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Academy of Martial Arts & Personal Development
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Academy of Martial Arts & Personal Development
By: ShaRhonda Funnye
Tucked away in the town of Windsor Locks at 5 National Drive near Bradley International Airport is the Academy of Martial Arts & Personal Development.
The center has been open for a little over three years and is operated and owned by Chief Instructor Mr. Garrett W. Hurrle. Hurrle decided to place his center in Windsor Locks because his research showed that there weren't any Martial Arts schools in the area. Taking advantage of this, he started his own school and now has a job he loves with a passion.
"I always wanted to be an instructor," said Hurrle. "There is nothing else that I'd rather do. I love my job." Since this decision, much success has come his way.
Cha-ryot, Guk-gin Eh-de-han, Kyong-net is the principle command given to the students in order to start his class. The students take their marks and prepare to learn and practice character development, as well as the techniques and styles that are to be taught that day. The Koren command is translated to mean: come to the attention stance, face the flags, and bow.
Hurrle, a third degree black belt, has been practicing martial arts for 11 years and describes his program as "philosophy of character development through the martial arts style of Dae Han Moo Do, which is the great Korean fighting arts."
Hurrle enjoys teaching the juniors, the age group from six to ten years old, the most. He believes that the children's programs are geared towards character development, and that it is "not about fighting, but about how not to fight."
Learning how to focus is also a major aspect of teaching martial arts to children because they have to learn to focus their eyes, mind, and body in order to be prepared. An activity that Hurrle uses to hone focusing skills is the game Duck, Duck, Goose.
The Academy of Martial Arts and Personal Development is open to people of all ages and offers a variety of programs including Fencing, Gentle Do (Tai Chi), Taekwondo, Hapkido and Judo. If interested, take a class! You can contact the Academy by calling (860) 623-0157.
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