Page 4C Thursday, March 15, 2018 – The Wake Forest, Weekly, The Rolesville
WAKE FOREST – A club is forming in the area to learn and play the oldest game in the world: Go. The Chinese game weiki, originally conceived as a military strategy game, is called igo in Japanese, shortened to Go in the West. This game is reputed to be the oldest board game continuously played. The same game is called Baduk in Korea. Local coach Nathaniel Long learned the game while on mission there in the 1990s. Returned to the States and settling in Wake Forest area, Long and his family are seeking to teach school playgroups and form a local club, to enjoy playing this ancient game in a Christian faith-based setting. Long’s five children ages 9-19 are well-versed in Baduk and enjoy teaching age-matched friends their skills. The benefits of game play include measurable cognitive development. Neuroscientists have found improved student mental development is evidenced in rising test scores, as found in numerous studies of players’ brains. It is possible, in East Asia, to get a Ph.D. in play of the game. In Cary, a local club has met for decades, organized under carygo.org. The newer Wake Forest area group Cornerstone Baduk, seeks member players and a more regular location for the club. Organizers will teach interested newcomers how to play. For more information contact Long at 919-554-1712 or [email protected], and see cornerstonebaduk.weebly.com. |
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On a Mission to Share the Game of Go
By Penny Carpenter Butner Creedmoor News
Nathaniel Long III and his kids are on a mission to share the game Go with others and have the opportunity to share their faith in the process. Ideally the family would like to teach the game to teachers, parents and other adults who could teach to children and know how to play with them. In Korea where the family learned the game the name is Baduk; in Chinese- Weiqi and Japaneses-Igo but here in the US the game is known as Go. Invented more than 2,500 years ago in Ancient China the abstract strategy board game is believed to be the oldest board game in history. Two players aim to surround more territory than their opponent using black and white playing pieces called stones. Although it has relatively simple rules the game is complex.
Long believes Go engages kids and they like it. It is in the same abstract strategy games as Chess, Penté, Othello, and checkers. “However, these other games are primarily left-brain activities, which draw boys in larger numbers than girls; whereas, the game of go fully utilizes both hemispheres of the brain. Intuition, aesthetics, and creativity typically associated with the right brain are brought into play, along with extended lateral thinking, analytics, and quantitative aspects we associate with the left brain, to deliver a sublime cognitive challenge,” said Long. “I am truly heartened by the prospect of teaching adult volunteers who are keen to get involved and teach children at the beginning level. To the degree that they are eager to work with children in our public schools, My children and I will give all we have got to work with them to the get them up to speed, to the point where they feel competent to teach beginners." When Long learned of the large number of volunteers for the Granville County public school system that are often asking what they can do he said, “That sounds like a colossal blessing.”
At Risk Children
Long was born to two parents serving in the US Air Force in Karamursel, Turkey. The family moved to Taylorsville, NC when he was a year old. There he grew up and attended Alexander Central High School.
It was there he found a heart for children in lower incomes particularly those in high risk neighborhoods that he grew up with from age 7 until he went off to college. Some of the boys he played ball with in his youth have died unnecessarily from drugs and violence. He would like to be useful in some way to reduce the potential of that in the future.
In 1996 Long moved to South Korea to teach English as a Second Language. He learned Korean while in the US Army at the Defense Language Institute of Monterey, CA. He married the love of his life and best friend, Hui Young Yang in South Korea where they lived the first 14 years of their life together. They have been married for 20 years. Each of their 5 children began daily lessons from Baduk hagwons (private go academies) at the age of three and continued their studies until they moved to the US in 2011. The couple play the game as a form of “sweet time” since neither of them consider themselves to be very romantic in the sense that they don’t go out to eat or to the movies.
In July 2015 the family moved to Granville County and Long is currently a student at the local seminary in Wake Forest. They aspire to teach here in the county they now call home. The four older children have taught in public schools in Wake Forest, through Lighthouse Homeschooling Association and in public forums such as coffee shops and the seminary. “Straddling two cultures, we aim to import the fine art of Baduk from the orient and use the game to share Jesus in our teaching of the game here in our second home in the US,” said Long.
Neuroscientists have long held a keen interest in the brains of Baduk players in South Korea where you can earn a Ph. D in the game.
What Former Students Had to Say
Anna Guzman said her kids learned the game about 3 years ago when Long and his kids would come to her house after learning about it in the homeschool community. It appears to be the earlier kids start to learn the game the better. “He is a good teacher and they are all very smart. His children are very intelligent, sweet and very patient explaining the game.”
“It is a game that requires mental aptitude. My kids were intellectually challenged by the game. It allowed them to delve into a game that is rare,” said Guzman. Even though it takes a few lessons to get the hang of it she said it was a positive experience for her family.
