MEET AUTHOR, GRANDMASTER, AND WORLD CHAMPION JONATHAN FIELD
It all started with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, The Karate Kid, The Three Ninjas, Blood Sport, Kickboxer, Kung Fu The Legend Continue, and Walker Texas Rangers. These Classic martial arts television shows and movies from the 1980s and 1990s influenced me to get into martial arts for various reasons. The funny thing, though, is that I never knew Taekwondo existed until my father joined me up at the local Taekwondo School. I only really knew about Karate, Ninjitsu, and Kung Fu.
February 11, 1998, was my first formal martial arts lesson with my original Taekwondo instructor, Roy MacFarlane, at Cobourg Tae Kwon Do. My father signed me up for a trial lesson to see if I would enjoy Taekwondo. I remember being taught a few basic punches and kicks. At the end of the lesson, I earned my white belt. I remember enjoying the lesson, and my father signed me up for the regular Taekwondo classes. The next night, I attended the teens and adult classes.
I don’t remember much about my early Taekwondo classes, but I enjoyed taking them and training with my fellow students. Whether they were newbies like me, seasoned colour belts, or even the black belts. Classes were always fun to me. I picked up most of the curriculum pretty quickly and was asked to join the black belt club when I was only a yellow belt, which meant I could start training with weapons. Shortly after earning my green belt, I was asked to help teach classes occasionally.
After testing for my red belt with a black stripe, I was asked to teach the beginner’s children classes Monday through Thursday at the academy. I did this until I purchased and took over the academy from my original instructor while attending college and being a fresh new 2nd Dan Black Belt. In no way did I ever think I would be running my own Taekwondo school at the young age of 20 while still attending college. But I made it work. I was lucky because some of the students I went through the ranks together ended up helping me teach the kids classes: Gayle Brayton, Richards at the time, and Joyce Farrell. To whom we spent many years teaching, training, and competing together.
Where did my journey as a multiple-time martial arts world-breaking champion begin? I can’t pinpoint the exact year, but I vividly remember where it all started. In my living room, I watched TSN (The Sports Network) in Canada. On the screen were extraordinary martial artists, breaking boards, concrete, and baseball bats with their bare hands, elbows, shins, and feet. I had no idea then that one day, as a high school student practicing Taekwondo, I would be on that same stage, competing against some of these fantastic athletes. Two names that stood out to me from that first glimpse of the US OPEN ISKA (International Sport Karate Association) World Martial Arts Championships were Chip Townsend and Larry Fields. Remember these names.
Fast forward a few years to 2004 or 2005, and I was a young Taekwondo Black Belt, running my own Taekwondo academy, Cobourg Tae Kwon Do, in Cobourg, Ontario, Canada. I taught classes to children, teens, and adults while competing in various open martial arts tournaments across southern Ontario. Competing in events like forms, weapons, self-defence, and breaking, I sought to improve my breaking skills. I purchased a VHS set of instructional videos on breaking by Larry Fields. Larry included his telephone number in the videos for anyone who wanted to contact him about breaking, so I did. He advised me to compete in breaking tournaments for experience and attend the US OPEN held annually in Orlando, Florida.
A few more years passed, and in 2007, I found myself at the US OPEN at Disney World's Coronado Springs Resort, walking into the main competition venue and searching for the Friday-breaking competition area. As I approached the USBA/WBA (United States and World Breaking Association) breaking competition area, Larry Fields was the first breaker I met in person. He warmly welcomed my parents and me to the competition and even commented on how cool it was that my father’s name was Larry Field. I competed in several power and creative board-breaking events, earning second, third, and fourth places. Not bad for my first international tournament.
The following day, we watched the ISKA World Breaking Championships on the ISKA Night of Champions stage, where some of the best breakers in the world compete. Watching these breakers in person sparked a thought: I can do that! When I returned home, I immediately began training and assembling a small team to compete at the 2008 US OPEN—this marked the birth of Team Wolverine. Over the next few years, Team Wolverine and I regularly competed at the US OPEN in USBA/WBA and ISKA events, winning numerous championships.
In 2011, after chasing the ISKA World Championship since 2008, I finally won the big one: the 2011 ISKA World Breaking Championship for Men’s Lightweight Three Directional Board Breaking. In 2012, 2013, and 2014, I missed winning the title by just one board, but I broke more boards each year, which I considered a success. That’s how I approached success in competitive breaking—if I didn’t win, did I at least break more boards or concrete than before? If I did, that was a personal victory. As I tell my students, I may have several world titles and first-place trophies, but I have far more second, third, and fourth places. Those lower placements taught me more and motivated me more than the first places ever did.
