I had the opportunity to attend a special awards ceremony for Atomic Tae Kwon Do in Huntington. What an incredible environment! There were 60 children that came that day and the atmosphere and level of organization was immediately recognizable! Master Bart and Justin ran the children through a series of physical challenges which the children were anxious to perform. The entire event lasted over four hours and at no point did one child disengage from the activities. It was truly an amazing sight. Every single one of the children from ages 3-14 participated in the plank, a duck duck goose game, snowball (like dodge ball), Ninja River where kids had to jump from one obstacle to the next without falling in, and Turkey Run where children had to race around obstacles. They then separated the younger students into their own game area to keep it developmentally appropriate. Between the games they were awarded for their efforts in the academy. The games kept coming and the kids kept right on trucking!
I was particularly in awe because I did not hear or see any whining or complaining from any of the children. They wanted to be there. They were attentive to the instructors and you can tell that they really treasure the bond they have made with them. I met many parents and found people travel from places like Woodbury, Dix Hills and Garden City because of the rapport that Owners Master Bart and Dr. Luiza have with their students. When I asked a mother who travels from Woodbury, Marni Goldner, why she decided to travel so far for Tae Kwon Do, she replied "I had heard that the relationship that Master Bart has with his students is special, so I decided to try it and it really is an amazing place to be." I was witness to and inspired by the attentiveness and passion that both the students and the instructors bring to the mat.
Owner Dr. Luiza spoke about the benefits that Tae Kwon Do brings to a child's life. "It really enables them to grow in self confidence. We have seen such a rise in bullying in schools and parents come to us all the time worrying about whether their child will be a victim. Not only does this give them the skill set to become more confident in their surroundings, it increases their focus both in and our of the classroom. It allows them to develop discipline which they can apply to their real life at any age."
Master Bart has an interesting background that has many referring him. He is an Occupational Therapist by trade with over 28 years of experience split between Early Intervention and Geriatric. Couple his love of children with his passion for Martial Arts and you have Atomic Tae Kwon Do. He credits the brains of the operations to Dr. Luiza who he says is the "foundation" of the vision at Atomic Tae Kwon Do and Maestri Di Musica. Dr. Luiza has her Doctorate in French Horn Performance, a Masters in Piano, teaches at Adelphi University and belongs to orchestras in Long Island, New York City and Westchester.
Classes are ongoing throughout the year. There is a current special that is $69 for six weeks of classes and a uniform. Atomic Tae Kwon Do offers birthday parties, classes for adults, kickboxing, Kobe Jiu Jitsu and well as Music Lessons with their Maestri Di Musica! After Care is also available! This is truly a wonderfully stimulating environment that any child would be lucky to be a part of! For more information please call 631-470-7824.