Diane Hineline’s family went to the Long’s home for several weeks to learn the game. After the positive experience she recommended they come to her School Commission Leadership Academy she founded which meets at Wake Crossroads Baptist Church where they still teach. “The one thing is it is something we can all play together as a family. It helped them problem solve and see different ways to solve a problem.
Margo Klahn's children were taught by the Long family maybe five or six years ago in Youngsville. She said Long was very patient with her 3-year-old and her 5-year-old got the hang of it much faster. The game helped them with logic skills since you have to do multiple things at the same time.
Jeffrey Holland works at Wake Forest Middle School and said Long came by and introduced himself and offered to teach several years ago. Since kids love games he thought it would be good to introduce them to something new from another part of the world. The Long family would come during lunch and teach the game. “They were down to earth, very gentle and patient with the kids, encouraging and committed to knowing their names. More importantly was their commitment to enriching the lives of kids through games and encouraging kids to form relationships with each other across the game board,” said Holland.
The Longs tell why they enjoy teaching
“I like teaching because it is a rich form of community service. It suits me well to teach this game, and fulfill some of my Christian obligation to serve. Jesus says, “As much as you do unto the least of these, verily, verily you have done unto me.” Baduk is very good for young minds. “Plus, as a Christian father and headmaster of our home school, Blessed Children of God Gymnasium, I have the duty of finding ways for my children to serve the community. Over the years, teaching go in public and private schools, as well as through Lighthouse Homeschooling Association, has fulfilled that duty nicely,” said Long.
When asked what they have learned about teaching the game Long’s children responded. Long said his 16-year-old son, Jordan, is their best teacher, engages students well, and studies the game intensely, but in true Zen fashion had little to say outside of that.
Ashley (18) said “Teaching the game of Go has made me less shy. By serving my students, I have come to dearly love, not only them, but people whom I meet in daily life.” “It is a love which increasingly enhances my desire for them to accept the good news of Jesus and share in the joy and hope of life in Him. For those who already know Jesus, playing go has always been my favorite way to fellowship. I believe the game of go has helped our students to think carefully before acting. And, for our long-term students who have worked at the game on their own solving problems and playing online, I believe they experience in each game they play the simple beauty, yet complex strategy of go. It is a game that never grows dull.”
Nathaniel IV (19) said: “It helps you to focus for a longer time. It builds discipline, self-esteem, and helps them [students] to focus for longer periods of time. Knowing how to play Baduk was useful to me when we came to America because I made friends with people by teaching them Baduk.”
Christopher (13) said: “When playing Go, I am forced to put and retain my focus on the game and endure intense contemplation to find the best move I can play on the board. I have played it for about 9 years and am still of a low level relative to how much the game has to offer. I am considered a beginner by official rankings. I cannot even completely comprehend the beauty of a professional game even if there is a good commentator leading me along.
I am grateful that I am still being taught and raised up to higher levels as the years roll by. Go demands a whole lifetime, (and possibly more), of practice for one to master it. There are so many places where I can lay my stone on the board that I am sure the ones I choose are far from the best. The possible unique scenarios in Go number more than the sub-atomic particles in the universe. It is said to have the possibilities equal to a 1 followed by 170 zeroes.
The nature of the game mirrors life and its qualities. If one gets too greedy, one’s forces will be torn apart and crushed. If one is too timid, one’s opponent will dominate the board. If one is too rash, he will suffer severe penalties.
I am glad to have found something so classic and sturdy as to maintain its standing as the second most popular game in a world where many things quickly decline and are hardly ever touched again. I know no other game that can boast of such a reputation. I am also glad that it has been growing in popularity in America in recent decades. “It is beautiful in that it is so elegant while presenting so many possibilities in the same manner that Newton’s 4 simple laws of physics explain how all physical objects interact and affect each other.
I am also amazed at how long and intensive the process for creating artificial intelligence (AI) to play this game well was. Google’s Deepmind department finally created a program that could defeat a top level Go player in 2016. The program, AlphaGo, won 4 out of 5 games to Lee Sedol a 9-dan, (pronounced “dahn”), which is one of the highest rankings one can achieve in society. All previous programs had to have a large handicap to come anywhere near beating a professional. Even just a month before AlphaGo was unveiled, most Go experts estimated that it would take at least 5 more years for AI to master Go. This feat revolutionized how AI are now designed. Even China has recognized it and they now have new hope in AI.
I believe that others, especially children, will benefit from Go by using it as a means for working hard to overcome milestones and trudging thru discipline and humility to form a better-rounded self. With discipline and humility deeply embedded in them, they could easily, but not quickly, master other trades and fields of interest. Also, by learning Go to some degree, they will be opened up to the possibility to take up and labor at it so that they may someday be called a professional.”
