Karate Master Joel Waldron opened the in Manchester more than sixteen years ago. His school has become one of the most successful martial arts schools east of the river, while his approach may be somewhat unusual because his students do not compete in tournaments. Waldron’s belief is that in the martial arts nobody loses.
Timothy Becker: Joel, what is your official title?
Joel Waldron: My title is Sungsahnim, which means teacher and mentor in Korean.
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Timothy Becker: How long have you been studying martial arts and what designations do you hold?
Joel Waldron: I have been studying for over 35 years. I have a 6th degree Black Belt in Taekwondo, 6th degree in Dae Han Moo Do and 4th degree in Hapkido. I am professor of Martial Arts Studies at Manchester Community College. I am also a consultant to Manchester High School for the Bully Buster program.
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Timothy Becker: What character education do you teach in addition to self-defense techniques?
Joel Waldron: Martial arts without a code of conduct is just fighting. We teach a character development curriculum. We teach students how to focus and almost always students’ grades go up. That is why our school is named the Academy of Martial Arts and Personal Development.
Timothy Becker: Has your school won many championships?
Joel Waldron: We don’t focus on championships. It’s not about winning over others; it’s about winning personally.
Timothy Becker: What is the philosophy of your school?
Joel Waldron: Nobody sits on the bench. Everyone can do martial arts. It’s a personal growth journey based on the individual. I want my students to be able to defend themselves no matter how they are attacked. Every one of our instructors is a Black Belt. We teach how to hit that won’t hurt you.
Timothy Becker: What did you cover during your recent program on at Manchester Memorial Hospital?
Joel Waldron: The program was 50 percent about parenting for success, 25 percent about character building activities and 25 percent about what to do about bullying. My belief is that schools are not doing a good job stopping bullying. They ignore the problem in order to protect their reputation.
A parent can do something about bullying by the way they raise their child. We treat students as people rather than children. By teaching children to have confidence, that they have personal power, how to make choices and set healthy boundaries, how to say no to negative peer pressure, it will reduce the chances of their being bullied.
Timothy Becker: What other classes do you offer in addition to Martial Arts?
Joel Waldron: We were the first in Connecticut to offer Cardio Kick Boxing in 1997. It is 80 percent aerobic exercise and 20 percent martial arts. You will burn about 800 calories an hour doing Cardio Kick Boxing. The age group for this class is 16 years old and up.
We also offer Tai Chi – Gentle Dō, which is a low impact exercise that focuses on mental acuity, balance and muscle tone.
Timothy Becker: What are you thoughts regarding the of mixed martial arts?
Joel Waldron: I believe that it will be legalized because it will be taxed. It is just cage fighting, it is not martial arts. It’s all about winning. Our philosophy is all about winning personally. When you win personally, everybody wins. In the martial arts nobody loses.
Timothy Becker: What advice would you give to parents who are considering enrolling their children in a martial arts school?
Joel Waldron: Don’t pick a school that is convenient or is the cheapest. Watch a real class in person and get a feel for the teaching style. Look for an instructor that speaks motivationally and builds a student up, but also has a very structured class.
