|
When did you start martial arts?
I started martial arts in 1980.
What art did you originally study?
I studied Chung Do Kwon Taekwondo for about 12 years.
Who have you trained with?
I studied with Tom Marshall, national light-weight sparring and forms champion;
Grandmaster Hong Kong Kim, 9th Dan, former Olympic team coach, Vice President of USTU, and Referee Chairperson of Pan- American Taekwondo Union;
and am now a student of Grandmaster Joon Pyo Choi, 9th Dan Kukkiwon, 9th Dan Song
Moo Kwan, and founder of Moogong Ryu and Kimoodo.
What arts have you trained in?
I have trained in Kukki, Chung Do Kwan, and Song Moo Kwan Taekwondo, Shotokan
and Chito Ryu Karate, Hapkido, Aikido, Kumdo, Korean Kung Fu, Tai Chi, Chi-Gung,
Kimoodo, Thai Kickboxing, Krav Maga, Gracie ju-jitsu, Western boxing, Japanese
Aiki-jitsu. I am a Master level teacher in Moo Gong Ryu and Kukki Taekwondo.
Where have you trained?
I have trained at:
- The Olympic Training Center as a Team Captain at the 1st
Junior Elite Training Camp in1987.
- The Kukkiwon and Cheung Chung College in Korea in 2000.
- The National Krav Maga Center in Las Angeles in 1999.
What did you major in in college?
Physical Education with an emphasis on exercise physiology and health. I
graduated cum laude from Xavier University in 1990 and have a
K-12 grade
teaching certificate from the state of Ohio.
Did you go to graduate school?
I went to the University of Cincinnati for one year as a graduate student in Educational Theory.
What certifications do you hold ?
Besides my college degree:
- Certified Alexander Technique Teacher from
AmSat, a 1600-hour, 3-year course
in movement re-education.
- Certified School Director from NAPMA
and a charter member of National Association of Professional Martial Artists.
- Master Instructor from WUMA and
OMAC.
- Member of Executive Promotion Board and Master Committee of
OMAC.
When did you start teaching martial arts or anything else?
I started teaching martial arts in 1983. I taught for Cincinnati Public Schools
1990-1992.
Did you have other schools?
I ran Silverton Taekwondo Academy in 1988. Next I Directed the Taekwondo Program
at Hyde Park Gymnastics 1989-1992. Then I started Cincinnati Taekwondo Center on
Wooster Pike in 1992.
What were each of your schools like?
My first school, Silverton Taekwondo Academy, was all but 800 square feet and
about 20 students. Then
Hyde Park Gymnastics had over 2000 members at its peak, and I grew the Taekwondo
program to about 75 before moving to a 2000 square foot store front. We went
from 75 to 100 then 200 students in three years before I decided we needed to
move!
Our current facility is 4200 sq feet on Red Bank Road, one of Cincinnati's
busiest roads, and home to around 300 students.
Why do you teach what you teach?
I have had three main influences in my teaching style:
- Grandmaster Joon Pyo Choi and the
Oriental Martial Art Center. GM Choi's
style of teaching encompasses the firmness of the world's greatest warriors
with the fluidness of the world's greatest healers. When I first met GM Choi,
I was impressed by his charisma, his insights, but most of all his incredible
record of producing some of the most outstanding Taekwondo competitors and
instructors in the country. I found that our martial art philosophy was the
same (that martial arts are for making us stronger, wiser, more capable human
beings so that we may become "Guardians of Peace"). I found that
his system was
more comprehensive, more well-rounded than any other system I had encountered.
I was also impressed that the first black belt he promoted in Korea and
his first students in Columbus, Ohio were still his students, some more than
thirty years after!
- When I started teaching as a fresh young black belt at 15 years old, I
became very frustrated with the results I was getting from my students. I
constantly tinkered with teaching methods and finally went to college for
physical education and later studied the Alexander Technique to better
understand how people learn, and how we can change their habits. I really
consider myself " a student of learning." I am always studying teachers.
Whether they are master teachers or 5 year olds showing their younger sibling
how to do something, I am interested! Through the Alexander Technique and
other technique like it, I have found that teachers are always dealing with
the whole of a person (mind, body, spirit, and emotions) in every encounter,
and although you may be focusing on teaching something seemingly physical it
has repercussions in all areas.
