The Black Belt Academy Dunkirk studio is part of the Black Belt Academy Association, founded by Master Kyu Jin Shim, who brought Tae Kwon Do to Southern Maryland originally. The association is consisted of four schools in the Southern Maryland area. The first location, designated as the headquarters of Black Belt Academy, is in the Wildewood Shopping Center in St. Mary’s County. The second location is owned and operated by Master Won Hee Cho off Smallwood Drive in Waldorf in Charles County. Head instructor Kyle Webber manages the Black Belt Academy Prince Frederick location.
Predicting a demand for Tae Kwon Do in northern Calvert County, Master Low opened the latest studio, Black Belt Academy Dunkirk. It has been opened since August 2005. Head instructor/owner Master Jerry Low, along with the assistance from his lead instructor, Master Loredana Meyer, manage the day-to-day operations of the studio. Master Low and Master Meyer are both certified by the World Tae Kwon Do Federation with a combined martial arts experience of over 30 years.
The Tae Kwon Do program involves a full 1-hour class. The first half-hour consists of the opening ceremony, meditation and terminology, followed by warm up exercises, stretching, strength training and cardio drills, sit-ups, partner split stretching and pushups. Exercises are later followed up by board breaking techniques where each child has the opportunity to practice their foot and hand techniques. This is where they get to see how confident they are in their ability to break the boards, whose board sizes are based on age. The second half of classes are filled with punching, blocking, kicking, one-step sparring partner drills (where you learn to respond to an attack utilizing various self defense techniques), forms (individual movement with basic techniques in sequence of patterns), sparring drills which involve no contact, light contact to full contact matches, and the closing ceremony.
The Summer Camp program runs during the month of June/July with child drop-off in the morning and pick up in the evening. Classes include instruction in weapons training, games, cardio, flexibility and strength conditioning drills, martial arts tae kwon do training, field trips to various locations such as to the beach, to the roller skating rink, to Hyperspace, etc.
Movie Night is a Friday program where parents drop off the child for three (3) hours, 7:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. The kids will be playing games, take a brief martial arts instruction or weapons training, participate in pillow fights, show and tell, and go through obstacle courses until the premier of the movie where the kids get to enjoy a drink and popcorn until pick up time.
The Weapons Seminars are conducted on Saturdays, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Classes in nunchakus, long staff and short staff, short stick, knives, and swords are taught utilizing usually foam-padded weapons for kids and adults. Self-defense classes for children, ladies and men are also sometimes taught vice weapons training.
The Demo Team Program consists of students selected to participate in demonstration events and local tournaments. Class is held on Saturday 10:30-11:30 a.m. where students learn how to fall, roll, perform advance to extreme kicking techniques, various weapons, music forms, special self-defense techniques, special board breaking techniques and tournament sparring techniques.
Birthday party is where the child gets to be the “Black Belt and Instructor” for two hours on Saturday. Exercise drills, various games, limbo rock, twister, break the piñata, choo-choo train, balloon games, weapons instruction, board breaking, followed up by the birthday cake ceremony and gift ceremony are some of the exciting things that happen on the child’s special day. Birthdays are usually from 1-3p.m.
Yoga classes are held on Fridays, 9-10 a.m. and taught by instructor Satyam.
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