In an era where names such as "McDojo", and "Belt Factory" have become names for some martial arts schools, I think it is more important than ever that Instructors and schools lead by example with... More

In an era where names such as "McDojo", and "Belt Factory" have become names for some martial arts schools, I think it is more important than ever that Instructors and schools lead by example with integrity. I belong to a group of martial artists that believe... the business of martial arts is to make a difference; that the purist of genuine mastery is more important than clever marketing; and that real self-defense is more than just technique. Where did we learn this from? Grand Master Richard Na. My affiliate students and I at our Arizona, Illinois and Wisconsin locations are proud to call him our teacher, mentor and role model. Actions speak louder than words and Master Na's example earns our ongoing respect and admiration. For those wise enough to do your due dilligence, you will be glad you did.
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In an era where names such as "McDojo", and "Belt Factory" have become names for some martial arts schools, I think it is more important than ever that Instructors and schools lead by example with... More

In an era where names such as "McDojo", and "Belt Factory" have become names for some martial arts schools, I think it is more important than ever that Instructors and schools lead by example with integrity. I belong to a group of martial artists that believe... the business of martial arts is to make a difference; that the purist of genuine mastery is more important than clever marketing; and that real self-defense is more than just technique. Where did we learn this from? Grand Master Richard Na. My affiliate students and I at our Arizona, Illinois and Wisconsin locations are proud to call him our teacher, mentor and role model. Actions speak louder than words and Master Na's example earns our ongoing respect and admiration.
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A few years ago I had rated Master Na's Black Belt Academy a 4 out of 5. At the time I considered it a great school but because they were going through a significant transition, I rated it down by... More

A few years ago I had rated Master Na's Black Belt Academy a 4 out of 5. At the time I considered it a great school but because they were going through a significant transition, I rated it down by one star though, Master Na is the best instructor I have trained under in the past 27 years. He let go of another school and has focused solely on the Lacey Dojang, and is teaching nearly every class. This bumps up the rating to a 5. In terms of the certificate, every student who tests for 1st Dan has the option of which certificate to attain. I am sure if this past student had taken a mature approach and contacted Master Na directly rather than to choose a passive-aggressive approach and slander him and his organization everything could have been worked out.
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Good: We had to move because of economics, my son had to join another dojo, he came in as a star performer all because of Master Na's training! He had no problems what so ever with his credentials... More

Good: We had to move because of economics, my son had to join another dojo, he came in as a star performer all because of Master Na's training! He had no problems what so ever with his credentials as being a student of Master Na's. I only wish Master Na could have been there to see their mouths drop open when he showed how good he is to this dojo! The best instructor ever!.
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I have been watching what people are writing on this forum about the school for some time now. This chronic unprecedented slander, whether being carried out by a group or an individual. You insist... More

I have been watching what people are writing on this forum about the school for some time now. This chronic unprecedented slander, whether being carried out by a group or an individual. You insist on having the last word even though you made your point of view on this subject countless times. You don't want to read what is positive but let out all your hate out on our school (and I don't think its very healthy). Because of your personality you probably are going to continue slandering the school, or slander me for what I have said. Your supposition was somewhat true many years ago. That was then this is now. We are stronger and thriving despite your continued attempts. For me personally, I have learned so much from Master Na. Grand Master Na has changed my life tremendously from who and how I once was. He has given me the space I needed to mature and grow. I have obtained self respect, responsibility, and qualities of a true black belt I once could have only dreamed of having. I have earned and have my kukkiwon certificate in-hand. Oh and yes it is real. But you only hear what you want to hear. Master Na has contributed to the lives of hundreds of children with similar testimonies. That is quite a resume. I hope you forum critics do something rather than talk, and go out and and do something for your community. You act as though you are all knowing about taekwondo, what makes a master and the taekwondo federations. Reveal your credentials, we both know that you can not. For prospecting students looking to improve there life skills I highly recommend our school. Come in and visit the school, you won't be disappointed. In closing I bow to my master, my mentor, Grand Master Na. respectfully: Mr Cristina
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The negative postings in this thread regarding Master Na's Black Belt Academy truly shock me. As a current student of Master Na's and a former student of other Martial Arts forms, let me reassure... More

