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Meet the Upchurch Family!

Dear Grand Master Hafner and Staff,

So how was I to know, when walking down the street on a rainy Saturday with my family, that walking into “Keith Hafner’s Karate” would end up with me receiving a Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do, and, more importantly, forever changing my life?

My oldest (but very young) sons and I had talked about doing karate together for nearly three years. We viewed it as a way to bond. In addition, this would provide dedicated time for some sort of regular physical activity. We also just wanted to learn more about the ancient martial arts.

What we experienced was a perfect blend of eastern martial arts tradition with the spirituality of the Judeo-Christian belief system. In today’s fast paced world of MP-3 players, tongue rings and tattoos, we became initially committed to spending only 2 hours a week on developing our inner self, while also working on our physical activity level.

While we originally only committed to 2 hours a week of “karate”, ultimately all hours of the week were seen through the eyes of a martial artist. Values such as honesty, bravery and courage become innate. Behavior patterns were developed that hopefully my kids and I will continue throughout the rest of our lives. Characteristics like respect, humility and helpfulness will continue to ooze forth as we meet new individuals and interact with old friends.

Best,
Dr. Gib Upchurch