Waldorf Maryland Martial Arts and Fitness

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Our Taekwon-Do Competition Team, The Waldorf Martial Arts Dragons, Needs Contributions To Raise Funds To Help Offset The CO$T Of Travel To The 2025 AAU Taekwondo National Championship In Salt Lake City, Utah This July!!

YOU CAN HELP ENSURE THIS FUNDRAISING EVENT’S SUCCESS BY PURCHASING AN ITEM ONLINE! HERE’S HOW:

1. Go to http://fundraisingshoppingcart.com/

2. Enter the following Seller’s Online ID- 00205746

3. SHOP!!

PS: Please share with your social media friends. THANKS A BUNCH!

The Journey begins! My journey began in January 1977, in Louisville Kentucky at the University of Louisville.  A professor there started a Taekwon-Do club on campus and a close friend of mine since childhood persuaded me to give it a try with him and his brother.  I in turn persuaded another childhood friend to begin.  So now there were 4 of us learning this strange new art of self-defense from Dr. James Brockway, a 2^nd Degree Black Belt at the time.  Dr. Brockway was a direct student of Grandmaster In Mook Kim; a recognized “pioneer” of Taekwon-Do and the founder of our national organization, the American Chungdokwan Taekwondo Association (ACTA).

While I did not start training until I was 21, I quickly saw the significance Taekwon-Do began to play in my life. Not just the training, but the philosophy as well. If you can picture a group of 4 childhood friends, sitting down on a guardrail behind a 7-11, drinking PBR after a grueling workout in July, in a gym with no A/C, debating about what indomitable spirit was, or what integrity encompassed, or any of the many other ethical issues and consequences of being a martial artist our instructor covered at the end of that particular class; that’s what transformed 4 young adults into lifelong practitioners and instructors of Taekwon-Do. Philosophy. A moral compass.  A set of core values.  A way of life.  

The Journey Takes a Turn! Shortly after receiving my 1st degree Black Belt from the ACTA in August 1979, I received an offer to work for the Federal Government in DC. So, I moved to Maryland. There were no Taekwondo schools near me, so I trained on my own in my apartment after work. To my surprise, I found out a colleague who worked in my branch also studied a Japanese martial art called Shuto Kahn. He invited me to come train at his dojo. I accepted his invitation, and that’s where I met my future wife, Debbie. We began training together and, to make a long story short, started dating (that began as an excuse for a black eye I accidentally gave her!) and eventually we married in 1982.

Once married, we moved to a different area in Maryland where we happened on to a “Korean Karate” Do-Jang. We walked in to find a short, quite muscular Korean 7th Dan Master. He convinced us to join. So, Debbie and I began our study of Tang Soo Do. Debbie, at that time was a brown belt, only because her Shuto Kahn instructor did not award Black Belts to women.  Even though she had trained with him since 1974! So, she was given a white belt. And I was allowed to wear my Black Belt, but I had to start over learning the techniques and forms of the style while testing every 3 months until I earned the privilege of testing for my 1st Degree again. Meanwhile, my 3 childhood friends back in Kentucky were now 2nd degrees, training for their upcoming 3rd degree exam.

Changing styles in many ways is frustrating. But it is also rewarding. I learned many new things like Korean commands and terminology that my Taekwon-Do instructor didn’t use. This school was rough, with no philosophy sessions. Just a lot of hard, exhausting training and street-style free sparring. (We had no sparring gear back then.)  But I came away with an entirely new level of self-confidence and skill!

Kung Fu Fighting!! Again, to make a long story short, Debbie and I eventually both got our Midnight Blue Belts (the equivalent of a Taekwondo Black Belt). But then we decided to move once again to another county in Maryland, Charles County, where we continue to live to this day. There, we began our study of Kung Fu and Tai Chi. We loved it. But again, we had to start over.

My friends in Kentucky we’re now 3rd Degrees, training for their  4^th Degree Junior Master Rank. I kept in close contact with them throughout those years, often visiting and training with them. But in their eyes, I was still a 1st degree in Taekwondo. They would light-heartedly kid me about my Kung Fu, with no disrespect intended. And I would just shake it off because I was learning techniques and Chinese weapons that they had never been exposed to. Deb and I received our Black Sash in 1986.