The negative postings in this thread regarding Master Na's Black Belt Academy truly shock me. As a current student of Master Na's and a former student of other Martial Arts forms, let me reassure anyone who is considering enrolling themselves and/or their children, that Master Na's is THE BEST place to learn true Korean and Olympic Style Tae Kwon Do and Hapkido. I enrolled both of my young daughters and myself at Master Na's after visiting several other schools in our area (you know the one's, with big ads in the Yellow Pages). We took a class at two of them. But after visiting Master Na's school and having an introductory class with him, my girls and I were most comfortable with his school. He is able to articulate what he is teaching so well that he almost wouldn't even need to demonstrate the technique (if you have ever had a tough-to-articulate professor in college, you know how important articulating what you are teaching is!). But then he does demonstrate the technique, and you're left almost in awe as to how amazing and graceful his technique is. He is most incredible with young children. Each child in his school respects Master Na and bonds with him quickly. It is very important to my little girls that Master Na is appreciative of their efforts and accomplishments. This to me shows a very pure respect for Master Na by my own children. As for adults, he has the ability to focus on our core abilities while fine tuning our basic mechanics. Looking back on my earlier training in other Martial Arts, I have to admit I don't remember ever leaving a dojo with as good of a workout and as solid of a training session as I have at Master Na's. I can only speak for myself when I mention this intense training, BUT YOU GET OUT OF TRAINING WHAT YOU PUT INTO IT! As far as the curriculum is concerned, it is put together by Master Na himself, structured from the root of Tae Kwon Do training. Master Na comes from a long line of extremely accomplished teachers and he is blessed with the ability to pass this knowledge to us. Now I have to turn this posting towards the negative postings made on here earlier, and I want to tell you now, it's made me personally a little upset: The argument, if there even is one, about ITMA and WTF. First of all, let me assure everyone, I have seen and held the WTF certificates that Master Na has issued to his students, and YES! they are REAL, they have ID numbers, and they ARE recognized by the WTF! Why!? Because they are WTF! To John D, Yun and Jack: Are you three people really so ignorant that you didn't realize that Master Na's school is certified by the WTF also? Do you not realize that your new school is actually LESS distinguished than Master Na's for charging you $$$ to retake your tests?? (yes, that IS their only motivation, think about it...) And just because you chose to certify with ITMA rather than the WTF (which by the way, you can still go back to Master Na and register WTF) doesn't mean ANYTHING! You decided to register with ITMA...good! It is a prestigious federation that was founded by Master Na himself! He has 3500 black belts under HIS OWN organization! Yet you three people, John D., Yun and Jack, feel like you have the experience to say these certificates are fake. Well, if they are so fake, then why don't you tell that to Mr. Chuck Norris! Yes, Chuck Norris recognizes the ITMA 6th degree black belt Steve Nottingham (oh, here is the link, scroll down near the bottom and there you go!) So are you going to tell me that these other "good schools" that you are at now are more prestigious and 'right' in their opinion that the ITMA certificate is fake than Chuck Norris and his opinion? Get Real! It amazes me that these three people think that they can slander a man who has devoted his entire life to Tae Kwon Do and Hapkido and has chosen to, since 1980, pass this knowledge on to others. Tell me, what knowledge and mastery have you three dedicated your life to, taught, inspired and passed down daily for the past 28 years straight?? Tell you what, how about you three, John, Yun and Jack, focus on what's important in your own life, instead of, for whatever evil reasons you have, trying to put a bad name on a good man. Master Na's integrity and good intentions have my personal 100% confidence. Your integrity, however, I have concerns about... To anyone who is searching for the best school for themselves or their family, you owe it to yourself to train at Master Na's. It will be a decision you will be happy you made! :) Shaun Goodman President of Vantage Communications, and Student of Master Na's Black Belt Academy
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My son David has been enrolled in this school for almost a year. I have 7 kids David being the youngest, he is 13 my son could have chosen to go down the wrong road in life, he has ADHD, was failing... More

