Help Us Welcome Grandmaster Chung!
We are excited to announce that Grandmaster Chung will be teaching classes at Fitness Club Merritt Island. Let's give him a warm welcome as he shares his expertise and passion for martial arts with our community.
Background History: Grand Master Chung has been training alongside his father since the age of 6. He achieved his 1st-degree black belt at the young age of 10 and has worked his way up to an 8th-degree black belt. Master Chung has been instructing classes since the age of 13 and has taught thousands of enthusiastic people, both young and old. He’s promoted over 150 people to the rank of black belt and has helped some of his students become excellent instructors.
Some of his amazing accomplishments:
- 1969 & 1970 World Light Heavyweight Champion
- 1975 & 1979 Asian Full Contact Champion
- 1980-1981 APTA Coach of the Year
- 1982-1985 One of the Best Demos of America & Korea
- 1986 WMF Instructor of the Year
- 1986 Youngest to qualify for the U.S. Olympic Team in Houston
- 1988 Selected to represent Florida in the U.S. Olympic Team Tryouts
- 1994 Selected as Coordinator of the 1994 Invitational Demonstration Team at the 20th U.S. National Tae Kwon Do Championships
What is Tae Kwon Do? Taekwondo is an ancient Korean form of martial arts developed 2000 years ago as an armed self-defense. Taekwondo literally means the following:
- Tae: kick, jump, or smash with the foot
- Kwon: fist; mainly to punch or destroy with the hand or fist
- Do: the way or method of the martial arts.
The philosophy behind Taekwondo's meaning is that practitioners should be able to stop an attacker immediately with one strike or kick to a vital area. This philosophy is clearly evident when observing a class or demonstration of taekwondo. The power and spirit generated are unlimited. A Tae Kwon-Do practitioner can maintain peace of mind by having confidence in oneself without fear or fright.
Why take Tae Kwon Do? Although self-defense is usually the reason most people study taekwondo, there are numerous other reasons: physical fitness, weight control, confidence, self-respect, self-discipline, and tension & pressure relief. Taekwondo students are confident that they are learning to defend themselves, and this quiet confidence filters through all phases of their lives, including home, school, job, etc. As students' progress, they will acquire a greater respect for themselves and for others.
How Do Young Children Benefit? Master Chung specializes in teaching younger kids between the ages of 5 to 13. The training these young children receive gives them a great amount of pride, self-discipline, self-confidence, and self-respect, which helps build their character. In some cases, taekwondo training can actually serve as a form of child therapy. For example, because of the self-confidence they receive from learning how to defend themselves, it makes the very shy withdrawn child more outgoing and confident and makes the very aggressive child calmer and more respectful towards others. These classes teach self-defense, enhance self-confidence, and tremendously improve coordination. Classes are geared for the shorter attention spans.