Anyone heard of the (ISA) International Sung-Ja Do Association?

[Master-Theophylus]

The founder is George Petrotta. From my understanding he is a high rank in many Korean martial arts as well as some Japanese styles. I believe he is a high Dan in Kukkiwon Taekwondo and had worked with Karate For Christ. Anybody heard of his martial arts association or his style of martial arts? Is Sung-Ja Do effective? What is its focus? Is it worth the effort to try and train in?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[andyjeffries]

I only know of him because he openly advertises for Kukkiwon promotions by video/online. A lot of people have a problem with that; personally, while I haven't done it, I'd have no issue with it either. As long as it's one continuous video doing the syllabus you require to promote, doing it through recorded video is if anything, even better. Because you can rewind/freeze frame/etc.

I know he has at least one inaccuracy on his page he points to a Mr Kim, Sung-shin as his "best contact" - it's actually Miss Kim, Sung-shim (I've met her a few times and been out drinking with her and a few others from the Kukkiwon, she's definitely not a him).

Anyway, so I know nothing about Sung-ja Do, that's what I know of him.

 

[TrueJim]

Just FYI:

Private training in SELF-PROTECTION for the street in Florence,South Carolina <-- homepage

George Petrotta <-- Facebook

 

[WaterGal]

Oh my lord, that website. Looking at it makes me feel like I just jumped in a time machine back to 1999. From a very cursory look, though, I don't see any huge red flags.

 

[Dirty Dog]

Oh my lord, that website. Looking at it makes me feel like I just jumped in a time machine back to 1999. From a very cursory look, though, I don't see any huge red flags.

This. And whoever designed it needs to be arrested by the Grammar Police.

 

[gpetrotta]

This. And whoever designed it needs to be arrested by the Grammar Police.

I will take any advice from anyone on how to improve my website. -- GP

 

[gpetrotta]

The founder is George Petrotta. From my understanding he is a high rank in many Korean martial arts as well as some Japanese styles. I believe he is a high Dan in Kukkiwon Taekwondo and had worked with Karate For Christ. Anybody heard of his martial arts association or his style of martial arts? Is Sung-Ja Do effective? What is its focus? Is it worth the effort to try and train in?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Mr. Theophylus,
I believe you were in Spring Hill, FL while I was there back on October 21st. That would have been the perfect time for you to ask those questions and get answers straight from the horse's mouth. You watched intently from the sidelines when I asked for volunteers to come forward, but you did not. I promoted Master David Sheram to 7th & 8th Dan in TKD and gave him a Founder certificate for Marantha TKD Association. By the way, Marantha TKD Association is now aligned with my organization and all going for Black Belt and rank promotions in Black Belts will have to go through GM Sheram and me. I did the same thing in Blountsville, AL in November when I promoted Grandmaster Joseph Lumpkin to 10th Dan Founder of Shinsei Hapkido. I did the same thing in Hickory, NC on the 11th of November, where I promoted four to 10th Degree Founder of their Style. (GM Floyd Yoder, GM Terry Reid, CGM Rick Jessee and GM John Shihan Mayer.) The only way you can train in Sungja-Do is to come to me personally and ask to train. Is it effective? YES! What is it's focus? To use VIOLENCE to stop the violence.
I have been in the Martial Arts for 55 years this coming January. I may have learned a little something in that time period.

 

[Dirty Dog]

I will take any advice from anyone on how to improve my website. -- GP

I'd suggest a remedial English course, as a good place to start. They're, there, and their are not interchangeable, for example.

 

[gpetrotta]

I'd suggest a remedial English course, as a good place to start. They're, there, and their are not interchangeable, for example.

I know the difference between the three, but if you can point some of my errors out I would appreciate it. Just give me the URL of the page (s)

 

[Dirty Dog]

I know the difference between the three, but if you can point some of my errors out I would appreciate it. Just give me the URL of the page (s)

Start with the homepage...

 

[Tony Dismukes]

I will take any advice from anyone on how to improve my website. -- GP

Hey, GP, I'll offer my two cents worth.

When I look at a website for a martial arts school or instructor, there are a few things I'm looking for:

What do they teach?
How do they teach it?
Who teaches it?
What are their qualifications?
What are the location, hours, pricing, etc.?
How easy is it to find all of the information above?
Are there any red flags that make me wonder about what is being presented?

Technically, factors such as spelling, grammar, clarity of expression shouldn't make a huge difference in evaluating someone's ability to teach martial arts. However if there are major obvious issues with those factors, it gives me at least subconscious doubts about their overall professionalism.

With all that in mind, let me go through your site and see what jumps out at me ...

What do they teach?

