We welcome everyone searching for a martial arts school to come in to meet a member of our staff.

Together, we will provide a clear understanding of the school’s philosophy, discuss tuition, and you’ll also get to see the dojang, first-hand. 

Dragon Gym adheres to the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) style taekwondo. Dragon Gym’s curriculum teaches “modernized techniques in a traditional setting.” Master Phil’s style of teaching, and his philosophy, reflect his enriched background and years of personal training in the art of taekwondo.

There are NO contracts at Dragon Gym. We believe that the relationship established with each student is extremely important. During the initial orientation with Master Phil, each student’s needs, goals, training commitment, and school tuition is discussed. Based on the student's age and skill level, an appropriate class is then selected by the student with the advice of Master Phil.

At Dragon Gym, there are no enrollment fees, belt rank fees, testing fees (until Black Belt), or cancellation fees, if a student stops training. Students must purchase their own uniforms, replacement belts if lost, and boards used for training purposes.

Dragon Gym addresses all forms of bullying in our society today. Our students are taught to respectfully deal with those who are not as disciplined. Each bullying situation is discussed privately with Master Phil to gain his advice and wisdom.

Whether the bullying is done online, verbally, or physically, our students are trained through “The Five Tenets of Taekwondo” to have the confidence to overcome all bullying situations facing them.

Anytime a person straps on pads there is risk involved, but one of Master Phil’s top priorities is the safety of all students. The training program at Dragon Gym is designed for maximum effort, but in a strictly supervised environment. Pads are always used during sparring, and rules and regulations are always enforced.

Also, if a student has a physical limitation or injury, he/she is not allowed (or required) to practice any potentially injurious techniques.

Students at Dragon Gym must achieve the rank of Yellow Belt (8th Geup 급) before they are permitted to spar. Even at this belt rank the students wear pads and are instructed on how to protect themselves and their opponents. At Dragon Gym, sparring is never used to show a student’s dominance over another student, but instead, sparring is used to practice the techniques students have learned.

As an example, at Dragon Gym, if a black belt is paired to spar with a yellow belt, the the black belt’s sole purpose is to protect the yellow belt and to “spar down” at the lower belt's rank. This rule in the dojang covers three of the “Five Tenets of Taekwondo” taught at Dragon Gym: Courtesy, Integrity, Self-Control.

At Dragon Gym, breaking boards is a crucial part of each student’s training. Like sparring, breaking boards is a way of demonstrating the techniques each student has learned. It’s also a proven confidence builder.

Master Phil selects a board size and thickness according to belt rank, which is meant to be challenging, but not impossible. There may be times when a student will fail to break the board, but at Dragon Gym we use these moments as great teaching tools. We coach the student on how to improve their striking technique and explain and demonstrate what exercises will increase the muscle strength used in striking. Most importantly, we use the student’s “challenge” to help him/her understand the importance of overcoming personal obstacles in life. Perseverance and Indomitable Spirit are two of the “Five Tenets of Taekwondo” taught at Dragon Gym. Also, Master Phil does not permit our youth to use knuckle punches to break boards. The well-being of each student is our top priority.

There are over 600 muscles in the body. Dragon Gym doesn’t miss a muscle! All conventional sports require different training techniques for the muscle groups necessary for an athlete’s peak performance. Soccer players train differently than football players – tennis players and golfers also train different muscle groups. Dragon Gym simultaneously trains for speed, power, and flexibility which requires more of the body’s muscle groups to function together. No matter what sport you’ve played, or how hard you’ve trained in the past – you will learn more and develop more at Dragon Gym.

Dragon Gym is unique because we DO NOT train our students to be “fighters.” Yes, Dragon Gym students are tough, but the development of character is as important as the art of combat. Therefore, physical limitations such as a disability, an old injury, or lack of flexibility/strength will not limit your growth potential. Dragon Gym is atypical of other schools, so your training will be designed specifically for you to achieve your desired goals in a safe and protected manner.

It takes a training commitment of approximately 3-4 years to achieve the level of Black Belt.