Up to now, I have won twelve World Championships in competitive breaking and held twelve world martial arts records. While winning World Championships, both as an amateur and professional, is a career highlight, there’s something special about setting or breaking a new world record. It pushes you beyond your perceived limits, focusing all your training on one specific break or set of breaks. I’ve accomplished numerous solo and team world records, including breaking unspaced boards, which is particularly challenging.
I vividly remember my first world record attempt at the US OPEN in 2013, breaking the most unspaced boards with a heel stomp in 30 seconds. Surrounded by hundreds of onlookers and a cameraman from a Fight channel, I set the new world record, though I had much to learn about breaking records. From there, I achieved eleven more records, from palm strikes and roundhouse kicks to breaking 200 boards as fast as possible with a four-person team.
Two world records stand out as the most challenging, mentally and physically. The first was breaking thirty boards in 19.1 seconds using only the tips of my fingers—which seemed impossible until proper training made it achievable. The second was running a half marathon around an indoor track at the Cobourg Community Centre while breaking 250 boards. I trained for eight and a half months for this, running barefoot on a treadmill facing a wall to make the training mentally challenging. Despite reinjuring my groin, I completed the record, proving to myself that once you start something, you must finish it.
Of all the World Championships I’ve competed in between 2008 and 2023 for ISKA, USBA/WBA, and the Kokoro Breaking Federation, the 2014 ISKA World Championships stand out the most, not because of the wins, but because of the lessons learned. In 2014, the ISKA introduced two rounds for each event. I won the first rounds in Three Directional Wood and Power Kick Concrete but lost in the second due to a single board and an unfortunate block-breaking mishap. These experiences taught me the importance of correctly choosing the right board holders and stacking lighter or softer blocks.
Between 2007 and 2019, Team Wolverine and I competed across North America, England, and Ireland, participating in hundreds, if not thousands, of breaking events. We won numerous World, North American, and European titles while setting countless records. But more important than the titles was the camaraderie within the team. We supported each other, built confidence, and developed leadership skills that extended beyond competition.
When the pandemic hit in 2020, everything shut down, including competition. After a break from competing in 2020 and 2021, I returned to the 2022 Kokoro Breaking Federation World Championships, placing second in Creative Breaking and setting a new world record. In 2023, I competed again, placing third in Creative Breaking—an elusive division. In 2024 I placed third in creative at the 2024 USBA/WBA World Championships. Despite numerous world titles in Power Breaking, Speed Breaking, and High Jump Breaking, Creative Breaking is my unicorn. And I am determined to win a Creative Breaking world title before retiring. Persistence is vital, and I am nothing if not persistent.
Competitive breaking isn’t just about winning titles or setting records; it’s also about inspiring others to achieve what they once thought impossible. When I teach seminars across North America, students and school owners often tell me they performed breaks they never thought they could simply because someone believed in them. That belief, coupled with proper technique, can be life-changing.
Throughout my journey, I’ve had the privilege of meeting and befriending some incredible martial arts champions. While many have influenced me, a few stand out: Master Larry Fields, Grandmaster Chip Townsend, who hosted me in Texas for training, Dai Sifu Keith Fanning from Ireland, my primary teacher in breaking and conditioning, and Grandmaster Nick Zambri from Florida, who has become a close friend and fellow director in the American Breaking Combative Taekwondo Federation. My students have benefited from the wisdom these masters have shared with me.
I must also acknowledge the late Grandmaster Jean Dube, who believed in my potential to become a world champion, and my parents, who supported me at countless tournaments. My dad, in particular, was my training partner during many of my power-breaking events, training with me every day, including Christmas mornings. A fellow competitor once asked how I could kick so hard, and my student replied, “He trains every day.” That was the truth. Consistency and discipline are the keys to success in anything.
Grandmaster Veronica DeSantos became my current Taekwondo Master Instructor once I fired my original instructor. Grandmaster DeSantos has constantly challenged me to step out of my comfort zone. She always found new ways to challenge me. Whether as a martial artist, a competitor, a performer on stage, or a martial arts school owner. Grandmaster Desantos is a legend in her own right as a member of several martial arts hall of fames, holds many international titles, trained many champions, but more importantly, has changed the lives of so many of her students,
Through my competitive career, I’ve enhanced our students’ experience at the academy by integrating a structured board-breaking curriculum into our belt testing requirements. This allows students to challenge themselves with increasingly complex breaks as they progress through the ranks. Beyond the physical act of breaking, they learn that breaking is a metaphor for overcoming life’s barriers. Breaking also ties into their self-defence techniques, reinforcing the skills they demonstrate during belt promotions, demonstrations, and our annual Southern Ontario Spring Martial Arts International tournament. Like Taekwondo, breaking becomes a part of who you are and how you live your life. The dedication and discipline you cultivate in training should permeate every aspect of your life.