David (9) will occasionally help teach by playing a game against a beginner close to his age.
Long suggested the following websites to learn more about the game: Sensei's Library (hands down the best website for 'Go' according to Long); goproblems.com (free site offering problems to boost your skill, tailor-made to your skill level); American Go Foundation supports the development of go in the U.S. and for groups learning go gives free starter packages of game boards and plastic stones.
If you are interested in learning the game of Go please email Nathaniel Long at
[email protected] and their website is Cornerstone Baduk.
By Penny Carpenter Butner Creedmoor News
Nathaniel Long III and his kids are on a mission to share the game Go with others and have the opportunity to share their faith in the process. Ideally the family would like to teach the game to teachers, parents and other adults who could teach to children and know how to play with them. In Korea where the family learned the game the name is Baduk; in Chinese- Weiqi and Japaneses-Igo but here in the US the game is known as Go. Invented more than 2,500 years ago in Ancient China the abstract strategy board game is believed to be the oldest board game in history. Two players aim to surround more territory than their opponent using black and white playing pieces called stones. Although it has relatively simple rules the game is complex.
Long believes Go engages kids and they like it. It is in the same abstract strategy games as Chess, Penté, Othello, and checkers. “However, these other games are primarily left-brain activities, which draw boys in larger numbers than girls; whereas, the game of go fully utilizes both hemispheres of the brain. Intuition, aesthetics, and creativity typically associated with the right brain are brought into play, along with extended lateral thinking, analytics, and quantitative aspects we associate with the left brain, to deliver a sublime cognitive challenge,” said Long. “I am truly heartened by the prospect of teaching adult volunteers who are keen to get involved and teach children at the beginning level. To the degree that they are eager to work with children in our public schools, My children and I will give all we have got to work with them to the get them up to speed, to the point where they feel competent to teach beginners." When Long learned of the large number of volunteers for the Granville County public school system that are often asking what they can do he said, “That sounds like a colossal blessing.”
At Risk Children
Long was born to two parents serving in the US Air Force in Karamursel, Turkey. The family moved to Taylorsville, NC when he was a year old. There he grew up and attended Alexander Central High School.
It was there he found a heart for children in lower incomes particularly those in high risk neighborhoods that he grew up with from age 7 until he went off to college. Some of the boys he played ball with in his youth have died unnecessarily from drugs and violence. He would like to be useful in some way to reduce the potential of that in the future.
In 1996 Long moved to South Korea to teach English as a Second Language. He learned Korean while in the US Army at the Defense Language Institute of Monterey, CA. He married the love of his life and best friend, Hui Young Yang in South Korea where they lived the first 14 years of their life together. They have been married for 20 years. Each of their 5 children began daily lessons from Baduk hagwons (private go academies) at the age of three and continued their studies until they moved to the US in 2011. The couple play the game as a form of “sweet time” since neither of them consider themselves to be very romantic in the sense that they don’t go out to eat or to the movies.
In July 2015 the family moved to Granville County and Long is currently a student at the local seminary in Wake Forest. They aspire to teach here in the county they now call home. The four older children have taught in public schools in Wake Forest, through Lighthouse Homeschooling Association and in public forums such as coffee shops and the seminary. “Straddling two cultures, we aim to import the fine art of Baduk from the orient and use the game to share Jesus in our teaching of the game here in our second home in the US,” said Long.
Neuroscientists have long held a keen interest in the brains of Baduk players in South Korea where you can earn a Ph. D in the game.
What Former Students Had to Say
Anna Guzman said her kids learned the game about 3 years ago when Long and his kids would come to her house after learning about it in the homeschool community. It appears to be the earlier kids start to learn the game the better. “He is a good teacher and they are all very smart. His children are very intelligent, sweet and very patient explaining the game.”
“It is a game that requires mental aptitude. My kids were intellectually challenged by the game. It allowed them to delve into a game that is rare,” said Guzman. Even though it takes a few lessons to get the hang of it she said it was a positive experience for her family.
Diane Hineline’s family went to the Long’s home for several weeks to learn the game. After the positive experience she recommended they come to her School Commission Leadership Academy she founded which meets at Wake Crossroads Baptist Church where they still teach. “The one thing is it is something we can all play together as a family. It helped them problem solve and see different ways to solve a problem.
Margo Klahn's children were taught by the Long family maybe five or six years ago in Youngsville. She said Long was very patient with her 3-year-old and her 5-year-old got the hang of it much faster. The game helped them with logic skills since you have to do multiple things at the same time.
