race / ethnicity, creed, color, religion, gender and sexual orientation. For its structure and discipline and the list goes on.
However, within this glorious organization there exists a group of unsung heroes who without the help of the internet, and interested individuals such as myself, these heroes would fade into obscurity. Military athletes in general, Taekwondo in particular are among these heroes. DoD (as I’ve come to learn) does not keep an accurate record of its pioneers, coaches and competitors past and present, therefore it is imperative that our book One Team, One Fight, One Family exists.
It is our expressed hope that this book will offer accurate knowledge of how the team came into being, who were the early pioneers of what many refer to as “The Program”. This will be shared through firsthand accounts from individuals who were there during its development, through its evolution, during the two different times of war (Operation Desert Shield /Desert Storm and 911 / Global War On Terrorism), through the establishment of the Army’s WCAP (World Class Athlete Program), the creation of Korea’s 2ID taekwondo Team, the creation of the unofficial Fort Campbell Taekwondo Team, the creation of the Fort Hood taekwondo team and lastly the Fort Lewis Taekwondo team.
One Team, One Fight, One Family will attempt to offer insight into exactly WHAT a Military World Class Athlete is and the burden that they carry, the struggle the team has had with the national governing body (the former USTU and USAT) finally the creation of the US Military Taekwondo Association and the US Champions Facebook Group how both organizations serve as a means to maintain our strong bonds as athletes and as veterans.
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