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Show Wednesday, November 8, 2000 The Park Record C-9 fu instillin TUCSON. Ariz. (AP) Eight young girls sit cross-legged in two rows at the small martial arts studio, stu-dio, each quiet and focused on a single spot on the wall. Wnh a thunderous roar, kung fu instructor Robert Firestine strikes his staff on the floor before them. "Ki-yah!" Firestine shouts with each drop of the stick. "Ki-vah! Ki-yah" The girls, ages 7 to 10. remain silent. Unmoved. They are displaying one of the many techniques they've learned in Girl Power, a tailor-made Shao Lin kung fu class for girls aaes 6 to 1ft. The exercise teaches discipline and control needed in self-defense and emergency situations, Firestine says later. "It's important to keep your mind clear, stay calm and have inner focus so you can think clearly." The Girl Power program is the brainchild of 40-year-old Firestine, a 20-year martial arts instructor and father of four girls. Last year he. moved wi:h his wife, daughters and son to Tucson to open the Universal Center, a holistic healing and martial arts center. The class is unusual because it is a non-contact, non-competitive sport just for girls that meets the needs of girls. Those needs include teaching girls to believe in them-sebes them-sebes and fostering confidence on many levels, he says. He teaches a modified class for boys called Peaceful Warriors. "1 want to be able to plant a seed within girls that they are spe cial, beautiful, smart and strong," says Firestine of the words that have become the Girl Power motto. Traditionally, he says, girls are given a lot of feedback on their beauty and so they build confidence confi-dence based upon their looks. "1 don't think it should stop there," he says. "I want them to feel self-worth self-worth on more than one level." Firestine also teaches girls that abuse is never permissible. It s the reason for the program. "The healing process (after abuse) is so much more difficult than if you could preemptively set those basic principles earl in their lives." In the classes, the girls discover their power. They learn punches and kicks. They learn to break free from restraint, deflect hits and avoid bad situations. The program pro-gram runs in 12-week class cycles. The girls progress in eight skill levels from white to black belt. Firestine realized the need for an all girl class as a kung fu teacher in northern California. He discovered that girls were more aggressive and willing to participate partici-pate when surrounded by all girls When around boys, many girls "gave up their power," he said. Shao Lin, which means "young pine," relies on inner strength as opposed to outer strength, Firestine says, making it ideal for girls. The Shao Lin principle ts "that which is soft yields to tlie oncoming force and therefore snaps back and survives sur-vives another day." Nicole Roberts, 9, and Kalli Firestine, 9, stand opposite one another, sparring. They appear focused, assertive and smiling. One takes on the aggressive tiger characteristics. charac-teristics. The other, the graceful but defensive moves of the crane. "Get the tiger spirit," Firestine tells Roberts. "You are the tiger. Tiger in your eyes. Tiger in your feet." They spar to a pop tune by the New Radicals. Anna Spyak feels proud watching watch-ing her three daughters, twins Monique and Jackilyn, 10. and Janick. 8. in the class. "I feel more comfortable that if they ever got into any kind of problem they could protect themselves." Spyak says. She said the program is helping her girls to overcome shvness. "It s not just about fighting." says kalyn Boyer, 9 "It s about how to protect your life and not to get into situations." The universal center represents Firestine s broader vision of a place to explore healing, offering classes in kung fu. yoga, tai chi and alternative alterna-tive healing. Nadine Fitestine. 21, co-instructor of the clavs, said martial arts have helped her on all levels "The advantage I vc had is that I see potential problems before they occur" As a teen ager, she says, unlike her peers, she never questioned whether she was good enough. "I just always felt confident that 1 was. The same thing when it comes to guys. 1 would never let anybody take advantaee of me or treat me badly. "One of the greatest gifts rs the gift of empowerment," Firestine says. "I don't want to limit it to just my girls, but to the girls of the world." Some tortilla chips harbor tainted com LONDON (AP) An environmental environ-mental group opposed to biotechnology biotechnol-ogy said varieties of genetically-engineered corn banned in Britain have mack their way into at least three brands of tortilla chips on sale here. Friends of the Earth announced Saturday that GeneScan. a Freiburg. Germany-based laboratory, found Monsanto GA21 biotech com in tortilla tor-tilla chips made by Britain's Phileas Fogg and by supermarket chains Asda and Safeway. Smaller traces of an another genetically modified corn. Dekalb DBT418. were found during GeneScan s tests in tortilla chips made by the supermarket chains Tesco and Sainsbury's. The laboratory laborato-ry tested 20 products ov eralL , Spokesmen from Asda. Safeway and United Biscuits, which owns Phileas Fogg, said their products have previously been tested and confirmed con-firmed free of biotech ingredients. However, all three said the group's findings would be investigated. Both Monsanto GA2I and Dekalb DBT418 are banned in Britain, but are approved for consumption con-sumption in the United States. Other types of genetically-modified com have been approved for sale in Britain, said Friends of the Earth campaigner Adrian Bebb. though the government does not allow British farmers to buy or plant them. Bntain is ext.emcly wary of genetically modified - or GM -food. Many products sold hi the nation s grocery stores carry labels proclaiming them GM -free "This shocking discovery is the latest in a growing list of GM blunders," blun-ders," said Bebb in a statement. "It's becoming increasingly dear that the biotech industry can t control us products and government regubtion b paiheticallv b. Safeway and Kraft Foods recalled their brands of taeo shells in the United States earlier this month after they were found to contain a com not approved for human consumption, con-sumption, called StariinL The com contains a bacterium gene that makes it toxic to some insects, and there ;ire fears it could cause allerpc reactions in people. Products made from genetically-modified genetically-modified foods haven't aroused similar sim-ilar concerns m the United States, w here some 50 varieties of genetically genetical-ly .altered crop have already been approv ed for use. ' - : V'X UlU Park City's First Integrated Health Care Clinic Jeff T. Lefkovitz, D.C. Total Body Modification Activator Practitioner Dena M. Beach, R.P.T. Physical Therapist Vicki McDevitt Medical Assistant Pam Cofer R.N. Registered Nurse ... i ) t ; w m 'U " ill w mum. i. n m ! l 3 1 ' ).1J ' "Ar- r U i k Scott Adelman M.D. Physical Medicine & Rehab Electrodiagnostic Medicine Chad A. Lundstrom, D.C. Certified Whiplash Trauma Family Practice L. Scott Jewkes, D. AC Acupuncture Practitioner Julie VY. Sands, LM..T. Massage Therapy Stacy Mather Medical Assistant Donald A. Cofer, D.C, F.A.C.O. Board Certified Chiropractic Orthopedist Certified Chiropractic Sports Physician Not pictured: Craig D. VVestin, M.D. Orthopedic Surgery Sports Medicine Scott & Mel Sato Medical Assistants CANYONS CLINIC Mary Perry, LM.T. Massage Therapy Come see us at our new address: (Forreerty in the Jack Johnson Offic Lodge) Saddle View Office Park 2200 Park Avenue Building D, Suite 100 (Next to the New Park City Post Office) (435) 649-1542 Copy |