Starting on your home page, the only specific arts listed are Tae Kwon Do and Hapkido. There's a link offering to explain what TKD is, but it leads to a page which no longer exists. There is also a link leading to a general history of Hapkido. One of the other pages leads to the assertion that HAPKI reality-based combat "is a non-traditional HAPKIDO art as taught by the Founder of HAPKIDO, Choi, Yong Sul." This is somewhat confusing - if you are teaching the art as taught by the founder, wouldn't that make it traditional by definition? Clicking around a bit I also find that Sungja-Do is an eclectic art "based on Korean, Japanese, Filipino, Indonesian and other martial arts". There is no explanation of what those arts specifically are or who created the art, but I'm going to assume that you are the founder?

How do they teach it?

Nothing really helpful here.

Who teaches it?

That would appear to be you, George Petrotta. I'm a little confused, in that you seem to be placing a heavy emphasis on your international association, but there are no mentions of any other schools or instructors within that association.

What are their qualifications?

All I've been able to find so far is that you have been training for over five decades and that you started with Judo. It also states that you are "the leading authority on the art of Sungja-Do". If Sungja-Do is an art you created, then that would seem obvious. I don't see anything mentioning your rank or experience in Tae Kwon Do, Hapkido, or whatever other arts you drew upon in creating your own system.

(Please note that this is not an attack on whatever your qualifications are - I'm just saying that it would be a good idea to mention them on a website promoting your instruction.)

What are the location, hours, pricing, etc.?

If I'm reading things correctly, you only teach private lessons and seminars in the Florence, SC area and don't currently operate an active school?

How easy is it to find all of the information above?

Not super easy. You have a lot of random links cluttering up your home page and no clear organization of the information on your website. As a counter-example, I'll share the link to the gym I train and teach at. I made the website - I won't claim it's the best around, but you should be able to find any info you want pretty quickly. Four Seasons Martial Arts

Are there any red flags that make me wonder about what is being presented?

For me, the top concerns would be:

• Lots of talk about your international organization and how to pay for a membership, with no meaningful explanation of what the organization does or what benefits a member would gain.
• The "promotion requirements" page only list prices for testing and certificates, but nothing about the actual expectations regarding skill and knowledge. That's not a good look.
• No details about your experience or credentials.

factors such as spelling, grammar, clarity of expression

Different fonts, font sizes and colors all over the same page. Random all-caps, italics, underlines. Misplaced punctuation. Sentences with no clear meaning.

As I said, none of that necessarily relates to your abilities as a martial arts instructor, but it kind of hurts my eyes and doesn't leave the best impression.

Hope that helps.

 

[Paul_D]

Is Sung-Ja Do effective?

Effective for what purpose? Killing people on a battlefield, winning plastic throphies at sporting competitions, practical self protection from non consensual criminal violence?

 

[Tony Dismukes]

Hey, GP, I'll offer my two cents worth.

When I look at a website for a martial arts school or instructor, there are a few things I'm looking for:

What do they teach?
How do they teach it?
Who teaches it?
What are their qualifications?
What are the location, hours, pricing, etc.?
How easy is it to find all of the information above?
Are there any red flags that make me wonder about what is being presented?

Technically, factors such as spelling, grammar, clarity of expression shouldn't make a huge difference in evaluating someone's ability to teach martial arts. However if there are major obvious issues with those factors, it gives me at least subconscious doubts about their overall professionalism.

With all that in mind, let me go through your site and see what jumps out at me ...

What do they teach?

Starting on your home page, the only specific arts listed are Tae Kwon Do and Hapkido. There's a link offering to explain what TKD is, but it leads to a page which no longer exists. There is also a link leading to a general history of Hapkido. One of the other pages leads to the assertion that HAPKI reality-based combat "is a non-traditional HAPKIDO art as taught by the Founder of HAPKIDO, Choi, Yong Sul." This is somewhat confusing - if you are teaching the art as taught by the founder, wouldn't that make it traditional by definition? Clicking around a bit I also find that Sungja-Do is an eclectic art "based on Korean, Japanese, Filipino, Indonesian and other martial arts". There is no explanation of what those arts specifically are or who created the art, but I'm going to assume that you are the founder?

How do they teach it?

Nothing really helpful here.

Who teaches it?

That would appear to be you, George Petrotta. I'm a little confused, in that you seem to be placing a heavy emphasis on your international association, but there are no mentions of any other schools or instructors within that association.

What are their qualifications?

All I've been able to find so far is that you have been training for over five decades and that you started with Judo. It also states that you are "the leading authority on the art of Sungja-Do". If Sungja-Do is an art you created, then that would seem obvious. I don't see anything mentioning your rank or experience in Tae Kwon Do, Hapkido, or whatever other arts you drew upon in creating your own system.

(Please note that this is not an attack on whatever your qualifications are - I'm just saying that it would be a good idea to mention them on a website promoting your instruction.)

What are the location, hours, pricing, etc.?

If I'm reading things correctly, you only teach private lessons and seminars in the Florence, SC area and don't currently operate an active school?

How easy is it to find all of the information above?

