Gary Stevens TaeKwonDo My Story

On March 15, 1973, I walked up the dark stairs, above the Catch a Rising Star comedy club, on 2nd Avenue in New York City. It was a scary experience, not knowing what I was walking into, but I was determined to learn TaeKwonDo. A mild mannered man greeted me and explained what I should expect to learn, if I enrolled. Little did I know that, that unassuming man was Grand Master Richard Chun.

After our talk I entered his Dojang, sat on a bench and observed an active class. On the way out, I enrolled in the minimum program that was offered. By the end of my first week, I upped my enrollment and by the end of the second week I upped that membership and that was the start of my life’s commitment to this martial art.

I have made a career of teaching both children and adults the qualities of life that are desperately needed in today’s world. I grew up in the boroughs of New York City, in 1973 I began training in the martial arts under the late legendary Grand Master Richard Chun who is credited as one of the first few teachers from Korea to bring Tae Kwon Do to the United States. Under his direct guidance, I became one of Chun’s prized students and instructors. As a result of Master Chun’s teaching, my style of instruction is rooted in tradition. As every great teacher has learned, incorporation of new ideas and techniques to make applications more effective in today’s world is paramount to success. I have created my own unique, effective style that blends traditional and current practices within the martial arts. “If you feel confident in your abilities to defend yourself, conquering insecurities in your daily lives becomes much easier”. I strive to help individuals succeed through honest assessment and hard work both physically and mentally.

When it was time to start a family, I moved to New Jersey. I currently hold an 8th Dan black belt and established my own school in 1984 in Glen Rock, New Jersey. I am particularly interested in working with young people who I can help develop into successful young adults. As an experienced martial artist, I have worked with many on preventing bullying and teasing, I help children understand when it is appropriate to defend themselves or when it is better to just remove themselves from a bad situation. I offer unique classes for children with special needs and have worked extensively with young people who have ADHD. In addition to self-defense, children in my classes learn discipline, respect, confidence, focus and responsibility. These are skills that children will need for the rest of their lives.

I believe in community service and volunteer my time (16+ years) as part of the Glen Rock Volunteer Ambulance Corps. I am also a certified member of (C.E.R.T.) the Community Emergency Response Team, a member of the Community Relations Advisory Board. I require that all of my black belt students become certified in CPR as part of their social and civic responsibility. As part of my commitment to this area, I teach or have taught TaeKwonDo through the recreation departments of many New Jersey municipalities including Tenafly, Fair Lawn, Englewood and Leonia and offer free seminars covering health, fitness and self-defense issues. Within the martial arts community, I have served as a consultant and judge for the United States Martial Arts Team. “It is great to see that many of my students have become responsible members of our community.” As a well respected master, it is a unique privilege to affect the lives of so many in this community as well as others.

I have been training and teaching TaeKwonDo for over 52+ years and I have withstood the test of time through honesty, integrity and a teaching philosophy that simply works.

I am very proud of how my TaeKwonDo school has succeeded and how I describe it’s purpose:

“Our Martial Arts School builds awareness, self-confidence and pride in young people and adults. Our mission is to provide physical and mental training that will enable the individual to become a better and more responsible citizen and to eliminate the fear of abuse and harm in their lives caused by others”

In November 2025, I will be going before a panel of high ranking Black Belts to take my test for the Grand Master Black Belt level of 9th degree. On December 3, 2025, I will be celebrating my 80th birthday.