The South Pole’s trademark Dome.
The Dome houses much of the stations facilities, such as administrative offices, berthing, the computer lab and laundry room, the medical center, storage, the old galley, and even a sauna. It’s connected by a series of underground tunnels (some with walls made entirely of ice) to most of the other buildings on station – including the gymnasium where Tae Kwon Do classes will be held.

Sunset at McMurdo.
For most of the summer in Antarctica we have 24 hours of daylight, but when I first arrived at McMurdo we had several hours of darkness each day – which meant we got to see some amazing sunsets.

Nacreous clouds.
These “mother of pearl” clouds only form when it’s very cold and dark. We saw them several times at the beginning of the season at McMurdo.

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At OMAC’s 2003 Moogong Summer Camp, I told many of you about my plans to spend the winter in Antarctica. Well, it’s almost winter in the Northern Hemisphere, summer in the Southern, and here I am at the South Pole.

I spent my first two months “on the ice” at McMurdo Station, the largest of three US scientific research bases on the continent. McMurdo is about 2,400 miles, or a six-hour flight on a C-17 military aircraft, from Christchurch, New Zealand. On October 30 I flew another 700 miles south to the smaller, colder, higher, and drier South Pole station. I’ll be here until February, living and working at 10,000 feet, in temperatures ranging from 0 F to below –50 F (not counting windchill!), with 200 other hardworking, adventurous souls.

I came to Antarctica as a contract employee with Raytheon Polar Services, which fills hundreds of positions to support the stations and the research – everything from hair stylists to fire fighters to electricians to snow mobile mechanics. Some of my friends at McMurdo even had part-time jobs setting up pins in the two-lane bowling alley. My job title is “General Assistant”, which so far has meant everything from shoveling snow to carpentry work to helping out in the welding shop. I’m working hard, learning a lot, meeting great people, and, above all, staying warm.

We have a small gymnasium here at the Pole and I’ve offered to teach a Tae Kwon Do class there a few times a week. I’m excited for it to start. I look forward to teaching both as a way to structure my own training and to contribute to the South Pole community. Many of my coworkers, hall mates, and soon-to-be martial arts students are excited for it as well. I think people here will value a chance to clear their minds and focus on something other than work; to stretch their muscles and train their bodies; to learn self-defense and fighting skills; and, especially important at this altitude, to breath. Moo Shim and Kimoodo breathing will of course be staples of each class.

For my part, what I value most is the chance to share with other people the life-altering lessons I’ve learned in seventeen years of training with OMAC. My class here will only last for three short months – not long enough for new students to master every kick or form or self-defense technique, but enough time to give them a sense of the potential that they have for achievement in Tae Kwon Do. Moreover, it will be enough time to begin passing on Moogong-ryu’s central principles like discipline, dedication, patience, and respect.

I will keep you updated as my class progresses. More news soon from the world’s southernmost OMAC branch…