“We don’t say 'can’t.'” It’s the first rule of dojang inscribed near the entrance of Jason Wood’s new school for taekwondo, Crest Martial Arts Academy. For the Le Sueur-based martial arts instructor, it’s not just a motivational statement. It represents the school’s commitment to training students of all ages and abilities.
Whether you’re 4 years old and learning how to throw a punch for the very first time, 80 years old and looking to keep those muscles moving or a wheelchair user ready to break some boards, Crest Martial Arts Academy in downtown St. Peter is ready to teach just about anyone willing and able the art of taekwondo.
With a desire to introduce martial arts to a wide range of people, Wood has made accessibility a key focus of the studio since it opened its doors on May 13. He has classes for youngsters, families, adults and creates adaptive plans for students with disabilities. The effort is worth it for the martial arts instructor, who says taekwondo is more than just a sport, but “a conduit for people to make self discoveries and build confidence.”
“I've seen adults come in and increase mobility. I’ve seen kids come in that are terrified to even be in the room, crying — they won’t even step on the mat — to competing in tournaments in the span of less than a year,” said Wood.
In Wood’s approach to teaching, training the body and mind go hand-in-hand. In addition to strengthening their physical fitness and mastering movement, the instructor said students are also building up life skills like focus, discipline and perseverance.
As a person with ADHD, Wood knows those lessons don’t always come easy. In his own experience, Wood has found a good challenge to be the best remedy for a mind struggling to focus. He applies that same mentality to his classes, giving students challenging goals to work toward to help develop their sense of discipline.
“It took me 30 years to realize that challenges focus me. When I bring that to the mat and I teach kids that have trouble focusing and give them something harder to do, they will always rise to it,” said Wood. “They don’t want things to be easier for them, they want to feel like they accomplished it. So you set a high standard for kids and they’ll rise to that standard every single time.”
In his three years of teaching taekwondo, Wood has observed profound changes in many of his students. Kids who used to bounce around the room when they first started became capable of standing still and locking their eyes on target before delivering powerful punches. This focus isn’t just confined to martial arts though. Wood said he regularly hears from parents about how their kids are more focused at home and at school.
Looking to bring some of these behavioral benefits to underserved portions of the community, Wood has partnered with GO Therapy in St. Peter to offer martial arts instruction to patients in the clinic’s speech therapy program. Wood said it was an opportunity to help patients boost their self-confidence and also provide an athletic opportunity for kids who are often left out of team sports.
“[People] see that it’s different and they want to stay away and that leaves a whole section of the community underserved,” said Wood. “No football, no baseball, no softball there’s nothing for them. We can give them something, even if it’s only two minutes a time they come in, that’s something. We’re making progress.”
Within the first week of opening Crest Martial Arts Academy, Wood has been at work designing adaptive lesson plans for students with conditions ranging from autism to cerebral palsy.
“If I can have this much impact, it’s worth it to spend hours and weeks, studying, learning and trying,” said Wood. “There’s no reason to not try.”
The instructor added that it’s another opportunity for him to serve his community after previously serving his country in the U.S. Army for 12 years. During his time in the military, Wood became proficient in hand-to-hand combat and spent 11 years teaching soldiers the art of jiu jitsu.
While Wood has an extensive background in martial arts, it was his children that introduced him to taekwondo. After his son Daniel and daughter Haley started taking taekwondo classes in Belle Plaine, Wood was able to pick up lessons at no extra cost. It wasn’t long before Wood started leading classes himself at the St. Peter Community Center.
Wood’s children now help him out as assistants, helping train younger kids ages 4-7 in the Little Dragons course. The class, which meets three times a week Monday, Wednesday and Friday, focuses on building the foundations of taekwondo and teaching principles like discipline and perseverance.
Crest Martial Arts Academy also offers a family class for kids ages eight and up and adults. Geared toward white belts, the course focuses on teaching proper techniques and incorporating cardio to boost endurance.
The academy’s adult program on Monday and Wednesday nights puts a heavy focus on the physical fitness element of martial arts. Like in the other classes, students are being taught the foundational techniques but are held to a higher standard than the Little Dragons and family classes.
For more experienced taekwondo practitioners, the academy offers a yellow-belt-and-under course and a green-belt-and-up course. Students in these courses will learn moves to help them fight in official tournaments.
On Tuesdays, the academy also offers a sparring class.
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