Today we’d like to introduce you to Jason Hughes.
Hi Jason, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I started training in the art of Taekwondo as a teenager in south Georgia. When I moved to Athens, I became an assistant instructor at the Taekwondo Club at the University of Georgia. That gave me access to studying several other martial arts and I took full advantage. After a couple of years I started my own school. From then till now I’ve been competing, teaching, and coaching.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It definitely has not been a smooth road, but I would not want it to be. I joke that my job is counting from 1 to 10 in Korean while 8-year-olds kick me in the stomach. Occasionally a stranger will call me at 4:30 and I have to fight them at 7:00. All the rest of the time is spent creating State and National Champions and trying to instill a fighting spirit in my students when they’re confronted with life’s difficulties.
While it is certainly difficult running a business by myself and dealing with teaching with injuries and things like that, I get to live a life on the mat sharing this beautiful art with whoever wants to learn it.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I specialize in Traditional and Olympic Style Taekwondo, a South Korean martial art. Our students are known for their technical expertise, which I’m proud of. I also teach a very rare martial art called Jodo, which I learned from a Japanese master who was studying at the University. This is a very old and traditional weapons art that is very hard to find. I love that my students are excited to be learning and carrying on a tradition that goes back hundreds of years.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
I define success as bringing more happiness and peace to whomever I come in contact with.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.liveoakmartialarts.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lomaathens/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LomaAthens
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/lomaathens
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/LiveOakMartialArts
