OUR BLOGS

The people who are great at sitting on a couch doing nothing have been training for this pandemic their whole lives. This post is not for

To be honest, once the severity of the Coronavirus situation hit, we, like many, were nervous.Now, this wasn’t a crazy panic like you’d see in a

Charlie, our almost four year old son, recently asked me why we’re not allowed to see our friends. “Have you heard of COVID-19?”I didn’t actually say

It’s late February.We start hearing a little bit about this virus thing, but we’re being told that it’s not so bad.At the dojang, we’re furthering

I haven’t worked in 39 years. On May 27 of this year, 2020, that’s how long I will have been in Tae Kwon-Do. I’m willing to bet

I’m a preparer. Some might say, an over-preparer. I look at it like driving a car. If you aren’t looking down the road, you can’t steer

My father passed away when I was seven years old.Immediately, kids at school started asking me about it, and seemingly never let up. At home, roles

The very first thing we teach you in Tae Kwon-Do is to bow. We bow to the dojang itself to say “I am here to do

Tae Kwon-Do is good for everyone. Not everyone is good for Tae Kwon-Do. In other words, not everyone relates well to Tae Kwon-Do. More importantly, not everyone relates

We don’t make resolutions at our school. We set goals.The difference? Well, a resolution is nothing more than a dream. A goal, though, is a dream with

What do you as a parent want for your child? Some basics might be:To be respectful and kind to themselves and to others.To be in control of their mind

When I taught in a public school system in a low socio-economic area, I noticed a disturbing trend. Very often, students would be passed onto the next

This might sound weird, but I believe that getting yelled at and being told what to do for an hour can actually relieve stress.At our dojang, we

A while back, before Tae Kwon-Do entered my life, I had a trumpet teacher named Carmine Caruso. He was from New York City, and I used to

Jack is a really nice kid, but he’s also a bit of a politician. Sometimes, when confronted, Jack thinks he can skirt the issue, so to

Joining Master Gorino’s school in 2001 was the best decision I ever made. I had always been interested in learning self-defense. Training at Master Gorino’s has certainly heightened my

If you watch black belts do Tae Kwon-Do and think to yourself: “I can’t do this,” you’re right. You can’t. Yet. And, neither could they when they first

Let’s face it. Most people get anxious about starting Tae Kwon-Do because they’re afraid of getting beat up. Or possibly worse…embarrassed.Most depictions of martial arts in movies

What does it mean to “become?”I have been thinking about that word a lot lately. To me, “becoming” is what you call it when you

I’m going to gush about Charlie, here. Charlie is my little boy, and my best buddy. He is an example of “amazingness in action.”I’ll take a

Once, I decided I was going to do one million push-ups in a year. Now, a million is not necessarily a ton of pushups every day, but when you

The best age to start your child in Tae Kwon-Do actually has nothing to do with your child. Because, the best time to start your child in Tae

Tae Kwon-Do is not just for kids. In fact, when Tae Kwon-Do first began being taught in the US, it was intended primarily for military members; folks

Sometimes, as a martial artist and a black belt, you see injustice in the world and you want to right it. People intervene in fights because they

As a teenager, what could be more fun that going to school on your days off, am I right? Well, at this school, we have a

There’s a new saying that we use around the dojang: “Strong is the new skinny.I once had a student named Cathy who, unfortunately, was pretty heavy

Our trial program isn’t designed to show you what you can’t do, it’s designed to show you the possibilities of what you’ll be able to do as you develop

At only 5’ 7”, I can’t do a full side split, but I can kick someone who is 6’ 4” in the head. You would think

I tell all of my students that there are two kinds of people in this world: those that practice Tae Kwon-Do, and those who only wish they could.I

Selflessness & HumilityIn her entire speech after being inducted into our hall of fame, Ms. October Newton used the word “I” only once. “I thank you,”

“She’s In The Division”One of my favorite stories is about a student I have named Kelly. The women that come through my school are very confident and strong.