Jeffrey Holland works at Wake Forest Middle School and said Long came by and introduced himself and offered to teach several years ago. Since kids love games he thought it would be good to introduce them to something new from another part of the world. The Long family would come during lunch and teach the game. “They were down to earth, very gentle and patient with the kids, encouraging and committed to knowing their names. More importantly was their commitment to enriching the lives of kids through games and encouraging kids to form relationships with each other across the game board,” said Holland.
The Longs tell why they enjoy teaching
“I like teaching because it is a rich form of community service. It suits me well to teach this game, and fulfill some of my Christian obligation to serve. Jesus says, “As much as you do unto the least of these, verily, verily you have done unto me.” Baduk is very good for young minds. “Plus, as a Christian father and headmaster of our home school, Blessed Children of God Gymnasium, I have the duty of finding ways for my children to serve the community. Over the years, teaching go in public and private schools, as well as through Lighthouse Homeschooling Association, has fulfilled that duty nicely,” said Long.
When asked what they have learned about teaching the game Long’s children responded. Long said his 16-year-old son, Jordan, is their best teacher, engages students well, and studies the game intensely, but in true Zen fashion had little to say outside of that.
Ashley (18) said “Teaching the game of Go has made me less shy. By serving my students, I have come to dearly love, not only them, but people whom I meet in daily life.” “It is a love which increasingly enhances my desire for them to accept the good news of Jesus and share in the joy and hope of life in Him. For those who already know Jesus, playing go has always been my favorite way to fellowship. I believe the game of go has helped our students to think carefully before acting. And, for our long-term students who have worked at the game on their own solving problems and playing online, I believe they experience in each game they play the simple beauty, yet complex strategy of go. It is a game that never grows dull.”
Nathaniel IV (19) said: “It helps you to focus for a longer time. It builds discipline, self-esteem, and helps them [students] to focus for longer periods of time. Knowing how to play Baduk was useful to me when we came to America because I made friends with people by teaching them Baduk.”
Christopher (13) said: “When playing Go, I am forced to put and retain my focus on the game and endure intense contemplation to find the best move I can play on the board. I have played it for about 9 years and am still of a low level relative to how much the game has to offer. I am considered a beginner by official rankings. I cannot even completely comprehend the beauty of a professional game even if there is a good commentator leading me along.
I am grateful that I am still being taught and raised up to higher levels as the years roll by. Go demands a whole lifetime, (and possibly more), of practice for one to master it. There are so many places where I can lay my stone on the board that I am sure the ones I choose are far from the best. The possible unique scenarios in Go number more than the sub-atomic particles in the universe. It is said to have the possibilities equal to a 1 followed by 170 zeroes.
The nature of the game mirrors life and its qualities. If one gets too greedy, one’s forces will be torn apart and crushed. If one is too timid, one’s opponent will dominate the board. If one is too rash, he will suffer severe penalties.
I am glad to have found something so classic and sturdy as to maintain its standing as the second most popular game in a world where many things quickly decline and are hardly ever touched again. I know no other game that can boast of such a reputation. I am also glad that it has been growing in popularity in America in recent decades. “It is beautiful in that it is so elegant while presenting so many possibilities in the same manner that Newton’s 4 simple laws of physics explain how all physical objects interact and affect each other.
I am also amazed at how long and intensive the process for creating artificial intelligence (AI) to play this game well was. Google’s Deepmind department finally created a program that could defeat a top level Go player in 2016. The program, AlphaGo, won 4 out of 5 games to Lee Sedol a 9-dan, (pronounced “dahn”), which is one of the highest rankings one can achieve in society. All previous programs had to have a large handicap to come anywhere near beating a professional. Even just a month before AlphaGo was unveiled, most Go experts estimated that it would take at least 5 more years for AI to master Go. This feat revolutionized how AI are now designed. Even China has recognized it and they now have new hope in AI.
I believe that others, especially children, will benefit from Go by using it as a means for working hard to overcome milestones and trudging thru discipline and humility to form a better-rounded self. With discipline and humility deeply embedded in them, they could easily, but not quickly, master other trades and fields of interest. Also, by learning Go to some degree, they will be opened up to the possibility to take up and labor at it so that they may someday be called a professional.”
David (9) will occasionally help teach by playing a game against a beginner close to his age.
Long suggested the following websites to learn more about the game: Sensei's Library (hands down the best website for 'Go' according to Long); goproblems.com (free site offering problems to boost your skill, tailor-made to your skill level); American Go Foundation supports the development of go in the U.S. and for groups learning go gives free starter packages of game boards and plastic stones.
If you are interested in learning the game of Go please email Nathaniel Long at
[email protected] and their website is Cornerstone Baduk.