New Tae Kwon Do studio
teaches respect through sport

By Heidi Roman
C & G Staff Writer

CLINTON TOWNSHIP — A skilled Tae Kwon Do student’s body can be a dangerous weapon, but a true master of the martial art knows to never use that weapon to harm someone.

At Tiger Chung’s Tae Kwon Do studio in Clinton Township, students learn discipline and respect, and how to defend themselves without violence. They learn modesty through self-confidence.

The school just recently moved from its St. Clair Shores location, where it had been for 10 years, in search of a more spacious training area on Gratiot Avenue.

“It was time to move,” said Master Thornton Kelly Sr., a Clinton Township resident. “We’ve been around for a long time.”

The school was founded by Grand Master Ho Yung Chung, who first came to the United States from Korea in 1971. Kelly started training at his first school in Detroit right away.

Chung is a ninth-degree black belt and has more than 50 years of experience. He’s broken world records for cement block breaking and has won heavy weight championships.

“I’m old now and retired,” Chung said. “Sometimes I come in here to help.”

He still trains advanced black belts.

Tae Kwon Do students can train differently depending on what they’re trying to achieve. Some train for the sport and competition, while others just want the physical benefits. Tiger Chung’s also teaches self-defense techniques.

“Tae Kwon Do originates in Korea,” Kelly said. “It was 4,000 years or so ago that this art started.”

Tiger Chung’s Lil’ Tigers class teaches students ages 4-7 about discipline and respecting adults. It’s also educational, since students learn to speak, count and understand some commands in Korean.

The younger students learn about non-violent conflict resolution, and to never use their skills to harm others.

“It’s not about fighting,” Kelly said. “No Tae Kwon Do (student) would willingly fight or argue.”

Kelly said students of Tae Kwon Do are actually less likely to fight than some of their peers may be.

“They can walk away from a fight because they don’t have to prove anything,” he said. “They’ve already proven their abilities here, and they know what they can do.”

Students are taught how to avoid dangerous situations, but know how to defend themselves in a problem they can’t escape. The Lil’ Tigers will role play to act out scenarios where they have to act quickly.

“But they turn around and help (their opponent) back up,” Kelly said.

Students can start even before kindergarten, and Tiger Chung’s trained one student who started at the age of 73. Lots of students train together with family members.

“We’re a lot more family oriented than other schools,” Kelly said. “We have fathers and sons or mothers and fathers training together.”

St. Clair Shores resident Phillip Cox Jr. tries to keep up with his 5-year-old son, Phillip Cox III.

“If I had the recovery of a 5-year-old, I’d do better,” the father said. “He goes to the Lil’ Tigers class and my wife and oldest son are in the adult class.”

Cox said a child psychologist recommended Tae Kwon Do as a way to encourage discipline and focus, and the parents were interested in the physical benefits of the art. The family has been training at Tiger Chung’s for three weeks.

“I can see him (the youngest son) forming up at home,” Cox said.

Tiger Chung’s Tae Kwon Do studio is located at 36543 Gratiot Avenue in Clinton Township, south of Metropolitan Parkway. For more information call (586) 778-1505 or visit www.tigerchungs.com.

You can reach Staff Writer Heidi Roman at hroman@candgnews.com or at (586) 218-5006.