ChunJiDo Blog

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, to include the ChunJiDo International Martial Arts Organization which now, combined, is one of the largest martial arts organizations in the world. Not only do we have hundreds of students training in the art of ChunJiDo in the USA, Ukraine, and Russia, but we have affiliates across the United States and in sixteen countries around the world representing over thirty-five martial arts styles or systems! We have also been featured in one of the largest martial arts publications, the International Martial Arts Times Magazine, where we had a three page article featuring our efforts of bringing the martial arts community together to promote the arts in an environment of honor and integrity.

Not only is the ChunJiDo organization one of the largest organizations in the world, but even more impressive is the quality of its members. In our numbers we include many Hall of Fame inductees, World Champion competitors, World Record Holding Breaking Experts, and many of the top Grandmasters, Masters, and Instructors from around the globe! I am very proud to say our members represent some of the highest ranking Masters in the world from the traditional arts of Okinawa, China, Korea, and Japan to the progressive arts of America.

As an organization we are dedicated to promoting the arts in a positive environment and our members are very active in giving back to our communities and supporting charitable events worldwide. Many of our members perform Kick-a-thons, seminars, tournaments, and other events to support and raise funds for charities in our community, including many children’s and special needs groups. As martial artists, it is our duty and responsibility to dedicate our efforts to a greater cause.

The ChunJiDo organization, its growth, the dedication & commitment of the members, and the integrity demonstrated has far exceeded my aspirations, but as all martial artists do, the organization will continue to challenge itself, and reach for new heights. In the next few years, we will sponsor our first World Championship Tournament and Hall of Honors in Freeport, Bahamas with Sifu Ken Lewis our Bahama National Director. In addition, our California State Director, Mario Schapp is expanding his program of teaching the martial arts to the blind from his school in San Diego, to Sacremento with the help of our California affiliate Grandmaster Steve Tran. Our hopes are to continue to expand this amazing program developed by Director Schapp nationwide.

Sensei Nancy Cutrell, with the assistance of the students and parents of Evansville ChunJiDo Academy in Evansville, Indiana, has raised over $15,000 for the National Hemophilia Foundation and many other children’s charities. This year for the first time, we will be doing a Kick-a-thon in Evansville, Indiana and also at the Mel Korum YMCA in Puyallup, Washington in collaboration with Washington State Director Eric Minar and Minar’s ChunJiDo Academy. Our goal is to expand this event to a national Kick-a-thon with many ChunJiDo schools participating at the same time.

So, as you can see, our organization and its members are people of action, not just words! We are not only one of the largest organizations, but one with the highest honor and integrity. We are not only teaching the martial arts, but we are also using our gift of the arts to help those in our community that are less fortunate. The ChunJiDo organization is made up of martial artists that are not afraid to challenge ourselves to go above and beyond.

I have no doubt this organization and the people in it will continue to grow and support the greater cause. We have all been blessed with this wonderful gift of Martial Arts and we want to share it. This commitment and dedication is exactly what has made us a World Leader in the martial arts community and a martial arts organization to be proud of. We are not only strong, we are… ChunJiDo Strong!