LEARN MORE ABOUT THE KANG DO WON.

Participation in sports is great for children, but those who have little or no athletic aptitude usually find themselves sitting on the bench and watching the more  athletically gifted kids play the game. This can be very damaging to a child’s self-esteem and self-confidence. Martial arts training at the Kang Do Won not only nurtures physical development, but also the development of each student’s self-esteem, self-confidence, self-respect, discipline, determination and courage.

Because the training is individualistic and personal, the competition is with oneself and, therefore, no one sits on a bench. Students improve physically while developing the inner strength of mind and spirit, which have a much greater impact upon the potential for a successful future.

There are no perfect children; all have their own unique strengths and weaknesses. The likelihood that your child’s condition is so bad that he/she would not be accepted is minimal. Master Hotchkiss has 29 years of martial arts experience, 25 years of which are as an educator. He is a gifted teacher with very unique skills, and will know after one Free Introductory Evaluation Lesson whether or not enrollment is in the best interest of your child. That determination is based on your child’s personality, attention span, maturity, and comprehension ability—all relative to his/her age.

Children with no athletic aptitude, severely diminished self-esteem and self-confidence, A.D.H.D., and various behavioral and medical problems have been accepted as students at Kang Do Won. Most problems a child may have can be overcome in the educational process at the Kang Do Won by the alliance of a quality teacher like Master Hotchkiss and a committed and dedicated parent.

In the event you make an appointment for your child to participate in the Free Introductory Evaluation Lesson and he/she is not accepted as a student, don’t be disheartened. During the conference with Master Hotchkiss following the lesson, you will be given an explanation as to why your child was not accepted. In most cases, it will be due to maturity issues and he will make a recommendation to bring your child back in six or twelve months and try again.

Absolutely not. If you already feel good about yourself, we can help you feel better. If you have good discipline, we can help you become more disciplined. If you are a good athlete, we can help you become a great athlete.

Traditional martial arts philosophy teaches balance. Just as too much rain creates damaging floods, too little rain creates destructive droughts—too much or too little of anything is unhealthy. At the Kang Do Won, a passive student is made more aggressive and an aggressive student is made more passive. Each student is moved toward a healthy, balanced center in his/her training.

The truth is that everyone has weaknesses, faults, and personal problems that are the result of imbalance in their lives. It’s just that for some people, those things are denied, hidden, and more difficult to see.

The simple answer is that you should not be concerned about the type of martial art, but instead, and more importantly, with the quality and skills of the individual teaching it. No matter how great a particular martial art may be, ultimately it is only going to be as good as the teacher.

After thoroughly interviewing the teacher and determining that he/she is the right choice, then inquire about the physical characteristics of the martial art being taught and determine if it is a good match for yourself and/or your child(ren). If not, look for another capable teacher of an art that fits your needs. Search for a teacher first and the art second.

Absolutely, and the Kang Do Won is the right choice. No two schools or teachers are alike. Don’t deny yourself or your children one of the greatest gifts of a lifetime—a traditional martial arts education at the Kang Do Won Martial Arts Institute—merely because of a bad previous choice.

Avoid any person who answers this question with a specific time frame. The answer to this question lies within each student. Every student is unique with different strengths and weaknesses, which makes the educational process unpredictable.

The achievement of Black Belt can range anywhere from one and a half years for a confident, highly intelligent adult student with a high aptitude for athletics (who consistently trains five to six days per week) to ten years for a timid child of average intelligence, with little or no athleticism (who on average attends class two days each week).

Those who have no disabilities or medical conditions follow the normal path of training, and for those who do, the training at the Kang Do Won is adjusted to the state of being for each student. However, maximum effort is expected and extracted from every Kang Do Won student, relative to his or her potential. No student gets a free pass. Nothing is given, everything is earned.

No one is pushed inappropriately or unjustifiably, and no one is held back. Every student moves along at his/her own pace, based on personal circumstances. The potential to benefit from a martial arts education is not limited by the body, but instead, only by the mind and spirit. The personal benefits of training at the Kang Do Won are just as great for an overweight or underweight student with asthma, bad knees and arthritis, as they are for a totally healthy student. In fact, the benefits for the disabled are probably even greater, because the healthy student will never feel the sense of achievement and exhilaration that comes from the reduction or eradication of painful and depressing ailments.

No. Training is not dangerous at the Kang Do Won. Classes are structured and students are very closely supervised by trained and qualified instructors. The likelihood of injury for students at the Kang Do Won is no greater than it would be for any other physical activity (and in many cases, much less). This is because students are not expected or directed to perform in any way for which they have not been adequately trained or that is not healthy for them, due to age or disability.

Can you be guaranteed that you or your child will not be injured? Of course not.  You can sustain an injury getting in or out of your car, or by tripping over your own feet as you walk through your home. The fact is that the potential for injury exists in everything we do and everywhere we go.

Professional martial arts training, as found at the Kang Do Won, can actually prevent injury because it enables students to be more aware of their surroundings, to be in greater touch with their bodies, and to improve their physical characteristics and attributes. The Kang Do Won students are taught the correct physical procedures and techniques for manipulation and movement of the body and its parts. There is the healthy way to challenge and improve your body, and there is the dangerous/damaging way found in the many unprofessional schools.

At the Kang Do Won, you are not just thrown into a class and directed to exert yourself until something on your body breaks… you’re taught how to do it safely and how to do it right. In most cases, the worst enemy you will face in your life will be yourself, but in the event the danger and violence that is very prevalent in our world confronts you or your child, the ability to survive will far outweigh the risks associated with the training that enabled you or your child to do so.

All the more reason for you and/or your child to begin training. Most normal and healthy people encounter fear. It isn’t experiencing fear that makes you weak, but instead what you do with it or what you allow it to do to you.

The Kang Do Won students are trained and educated to face fear rather than running from it, and to focus on effort rather than results. The hard work and personal challenge of martial arts training and the resulting accomplishments and achievements (no matter how small or large) produce an improved sense of self-esteem in all the Kang Do Won students.

There are martial training facilities that teach how to suppress and/or neutralize fear, harden minds and bodies into combat condition, and predominantly teach maiming and killing tactics and techniques. For those who desire or require this type of training, it may be appropriate, but for dad, mom and the kids living in suburbia, it is not.

One of the greatest threats that we face is our own weakness. There is an adage, “the worst monsters we face in life are most often created by ourselves.” A weak mind and spirit (inner strength) will produce a weak reality and a limited, conditional and bleak future.

Another adage states, “you only get one chance to make a first impression.” Our presence (aura) is our first line of defense and our primary weapon. The initial impression a person formulates about you will have much to do with how he or she treats you. If that impression is one of weakness, you have increased the likelihood of becoming a victim.

There are ways to be victimized other than by physical assault. Your weakness can cost you an employment opportunity, a position on a sports team, or something as simple and fundamental as friendships and social confidence. A poor first impression because of your weak presence can spell failure.

Self-defense starts with self-confidence. The development and/or improvement of self-confidence and personal presence is our primary educational focus. You do not have to be strong physically, mentally, and/or spiritually to begin training, but you will be after you find the courage to try.

Yes. The more family members enrolled, the less expensive it becomes per person. Contact Master Hotchkiss for more detailed information.