My son David has been enrolled in this school for almost a year. I have 7 kids David being the youngest, he is 13 my son could have chosen to go down the wrong road in life, he has ADHD, was failing in school all F's, and was very much into trying to fit in, mostly with the wrong group of people. Since being a student at Master Na's school David is a straight A student in his studies, His self esteem is the highest you can get for a young man,and I do not use the term of young man lightly. this school has not only taught him the art of martial arts, but most importantly,has taught him respect for others, self control, how to be the best he can be, and most of all respect for himself!! This school has never broken any promises to my son or to us as parents Master Na and his instructors have been very professional in every way! I really feel these people that have written such bad reviews should have stayed in a little longer because the school does teach that the world is not a perfect place to live in but with self discipline and self respect we can all make it better! It is what you put into it! Oh and yes I have had another child that was in martial arts when he was Davids age this school was located on the west side of Olympia, it taught him the skills of the art but never the inter skills he needed to have for a long and self disciplined life, he died at age 20! Janie Marquiss
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Ok, regarding the Certificate Debate, Mr, Nottingham, if the ITMA is such a prestigious certificate that is highly respected, why doesn't anyone else recognize it? It doesn't make any sense to me.... More

Ok, regarding the Certificate Debate, Mr, Nottingham, if the ITMA is such a prestigious certificate that is highly respected, why doesn't anyone else recognize it? It doesn't make any sense to me. WTF is a prestigious certificate and schools around the globe accept it, and if the ITMA is just as great, why wont they recognize it? But other than this certificate debate, MASTER NA, you say that i learned nothing from my training? Well let me reassure you, I learned ALOT. All those talks about being respectful, hard working, honesty, having integrity and to persevere when things get tough, I believe in it all. And when you weren't any of these things, I saw it all. Let me give you some examples. 1. You make promises you can never keep. How is that in any way professional as a business owner? You know what we students talk about when it comes to you? When you say your going to be in to teach us on Tuesdays or Wednesdays or whatever days, and you don't show up, your pathetic instructor comes up with lame excuses of why your presence is at absence. And the sad part is, all the students are lose respect for you every time you do this. And since you know better than anyone else how many times you've pulled this stupid stunt, you can take a guess at where our level of respect for you now lies. 2. You say that the whole point of training is not the achievement of rank, but how I mature and grow as a person through martial arts. Let me start by saying, you went to college and you have achieved your Bachelors and Masters degree in Psychology. Now, if all the tuition, the cost of books, and many sleep-deprived weeks from finals and midterms and the hardships you endeavored through, just to discover that your degree was worthless, and no one would accepted it, and basically said to your face, "this peice of paper is crap and I cannot accept you and your profession." If you went back to the university to complain, and they blow you off and tells you that its the knowledge and experience you gain and the growth of character through your college experience, is more important than a stupid peice of paper like a Masters degree, would you HONESTLY say that you would be ok with that? OF COURSE NOT! YOU WOULD BE A DAMN FOOL IF YOU DID! When we signed up for your program, you told us that your certificates are recognized nationwide, but that was a lie. Because no one will recognize it. A certificate is a symbol of hard work and achievement. Your certificate doesn't mean any of that. They LAUGH at it MASTER NA. They laugh at you, your organization, and they feel sorry for me because I was such a fool to believe you. You say I don't deserve to be a Black belt. Your probably right, because with the say you run your schools and classes, I probably don't deserve to be a yellow belt. And let me be the first to say to YOU, master na, YOU DONT DESERVE TO BE A MASTER. TO STEVE B. AND MR NOTTINGHAM I understand your need to step up and defend master na. But with all due respect, my (and many others) issue with him has absolutely nothing to do with you. Unless you were a former student of his and went into a (illegal) 3 year contract, BUTT OUT. A relationship between Master-to-Master is phenomenally different from Master-to-Student. Mr. Nottingham, I cant say anything about your schools or your instructor or even you as a master because i don't know you or have ever been to your classes. In fact, you may be a GREAT master who doesn't lie to or mislead his own students. But you do not understand or even begin to comprehend the experience Master Na has given us. Being lied to over and over again about many things really hurts, especially when its from someone you used to respect at such a high level. When he walks in through the doors, al the students go, "OH MY GOD! ITS MASTER NA! MASTER NA'S HERE! MASTER NA'S HERE!" It was like as if santa showed up on christmas morning to deliver his presents personally. Yes, master na has such an amazing character. He's charismatic, charming, has a way with students and children, and can give great advise, and when he teaches class, everyones happy because he has GREAT classes. BUT, instead of being a great master that he is, he chooses to use his title as "Master" try to empty out our wallets with scams. and THATS the biggest problem i have with the man. Master Na, i remember one thing you told me. that a relationship between a master and student is sacred and deep. well, that relationship i had with you has been destroyed by your own doings. The intensity of raw human emotion is absoutly phenomenal when you discover that your role model has been scamming you for 4 year.
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Dear concerned students: I regret to inform you that based on your reports here, it seems that you have fallen prey to an unscrupulous encounter. You have been mislead to believe your... More

