There are several martial arts schools in the area, each with talented instructors who wish to help you. For somebody thinking about joining the martial arts, you may be asking yourself what the differences are, and more specifically, why should you choose D.J. Studios over any of the other schools in the area. We hope that this list will help to give you some guidance in knowing what to look for in a Martial Arts school, and ultimately, why you should choose us.
Master Josefik began his martial arts training in 1979, and for the past 30+ years, he has dedicated his life to perfecting his art. D.J. Studios has since become one of the areas longest running privately owned Martial Arts schools, as well as one of the most respected. In addition to Master Josefik's 30+ years, our school has many other instructors with varying levels of expertise in a variety different fields. With doctors, masters in child education, and several other accredited professionals, we have instructors who are prepared to help our students develop their skills physically, mentally, and spiritually.
For Master Josefik and the D.J. Studios instructors - this is not a business, and we do not exist for the sole intent of making money. This is our lifestyle, and we train as such. Our primary focus is not the quantity of students, but the quality of our students. This is reflected in both our history of success, and our entire teaching philosophy.
While many martial arts schools are primarily focused on teaching "street ready" self-defense, we would much rather put our focus on teaching our students skills which would render their need to fight unnecessary. We feel that it is much better to avoid a fight altogether, than to focus all of our time building skills to win a fight. Of course, we do still develop fighting skills as a byproduct of what we do, but our emphasis is always on character development.
Many non-affiliated schools in the area will downplay the importance of having affiliation with an organization, but we feel that it is one of the best things we have to offer our students. But what does it mean to be affiliated with an organization, and how does that benefit you?
Each of the instructors in our school are required to be certified by the World Tang Soo Do Association, as well as have security clearances stating a clear criminal background and a clear history of child abuse. In addition, many of our instructors are CPR certified, and several of our instructors are masters of their fields, which include doctors, teachers, and other accredited professionals.
Our primary headquarters are privately owned, which means we have a dedicated training facility, specifically geared towards the martial arts. We do not share our facility with other venues, which ensures that we can use our facility however we see fit.
D.J. Studios has produced more Black Belts, Masters and Grand Champions than any other school in the area. While this is not meant to toot our own horns, we are proud to recognize the achivements of our students. Master Josefik himself was the first person from this area to win the coveted Regional Cup back in 1997. His wife, Master Cathy Josefik is also a multiple Regional and Grand Champion. From there, they have produced countless Grand Champions and Black Belts over the years. While we do acknowledge that winning trophies is not what the Martial Arts is all about, it does demonstrate our commitment to hard work, our attention to detail, and our focus on the success of our students.
With all of that said, please keep in mind that many of our students have absolutely no interest in competition, and we care about their needs as well. In training at D.J. Studios, you are in no way obligated or pressured into going to competitions. Regardless of what your reasons are for joining the Martial Arts, we take pride in our ability to cater to those needs, and help you achieve your goals through our well-rounded, and diverse training regimen.
Over the years, D.J. Studios has participated in countless community events, helping us to become one of the areas strongest supporters. With a strong history of participation in most local events (including Heritage Days, the Philipsburg & Osceola Parades, the Relay For Life, various events at the Wagon Wheel, and more), our name has become synonymous with karate, in this area.
Our school has been pioneers for many of the programs and practices that are commonly seen these days in other schools. Some of these programs include:
We understand that many people are often intimidated by the idea of joining the Martial Arts. We find that many folks either feel that they are going to be asked to do something they aren't comfortable with, or that they are going to be hurt by someone else. At our school, our students are our primary concern, and we want to ensure that each student is safe and comfortable at all times. It is our desire to fully cater to our professionals. We understand that our students have jobs, and can't be waking up sore each morning, because they were thrown on the mat too hard. We want our students to enjoy what they're doing, and enjoy the process of learning the art. So of course we will push you to be the best you can, but we will never do so in a manner that ever causes pain or discomfort.