The Great EqualizerWatching a tiny Korean boy hold his own against a 6’4” FBI agent, with an all-star collegiate athletic background is all you need

Proverbs tells us: “as iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.”One way we improve is by competing against those who are better than us.

First ClassIt’s the Friday before my first class in our first building. The walls are freshly painted. The room has the perfect amount of echo. Everything

Back when I first started teaching, Master Gorino would joke around with the parents and other students.“Hey, you see that kid out there?” he would

Rolling around on the floor is something that children are used to, but that’s not usually the case for adults.Being A Student As someone who came

Master Gorino’s Tae Kwon-Do GenesisBefore I made the decision to open my own school, I both taught at another Tae Kwon-Do school and was a

A Good Teacher Needs to be a Good Student About 6 months ago, my instructor, Grandmaster Park, said that it was time for me to test for

Win or LearnThe mantra at our dojang is: “Pil-Sung.” It is a Korean phrase that we interpret to mean: “Certain victory through indomitable spirit and courage.” We

Whenever someone first signs up for Tae Kwon-Do, I tell them the same thing:  There will be at least four times in your training that you

Lessons Learned In The DojangInside the dojang there are positive vibes. People arrive knowing we’re going to train, we’re going to learn, and we’re going

There is a lesson that I work hard to impart on our instructors:“Teaching Tae Kwon-Do is 10% instruction and 90% motivation.”People are often their own

“It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog.”Self-defense is a state of mind. Being physically fit is

John & Public SpeakingJohn was a drill sergeant in the Marines who later became a state trooper. He then went to law school and passed the

Hamza’s Mother Describes His JourneyIt has really been an amazing journey for Hamza at Master Gorino’s!Throughout the years, Hamza has achieved so much studying Tae Kwon-Do.What Changes

Crossfit vs Tae Kwon-DoSomeone asked me about the differences between CrossFit and Tae Kwon-Do. I’ve never done CrossFit and only know what I’ve watched, read, or

”It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog.”There are misconceptions about self-defense. Some people think

(I recorded a conversation with eleven year old Michael and his stepmother, Pamela, about Mike’s Friendship Club and how he started it at school.)Pamela:  I got

Blindness is not a handicap.It’s a workaround. Everybody’s got aworkaround:I’ve got a bad hip.I’m afraid.My knee is messed up.I don’t like fighting.A person with sight

The sad truth.Many parents sign their children up for Tae Kwon-Do because unfortunatelytheir child is being bullied. Our students are trained to deal with bullies,whether being bullied themselves or witnessing

One year I decided to do a million push-ups.I’m not joking. Physically, I knew it was possible. I do push-ups all day long, so why not keep

I respect everybody who deserves respect, or who has earned respect. It doesn’t take something major or extraordinary. If someone is walking the face of the

Tae Kwon-Do is not a sport because the goal isn’t about winning. When a hockey team loses they alternate players. If a baseball team is losing they’ll

In today’s society of instant gratification and receiving information at a moment’s notice, having the patience to thoroughly examine the information or your environment is

Mr. Rays StoryMr. Ray was not one of my best students when he first began. He had an extremely low self-esteem of himself and a lack of confidence in

Who am I?I’m a 7th degree black belt Master of Tae Kwon-Do. I do not expect people to know what I know, just as I would hope a doctor

The All American OpenThe All American Open was one of martial arts biggest tournaments. Henry Cho, a Tae Kwon-Do pioneer and 9th dan instructor, created the competition in 1965.

My father was killed when a drunk driver jumped the curb and struck him on the sidewalk. I was 7 years old. The tragedy was

How does a high school boy from Buffalo, who had never picked up a trumpet in his life, end up playing at Caesar’s Palace for

Staying Calm In A Difficult SituationYour boss is yelling at you. He called you into his office, slammed the door, and is unloading on youMaybe

Here are a few things I’ve learned in life:Never Let Anyone Tell You You Can’t Do SomethingIf you have the ability, drive, and desire to