Dear concerned students: I regret to inform you that based on your reports here, it seems that you have fallen prey to an unscrupulous encounter. You have been mislead to believe your certificate is “fake”, while the truth is you have one of the more prestigious and harder-won certificates in the martial arts community. Sadly, some less than upfront school owners use this ploy to convince unwitting students to pay again, start over, and/or retest to obtain more money from them. I would appreciate it if you would provide the names of your new instructors who made these claims to you. I would like to contact them to set the record straight. I am confident that once they have the facts that they will revise their position and advise you differently. Any professional and responsible instructor accepting a new student will contact the certifying body and speak directly with the issuing organization and instructor to learn more about the student, comparable standards and so on. In my view, it is not only professional, but what a caring instructor with your best interest at heart would do. It is apparent from your claims here that your new instructor did not bother to contact Master Na or the ITMA. Master Na and the ITMA Masters, of which I am proudly a part, are highly distinguished, experienced and respected members of the martial arts community. ITMA Masters, Black Belts and members include attorneys, military, bodyguards, university professors, successful business executives, humanitarians and more. Just take a look at the “Break The Chain Foundation” at www.breakathon.com, an organization created by members of the ITMA. Regarding competition, ITMA Masters have had competitors and champions at local, State, National and International competitions and can document these claims with our readily available public records. In fact, my students recently competed in International competition in Korea without restriction as ITMA affiliates. I assure you that none of these Masters would risk their reputations and careers by affiliating with a “fake” or less than stellar organization. The ITMA has a proud reputation for high standards, accountability and thorough documentation. Should you have any questions, I would be happy to provide you with resources, professional organizations and legitimate professionals with respected reputations to assist your efforts. In time, with some basic research, I am confident that you will find the facts. We are committed to our ongoing efforts to raise the quality, integrity and standards of the martial arts industry of which we all love and cherish. My hope is that, with more accurate information, you can open a dialog with Master Na and begin to heal your relationship with the person with whom you invested years of training. I am confident that he can guide you to a more reputable school and instructor who will not only recognize your certificate but respect your hard work and individual goals. Personally, my experience with Master Na’s Black Belt Academy and Master Na has been remarkable. I have met thousands of Masters, Black Belts and instructors over the 20 plus years of my Martial Arts career. Having had the honor of training with many of the “greats”, along with numerous Masters in the US, China and Korea, I am proud to say that Master Na is among those whom I hold the highest respect and admiration. I have had the honor of attending Master Na’s Black Belt testing in Washington. Sitting on a Black Belt promotion panel along with former members of the Korean Tiger Demo Team and many other distinguished Masters, I have seen the quality of the Masters, Black Belts and students Master Na produces. He clearly provides far more value in the ITMA certification than any other organization I have found. Furthermore, the WTF certificate option still exists as a service to members. I searched for an organization that shared my goals, values and beliefs for many years, finally finding the ITMA and Master Na through a colleague I met through bodyguard training. I am a proud affiliate of the ITMA and a student of Master Na for many reasons. I have personally witnessed Master Na reinvesting into the TKD and Martial Arts community, working tirelessly to be a force for unification, professionalism and integrity. Master Na’s contributions to the martial arts and his leadership are clearly established, including being featured on the cover of TaeKwonDo Times magazine. Master Na brought the internationally recognized Eagle demonstration team on a tour of the US, introducing students to TKD and Korean culture. He conducts numerous seminars for member schools and has always been encouraging, positive and wise. I have seen him to be a caring teacher, maintain an active role with students, mentor instructors and selflessly give of himself. I have also witnessed his love and devotion to family, along with his dedication to charity and mission work. Speaking from personal experience as the owner of multiple locations in Arizona, I have had the opportunity for Master Na to conduct seminars and events for my students. Each time he has visited, the overwhelming response from my students is the same. They love and respect him and we look forward to each opportunity to learn from someone of his education, experience, caliber and character. Considering we have had Olympians, world champions and many others teach at our school, this is a high compliment. As far as I am concerned, a certificate, contract or any other document is only as good as the person behind it. I can think of no better person than Master Na and the Masters of the ITMA. Students ranging from white belt to Master would be privileged to train with Master Na. The world could use more exceptional people like him. I can only hope that your remarks on this blog do not dampen the spirit of a person thousands of us have come to love and respect. With respect and humility, John D. Nottingham USA-MartialArts.com ScottsdaleKarate.com
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Master Na is an excellent instructor. I would rate nothing perfect. There are no perfect people, no perfect academy's. I will say right off the bat, that though I try to be objective about... More