Besides holding several Black Belts in Taekwondo, I have several colour belt ranks in Karate, Kung Fu, Jiu Jitsu, and Toyama Ryu. Each style adds knowledge to my Taekwondo training. In June 2022, I earned my 1st Dan Black Belt in the Superfoot System under Grandmaster Bill Wallace and his leadership, specifically Grandmaster Chris Natxke, who was my mentor for the Superfoot System tests. I earned my 2nd Dan in June 2023 and 3rd Dan in November of 2024. I was sped up a bit in the rankings due to my high rank in Taekwondo but also because of my deep understanding of the Superfoot System concepts, strategies, and skills.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic hit us in 2020, I started teaching many self-defence seminars and lectures with one of my students, Cheryl Sanders. I have taught numerous workshops with other black belts, but when Cheryl and I started training together, there was something there. We had good chemistry when teaching self-defence together. Cheryl was also one of my best females when it came to self-defence. She physically had the tools and knowledge. We uploaded hundreds of free self-defence videos for women throughout the pandemic on YouTube. You can view it here at www.youtube.com/empowered8083. Later on, Cheryl and I founded the Empowered Kickboxing and Defence System. A martial arts and self-defence system that helps to empower women through kickboxing, self-defence, fitness training, and empowerment training.
🟡 During the early months of 2020, I was inspired by Cheryl to write my first book, Empowered - Essential Concepts and Strategies Every Woman Should Know About Self Defense. Which became an Amazon Best Seller and can be purchased at https://www.amazon.ca/EMPOWERED-Essential-Concepts-Strategies-Defense/dp/B0892HWYYB/ref=pd_bxgy_thbs_d_sccl_1/132-3046286-9837224?pd_rd_w=EGVFT&content-id=amzn1.sym.3699ccb7-1f05-4f06-af5a-8baf98607a29&pf_rd_p=3699ccb7-1f05-4f06-af5a-8baf98607a29&pf_rd_r=8NEGGX16TRXF7T4J7RXB&pd_rd_wg=xiCt4&pd_rd_r=e86d94a3-240d-49df-a40d-4b07ac8c7319&pd_rd_i=B0892HWYYB&psc=1
🟡 In August 2022, I wrote my second book, The Little Black Book Of Martial Arts Sparring: Critical Skills and Strategies Every Martial Artist Needs to Know. This soon became my second Amazon Bestseller. https://www.amazon.ca/Little-Black-Book-Martial-Sparring/dp/B0B8GB3K9F/ref=pd_bxgy_thbs_d_sccl_1/132-3046286-9837224?pd_rd_w=5MvYL&content-id=amzn1.sym.3699ccb7-1f05-4f06-af5a-8baf98607a29&pf_rd_p=3699ccb7-1f05-4f06-af5a-8baf98607a29&pf_rd_r=JP0EFJSMQSJDKR1X0B6K&pd_rd_wg=un2Kb&pd_rd_r=2e3980c6-02a2-4e45-9875-50565cc8ddde&pd_rd_i=B0B8GB3K9F&psc=1
Besides running my academy, competing, and training, I also run my own YouTube channel, where I post videos on various martial arts topics. Still, most recently, I posted my Martial Arts Mastery podcast, where I interviewed Martial Arts Masters and Champions. We discuss their journeys in martial arts and deeply examine various martial arts topics. You can watch the podcasts at www.youtube.com/sirfield
I also run a few annual events each year. In May, I run the Southern Ontario Spring Martial Arts International tournament, where we have competitors from across Ontario, several US states, and Ireland. You can view more details at www.sosmai.ca. In November each year, I run the Ontario Martial Arts Symposium. We have several high-rank Masters, Grandmasters, and martial arts champions, each having various seminars on their specialties within the martial arts. If interested, you can view it at www.ontariomas.com
As you may have already guessed, martial arts keep me busy—real busy. However, only some are lucky enough to do what they are passionate about for a career. I am fortunate for my academy, my competitive career, my demo team, my leadership team, my students, and my martial arts friends. Martial Arts can fill your life with many blessings if you let it, and I genuinely believe the world would be a better place if everyone studied and practiced martial arts.
🟡 Kwan Jang Nim Jonathan Field
🟡7th Dan Black Belt in Taekwondo under Veronica DeSantos
🟡7th Dan Black Belt in Taekwondo with American Breaking & Combative Taekwondo Federation
🟡6th Dan Moo Duk Kwan Taekwondo
🟡5th Dan Kukkiwon Taekwondo
🟡3rd Dan Black Belt in the Superfoot System under Grandmaster Bill “Superfoot” Wallace
About the Author
Miss Tatsu @misstatsu @misstatsunee creates vlogs 🍝 Living in Philippines. Eczema survivor and food adventurer. Crafter and passionate VA 💌 For business and collaborations send me a message: https://twitter.com/MissTatsuNee
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