Ten years and counting...

Ten years and counting…

Wow. Ten years. While there are plenty of martial arts schools that have been around far longer (my instructor’s school Mudo College to name just one), there are also plenty of schools who have come and gone within that period of time.

I want to take a moment to recognize MuSool Academy of Martial Arts in Port Orange, Florida. Master Shelby Creech has done an exceptional job with the school. He’s a top-notch instructor, an incredible martial artist, and a great friend.

When I moved to Port Orange to help get the program started, Shelby and I were excited. We used to run wind-sprints on the concrete slab where the school was being built. We were training at the school before the school as even there.

Shelby, John Combs and I worked hard to assemble a curriculum that represented our core beliefs about what the martial arts were all about. We wanted a school that had solid roots in tradition, but wasn’t afraid to try new things. We wanted students who respected where they came from, but also had the vision to look to the future.

I believe that MuSool has achieved that. It has great competitors without being a “sport school” like some other TaeKwonDo programs. It teaches students to defend themselves realistically without forgetting the customs, language, and theories of traditional HapKiDo. MuSool is about every student being a martial artist from the day they start their first class, not just when they get their black belt.

I’m very proud of Master Creech, the MuSool black belts, students, family, and friends that help to make MuSool Academy what it is today. And I’m not ashamed to say that I’m proud of myself for being a founder of the school.

Way to go MuSool!

Brian Stanton
MuSool Black Belt #2