“In the short amount of time my son has been going here he has gained confidence, is doing better in school and is learning many new skills.”
-Keek M – “In the short amount of time my son has been going here he has gained confidence, is doing better in school and is learning many new skills.”
"I wish for little brother to be healthy and happy."
-Mark S -"I wish for little brother to be healthy and happy."
“I love Teakwondo. It taught my daughter a lot of things, and I love the fact that she has the best teacher, Master Woo. He is great with all the kids. And you can see he really loves his job.”
-Christina B –“I love Teakwondo. It taught my daughter a lot of things, and I love the fact that she has the best teacher, Master Woo. He is great with all the kids. And you can see he really loves his job.”
“Master Woo! You are hundreds of miles away and she still looks up to you. For that I am grateful for you. You have made her life so much better by bringing her the love of discipline and self-defense you are awesome!”
-Amanda H – “Master Woo! You are hundreds of miles away and she still looks up to you. For that I am grateful for you. You have made her life so much better by bringing her the love of discipline and self-defense you are awesome!”
"Everyone that has helped me in this journey!"
-Bill M -"Everyone that has helped me in this journey!"
"Thank you for being such a wonderful teacher, mentor and person to our kids."
- Kayla A -"Thank you for being such a wonderful teacher, mentor and person to our kids."
"We have so many wonderful memories of you."
-Marie E -"We have so many wonderful memories of you."
"They all have one huge in common that is how crazy they are about you!
-Nikki F -"They all have one huge in common that is how crazy they are about you!
"Five and a half years ago at the playground Keegan spotted a bunch of kids from a taekwondo summer camp. Curious as ever, he went over and talked to them and thus began our journey with taekwondo. Our family has been changed in countless positive ways by taekwondo. Most of the friends we've made after we moved were made through our involvement with taekwondo and now they're like family. My kids have learned lessons in perseverance, self-control, respect, kindness, hard work and resilience."
-Katrina D -"Five and a half years ago at the playground Keegan spotted a bunch of kids from a taekwondo summer camp. Curious as ever, he went over and talked to them and thus began our journey with taekwondo. Our family has been changed in countless positive ways by taekwondo. Most of the friends we've made after we moved were made through our involvement with taekwondo and now they're like family. My kids have learned lessons in perseverance, self-control, respect, kindness, hard work and resilience."
<Master Woo's Weekly Blog Every Thursday · Taekwondo & Life>
There is a truly remarkable student who trains at our dojang. It has already been well over two years since I began teaching her.
I still remember, vividly, the day she first reached out. She knew almost nothing about Taekwondo she simply gathered her courage and walked through our doors. At that time, she was already past 80 years old.
Yet her passion rivaled that of students half, even a quarter, her age. Whenever a movement was unclear or difficult, she would always ask for a video, watching it over and over at home until her body understood what her mind had already grasped. When New Jersey winters turn harsh, she heads down to Tennessee for warmer months and even there, she seeks out a local Taekwondo school to keep training. It has been a month or two since the weather warmed and she returned to us here in New Jersey.
These days, she faces some health challenges, and she can't attend class as often as she once did. But on the days she does come, she always gives everything she has.
I tell her often: "I respect you." I have practiced Taekwondo for many years myself, but watching her, I find myself hoping truly hoping that when I am past 80, I will still be standing on the mat in my dobok, just as she does today.
Martial arts are often seen as something reserved for the tough, the physically gifted, or the young a world children step into with ease. But once you go deeper, you discover that martial arts are far more than physical training. There is a mental depth to it, a discipline that quietly shapes how you live. And alongside that, your body grows stronger, and you find yourself enjoying every session, almost like play.
Watching her, I truly understand what it means when people say age is just a number. The moment you think it's too late may, in fact, be the best moment to begin. I sincerely hope that more seniors, more people who feel they've waited too long, will find the courage to walk through a dojang's doors just as she did.