I joined Lu’s Taekwon-Do 5 months ago to train with my 7 year old son who has been a student there for a year. All of the instructors and staff are very knowledgeable and promote a very respectful yet relaxed learning environment. The classes are a great workout but you are not made to feel pressured which in turn lets you to train at your own pace. The family classes are great as well because it enables me to have a very unique activity with my son. Also, I have noticed that son’s focus has improved dramatically. He is more confident and would love to train 7 days a week if he could. I plan on enrolling my youngest son as well when he is a little older.
– Mauro

Hi Master Lu,

Being a just a little older than young… and a little (or a lot) our of shape. And having spent a winter indoors with my pregnant wife, I found myself feeling tired and unenergetic and worst of all, 20 pounds overweight. This was a call to action for me, being a new father I wanted to make sure that I’d be fit and healthy enough to keep up with my young son who was born this spring.

I found myself enrolling in the beginner program at Lu’s Taekwon-Do with a little apprehension, not knowing if I’d be able to keep up with the intense physical training and discipline that I envisioned.

My concerns were soon put to rest, when I found a class mixed with all sorts of regular and kind people. There was no pressure on me to perform like the Karate Kid. I just went along at my own pace and soon found myself looking forward to each class. What a great workout and who knew it could be fun! There is always variety in the training and after 6 months, I haven’t lost interest (which is remarkable for me).

I am now 20pds lighter and feel better than ever. Thanks Master Lu!
– Marcus Raitanen

Dear Master Lu,

This note is to thank and commend you and the staff of Lu’s Tae Kwon Do for the outstanding introductory training you provided our 6 year old son Eli over the last ten months or so. He has thrived at Lu’s, learned a great deal of technique, and more importantly, has thoroughly enjoyed the respectful, warmly disciplined environment you create for your classes. My wife and I have taken Eli to many sorts of organized activities in the past — soccer, T-ball, floor hockey, drama, to name a few — with lukewarm results. Either he became bored and disengaged from ineffective instruction, or mostly just ran around and didn’t actually learn anything. But not so at Lu’s! He really took to the dignified, cooperative, rigorous version of learning, exercise and fun you provide. His flexibility, strength and general coordination have improved dramatically, and the maturity with which he handles himself, especially in group activities, has increased considerably as well.

It has been more than a month since we left Ottawa for Tampa, and frankly, your dojang rather spoiled us! We haven’t managed to find another Tae Kwon Do studio that we thought suitable for him after his experience at Lu’s. Other Tae Kwon studios seem far more interested in the Martial than the Art, emphasizing speed over proper technique. They also lack your emphasis on “Do” — mental discipline — on explaining the theory behind the technique, and on instilling respect for self, fellow students, teachers, parents. and all citizens of the world we share. Eli is now enrolled in a modest Tang Su Do studio here in Tampa, learning a new set of positions and patterns. As his training at Lu’s was as much about how to take instruction and learn from others as it was about specific techniques, he is well prepared for this and other challenges.

Your studio is very special, and we miss it. So once again, let me thank you for the very good work of you and the rest of the staff of Lu’s Tae Kwon Do.– Richard Manning
Associate Professor
Department of Philosophy
Carleton University (on leave)
Department of Philosophy
University of South Florida
Tampa, FL

Master Lu & Ms. Seely,

I just want to pass on one unexpected benefit of Taekwon-Do that I have experienced.

Prior to taking up TKD, I had been experiencing a continual rise in my blood sugar levels. My doctor indicated that I would be a full fledged diabetic requiring insulin injections if this condition could not be changed.

After three and a half years in Taekwon-Do my blood sugar levels have stabilized and dropped.

I believe any rigorous exercise program may have achieved similar results, but the discipline, the variety of activities and friendships I have found in Taekwon-Do have enabled me to keep up with the program and subsequently provided me with this unforeseen benefit.

Thank you very much for your support over the years.– Thomas Burke (Red Stripe)

Good day Ms. Seely and Master Lu!

As per my telephone call of this week and subsequent conversations with Master Lu, I would like to follow up with this email to once again show our appreciation for your hard work and dedication to the art and discipline of Taekwon-Do. I have personally witnessed you and your staff’s commitment to your students; two of them being my sons Shawn (Black Belt) and Jonathan (Blue Stripe).

On a more personal note, as you are aware that your student Shawn Brar has been accepted by the International Baccalaureate Organization (http://www.ibo.org/) to attend its IBO Program offered at Colonel By Secondary School. While the very competitive selection process is highly structured, intense and lengthy – not to mention stressful on the young aspiring students, the skills and abilities Shawn gained through Lu’s Taekwon-Do in his progression to the Black belt level were instrumental in his success. The quality of instruction has manifested itself through quality and character which you have instilled in my boys.

In addition to the usual documentation required, we produced all of Shawn’s certificates from Master Lu’s club to show that not only is he a well-rounded individual but someone who possesses a high degree of concentration, self discipline, organization and self motivation. As a matter of fact, Shawn was required to submit a 500 word essay as to why he should be accepted to the IBO program over others. Shawn chose to focus on his accomplishments in Taekwon-Do and its tenets. He further went on to link these tenets to his own personal attributes.

Shawn will begin high school in September in the IBO program and will also be returning to Taekwon-Do for further studies. Thank you once again for your contributions in Shawn’s success to date.
– Yarinder Singh Brar