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Koo Self Defense is the home of the world's youngest martial arts black belts at age 5 and 6. Click Here to see their names amongst all other Koo Self Defense Black Belts
The first student to become the world's youngest Black Belt at age 5, was Joshua Bishop on June 3, 1995. Joshua was featured on local television networks, newspapers and martial arts magazine.
 Article from The Atlanta Journal & Constitution, July 23, 1995
Article from The Daily Tribune, Sunday, June 2, 1995
The World's Youngest Black Belts:
Joshua Bishop, Age 5, 1995
Tommy Muller, Age 5, 1995
Jared Whatley, Age 6, 1996
Tyler Moore, Age 5, 1998
Kyle Whigham, Age 6, 1998
Joseph Thornbrough Age 6, 2000
From several hundreds 3 years old and 4 years old, only these few remarkbale young children have persevered and succeeded!
Defining what is a Black Belt has different meaning to different martial arts. There is a general misconception and myth as to what black belt means. Click on this link to find out more What is a Black Belt and Koo Self Defense's OBJECTIVE BLACK BELT TEST!
David Tillman achieved his black belt at 6 years old on November 1 2003! Another one of The World's Youngest Black Belts from Koo Self Defense!
 VIDEO CLIPS
There are other KSD videos clips of students performing thier drills throughtout this 20 page site as well as on other KSD students sites.
David Center practising for black belt test - 3 plastic rebreakable boards
David Center practising for black belt test - 4 plastic rebreakable boards
David Center practising for black belt test - 4 plastic rebreakable boards
David Center practising for black belt test - 4 plastic rebreakable boards
David Center practising for black belt test - 4 plastic rebreakable boards
David Center practising for black belt test - 5 plastic rebreakable boards
David Center practising for black belt test - 3 plastic rebreakable boards
Michael Roberson breaking 4 brand new plastic rebreakable boards at his 1st. Degree test September 28, 2002
David Tillman (brown belt), 6 years old breaking 1 plastic rebrekable board with left side kick
David Tillman (brown belt), 6 years old breaking 1 plastic rebrekable board with downward kick
David Tillman (brown belt), 6 years old breaking 1/2 plastic rebrekable board with right round kick
David Tillman (brown belt), 6 years old performs 2 against 1 shield sparring
David Tillman (brown belt), 6 years old performs left side kick on shield knocking down his partner
David Tillman (brown belt), 6 years old performs free choice drills on shields
David Tillman (brown belt), 6 years old performs 2 against 1 shield sparring
Eliza Casey breaking 1 plastic rebreakable board which takes 366 lbs. of pressure to break
Kurt Zellemoyer Koo Self Defense Includes video clips of breaking and drills onto focus mitts and shields
Michael Spaulding Koo Self Defense Includes photos of breaking new plastic rebreakable boards at Black Belt Test and drills onto focus mitts and shields
David Center Koo Self Defense Includes video clips of breaking 4 and 5 white plastic rebreakable boards as well as 3 of the new tougher black plastic rebreakable boards
James Zsamboki Koo Self Defense Includes video clips of breaking 5 plastic rebreakable boards and drills onto focus mitts and shields
More VIDEO CLIPS from other Koo Self Defense students' web site More VIDEO CLIPS from other Koo Self Defense students' web site.
From G. Martin Kocanda, Streamwood, IL. Copy from ksdi.net Signed Guestbook, April 15, 2004
I finally had the pleasure of meeting Master Koo and participating in a workout as a guest of a former student, Bridgette Bowen, on April 12, 2004. I was visiting the area as a prospective graduate student at Georgia Tech. Having viewed the KSDI website several months prior to the visit, I was most certainly impressed and had made the visit to the studio an integral part of the trip to the area. I wasn't sure what to expect in terms of intensity and duration, as this was to be an hour-long training session. The workout was exceptional! Having been an active participant of martial arts and also a certified fitness instructor, I had assumed that I was in good shape. I was in for a rude awakening. What an intense and satisfying workout! From what I have seen on the website and from this brief personal experience, Master Koo certainly has a way of reaching in drawing out one's inner strength and using it to the maximum potential. The multiple-punch combination aerobic routines during the first half of the class made my deltoids feel as if they were on fire. The target punches and kicks against a resistance were a real killer! I haven't ever worked this hard in all the years of practice! I'd give this class the highest rating of all the workouts that I've ever done and would give the school a very high rating. Should I choose to pursue graduate studies at Tech, I'll be an active participant at KSDI!
Email to Master Koo From: "G. Martin Kocanda"
To:masterkoo@ksdi.net
Sent: Sunday, April 18, 2004 11:18 AM
Subject: Thank You
Master Koo;
I wanted to take the opportunity to extend my gratitute for allowing me to attend one of your classes last week. I was visiting the metro area as a prospective graduate student for the fall '04 term in chemistry at Georgia Tech and was invited as a guest of Bridgette Bowen if you may
recall.
The class was certainly the most intense that I've experienced, specifically the punch and kick drills against resistance. This has been missing from my workouts for a long time. Should the opportunity arise that I am accepted into the graduate program, please be advised that
I will enroll in your school.
Also, I want to concur with you on your viewpoints regarding many of the "structured" mainstream forms of martial arts. These never seemed practical, should the need arise to defend one's self. The first personal exposure was that of the traditional Japanese karate while attending high school. This was much too rigid and did not allow one to develop a personal style. Likewise, the katas were never really understood, maybe an artform, but again not practical. I've also studied Hapkido. This was more of a practical fighting art, as one developed a personal style and was allowed a "free form" style of sparring. The grappling and throws were very practical, again, should one be required to defend in a "street" situation.
From the information contained in your website, I am really enanored by your ability to reach in and draw out the student's inner strength and also to see the remarkable things that your students have done.
Please keep me in mind, or at least on your mailing list if you are planning on offering any short seminars during the summer, as I'd like to attend.
All the best in your success!
Sincerely,
Martin Kocanda, Streamwood, IL
From Dustin Ballew, Texas. Copy from ksdi.net signed Guestbook, April 14, 2004
Hi Master Koo,
This is Dustn Ballew from 2 years ago when my mom and I used to train with you..As you know we have moved to Texas. I was just reading up on your site all of things about traditional martial arts and thought that all of it very interesting. I wish I could find another place like Koo Self Defense down here in Texas but of course I can't. I have started training in a different martial art studio. It is not anything close to the intense work out that I used to get at your studio but it's something to do for fun not so much for self defense (can be fun if I want to show off for friends, but that's about it). In our class I have the most powerful punches and kicks and I am definitely one of the best breakers because they mostly use the wooden boards that break so easily. We were using the hard plastic boards like at your school and I was the only on that could break all of them on the first hit, even one of our higher brown belts couldn't do it. I thought it was funny and that it proves Koo Self Defense movements are more effective. I like the points you present on why the punches from the hips don't work as well I have to do them over here but don't really like them and the katas of course we have to know our katas which I think it's a waste of time to do them but we have to do them, so I do them for fun of it. We also have to know the Japanese terms for everything we do in class and I don't see any purpose to that either.
Dustin
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