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What People are Saying
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Introductory Special!!
Martial arts is a fun and beneficial sport among our children here in north Texas.  Our students tell us they are having great fun in class and they are learning to succeed. Our program inspires students to show more respect, develops self discipline & self control and it is all wrapped in fun.  We take great pride in the quality of student we produce. Right now our current Introductory Special is $75, which includes one month of classes, a full uniform and belt!  We accept enrollment and payment by telephone as well as in person.  This is a great way for your loved one to enjoy physical activity inside a safe & comfortable martial arts school which is inside Parkside Recreation Center at 301 N Lillis Lane, Denison; just behind CVS Pharmacy. The Recreation Center also has an indoor track, weight room, game room and basketball court available! Class options for students (ages 5-14) include:  Monday 4:45 and Thursday 6:15 You will find we have no down payments and no surprise fees plus we have reasonable rates.  We feel sure you will be pleased in many ways.  Our students gain many physical and mental skills that will serve them well for life! Thank you for taking an interest in Denison Family Karate Center. We work toward BUILDING A BRIGHTER FUTURE FOR YOUR CHILD Mr. & Mrs. Perez    * Introductory special is for new students only with enrollment fees waived. Click our Facebook link below...
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Credentials:
Grand Master Sam Perez
Mr. Perez began his martial arts instruction in the 1970's while servi...
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Words of the Week:
I Am Somebody
I am somebody.  I am responsible for my behavior, the results of...
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Know your roots:
The Origin of Tae Kwon Do
In 1956 a South Korean named Jhoon Rhee arrived in Texas and introdu...
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Contact Info
   
301 N Lillis Lane
Denison TX 75020
at the Parkside Recreation Center PO Box 1583
Denison TX 75021
Phone: 903 465 2227
Text: 903 465 2227
Private message us on Facebook Sam Perez, Chief Instructor
8th Degree Black Belt
With more than 30 years as a karate instructor, Mr Perez is a 8th degree black belt in American Tae Kwon Do. He received the 2004 award of "Instructor of the year" from A-kaTo, a credible five state Tae Kwon Do organization.
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Grand Master Sam Perez
Mr. Perez began his martial arts instruction in the 1970's while serving in the United States Marine Corp. He has attained mastery in American Tae Kwon Do. He has much knowledge in other styles including Kobudu, Aikido, Aki Ju Jitsu, Krav Maga, Judo, Kenpo, and Military Hand-To-Hand combat.

Mr. Perez achieved his first degree black belt in the 1980's He continues his direction under Grandmaster Keith Yates, a nationally recognized leader in the martial arts and founder of the American Karate and Tae Kwon Do Organization (A-KaTo  click patch link above). Mr. Perez is at the level of 8th degree Black belt in Tae Kwon Do which carries the title of Grand Master and a 1st degree Black belt in Kobudo (weaponry).

Mr. Perez has taught children and adults alike since the 1980's and has been a karate school owner in Denison, Texas since 1984.

The Origin of Tae Kwon Do

In 1956 a South Korean named Jhoon Rhee arrived in Texas and introduced America to the Korean martial arts.  He taught the style Tang Soo Do.  Since no one in this country had ever heard of the Korean arts, Mr. Rhee used the more popular name Karate.  Mr. Rhee soon started using the term Tae Kwon Do.  In 1962 he moved to Washington D.C.  GrandMaster Rhee continues to teach and is recognized as the " Father of American Tae Kwon Do."


GrandMaster Rhee's first American black belt was a Texan named Allen R. Steen who built the Lone Star state into one of the first strongholds of Karate in the U.S.A.  Steen opened the first Karate school in Texas in 1962 in Dallas.  Mr. Steen's reputation as a champion and instructor of champions in the 1960's and 70's was rivaled only by California's Chuck Norris (whom Steen defeated to earn the 1966 International Karate Championships).  Steen, Norris, and other pioneers of the American Karate took bits and pieces of different styles and molded them into a uniquely American system of martial art. 


Martial Arts History:


While there are many accounts of the history of the martial arts, they are often biased in favor of the particular style of the author.  Although Korea has a long history of martial art practice, as do other Asian nations, Tae Kwon Do is actually a style created in the 1950's after the Korean War.  China is usually considered the birthplace of the martial arts. An Indian Buddhist monk named Bodhidharma is said to have traveled to China around 525 A.D.  Traveling monks introduced their methods into other countries. 


Karate History:


Okinawa, a group of islands off the coast of Japan, is where Karate was born in the 17th century under the influence of Chinese monks.  The fighting arts were originally known as "Okinawa Te" or "hand" but soon become known as "China-hand" or "kara-te."  Some Okinawan schools added the use of farm implements as weapons since the government had outlawed the use of swords and knives.  So, the sai, nunchaku, and bo became part of the Okinawan curriculum, today called "kobudo."


About 1300 years ago the Hwa Rang warriors of Korea developed an unarmed fighting art known as Subak and later, Taekyon.  In 1910 Japan overran Korea and outlawed Korean customs and martial arts.  By the end of World War II Korea was liberated from the Japanese occupation by the USA and her Allies.  Thousands came back home to openly practice both the traditional Korean systems and the other Asian styles.


Tae Kwon Do History:


In 1955 the leading masters met to try and unify the many schools under one name.  Korean army general Choi Hong Hi (pronounced chay) suggested the name Tae Kwon Do (the "way of kicking and punching") and it was eventually accepted by many Korean teachers, including Jhoon Rhee.  General Choi Hong Hi made up the first Tae Kwon Do training patterns or hyungs, also known by the Japanese term, kata.


American Karate and Tae Kwon Do Organization:


By 1976 GrandMaster Allen Steen retired from teaching the martial arts.  One of Mr. Steen's original black belts, Mr. Keith Yates, formed the Southwest Tae Kwon Do Association (after Mr. Steen's original organization called the Southwest Karate Black Belt Association).  Because the group had grown to include several styles and schools in several states, Mr. Yates changed the name of the association to the American Karate and Tae Kwon Do Organization (A-KaTo).  Today the organization has three main purposes:




    • To promote quality education of American martial artists
    • To promote high professional standards for schools and instructors
    • To cultivate friendship and mutual understanding between American martial artists

Instructors and schools within the A-KaTo maintain an eclectic but traditional approach to American Karate and American Tae Kwon Do. Keeping the emphasis on the ''art'' of the martial arts, this approach also incorporates techniques from several other styles such as aiki-ju-jutsu and kobudo. In fact, A-KaTo instructors can earn their black belt ranking in these two systems as well.


Reprinted with permission (condensed) www.a-kato.org