Flex Studio Martial Arts was Founded by Mr Phil Zhuta, a 2nd degree Black Belt in the Chun Kuk Do style, the main style we teach, in the late 1980s. Mr Zhuta is now retired from teaching, so Mr Matthew Carlozzi is now the instuctor. Mr Carlozzi is currently a 4th degree Chun Kuk Do black belt who has been training with Mr Zhuta since 1994, and has been teaching since 1998. The following is from th
e United Fighting Arts Federation website, UFAF.org, and explains what UFAF and Chun Kuk Do are. About UFAF
The United Fighting Arts Federation™ (UFAF) is an increasingly worldwide martial arts membership organization founded by Mr. Members of the organization study the style of Chun Kuk Do™ ("The Universal Way"), also founded by Mr. UFAF provides many services and benefits to its member students, instructors, and schools:
Chun Kuk Do rank certification by UFAF and Chuck Norris! Annual membership card and membership premium
Uniform patch signifying membership and Chun Kuk Do style identity
Special events such as the annual UFAF International Training Conference (ITC or KidTC) in Las Vegas
$100 discount on cost of the ITC or KidTC
15% discount on merchandise from the UFAF Web Direct Online Shop
News magazine published three times each year, with ”Extra’s” throughout the year - Example Issue
Educational opportunities, curriculums, and certifications
Online community access
Instructor training
Business training for school owners
Professional martial artist certification
Access to a network of phenomenal martial artists
UFAF is the governing and sanctioning body for the Chun Kuk Do style, providing technical standards for instruction and advancement in the system. Members of UFAF receive certification of their Chun Kuk Do rank from Mr. Norris himself! Aside from UFAF, the only other organization in the world where this happens is KICKSTART KIDS, UFAF’s official charity, also founded by Mr. About Chun Kuk Do
Chun Kuk Do (CKD) is a Korean-based American hard style of karate. The style was founded by Mr. Chuck Norris, and was originally based on Mr. Norris' Tang Soo Do training in Korea while he was in the military. During his unprecedented competitive fighting career (undefeated world middleweight karate champion six years running), Mr. Norris began to evolve the style to make it more effective and well-rounded. He did this through committed study of other systems which he felt would complement his Tang Soo Do foundation. This evolution, along with his personal commitment to excellence, resulted in his phenomenal success. This openness continues today, as Chun Kuk Do continues to evolve to include aspects of other systems, or completely original aspects which make it more complete. Having gone by several names since the early 70's, the style has been known as Chun Kuk Do since 1990. The name is loosely translated to mean "The Universal Way." The Korean terms actually mean 'the way of 1000 lands,' or 'the way of many lands.'
CKD is not an ad hoc collection of various techniques from different systems. Rather, it is a style with a deeply-rooted traditional foundation of its own - now unique and different from its Tang Soo Do predecessor - to which various other elements that complement its fundamentals have been added. Chun Kuk Do has come to emphasize self defense, competition, weapons, grappling, fitness, and more.
