Frequently Asked Questions- What type of martial art do you teach?
- Why is it taught that way?
- How can you teach four different martial arts in one place at the same time?
- Wouldn’t it be better to specialize in one art, rather than study several?
- What type of student is typically attracted to your school?
- I don't have any prior experience and I'm not in good shape. Do I need to have these to begin your program?
- Why are there mostly adults instead of children?
- Do you offer self-defense classes for women?
- What does "Not a Game or Sport, But A Way Of Life," mean?
- What is your emphasis?
- Why can you offer this specialized training and other schools cannot?
- What is the cost of tuition?
- Anything else a prospective student should know?
We instruct an eclectic curriculum that includes concurrent instruction in several martial art styles. The primary styles are: Karate, Chuan-fa (kung fu), Hapkido, and TaeKwon Do. Additionally, our system includes aspects of Judo, Tae Kyun, and Bong Sul (staff techniques). The teaching method is called "Chayon-Ryu" (pronounced "Cha yawn roo"), which uses natural body motions for the instruction of the above styles. Natural motions include walking, running, skipping, crossed-arm motion, etc. Through a system of philosophy students learn how to apply their education to lead non-violent and successful lives.
Over the past 53 years of continuous training and teaching, the founder of Chayon-Ryu has seen many injuries and health problems from training. He developed the Chayon-Ryu method in 1968 and has continuously refined it so that students avoid the injuries and health problems that have plagued martial arts students in times past. Most of these problems are rampant in other schools today.
No matter which martial arts style is studied, people are limited to moving in a manner that is natural to the design of the human body. These “Natural Body Motions” include twisting, walking, running, etc. and are used everyday in normal activities. Chayon-Ryu (Natural Way) is based on these motions to teach martial arts and to promote safety, power, and speed in training. An understanding of natural motions makes study of martial arts easier and training in multiple “styles” possible. Students realize how similar these “different” martial art styles are to each other with the understanding of natural motions. Grandmaster Kim Soo, Founder of Chayon-Ryu, began his training in 1951 and studied several martial arts during a time when it was frowned upon to do so. His concurrent study and Mastery of these different arts helped with developing the “Natural Body Motion” philosophy of teaching and training in martial arts. In 1968, Grandmaster Kim Soo immigrated to Houston, Texas and founded this teaching method (Chayon-Ryu) as the way to teach and concurrently study the arts of: Karate, Hapkido, Taekwondo, and Chuan-fa.
Possibly. It depends on the intentions of training. Each martial art has a purpose or use. Probably you have many tools in your toolbox: screwdriver, wrench, pliers, saw, etc. One tool is no better than the other tool. Each tool is designed for a purpose. Martial arts are the same way. You need different tools to fit the situations you are dealt. No one art has all of the answers. Also, different schools will emphasize different things. This could be: Or, it could be a combination of several things. The values of the instructor and the training goals of the school are more important than the “style” of martial art offered. Our school preserves several arts by: 1) Training in the physical techniques of each art,
2) Studying the history and lineage of each art, 3) Studying and applying the ‘natural motion’ method of training to promote health and safety. Students are tested and graded in all of the styles we teach. Students must pass with a ‘B’ or better to progress to the next rank/level of training. These exams help to ensure a high level of quality among our students.
The majority of our students are adults, with an average age around 33. The majority of these students have bachelor's degrees or higher. This is not a requirement to be a student, just a statistic we've found.
No, we specialize in students with no previous experience. Our teaching method is designed so that students of all fitness levels can start right away. Your fitness and endurance will increase with time and training.
Our curriculum has a large amount of physical and academic requirements at each level. This can sometimes be discouraging to children that want immediate promotion and gratification - instead of training for knowledge and personal improvement. Adults tend to have a better idea of what training entails and appreciate learning martial art as an "Art" and not a temporary passtime.
Our school offers self-defense classes for women. These are scheduled periodically, but may be requested by a group of women or an organization.
This means our focus is not tournaments or trophies. We are educating students in several classical arts that were originally used for survival. As the physical aspect of martial arts was needed less and people enjoyed longer lives, they found additional benefits from training, such as better health, lower stress, increased confidence. We emphasize both the physical and non-physical benefits of training. We also pass along the lineage and history of the arts and give credit to the instructors that allow us to enjoy the increased benefits of training. Understand, our students sweat and train very hard. But, through a system of etiquette and philosophy, students enjoy a disciplined and friendly, ego-free environment.
We are interested in helping our students become successful in life. The lessons learned during class extend far beyond the classroom as students can apply this knowledge to their own lives. Students train for many reasons: increased energy, weight loss, stress reduction, confidence, self-defense skills, etc. This is what many students seek when they begin, but find additional "treasures along the path" during training.
The Chief Instructor, Robert McLain, is a direct student of Grandmaster Kim Soo, Founder of Chayon-Ryu. His father was one of Grandmaster Kim Soo’s first students when Grandmaster Kim immigrated to the U.S. in 1968. Robert McLain began learning at a young age from his father and was later taken to Grandmaster Kim Soo for direct instruction. He was chosen as Chief Instructor of the Arlington school and Grandmaster Kim Soo's representative in 1996. Grandmaster Kim Soo continues to oversee Mr. McLain’s training and progress as a teacher. All Black Belt instructors in Chayon-Ryu train with Grandmaster Kim Soo for many years before being allowed to instruct elsewhere. It typically takes 5 years to achieve black belt in Chayon-Ryu and 20+ years to achieve "Master" level. From Robert McLain: "I have enjoyed many benefits from training throughout my life. I want to help people find those in their own lives as well. Passing along the benefits found in our rich martial art lineage is very important to me. I encourage students to keep in touch by phone or e-mail with questions or concerns. Students should enjoy their training. I endeavor to give them martial arts education of the highest quality in the safest manner possible."
While we will give this information over the phone or e-mail, we prefer to meet the prospective student and show them our programs in person. Don't worry, we are not sales people, we are martial artists and educators. If we have to pressure someone into training with us, then this is not the school for them. We would like prospective students to get a feel for the environment at our school and watch a class - it is where you will spend lots of time if you enroll. During visits, prospective students are given a price sheet to take with them. We encourage prospective students to visit other schools to compare what we have to offer with them.   
Yes. We are not a fly-by night organization. Our founder has trained since 1951 and taught since 1957. The US headquarters was established in 1968 in Houston, Texas where it remains today. The Arlington, Texas school was established in August, 1994 where the founder oversees the curriculum and quality of instruction. The local instructor, Robert McLain, has trained for years under Grandmaster Kim Soo, Founder of Chayon-Ryu Martial Arts. He continues to travel to take instructor clinics and advanced classes from Grandmaster Kim Soo to keep up with his training and to provide Arlington students with high quality instruction. We are interested in our students' success in their training. There is a distinct difference in the quality of training students receive from us, compared to other schools. We invite prospective students to visit the school and see for themselves. | 