Taekwondo Bootcamp at Asheville Sun Soo Martial Arts

2017 TKDI Bootcamp A Huge Success

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Asheville Sun Soo was honored to host the TKDI (Tae Kwon Do International) Bootcamp, held August 4th through August 6th, 2017. This event brought together over 100 practitioners of varying ranks, representing schools throughout the TKDI family. All classes & training sessions were run by Grandmaster Kim, who shared his vast knowledge, enthusiasm and many years of experience with students of all ranks.

Bootcamp began Friday night, with registration and a meet and greet. It was wonderful watching students from different schools interacting and getting acquainted with one another. Practitioners then shared a meal, and got prepared for the an exciting and rigorous training session, finishing with a talent show that evening.

Saturday morning, there were many opportunities to learn about the nuances and mechanics of proper kicking technique, as well as words of wisdom from Grandmaster Kim about recognizing that we each practice for ourselves. Practitioners from all participating schools then enjoyed a tubing field trip, and were able to take in some of the natural beauty of this area while resting and relaxing. Students reconvened at Asheville Sun Soo in the late afternoon, and after enjoying a shared dinner, resumed training with a short session, led once again by Grandmaster Kim, in the evening.

Sunday morning’s training session although optional, but was a fantastic turnout despite the tired legs! Each visiting Master Instructor led a session, with the purpose of reviewing material covered during the weekend. Practitioners were able to ask questions, get clarity on techniques, and otherwise absorb additional information.

All in all, TKDI Bootcamp was an excellent opportunity to enhance the practice of all who participated, to meet fellow practitioners from our sister schools, and to receive instruction from other Master Instructors, thereby further contributing to a more whole understanding of the curriculum. Students left inspired and invigorated in their practice.

Many thanks to all of the highly skilled instructors who supported the training. They include:

Grandmaster S.J. Kim, 9th Dan, Founder and President of Taekwon-do International
Master Mark Nathanson, 8th Dan, Glen Ridge Taekwon-do
Master Tony Morris, 7th Dan, Asheville Sun Soo, Asheville NC
Master John Meany, 7th Dan, Taekwon-do International Chief Instructor, Glen Ridge Taekwon-do, Montclair, NJ
Master James Marr, 7th Dan, Master Marr’s Taekwon-do, Shaker Heights, OH
Master Paul D’Ambrosio, 6th Dan, Aliso Hills Taekwon-do, Aliso Viejo, CA
Master Laura Giletti, 6th Dan, Glen Ridge Taekwon-do, Montclair, NJ
Master Keith Klok, 6th Dan, Klok’s School of Martial Arts, Wake Forest, NC, Full Instructor Krav Maga
Professor Thabiti Sabahive, 5th Dan Dansan Ryu Jujitsu, Asheville Sun Soo, Asheville, NC
Master Michael Dickinson, 4th Dan, Asheville Sun Soo, Asheville NC

Next year’s Boot Camp will be held in early August (2018). More details to come as definite plans are made.

Asheville Sun Soo Martial Arts Hosts 2017 TKDI Bootcamp

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Asheville Sun Soo Tae Kwon Do is excited to be hosting the 2017 Annual TKDI Bootcamp, which will be held from August 4th -6th. This is our second year hosting this event, and we at Asheville Sun Soo are honored to host the event once again. Last year marked the largest attendance ever for a TKDI Bootcamp event at over 130 practitioners. We expect this year’s attendance to set another record!

There are under 3 weeks left until this event, so see your school’s Master Instructor for registration and details. In order to help with the logistics of planning this event, we are offering a free t-shirt to all participants who register by Wednesday July 26. Anyone who registers after this date can purchase the t-shirt once they arrive at Bootcamp.

Host families are available for out-of-town students who would like to avoid the cost of lodging while attending Bootcamp. Please let your Master Instructor know if you would like to make this arrangement.

We are happy to announce that Grandmaster Kim will be lead instructing ALL of the major training sessions during this year’s Bootcamp – and he is excited to see and work with everyone’s Tae Kwon Do. Supporting Grandmaster Kim’s lead instruction will be more than a dozen additional TKDI master ranks.

In addition to all of the awesome training sessions, we will also hold a talent show, share 5 meals together in the dojang, and hit the river for tubing!

Don’t miss this awesome TKDI training experience!

We look forward to seeing you at Bootcamp!

Special Note: Remember that Asheville is a fantastic vacation destination, and we invite you to consider staying and enjoying additional vacation days in our city. For more information on things to do while in Asheville, please visit http://ExploreAsheville.com

 

Asheville Sun Soo Martial Arts June Belt Testing – Guest Master Instructor Corey Lewis

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Master Lewis is a 7th degree black belt with over 35 years experience in martial arts. He is a Master Instructor in the Sun Yi system, of which Master Tony Morris was a part for over 25 years, and he and Master Morris have enjoyed a friendship since the early 90s. In addition to his Tae Kwon Do practice, Master Lewis has complementary experience in Aikido and Jiu-jitsu. Master Lewis owns and operates Sun Yi Academy in Arcata, CA.

Martial arts are not the only field in which Master Lewis has expertise. He is also a father of 2 boys, a formally tenured professor of English at Humboldt State University in California, a professional coach, and the author of a recently released book, “Art of Becoming.”

Master Lewis is an accomplished teacher, and an excellent martial artist. We look forward to having him as our Guest Master Instructor at our June belt testing event.

Guest Master Instructor: Master John Meany of Glen Ridge Taekwon-do

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Master John Meany of Glen Ridge Taekwon-DoPlease join us in welcoming Master John Meany, Owner and Head Instructor of Glen Ridge Taekwon-do and Chief Instructor for Taekwon-do International, to our April 2017 testing event!

Master John Meany is a 7th Degree black belt with over 20 years of experience practicing and teaching  Taekwon-do.  Master Meany is a student of Grand Master Suk Jun Kim in New York City. Grand Master Kim was a member of the internationally renowned Korean Taekwon-do demonstration team under General Choi Hong Hi, the founder of Taekwon-do. In 2014 Master Meany was appointed Chief Instructor of Taekwon-Do International.

Under Grand Master Kim, Master Meany has served as Patterns Demonstrator at Taekwon-do International seminars, and has also competed extensively in patterns, breaking, and free fighting.

Master Meany will be arriving Thursday, and will conduct our Saturday morning Master’s Class this week.

Please remember that due to testing this week, the school will be closed for classes beginning directly after our Friday morning class sessions. Other than the special Master’s class on Saturday morning, there will be no classes until Tuesday afternoon. Also remember that testing is free for spectators, and is open to the public.