In the heart of the City, Grandmaster Frazier has approximately 2,000 sq. ft. of floor space in a vintage building. 3 blocks away is the county seat, the county sheriff's department and courthouse, within walking distance. His neighborhood is also buzzing with co-eds, a university is within a quarter-mile. The building is divided into three different parts. Entering this environment from the front door, nothing is out of the ordinary. It’s your average viewing area with chairs, shoe storage shelf, the commonly used bulletin board for announcements and basic information is at eye level, and looking straight ahead, you see the every-day dojang’s flags for showing respect. |
A recent color belt test
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But as you stand there in the front, main training gym, for just a minute longer the inspiration of the place starts to grow on you! The mirrors that line the left wall are bordered at the top by pictures of smiling students and bolstered at the bottom by an entire line of somewhat foreboding black, Cage Fitness(t) bags, weighing 25 lbs. each. The wall-to-wall, hapkido floor mat adds to the allure, and the room boasts of numerous free-standing kicking dummies and pads, showing their wear from all the years of use. But it’s the lines and lines of inspirational quotes and dojang philosophy hand-painted on every wall, leaving almost no room for more, that makes you question your own settled, micro-managed life. Grandmaster Frazier is in every inch of this place. His mind and heart and philosophy emanate and radiate from everything around you. It is really quite a feeling.
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Just as you think you are leaving the best part of the place, passing the full-to-bursting shelves of partially used multi-colored tape, various class enhancements like hoola hoops, comical, oversized punching gloves, a plethora of “I forgot my belt” belts in every size, and untidy piles of curriculum cards (included with each belt) ... stepping through the door, you find yourself in something just as awe-inspiring! What the Frazier family calls their “back gym”, is so much more! With an athlete-stretching area to the right and their popular, “A+ After School Martial Arts” area to the left, I have no words, except that this is not just another dojang after all. It feels good. I see more shelving, sparring gear pouring out of half opened bags, some trophies, certificates and awards, but I also see primary colors, the “word of the month”, shelves of craft supplies, books, fun toys, cubbies of water bottles and uniforms, and shelves of backpacks. The Pro Shop is at the back. This is where most of the parents enter, with just a few chairs here and Grandmaster Frazier’s office, shared by his happy Grandmaster wife, Molly. The whole place seems to say, “come in and make yourself at home”. I turn, just in time to see Grandmaster Frazier’s daughter, Master Gracie, send an After School student into their second of 2 restrooms, roomy enough for a mother who wants to help her 3-year-old Little Tiger into their crisp white uniform, for the first time. The high ceilings of this room make it ideal for bo staff class, and tumbling practice (only for the elite demo teamers, Grandmaster Frazier tells me). The historic nature
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of this building is perfect for what these people are doing! The two floor-to-ceiling utility doors that line the back wall, give access to storage above the office area and behind the offices themselves, and they need it all. As you’ve probably already guessed, both the front and the back training areas are fully-used and fully-matted. All the business of martial arts that Grandmaster Frazier desires to do, using all the facility that this building is capable of, from sign-ups, to physical and weapon training, from sparring to cardio, from stretching to running, jumping, and tumbling, demonstration practice, competition and referee training, from meetings to family activities to ministry, all of this is housed in just 2,000 sq. ft. Almost as if planned, the fact that all of this is packed in so tight, could be why it’s energy and impact are so very palpable!
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Over the years, Grandmaster Frazier’s brain-child, a fully-accredited private school dojang, was born. In an open-air “great room”, shared by the school’s kitchen and lunch/snack area, 32' x 40' of 80+ interlocking mats are placed together, twice a week, for a complete Black Belt program of Little Tigers and Juniors. When Grandmaster Frazier began his introduction of this program to me, I immediately stereotyped it as the same as every other taekwondo program that goes into the schools… no organization, no depth, and short-lived. But not this one. This is truly another School of Respect. About 50 students train here, and some of the higher ranks even gravitate to the inspiring 1st dojang, 2-3 times a week.
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School of Respect #2 is a much simpler setting. No stationary kicking dummies, no mirrors or anything, everything comes from the “home” dojang. The students are encouraged to have their own sparring gear and weapons, stored in their martial arts bags that they bring with them. Grandmaster Frazier’s experience and intelligence shine here and the complexities of running 2 complete dojangs, and in this case, having to manage within the confines of an already busy private school dynamic, allow these students to enjoy all the highlights of dojang #1 like competition, joining the demo team, and so on.
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So, come to find out, this man of ingenuity, has also designed a mobile martial arts school. Since their demonstration team performs regularly in the community, schools, local events, churches, and so on, there is such a thing as a mobile dojang. Little did I know. This community-minded School of Respect will take their classes outside and train citizens on-the-spot, for free. What a great idea, and one that I’m sure brings locals to their school. Grandmaster Frazier says that the demonstration team will host these classes at their demonstrations, and people love it!
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