- Our Center's Mission Statement is that we have Individualized, personal,
professional instruction for all ages of students. As Taekwondo Director for
Hyde Park Gymnastics, I really developed this philosophy. Individual means
that we see students as individuals. Not only their age or level, but each
individual student's needs, difficulties, and differences. We do this by
offering a large variety of classes. Personal instruction means that we take a personal
interest in each student. We do this by having better student-teacher ratios
than other martial art schools. We offer private instruction by a wide range
of teachers at affordable fees, and unique training seminars, overnights,
and social events that help us get to know students personally.
Professional Instruction means that we offer the most comprehensive curriculum
(more than twice that of other schools). All of our instructors are certified
and trained in-house through an intensive training program. They are also
trained through OMAC, with the highest level of master teachers from all over
the world at our disposal. We are also a NAPMA certified school. Through
the National Association of Professional Martial
Artists, we receive regular training and help making our school successful
with integrity. Our instructors and staff are deeply dedicated to the martial arts
and many our already trained teachers, doctors, and professionals in other
fields and teach at our center because they love what they are doing.
What makes your school different from other schools?
We offer a facility that is cleaned daily. We offer a facility
that has the Swain Mats, an Olympic standard. These mats making falling a
breeze, and prevent joint pain and injury. We have one of the largest class
schedules of any martial art center in the country! We are the only martial art
center in the Cincinnati area that teaches Moogong Ryu (Guardian of Peace
style). This comprehensive martial art system uniquely brings out the best of
Taekwondo, Shotokan Karate, Korean Kung-Fu, Tai-Chi, Hapkido, and Kumdo to give
an experience and martial art education that one won't find anywhere else.
Conveniently located to any part of Cincinnati, we have been teaching martial
arts to students 3-60 years old from Hyde Park, Mt. Lookout, Oakley, Mariemont,
Anderson, Indian Hill, Madeira, Madisonville, Kenwood, Deer Park, Montgomery,
Blue Ash, and more for over ten years
The martial arts have been recommended by psychologists and child experts from
around the world. We have been successfully helping children and adults with
learning disabilities, ADD, ADHD, and autism learn to focus better, gain self-control and have successful lives.
What makes a good student?
There are two types of students at our center. Our "Little Tiger" program
is a pre-martial art program, and is designed to introduce young 3-6 year olds to
the fundamental of martial arts. In this program, parents and children need only
make an 8 week commitment of one or two times/week. Students at this level need
to make up any missed classes within a term and parents need to observe classes
and reinforce behavior learned in class if they want to improve behavior at
home.
Children and adults, in our regular Moogong Ryu Program, may enter in a three
month introductory program, coming twice weekly. Students in this program
will be exposed to the basics of martial arts, but will not promote. Students
wishing to promote must make a commitment to come to classes at least 9 months
out of the year. We have taught martial arts for many years and have found
repeatedly that those students who succeed are taking classes consistently
throughout the year. We offer special programs during the summer months for
those students who want to get ahead or make-up for a sports season. Our program
produces real life changes through physical and mental behavior modification.
Can anyone learn martial arts?
We believe all students can attain black belt at our center. With time and
patience, anyone ages 3 years old and up can learn our system. Everyone learns
on their own time table. Some students may make 1st dan black belt in 3.5 years;
some it may take 6 years.
What benefits can I gain from learning a martial art?
The benefits of our system our immense. Everything from physical and mental
well-being, though our specially designed system, students are learning to
coordinate their mind, body, spirit, and emotions! We have seen tangible results
in students' ability concentrate, ability to control body and anger, confidence,
balance, strength, flexibility, and much more.
What are the student to teacher ratios?
Our student/teacher ratios are some of the best in the business. For Little
Tigers it is 8:1 for child and adult it is 10:1
Does your school offer more than Taekwondo?
Our system of Moogong Ryu offers training in Karate, Kung-Fu, weapons, Hapkido,
grappling, Kimoodo, and more. We also offer special Adrenaline Response Self
Defense Classes that teach self defense quickly and effectively to the those
with no experience.
Is the school a family environment?
Our center is family oriented; by offering every age level class, family
classes, a parent viewing room, and family events, we want to encourage the
whole family to study together. We have had many families of more than 4
training at the same time.
What is the schedule of classes?
We offer over 35 classes a week, with day, evening, and Saturday classes for all
different levels.
|
|
