Fighting for fitness

Blackanthem Military News, TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla., February 10, 2006 14:06

Tinker duo gets their kicks by staying fit

As with any good exercise program, Staff Sgt. Matthew Kline and Lt. Col. Gerald Kolaski spent several minutes recently stretching and warming up before lacing up their gloves and strapping protective padding to their feet.

The Tinker Air Force Base duo then began kicking and punching each other about the head and body until they both worked up a good sweat, pausing only briefly between "rounds" to catch their breath.

"It's more like we take a break whenever one of us delivers a good shot that takes the wind out of you or disables you for a moment," said Sergeant Kline, an Air National Guardsman who has been mobilized to serve as a communication systems installations journeyman with the 327th Tanker Sustainment Group's KC-135 Source Selection Division.

Honing their martial arts skills over the lunch hour is one way Sergeant Kline and Colonel Kolaski stay in shape as part of the Air Force's Fit-to-Fight campaign.

"The smartest thing the Air Force ever did was institute the Fit-to-Fight fitness program," a somewhat winded Colonel Kolaski said between rounds. "They noticed from Iraqi Freedom that Air Force people had a problem with sustained long hours in an unfriendly environment.

"They knew that their lack of conditioning was a source of potential problems and reinstituted some of the fitness requirements that were established 10 or 15 years ago," added the colonel, a mission group commander with the 552nd Air Control Wing. "All we had up to that point was the bike test and that didn't really inspire anybody."

Sergeant Kline is a first-degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do and Colonel Kolaski is a second-degree black belt in Shotokan Karate and the equivalent in Pai Lum Kung Fu. The two men met each other while competing in a local Karate tournament.

"We struck up a conversation because we noticed that our martial arts styles were different than what everyone else was doing and through that conversation we learned that both of us were stationed here at Tinker," Sergeant Kline said. "So we decided to meet during our lunch breaks to train and work out together."

Colonel Kolaski said he started training seriously in 1974 and has been practicing martial arts ever since.

"There are a few people here on the base that work out together that are members of the Oklahoma Karate Association and compete in various tournaments around the state," he said. "It's a lot more fun and a little bit more involved than just regular fitness programs.

Sergeant Kline said for most martial artists the goal is to try to keep getting better and stay healthy.

"It's something we do because we have a competitive spirit and it helps gauge where you are individually," he said. "One of the things that's kind of unique about the martial arts is that in reality what we're doing is real combat.

"When you get hit upside the head, you forget it's a game. Your survival instincts naturally kick in and you want to win."

Colonel Kolaski said he gets his inspiration to stay in shape from his late brother, whom he remembers having a great time sparring with as kids. A childhood friend has even written a book about their martial arts experiences as youngsters.

"You can go on to wonderful things or have tragedy strike, in the case of my brother, and still maintain that youthful optimism and stay young at heart. I maintain 100 percent on the physical fitness standards for my age group, but now I'm trying to max out on some of the younger age brackets."

As for Sergeant Kline, he said Colonel Kolaski inspires him in many ways.

"Our respective martial arts styles are very dynamic and very hard on the body," he said. "I'm not as young as I was when I started, but after watching Colonel Kolaski continue to strive and maintain his fitness at 49 years of age, as well as reach higher levels of fitness, I realize I have a long road ahead and that being fit doesn't stop at age 21."

Sergeant Kline said Colonel Kolaski serves as a double inspiration for him as he just recently learned he was selected to Officer Training School and will be following the same career path as his sparring partner and friend.

"He's a great guy," Sergeant Kline said. "He's very smart and he's been a mentor for me as far as trying to help me get my officer career off the ground."

Sergeant Kline said martial arts is something you're never too old to start. In fact, he said, one of his favorite peers when he taught martial arts about five years ago was a 60-year-old woman, who he affectionately referred to as grandma.

"Her physical condition looked like Colonel Kolaski's - all slim and trim," he said. "We've got 16-year-old kids out there who can barely get themselves out of a chair.

"Here we've got a 60-year-old grandmother and 50-year-old colonel, who have tons of other responsibilities that could keep them behind a desk, but they're putting that 16 year old to shame."

Sergeant Kline said martial arts is all he does to stay in shape and he still passes the fitness test with flying colors.

"We meet at lunch and sometimes you're dog tired," he said. "But having a workout buddy inspires you to push the envelope. Every time I come out here I'm glad I did. I might feel like a slug coming in, but after a workout I have so much more energy.

"I would recommend a fitness routine for anybody, whether it's martial arts or whatever. People who work out enjoy what they're doing and they get so much out of it."
 

By Darren D. Heusel
72nd Air Base Wing Public Affairs