Dubuque Karate Club Instructors
Select name at right to view Bio
Master Ronald D. Schmitt
Certified Master Instructor
4th Degree Black Belt
Rank: 4th Degree Black
Belt "Sa
Dan"
Master Ron’s father is Master David J.
Schmitt, a 7th Dan Senior Master in the WTSDA. He began his training
in 1966, and opened one of
the first karate schools in Iowa in 1970. His mother, Susan Schmitt is
a second degree black belt and has been involved in the martial arts
for over 35 years. She is adored by her legions of Little Dragons and
Karate Kids, and has touched the lives of hundreds of children over the
years. The third generation of family members, are his sons Kolton (6
years old) and Karter (5 years old), who are just beginning their martial
arts journey. As he watches the excitement and determination on his sons'
faces as they demonstrate each new move, it reminds him why he continues
to do what he does.
Three generations; Master David J. Schmitt, Karter, Kolton, and Master
Ron Schmitt
He began throwing some of his first kicks by age two and started his
official training by age seven. His father (Master David Schmitt) was
his instructor. Over the years he feels fortunate to have had the opportunity
to train with masters in various weapons and styles, such as Hwa Rang
Do, Tai Chi, Hapkido, Kung Fu, as well as formal training with the American
Arnis Association, which was tied to the late Grandmaster Remy Presas.
This system focuses on various weapons such as dagger, single/double
sticks, nunchakus, and sword. They also covered joint locks, disarms,
and submissions.
As a child growing up in the 70s and 80s, they hit the tournament circuit
very hard. They went to several tournaments every month for many years.
He had the honor of earning over one hundred awards in competition.
In his region, he earned the 1985, 1986, and 1987 competitor of the
year, 1989 Black Belt of the Year, 1989 Instructor of the Year. Additionally,
he was privileged to earn the 1995 Regional Grand Champion & 1998
Regional Grand Championship. He was also Captain of World Champion
Winning Demonstration Team, one of the only teams to place in the top
three for six consecutive years, from 1994 to 2002. In May of 2008
Master Ron was selected as “Master of the Month” in The
World Tang Soo Do Association. This organization has featured Masters
from all over the world; from countries including Germany, Great Britain,
Mexico, Puerto Rico, and more.
In 2006 Master Ron earned his masters rank and was formally knighted
by Grandmaster Jae Chul Shin, one of the most recognized Grandmasters
in Korean Martial Arts.
Master Ron with sons Kolton and Karter and Grandmaster Jae Chul Shin
after being knighted Master in 2006.
The title of his Master's thesis was “Children in the martial
arts: The future of tomorrow”. Having started his training as a
child, and making a lifetime commitment out of the marital arts and the
art of Tang Soo Do, he felt that he could relate to children who train
today. Some of the topics covered in his paper were: the advantages Tang
Soo Do has on children who struggle with learning disabilities such as
ADD/ADHD. He also focused on understanding the different cycles and phases
children go through during their martial arts journey, as well as recognizing
and helping them overcome obstacles in their quest for black belt excellence.
They are the future of the martial arts. He wrote about the responsibility
of being a black belt and master as it relates to our youth. As a Tang
Soo Do leader, he feels that he has been fortunate to have had the opportunity
to not only provide life altering experiences to students, but he feels
consistently humbled and inspired by the experiences of those same students.
He graduated from Loras College with a Bachelor of Arts Degrees in Philosophy & Business/Marketing
Management. He is also a Certified Fitness Trainer and column writer
for a local sports paper titled ‘The Iowa All Sports Paper’.
On November 6, 2006, Master Ron became
the founder and president when he created the US Tactical Martial Arts
Alliance,
an all martial arts
weapon training academy. It is an eclectic system that is a culmination
of traditional & modern weaponry, theories, concepts, & applications
that have been influenced from different styles from all over the world.
Some of the practical philosophies used in this program have been inspired
from styles such as Kenpo, Hapkido, Tang Soo Do, Jeet Kune Do, Kendo,
Kung Fu, Shotakan, Tae Kwon Do, Jujutsu to name a few; In essence a true “Mixed
Martial Art”. The program features tactical applications, disarms,
joint lock manipulation, submissions, flow drills, sparring drills, and
more. The foundation of his curriculum is based off of the Filipino Stick
Fighting Systems and concepts of Escrima, Balintawak, Doce Pares, Arnes
De Mano, Espada & Daga, Kali, Kombatan, & Silat. Various traditional
martial arts weapons such as the bo staff, nunchakus, sai, kama, tactical
knife fighting, gun defenses, sword techniques, tonfa, & more will
be introduced at different levels of the belt ranking system. The core
value system used in the academy is derived from Bushido, (The Way of
the Warrior) a code of honor practiced by the Samurai Warriors. An interesting
fact to note is that in 1990, the United States Army recognized the Bushido
Code and implemented the warriors’ code into their training regiment.
This entire code is built from a foundation of loyalty, honor, integrity,
justice, and simple right & wrong.
Words from Master Ron
I like the fact that you are always a
student, as an instructor you learn from teaching. It is amazing to
me how the student becomes a mirror
image, or reflection of their instructor. This allows the instructor
to learn from the mistakes of the student. The most gratifying part
of being a marital arts instructor is watching your students grow.
There
is nothing more satisfying then watching a student blossom from a beginning
white belt into a member of the black belt society. In light of the
fact that I was not a “natural” student,
and that I had to work hard to get where I am today, I have a great
appreciation for those who also have to work hard. It’s easy
for an instructor to take full credit for the natural students’ abilities,
and say they taught them everything they know. In reality, that person
could probably put their foot to the top of their head the day they
joined. I get more satisfaction working with the students who struggle
and watching
the excitement on their face as they meet their goals and overcome
their obstacles. This is what teaching is all about. This is why I
choose to
make a lifetime commitment out of the martial arts. As a master instructor
I can’t think of anything else I would rather do. It comforts
me to know that I will always be able to reflect back on my life and
know without a doubt that my life had meaning
and purpose. I heard my calling, I took it and I have no regrets.