Our own School-  Back to the Future!
In 1987, I got a phone call from a friend in Maryland asking me to teach a Karate course through Charles County Parks and Recreation. At the same time, my closest friend, who had moved from Louisville to Iowa to take over Grandmaster In Mook Kim’s school, was encouraging me to start my own Taekwon-Do club. He said he would talk to Grandmaster Kim about my starting a club in Maryland.  Mr. Kim agreed, so Debbie and I again began training in Chungdokwan Taekwon-Do and we started our own ACTA Taekwon-Do club!   We both tested for our 2nd degree in 1989, 10 years after I received my 1st degree and 8 years after she received her 1^st Degree.  And, at the time, it  bothered me that my 3 childhood friends were now 4th degrees. In addition, they all had their own established Taekwondo programs.

Debbie and I tested for our 3^rd Degree Black Belts under Mr. Kim in 1991.  We had a great club. Grandmaster Kim would fly in with his son, Ki Wook Kim for testings (he had a school in San Antonio- that’s why my best friend moved to Iowa to take over Mr. Kim’s Iowa location),  Ki Wook Kim was an outstanding technician and quickly became my mentor.  I became close to Mr. Kim and his son.  Mr. Kim often used me as a demonstration partner when seminars were held in Kentucky.  I was also Ki Wook’s partner in demonstrations at tournaments in Iowa and San Antonio. Me and my childhood friends all had thriving programs in Kentucky, Alabama, Iowa , and ours in Maryland.  We were given tournament and testing responsibilities under Mr. Kim’s guidance. Life was great again, but I was still only 2nd Dan. I got my 3rd Dan in 1991! I was finally catching up with my friends!

The end of the beginning and the start of today! I had worked for the federal government since 1979.  In 1994, my agency held a “buyout” program to reduce the number of employees. So, I decided to take it and start a full time school. I was 39 with 15 years as a federal employee, but my heart was with Taekwondo.  However, Mr. Kim did not agree with me about opening a full time school. So, sadly we split. I still love and admire Mr. Kim. I wish things had gone differently.

One of my students who came from upstate New York as a red belt introduced me to his Master, Les Zampino, who happened to also be the Vice Chairman of AAU Taekwondo. I decided that our school would become affiliated with the AAU Taekwondo program.  There was no AAU Taekwondo Program in our Region, Region 2, which encompasses the Middle Atlantic, Maryland, Potomac Valley, Virginia and Western Pennsylvania.  So, I applied to become the AAU Taekwondo Maryland District Director. We quickly grew the Maryland District program, and I was given the opportunity to become the Region 2 Director.  We grew Region 2 to the 2^nd largest Taekwondo Program in AAU, behind Region 1, ran by the National Taekwondo Sports Chairman!   I eventually was invited by the National Taekwondo Sports Chairman to become a part of the 5-member AAU Taekwondo National Executive Committee where I served with Master Zampino.  We hit it off right away, traveling the United States building the national AAU Taekwondo program, running the annual national championship and the Junior Olympic Taekwondo  championship, attending AAU National Conventions as delegates, establishing AAU Taekwondo policies and competition rules, and Training Officials as well as refereeing at state, regional and national championships.  Mr. Zampino has been my sabum-nym ever since. Promoting me to 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th Dan!

The tortoise caught the hares! Fast forward to today.  I’m now the same rank as all my close childhood friends. As an older practitioner of close to 50 years, I now realize that the rank one holds is not what’s important.  It’s the journey, the process that never ends, that is important.  I’m content with the path of my journey and I will continue training and doing what I can within the physical limitations of my age and injuries acquired along the way.  I have enjoyed, and continue to enjoy, the journey. I do what I can. And I thank God that I was introduced to this wonderful world of martial arts and the path my life has taken as a result of it!! 

Master Cavanaugh,  AKA: Mr C. 8^th Degree Black Belt

Mr C here at Waldorf Martial Arts. New Schedule tonight!

White Belts at 6:30 pm.

Yellow and Green Belts at 7:00 pm.

Blue to Purple Belts at 7:45 pm.

Waldorf Martial Arts will be open today, February 13, 2025.  See everyone tonight!

Waldorf Martial Arts will be closed tonight, February 12, 2025, due to the accumulated snow fall. Please be careful when clearing driveways and walkways. Prolonged exposure to cold temperatures while shoveling snow can be fatal for people 50 and older.

If Charles County schools are closed tomorrow, February 13, 2025, we will open at 10 am for our after school karate students whose parents must report to work.

Waldorf Martial Arts will be closed tonight, February 11, 2025, due to the incoming winter storm.

Charles County students are being let out 2 hours early.  We will be picking up our After School Karate students, however their karate classes are also cancelled for today.  As a result, After School parents/guardians should pick up their children as soon as possible.

Waldorf Martial Arts will open at 5:00 pm today, January 7, 2025, for evening classes.

It’s Monday January 6, 2025 and Waldorf Martial Arts is closed tonight due to the snow.