ChunJiDo Blog

Yesterday, I had a great phone conversation with a dear friend and an amazing man. This friend is a very high ranking Grandmaster and is probably one of the mentally strongest men I know. I will not use his name out of respect for his privacy, but recently he has been dealing with several severe health issues, including surgeries that have left him very weak and has forced him to try to stay home from teaching and running his school in order to gain his strength back.

I called to check on him and see how he was doing, but rather than be concerned with his condition, he quickly changed the conversation to how I was doing, how my organization was doing, and how my kids are doing at my academy. We also talked about a recent tournament which he apologized for missing due to his numerous surgeries. All the while I was thinking, “Why is he apologizing to me with all that he is going through?” He has been through several major surgeries in the last few months that would have...

I just had a wonderful conversation this morning with our good friend and ChunJiDo International Tennessee State Director, Dr. Dan Netherland. As many of you may know, Dr. Netherland is one of the World’s top breaking experts, holds many breaking world records, and is in Ripley’s, “Believe it or Not!” Dr. Netherland is not only an incredible martial artist, but also an amazing motivational speaker and mentor to young martial artists.

It was wonderful to talk about how much we both consider it a gift to be a martial arts instructor and share our gift with others. Having had my fair share of injuries and setbacks along the way, I still would not change a thing. I truly feel blessed to be able to teach martial arts and impact the lives of my students in some way.

Seeing the excitement, and sense of achievement in the eyes of a child training in martial arts or the determination of an adult student who is transforming their life through the arts is all of the r...

t is truly amazing how individuals can come together and demonstrate extraordinary human spirit to support a great cause. This was never more evident than this last weekend August 13, 2011 at the 4th Annual Terry D. Turner, “I Kicked For a Cause” Memorial Kick-a-thon. This event has raised over $15,000 for various charities over the previous three years. Students, parents, organizers, and those who donated stepped up again this year in grand fashion to present another very successful event!

Donations included, Indianapolis Colts and Tennessee Titans tickets, Seattle Mariner tickets, autographed sports memorabilia, artwork by an incredible local artist Robin Lawrence, restaurant donations, certificates for area golf courses, recreation equipment, jewelry, electronic equipment, and St. Louis Cardinals tickets just to name a few. We had over two hundred items to auction and raffle off.

Also, for the first time ever, our Washington State Director, Eric Minar an...

I am a firm believer that everyone should have a dream, I always tell my wife, Sensei Nancy Cutrell, “If you are not dreaming, you are only sleeping on the job!” This is the exact catch phrase I used approximately three years ago when she gave me the “are you crazy!” look right after I told her I wanted to expand the ChunJiDo organization worldwide. I have to admit, she has always been my biggest supporter, but I could tell this one was really stretching her seemingly unending support of my “visions”, but as she always does, she said, “whatever you decide to do I will support you 100%.” I am sure though, she held back the last part where I know she wanted to say… “ARE YOU NUTS!”

A short three years later the ChunJiDo organization has expanded from the original North American ChunJiDo Association founded over fifteen years ago, t...

This weekend the ChunJiDo organization celebrated its 15 Year Anniversary and it was truly a monumental event. The event was attended by nearly 200 people including most of the high ranking Black Belts in the organization, students, and their families. In addition, my dear friend and one of the most respected martial artists in the Midwest, Grandmaster Tom Black of Carbondale, Illinois and Heather Minckler one of his top Instructors, attended the celebration. Grandmaster Black is our ChunJiDo International Illinois State Director and a very strong supporter of ChunJiDo. Their attendance was greatly appreciated and I am always deeply thankful for their continued support.

The event kicked-off with testimonies from several Black Belts, students, and parents, who openly shared their experiences with the ChunJiDo organization and expressed their gratitude for what all it has done for them and what ChunJiDo has meant to them. I was so humbled and moved by all of the kind wor...

Thanks to the hard work, dedication, and strong leadership of our National Director for Italy, Grandmaster Adriano Pizzato, ChunJiDo International has the wonderful opportunity to network with the greatest Grandmasters, Masters, and Martial Artists in all of Italy. I am very honored and also humbled by the realization of being able to list not only the highly regarded Grandmaster Pizzato, but also the most respected Grandmasters of Italy, Grandmaster Carlo Luciano Foralasso and Grandmaster Renato Bosich as ChunJiDo International affiliates. These gentlemen are truly legends of the arts. These amazing men have blessed the world of martial arts with their skills and talents for many decades. They serve as role models and mentors to all of those who have come after them and are a shining example of greatness for all martial artists to follow.

In addition many of the other great Grandmasters and Masters of Italy are also members. We now have the privilege of Grandmaster Mic...

I REALLY like how the http://www.idomartialarts.com/course/chunjido/ is shaping up! We just loaded the Brown Belt level on the website today and it turned out incredible!! Great camera angles, that truly capture the essence of ChunJiDo throws, locks, takedowns, and pressure points!
~ Grandmaster Cutrell

Starting to hear from martial artists all across the United States that are interested in becoming a ChunJiDo student on the http://www.idomartialarts.com/course/chunjido/ online training course! Looking forward to working with them all!
~Grandmaster Cutrell

Normally I write blogs on my thoughts, opinions, or recent events, but with this blog, I would like to pose a question and get some discussion started :)

My question is, “What does being a Black Belt mean to you?”

God bless!

~ Grandmaster Cutrell

Only on very rare occasions do martial artists get the chance to be part of something truly amazing and an event that could shape the future of martial arts. For me, this opportunity came during the weekend of September 18-19, 2010. I was invited by Grandmaster Werner Leuschner to film my ChunJiDo system so that we could put it on the I Do Martial Arts online martial arts training website (www.idomartialarts.com).

This website is the largest and most advanced online training tool in the world today. It is currently marketed in over 100 countries around the world and is advertised in Inside Kung Fu Magazine, Budo International, and many other leading martial arts publications. In a very short time Grandmaster Leuschner and his crew at I Do Martial Arts have taken a vision and turned it into what could be the next evolution in martial arts training. Currently there are many of the top martial artists, athletes, and celebrities on the site such as, Bill “Superfoot” Wallac...

As I near 50 years of age and over 30 years in the martial arts, I find myself reflecting on my martial arts journey more and more. As I look back on all of the challenges and accomplishments I had in my training, starting a dojo, helping students earn their Black Belt, developing an organization, and now expanding that organization worldwide, I have to take a deep breath, smile a little inside, and say, “Thank you, Lord!”

It is by the grace of God, the support of my very understanding wife, and the trust of the many loyal students, families, ChunJiDo Black Belts, and fellow martial artists that I can honestly say I am happy with where I came from, where I am, and I feel confident in what I still hope to achieve.

Through the years there have been many struggles, critics, and those who thought they knew better than I did on what I needed to do or where I needed to go, but through it all there was a voice inside that kept saying, “Don’t give up, keep the fai...

An amazing realization occurred to me this week. Today like no other time in history martial artists are starting to come together to share ideas, philosophies, and friendships. In a single day I talked to a good friend and Chunjido International affiliate in New York who trains in Hawaiian & Filipino arts, sent an email to another affiliate and friend who runs a Kyokushin organization in the Ukraine, and signed a promotion certificate for an affiliate in Pennsylvania who received this rank from a Jujitsu Grandmaster Chunjido International affiliate in Florida! In addition, I also corresponded through email, phone, and Facebook with several other Masters and Grandmasters throughout the USA, Saudi Arabia, and Spain… all without ever leaving Indiana!

As martial artists we should continue to nurture these friendships and value the relationships that we are developing across cultural and system boundaries. When I founded Chunjido Internat...