Meet Jun Chong of Jun Chong Martial Arts in Beverly Hills

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jun Chong.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I was born in Korea during the war and came to the U.S. as a teenager. I was already a black belt in taekwondo and had been participating in competitions with some success before I had to leave my country. Once I arrived here it was hard for me to adapt, there weren’t many Asians in Washington State at that time. Later we moved to So. California. And after some trouble, I left home. I was getting in trouble here and there, getting into fights. It was around that time that I met Master Sea Oh Choi, who offered me not only a teaching job (after watching me fight at a bar brawl), but he let me sleep at the studio when I was homeless. Those were hard times but I learned a lot from Master Choi. His expertise in Hapkido helped me gain more knowledge of martial arts. Those years of sacrifice and discipline paid off when I was finally able to open my own small studio in the city of Rosemead. The Bruce Lee fever was beginning to catch on with the American public and it was a very good time to start a martial arts school.

My first studio was established in 1973 in the city of Rosemead, CA. In 1975 Chuck Norris sold his L.A. Wilshire studio branch to me. That’s where we have remained since. We will be celebrating our 44th anniversary this May and are proud to say that we are one of the oldest martial arts studios in Southern California with consistent high quality of instruction and integrity.

Has it been a smooth road?
We have been through thick and thin in the martial arts business, and like I said before, only discipline and dedication has made us last for more than four decades. Many martial art styles, exercise fads and self defense methods have come and gone through the years. Going back a long time, we had to compete with kung Fu schools, which were so popular at one time, then came taebo, kick boxing, Muay Thai, MMA, Brazilian Jiujitsu, and others, but while a few of those are no longer popular, we have been around for generations mainly because we have stuck to our original style and ways. The people who come to learn at our studio know what we offer, know what to expect and that’s what they want.

Nowadays the challenge is to keep people focused, going for the long term. Martial arts is a long term commitment. Children now want quick results, adults too. Some people expect to get by with the least of effort to just get to the next belt. So that’s one challenge. Some people don’t want to be doing “repetitive” things, when, in reality, that’s the heart of martial arts, to repeat something until it becomes natural, so they get bored easily. So our biggest challenge is to keep our integrity in a world that expects results overnight.

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Jun Chong Martial Arts story. Tell us more about the business.
We are here today because our methods and curriculum are proven. My philosophy of martial arts is, most of all, to be disciplined, and when applied to how we operate our school is has worked very well. Our discipline reflects on how we teach, the days and class hours we offer and how we grade our students. We are the first and I think the only one, studio that opens seven days a week. We offer classes for children separately from the adults, and by levels.

According to comments from our students, who have visited other studios, our studio offers:
(1) Better instructors. Our instructors have been original students and some of them started as early as 4 years old.
(2) Serious instruction. We base our instruction on a sound curriculum per belt level. We grade our students and promote them on merit.
(3) Traditional values. Our students like the structure, system and philosophy of our classes. We instill values of honesty, respect and discipline in all our classes and activities.
(4) Integrity. We do not award belts or promote unless a student earns it by (1) attending classes regularly (2) learning the material (3) executing the material correctly at the test.
(5) Fair prices for value received.
(6) Excellent reputation in the community as a place of learning and conducting business

How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
After so many years in the business I see myself gradually moving towards retirement, so I am not worried about trends or changes right now. My son, Yong, will eventually take over. He is young and has enough experience.

If anything, I see people wanting to go back to the old days when martial art teachers were tough instead of babysitting, and thought less about business marketing and ploys to make more money. That is very important too. However, regardless of how much marketing and advertising you do, if you don’t deliver the goods, the students will not stay. The public is very educated, they like to compare and ask questions, so be prepared to keep your promises and deliver what they expect, what they paid for, and then a bit more.

I see that the trend is for people to combine martial arts and try different things until they find what fits. To make it convenient we offer several styles under one roof, a student does not need to go to a Jiujitsu school, then a taekwondo school, etc. Our students can learn one or several styles in one school. That’s the trend at this time, where the student wants to be exposed to more than one art. That can change unexpectedly. People are fickle.

Pricing:

• Monthly fee as low as $150

Contact Info:

• Address: 6340-B Wilshire Boulevard
• Website: www.junchongtkd.com
• Phone: 3236587570
• Email: [email protected]

Image Credit:
Ada Chong

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