What is your favorite weapon?
I enjoy the Filipino stick fighting because of its practicality
and versatility. The sky is the limit with this weapon. It uses an
angling system that
carries over into all weapons from tactical knife fighting, kama, sai,
nunchaku, bo staff, and sword techniques. It incorporates an endless
variety of defenses, such as trapping hand drills, block check drills,
disarming techniques, joint lock manipulations, and the list
goes on.
Who are some of your role models in and out of WTSDA?
Without a doubt my biggest role model has always been
my father. Traditional martial arts were passed on from father to son
and I had the honor
and privilege to be raised with that custom. I could not have asked
for a better teacher. He instilled in me the same values that my grandfather
passed on to him and which I am passing on to my own children. He was
strict yet fair. He made me work hard for everything but was supportive
and encouraging. Most importantly he always believed in me! As a younger
student training in the 70s and 80s, it was very intense. There were
no kids and I was not one of the naturals; I had to work very hard.
Some people assumed that having a
Master for a father would make my martial arts journey easier. They clearly
didn’t know my father, or his father. I come from a family who does
not believe in free handouts. This has what has given our school a strong
reputation. These core family values such as integrity,
honor, loyalty, perseverance, humility, and basically striving to be
a good person match the core values of Tang Soo Do.
My father expected more from me than everyone else. Consequently, when
your father is a master you are being watched closer by everyone and
expectations for your performance are higher. It came with its share
of challenges, but it has been an absolute honor! I can honestly say that
my martial arts training has made me the person I am today, and I would
not trade that for all the money in the world.
My two boys are my other role models, or perhaps a better word is inspiration.
They are my living proof that I have an ultimate purpose on this planet.
When I look at their innocence it inspires me to be the best dad and
person I can be. As a single parent, I want to set the best example I
can, to be there for them and support them in everything they do. It
is so easy to get lost in the shuffle of the daily grind;
they keep me grounded and focused as to what my true priorities are.
When I watch how fast they grow it reminds me of how quickly life passes
us by, and to savor every special moment and to stay plugged in and connected.
What are some of your favorite memories of your time in WTSDA?
I have experienced many powerful memories along the way. A few of them
include:
Watching Grandmaster Shin knight my father at the World Championship
(this inspired me to get my Master's belt);
Going to the Master’s clinic for the first time with my father;
Becoming the first Father and Son Masters in the WTSDA;
Watching the third generation, my sons Kolton and Karter, throw their
first kicks at 13 and 14 months old;
Grandmaster Shin presenting my Master's belt in front of my boys.
Difference between when you first started training and today?
When I began training there were almost no children involved
in the martial arts. The one or two kids, who were training, at that
time, were taught
the same as adults. The training was more intense, many refer to it as “old
school”. I have seen the difference in my father's training as
well, exemplified by his maturity. When he first started teaching in
his early twenties, classes were more physically demanding and much rougher.
It wasn’t an issue that age made him softer, rather experience
made him wiser. He originally taught on a military base; everything was
obviously very regimented and strict. This transcended into his early
teaching experiences because he didn’t
know any other way. This was the “old school way”. The instructor
says it, the student does it, and if they had a problem with that, they
were going to have an even bigger problem. Respect was earned by putting
the students in their place, usually with a swift kick or punch on the
mat during a full contact sparring session with no safety equipment-
it had not been invented yet. Obviously we have now come to learn that
this isn’t the most effective process for
teaching respect. When the Karate Kid movie hit the silver screen it
was a very exciting time. Kids were lined up around the building and
the phone rang off the hook. Parents wanted to sign their children up
for martial arts classes (“no not at the Y, at a good school”)
as Daniel so eloquently put it. Many instructors were unprepared for
the boom and continued to teach little children like adults. My father
was one of the instructors who quickly realized that you cannot teach
a child with the same methods used for teaching adults. He adapted a new
curriculum that was age specific and age appropriate.
After the Karate Kid boom, the industry was again blessed with round
two - the Ninja Turtles and Power Rangers. Today, the marital arts has
become saturated in regards to the children’s market. This is because
generation X parents are now enrolling their children in martial arts.
They grew up somewhere between the Karate Kid and Ninja Turtle craze.
Consequently, many parents today view the martial arts
as a kid’s activity. They often lump us in with the soccer/little
league category. This is obviously not the case. The beauty of the martial
arts is that it is not only for children. The martial art’s has
something to offer everyone regardless of race, gender, age, etc. It
is an activity you can do your entire life and it has no end, you are
constantly a student. I have been doing this for thirty years and I am
always learning new things.
Advice/Words of Wisdom:
Strive to be your best, never settle for good enough. If you say you're
going to do something then do it. We teach our students to strive for
perfection. However, many students often misinterpret that lesson through
miscommunication. Striving for perfection means to give it your all,
be your best, be good to others, avoid negativity, find the good, and
to develop your overall character. This does not mean perfection is
attainable or that being a black belt or master will make you perfect.
On the contrary, I believe, as human beings, we are destined to fail
and make mistakes. There is nothing wrong with that.
Mistakes are what make us grow as a person. The lesson is to learn
from our mistakes. We hold the key to our own destiny. One of my favorite
quotes is that “we make a living by what we get and we make a life
by what we give.”
Tang Soo!
<Back>
|
|
