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9024 Portage Road
Portage, MI 49024
269-327-7000

Walker's opened in August 2000 and is owned and operated by Master Mike Kadrovach. Mike is a Kukkiwon 4th Dan black belt. He began studying TaeKwon Do at the age of 25, and has been studying and practicing in the Portage area for over 10 years. Mike's passion for TaeKwon Do is readily apparent to all of his students. Mike's goals for his students are: (1) to be better than himself and (2) to strengthen their spirits with the "I can" way of thinking. "I can't" are not words spoken at Walker's, but are replaced by "I'll try."

Mike's TaeKwon Do history: 2005 State Gold Medialist 2004 State Silver Medialist 2003 Master's at Jinmookwan TaeKwonDo 1999 3rd Dan at Minh's TKD 1997 2nd Dan at Minh's TKD 1995 1st Dan at USA TKD 1994 Light weight division State Champion 1991 Yellow belt at Lion's TKD

The values of TaeKwon Do:

Loyalty - showing of appreciation
Respect and Obedience - to be good and helpful partners to one another
Trustworthiness - pursuit of honor
Courage - to believe in oneself
Do not take life unjustly - to do what is right; using the skills of TaeKwon Do with good judgment

First Rule of TaeKwon Do: Avoiding conflict is a sign of wisdom

Ji Do Kwon
At Walker's, the Ji Do Kwon form of TaeKwon Do is taught. Ji Do Kwon is one of major TaeKwon Do associations, which is sanctioned by the World TaeKwon Do Association (Kukkiwon). The symbol of Ji Do Kwon is a flower in the shape of a figure 8 within a circle. The flower signifies peace; specifically, the water lily is representative of life, health, honor, service, and luck; the circle represents love, novelty and happiness.

Practitioners of Ji Do Kwon are encourage to live the philosophy upon which the art is built; to spread throughout the continents of the world the spirit of Ji Do Kwon. The spirit of Ji Do Kwon is getting up eight times when you have fallen seven times, standing upright in the face of all tribulations, and never giving in to failure.

All Ji Do Kwon practitioners adhere to the following creed, manners, and pledge:

Creed of Ji Do Kwon

TaeKwon Do for my country
TaeKwon Do for Ji Do Kwon
TaeKwon Do for myself

Tenants of TaeKwon Do

1. Courtesy
2. Integrity
3. Perseverance
4. Self Control
5. Indomitable Spirit

Spirit of the Eight Manners of Solemnity

1. View Rightly
2. Feel Rightly
3. Think Rightly
4. Speak Rightly
5. Order Rightly
6. Contribute Rightly
7. Have Ability
8. Conduct Rightly

Pledge of the Member I will observe the rule and absolutely obey the order of Ji Do Kwon. I will attain the physical and mental discipline in the Spirit of Ji Do Kwon. I will devote myself to the creation of new tradition and achievement of Ji Do Kwon.

A Brief History of TaeKwon Do

The origin of TaeKwon Do in Korea can be traced back to the Koguryo dynasty, founded in 37 BC. Through the study of ancient Korea and its history, we can infer that the Koguryo people started practicing TaeKwon Do during 3 AD and 427 AD.

TaeKwon Do was also practiced during the Silla dynasty. Silla was a kingdom founded in the southeastern part of the land some 20 years before Koguryo in the North. Silla was famous for its Hwa-Rong-Do, made up of youths or noble families, devoted to cultivating mind and body in order to better serve Silla. Hwa-Rong-Do was based on the code of honor, which include loyalty to the nation, respect and obedience to one's parents, faithfulness to one's friends, courage in battle and avoidance of unnecessary violence and killing. The Hwa-Rong-Do not only regarded the TaeKwon Do practice for their unarmed combat study as an essential part of physical and military training, but also recommended it as a recreational activity. The Hwa-Rong-Do played an essential role in unifying the three kingdoms, Silla, Koguryo, and Bakjai. Silla was the smallest Kingdom of the three.

Korean culture and the native martial arts were strongly influenced and enriched by this group of men, and modern students of TaeKwon Do owe them a debt of gratitude for preserving and refining the various forms of unarmed combat present during this era. Understanding Hwa-Rong-Do's philosophy is an essential part of mastering TaeKwon Do.

Studies show that many fighting stances, skills, and formalized movements used in the three kingdoms closely resemble the present stances and forms of TaeKwon Do. Therefore, it can be inferred that people in the three kingdoms practice an art very like the one we study today.

TaeKwon Do has grown as a unique Korean self-defense art for about 20 centuries. Today, the popularity and enthusiasm for TaeKwon Do are not only domestic but worldwide because of the dominant superiority of TaeKwon Do over any other kind of self-defense art in the world. The history of TaeKwon Do proves that it is far more than a self-defense form or a method of hurting people. Not only does it encourage positive moral values such as trust and courage, but TaeKwon Do develops self confidence and respect. With all these things in mind, we can understand why TaeKwon Do is a way of life.

 

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Walker's Open Invitational

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