Like everyone, I do have some hobbies.  Out of all the hobbies I am involved in, TaeKwonDo is the hobby I am involved with the most.  TaeKwonDo is a Korean martial art with a major emphasis on kicking.  Currently, I hold a 3rd Dan (degree) Black Belt in TaeKwonDo certified by the World TaeKwonDo Federation HQ (Kukkiwon), having been recently promoted to my current rank.  Until October 2000, I have trained over the past twelve years (on a not-so-regular basis) at a dojang (studio) in Greeneville, Tennessee, called Appalachian TaeKwonDo Academy.  The head instructor, Douglas Rouse, is a Kukkiwon certified 4th Dan Black Belt in TaeKwonDo.   Master Rouse trained with Master Sang H. Kim of Hartford, Conn., a Kukkiwon certified 8th Dan Black Belt in TaeKwonDo. TaeKwonDo ran in Master Rouse's family; his wife, brother and daughter are all 2nd Dan Black Belts in TaeKwonDo. Since I have transferred to the IKE, I have been training at the US TaeKwonDo Center Won in Norfolk, VA, under the supervision of Grandmaster Chan Hak Park, a 9th Dan Black Belt in TaeKwonDo.

I have trained with instructors other than Master Rouse.  I trained with John Fleming, a student of Grand Master Shin of Nashville, Tenn.  Fleming is a Kukkiwon certified 1st Dan Black Belt in TaeKwonDo (at the time I trained with him, which was in 1996, the year I graduated from Tenn. Tech).  When I worked at IBM in 1998, I trained with Michelle Gordon, a Kukkiwon certified 3rd Dan Black Belt in Durham, N. C.  She runs a dojang owned and operated by Master K. S. Lee.  Believe it or not, I also dabbled in Isshin-Ryu while at Tenn. Tech. with Lee Sweeten, who at the time (1992) was testing not only for his 2nd Dan but also his 3rd Dan in Isshin-Ryu. I also trained at TTJC-Greeneville in December 2002 with Master Clifford Terry.

Another hobby I have is scuba diving, picking that up in 1992 when I received my PADI Open Water Diver certification. I picked up my PADI Advanced Open Water Diver certification in 2002 and PADI Enriched Air (Nitrox) Diver certification in 2003. I returned to scuba diving in 2006 when I dove South Holston Lake in Northeast Tennessee, preparing me for diving adventures overseas. I dove off the coast of Cyprus to see the Zenobia. I also did some extensive diving off the eastern coast of United Arab Emirates. I have logged almost 40 dives to date.

Other hobbies I have include:

• Baseball card collecting
• Stamp collecting
• Working with computers
• Working out (mostly in TaeKwonDo)
• Swimming
• Chess
• Reading
• Drama
• Investing
• Being involved in the Libertarian Party
• Being involved in my church - First Baptist Church-Norfolk, VA