Saturday, October 16, 1999
Officer is master of martial arts
BY SARA J. BENNETT
The Cincinnati Enquirer
WOODLAWN — As a kid in a tough neighborhood of Dayton, Roger Haines got beaten up a lot by older, bigger kids.
Today, bullies know better than to mess with him. The Woodlawn Police sergeant turned to martial arts at age 12 to gain a little street credibility. He developed the hobby into a distinguished career.
Grand Master Haines, as he is known in martial arts circles, is the only U.S. police officer to hold a ninth-degree black belt in Tang Soo Do, a form of karate. He is the highest ranked non-Asian in the world promoted by one of Korea's oldest martial-arts organizations. In June, he received a doctorate of martial arts from the Pittsburgh-based Eastern International USA Martial Arts Association.
But awards and rank aren't as important to Sgt. Haines as the work he does with children. The 45-year-old Dayton man teaches about 60 kids at the YMCA in Woodlawn, and he has a championship youth karate team in his hometown.
“I have to pinch myself sometimes to realize what I've accomplished,” he said. The doctorate “was a longtime dream come true, but I have other goals I'm trying to reach. I want to pass on my knowledge to students and groom others to follow in my footsteps and carry on the tradition when I'm gone.”
Sgt. Haines knows firsthand the benefits of studying martial arts.
“It built my self-confidence, my self-esteem and my self-discipline,” he said.
In 13 years as a Woodlawn police officer, Sgt. Haines has used a few of his techniques to restrain suspects. He also teaches self-defense to the rest of the department.
“Every officer loves to work with him,” said Police Chief Walter Obermeyer. “He's been a hidden secret within the Woodlawn police, and I want to unveil that secret and let everybody know because I'm proud of him.”
The list of Sgt. Haines' achievements has grown steadily over the years. In 1974, he founded the National Tang Soo Do Federation Inc., one of the governing bodies certifying Tang Soo Do artists.
He recently was nominated for the Diamond Life Award by the International Black Belt Hall of Fame, which has named him instructor of the year.
To earn the doctorate of martial arts, Mr. Haines wrote a thesis about his unique style of teaching.
It combines Tang Soo Do with Tae Kwon Do and includes hundreds of nontraditional kicks that are never thrown twice from the same angle. The technique has helped members of his S.W.A.T. (Special Winning Attitude) National Karate Team earn international honors.
Bill Randolph Jr., a Dayton student who helped Mr. Haines write his thesis, often marvels at his teacher's energy and dedication.
“Every waking minute that Roger is alive, alert and aware, he's planning something,” Mr. Randolph said. “He's got a real strong commitment to giving back to the community — especially the kids.”
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