Welcome to The Park Studios Blog

Hi and welcome to our blog! The Park Studios is a new studio, coming soon, based on the teaching of Master David Park in Tae Kwon Do, Korean Martial Arts, and Yoga. Our goal is to integrate the value and energy of yoga and martial arts to benefit all ages of practitioners as well as providing the best quality clothing and equipment.

We are currently in the early stages of seeking capital, including private equity investment, angel investors and venture capital. Please comment or contact us at theparkstudios@gmail.com for more information.

From our Executive Summary: The Park will be a leader in physical training and wellness, teaching a unique combination of Yoga and Tae Kwon Do. The Park will provide a state of the art facility to offer a seamless harmony of both disciplines.

Here is some data we think supports our cause:

February 26, 2008 (San Francisco, CA) The latest “Yoga in America” study, just released by Yoga Journal shows that Americans spend 5.7 billion dollars a year on yoga classes and products, including clothing and equipment. This figure represents an increase of 87 percent compared to the previous study in 2004 – almost double what was previously spent. The 2008 study indicates that 6.9% of U.S. adults, or 15.8 million people, practice yoga.

Currently, Tae Kwon Do is practiced in 188 countries with over 70 million practitioners and 4 million individuals with black belts throughout the world. It is now one of only two Asian martial arts that are included in the Olympic games.

The World Tae Kwon Do Federation (Kukiwon) analysts estimate 2008 Tae Kwon Do market spending exceeded 15.7 billion dollars worldwide, which would indicate a year over year growth rate of 8.7%.

The Park will be a physical culture destination teaching Yoga and Tae Kwon Do. A full retail department within the center will facilitate not only the needs of members but regional and walk in customers. The combination of Yoga and Tae Kwon Do gives the client a fluid, non-intimidating choice, that eventually, when combined cultivates the maximum benefits of both arts. Flexibility, muscle tone, strength awareness, discipline, confidence, weight loss, speed, power and the ability to defend yourself creates the Power Serenity. This business model is actually “three businesses in one”. Fluidity is the key.

Even though there are three parts each business component enhances and supports the other two. It allows the individual who has always been intimidated by martial arts to develop a comfort level and ability by starting Yoga first. The martial art enthusiast gains better flexibility, balance and all around performance and longevity by incorporating Yoga. Finally the retail division benefits from both Yoga and Tae Kwon Do member traffic and parents.

Bio of David Park, Master Martial Arts Instructor

David Park began traditional Tae Kwon Do training under Master Simon Rhee, a 7th degree black belt and 5 time National Grand Champion in 1968. He was awarded his 1st degree black belt seven years later at age fifteen. At seventeen, he began his training under Grand Master Soon Tae Yang. In 1996 the World Tae Kwon Do Federation (Kukiwon) promoted Master David Park to 6th Dan. Being the supervisory Tae Kwon Do body which makes recommendations to the Olympic Committee, the World Tae Kwon Do Federation is the most recognized, respected and largest Martial Arts governing body in the world.

Master Park was also awarded black belts in the Martial Arts of Hapkido and Kung Jung Mu Sul. For the last fifteen years, he has been an avid practitioner of Yoga. As a pioneer in the Tae Kwon Do training arena, he has incorporated Yoga into his Tae Kwon Do and Martial Art teaching because of the significant benefits and accelerated skills that students attained through this cross training.

David Park realized he had a real passion for teaching Tae Kwon Do very early in life. At the age of 16 he began his teaching career at Jun Chong Tae Kwon Do Studios in Beverly Hills. Students quickly gravitated to his skills through teaching a diverse range of people from celebrities, professional athletes, rock stars and doctors, to inner city youth. (Graham Nash Shane Stallone, Jay Leno, Marcus Allen, Phil Hartman, Dr. Dre and many others)

In 1984 David Park was invited to be a business partner with Master Simon Rhee in his famous Tae Kwon Do studio in Van Nuys Ca. Eventually he ventured out on his own, opening two studios with over 500 students. Master Park has had thousands of students, been in numerous films, and designed and produced 3 retail clothing lines.

In Tae Kwon Do he is well known for:

• Coaching the UCLA Tae Kwon Do Team
• Coaching and training United States National Tae Kwon Do team members
• Training and coaching numerous U.S. and International Tae Kwon Do Olympic team members
• Cutting edge Olympic Tae Kwon Do training
• Hybridized training from active Yoga methods with Tae Kwon Do / Martial Arts