Page 12 - Desert Lightning News 6-3-16

12 June 3, 2016 Desert Lightning News
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Female Air Force o
cer looks to take on MarineFacebook.com/DesertLightningNews martial arts course
Guidara’s ultimate goals are to achieve a black
Senior Airman Jaeda Tookes belt in Brazilian jujitsu and a belt in mixed mar- (U.S. Air Force photo/Kirk Clark)
tial arts.
341st Missile Wing First Lt. Elizabeth Guidara, a 12th Missile Squadron missile com-
South Korean roots bat crew commander, hits a punching bag at the gym on Malm-
MALMSTROM AIR FORCE BASE, Mont. Guidara is a Korean-American born in Busan, strom Air Force Base, Mont.. Guidara is taking Marine Corps mar-
(AFNS) -- First Lt. Elizabeth Guidara, a 12th South Korea. She was adopted by an Italian- tial arts training to become a certi ed martial arts instructor.
Missile Squadron missile combat crew com- American family at the age of 7 months.
mander at Malmstrom Air Force Base, is training “I had an amazing adoptive family; I was pretty “Don’t be afraid to take a risk; it may be a little
to become the first Air Force female officer to go blessed,” she said. “I never saw them as my fake family.” intimidating at first, but just go for it,” she contin-
through the Marine Corps Martial Arts Center Guidara’s adoptive family was very supportive ued. “It is hard work, but it will pay off in the end.
of Excellence. in her reconnecting with her roots, by showing You have to remember the bigger picture of your
her files of her birth family and being open to the goals, and don’t give up.”
“Once I finish the course, I will be a certified idea of her meeting with them one day.
combative instructor and be able to teach com- Guidara met her birth family for the first time
batives anywhere in the world and at any base,” at age 14. She was able to go back to South Korea
Guidara said. with five or six other Korean adoptees and their
adoptive families.
While in college, Guidara’s best friend intro- “I grew up in a country where culturally I felt
duced her to a boxing club. “I fell in love with it,” American, and then was able to go back to my
she said. ethnic roots and look as if I belong, but still feel
like a foreigner.”
Guidara has trained in the District of Colum- Guidara’s birth mother once called her crying,
bia, South Korea, New Zealand, ailand, Cali- while her friend translated.
fornia and now Montana. She has been training “She tried to kill herself; she was bulimic, she was
for a year and a half. depressed,” Guidara said. “My birth father would go
into these drunk rages and beat her violently.”
Intense training She hopes to train others facing similar situa-
e Marine Corps training course is 10 hours a tions or to prevent them.
“I want to be able to teach classes to others,
day, five days a week, and includes physical train- and on top of that teach women’s self-defense
ing and test-taking. e Marines also have their courses,” Guidara said. “It goes back to finding
own belt system, and participants must have a out my birth mother was a victim of domestic
gray belt to enter. violence; women should know how to defend
themselves at a basic level.
Guidara said her biggest weakness deals with
her training and technique.

“It is hard when I am the only female out there
sparing with guys, who weigh like 80 pounds
more than me,” she said. “It’s hard because I want
them to spar with me as their equals, but at the
same time I know they are more experienced
than me.”

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