Master Na is an excellent instructor. I would rate nothing perfect. There are no perfect people, no perfect academy's. I will say right off the bat, that though I try to be objective about everything, I am biased in favor of Master Na and his academy. Last year I made the decision for my school to become an affiliated academy of Master Na's. The main reason is that he is a great instructor, a great mentor, a good motivator of people, especially children, and has an excellent curriculum to follow. Yes, he is a businessman, and not ashamed to benefit financially from his 4 decades as a practitioner and instructor. He still charges less than many other schools do across the nation. In regards to comments about a "fake" certificate I must take exception to this. What qualifies a student as a black belt is a few or several years of training and going in front of a board of instructors and masters who then put their signature on a form stating that the student has performed to a satisfactory level the techniques and attitude of a black belt. The certificate is a piece of paper which is a symbol of the achievement. I recently had 8 of my students test for black belt under Master Na. Each one of them asked me which certificate they should go for. I tried my best to be honest with them about the ramifications of their decision. 1) go with the ITMA certificate, the advantages: a) you receive the certificate right away and do not have to wait for it. b) it supports the organization which you are a part of c) many schools, even if they are outside the organization would recognize it, d)it is less expensive than the WTF Kukkiwon certificate. Potential disadvantages: some schools you may go to may not recognize the certificate. I went on to add that there are instructors at WTF schools that would still make you start over even if you have a WTF certificate, because in their arrogance they do not believe a black belt is legitimate unless they personally handed it out. WTF Kukkiwon certificate: advantages: it may be recognized at more schools around the world than the ITMA certificate. Disadvantages: a) it is more expensive, b)it takes longer to get and you will not be able to receive a certificate at your promotion ceremony c)It supports a Korean organization that really has never and will do absolutely nothing to benefit you. d) it supports an organization that has been rotten to the core with corruption, in fact the long term president of the WTF, was CONVICTED of embezzling millions of dollars of money from WTF funds and sent to prison for doing so. The fact is I have trained long enough to remember when the Koreans had a stranglehold over the political structure of Tae Kwon Do in America. These individuals were often very corrupt, stealing money from the organization, and also put on events with absolutely no accountability. In addition, the racist, good old boy network was strongly in place. If you were not Korean, forget about being promoted to Master level. Thankfully, this is no longer the case. Americans now have control of the political structure of TKD in the states. Because of this the WTF certificate is no longer quite the necessary piece of paper that it once was. I believe you can compete at tournaments without it. I am sure they will not turn away the exorbitant fees of $80 or more to enter the tournament. Master Na a number of years ago made the decision to not to continue to blindly support an organization that just continues to take and really does not benefit students. In fact Koreans (even living outside Korea) are charged a very nominal fee for their Dan certificates. Everyone else has to pay a lot more. This is why he developed an organization to award certification to students while saving them money. In fact, in some ways, it really is more legitimate than the Kukkiwon certificate because the organization that awarded it has masters sitting on the promotion board doing the testing. The kukkiwon just takes the fee and hands out a piece of paper. Believe me, I have had students come to my academy after recently achieving their WTF 1st Dan at other academies, I can tell you honestly that often their technique was worse than my green belts. Your child does not have a fake black belt or a fake certificate. Anyone that will tell you this is arrogant. If students come to my academy from another organization I allow them to keep their kup and belt level. Granted they may have to wait a while before testing again. However I am not going to take away what they have earned. To do so would be arrogant and a complete disservice to the student. One other point, the WTF certificate would probably have still been an option for these students who had received their ITMA certificate. They probably did not bother to check with Master Na to see if they could pay the balance and receive it. The internet can be a hell of place. Students leave academy's and instructors for a variety of reasons. Maybe they were kicked out for causing trouble and want to take revenge on the instructor. They can do so anonymously with no accountability. They attempt to trash a person's reputation without leaving the person any recourse. Master Na is right, that cowardly and is not the attitude of a black belt. They should have gone to him, explained the situation and tried to work it out.
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