Logistics specialist busts boards, wins trophies

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Donald Osborn
  • 60th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  With a quick movement, multiple boards break into pieces and many concrete blocks shatter to the ground. This sounds like the works of an earthquake, but it's not. The damage is done by the hands of a man that has spent the past 33 years in martial arts. 

Master Gregory Trumbull, 60th Medical Support Squadron logistics specialist, has won competitions by shattering boards and crushing concrete blocks for years.
"I won the International Martial Arts Council World Champion Title in Las Vegas in 2003," said Mr. Trumbull. "I still compete in the breaking competition as seen on ESPN." 

In addition to his world championship title, Mr. Trumbull has also earned 2nd place in the USA World International Championships in Las Vegas in October 2002, and 2nd place at the Pacific Rim Championships in Las Vegas in November 2002. 

Mr. Trumbull is scheduled to compete once again tonight around 5 p.m. at the Martial Arts National Championship competition in San Francisco.
"Currently I have been training for the upcoming 7th Annual Golden Gate Nationals in San Francisco," said Mr. Trumbull. 

Mr. Trumbull learned a mixed martial arts form called Defense, Offense and Common Sense, developed by Grandmaster Victor Hughes in San Diego. According to Mr. Trumbull, DOCS is derived from 80 percent Okinawan Shorin-Ryu karate and 20 percent from other forms in Judo, Aikido and JuJitsu. 

Mr. Trumbull said he enjoys sharing his talents and entertaining people who don't get to see this kind of talent every day.
"I do a lot of very unique breaks never seen before," he said. "I do breaks that the general public finds very interesting to watch or read about." 

Mr. Trumbull's bag of tricks are more than just breaking boards and bricks-he also does them with a slight twist.
"I break stacks of bricks with my wrist while holding a raw egg and not break it, shuto chop through a large stack of bricks, and I can strike light bulbs through cardboard boxes without shattering them, among other things," he said. 

Mr. Trumbull started martial arts training at the age of 15 in San Diego. Within two years, he obtained his brown belt in martial arts. In 1977, he decided to join the Marines where he was stationed in Okinawa, Japan. He continued his training in Japan where he trained with various Okinawan martial arts students before getting orders back to San Diego where he earned his 1st degree black belt, Shodan, Senseiship (Instructorship), in 1981. 

In 1983, he earned a 2nd degree black belt in martial arts and two years later earned his 3rd degree black belt. After being honorably discharged from the Marines in 1984, he re-entered the service in 1986 as a criminal investigator in the Navy.
While serving in the Navy in 1987, he earned his 4th degree black belt where he obtained the status of Master from Grandmaster Hughes in San Diego. In March 1989, Master Trumbull earned his 5th degree black belt called Godan. 

In the early 1990s, Mr. Trumbull was selected from a pool of 120 military policemen to assist the Secret Service in undercover personal protection for former President George Bush and former Vice President Dan Quayle during their visit to San Diego.
"Working with the Secret Service was great," he said. "It's an experience I'll never forget." 

Since the 1970s, Mr. Trumbull has earned numerous trophies, plaques, certificates and medals in divisions of Kumite (fighting), Katas (forms), self defense tactics, weapons and breaking. He currently resides in Dixon, Calif. with his wife and daughter, and has plans to teach self defense techniques at various community centers in the Solano County area in the near future. 

"Martial arts builds self-confidence, coordination, respect for yourself and others," said Mr. Trumbull. "In all ages, it will give you the discipline you need to succeed in life."