Not super easy. You have a lot of random links cluttering up your home page and no clear organization of the information on your website. As a counter-example, I'll share the link to the gym I train and teach at. I made the website - I won't claim it's the best around, but you should be able to find any info you want pretty quickly. Four Seasons Martial Arts

Are there any red flags that make me wonder about what is being presented?

For me, the top concerns would be:

• Lots of talk about your international organization and how to pay for a membership, with no meaningful explanation of what the organization does or what benefits a member would gain.
• The "promotion requirements" page only list prices for testing and certificates, but nothing about the actual expectations regarding skill and knowledge. That's not a good look.
• No details about your experience or credentials.

factors such as spelling, grammar, clarity of expression

Different fonts, font sizes and colors all over the same page. Random all-caps, italics, underlines. Misplaced punctuation. Sentences with no clear meaning.

As I said, none of that necessarily relates to your abilities as a martial arts instructor, but it kind of hurts my eyes and doesn't leave the best impression.

Hope that helps.

Note - the critique in my previous post was based on the desktop version of your site. I notice that you also have a mobile version (which also shows up on tablets) that is pretty much completely different. (For anyone viewing the mobile version, you can find the desktop version by going to the dropdown menu on the top left and following the "Full Website" link.)

The mobile version is more professionally done and doesn't have the same issue with randomly varied fonts and such. It does raise another issue - the menu shows an address and hours of operation, which seems odd if you don't have a regular school. Are those the hours you are available for private lessons?

BTW - if you want potential students to see those hours of availability, I haven't found a way to reach that page from the desktop version of the site. Not everyone browses the web from their mobile device.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

Hey, GP, I'll offer my two cents worth.

When I look at a website for a martial arts school or instructor, there are a few things I'm looking for:

What do they teach?
How do they teach it?
Who teaches it?
What are their qualifications?
What are the location, hours, pricing, etc.?
How easy is it to find all of the information above?
Are there any red flags that make me wonder about what is being presented?

Technically, factors such as spelling, grammar, clarity of expression shouldn't make a huge difference in evaluating someone's ability to teach martial arts. However if there are major obvious issues with those factors, it gives me at least subconscious doubts about their overall professionalism.

With all that in mind, let me go through your site and see what jumps out at me ...

What do they teach?

Starting on your home page, the only specific arts listed are Tae Kwon Do and Hapkido. There's a link offering to explain what TKD is, but it leads to a page which no longer exists. There is also a link leading to a general history of Hapkido. One of the other pages leads to the assertion that HAPKI reality-based combat "is a non-traditional HAPKIDO art as taught by the Founder of HAPKIDO, Choi, Yong Sul." This is somewhat confusing - if you are teaching the art as taught by the founder, wouldn't that make it traditional by definition? Clicking around a bit I also find that Sungja-Do is an eclectic art "based on Korean, Japanese, Filipino, Indonesian and other martial arts". There is no explanation of what those arts specifically are or who created the art, but I'm going to assume that you are the founder?

How do they teach it?

Nothing really helpful here.

Who teaches it?

That would appear to be you, George Petrotta. I'm a little confused, in that you seem to be placing a heavy emphasis on your international association, but there are no mentions of any other schools or instructors within that association.

What are their qualifications?

All I've been able to find so far is that you have been training for over five decades and that you started with Judo. It also states that you are "the leading authority on the art of Sungja-Do". If Sungja-Do is an art you created, then that would seem obvious. I don't see anything mentioning your rank or experience in Tae Kwon Do, Hapkido, or whatever other arts you drew upon in creating your own system.

(Please note that this is not an attack on whatever your qualifications are - I'm just saying that it would be a good idea to mention them on a website promoting your instruction.)

What are the location, hours, pricing, etc.?

If I'm reading things correctly, you only teach private lessons and seminars in the Florence, SC area and don't currently operate an active school?

How easy is it to find all of the information above?

Not super easy. You have a lot of random links cluttering up your home page and no clear organization of the information on your website. As a counter-example, I'll share the link to the gym I train and teach at. I made the website - I won't claim it's the best around, but you should be able to find any info you want pretty quickly. Four Seasons Martial Arts

Are there any red flags that make me wonder about what is being presented?

For me, the top concerns would be:

• Lots of talk about your international organization and how to pay for a membership, with no meaningful explanation of what the organization does or what benefits a member would gain.
• The "promotion requirements" page only list prices for testing and certificates, but nothing about the actual expectations regarding skill and knowledge. That's not a good look.
• No details about your experience or credentials.

factors such as spelling, grammar, clarity of expression

Different fonts, font sizes and colors all over the same page. Random all-caps, italics, underlines. Misplaced punctuation. Sentences with no clear meaning.

As I said, none of that necessarily relates to your abilities as a martial arts instructor, but it kind of hurts my eyes and doesn't leave the best impression.

Hope that helps.

Nice breakdown, Tony. I’m going to get you to give my site a look sometime.

 

[gpetrotta]

Hey, GP, I'll offer my two cents worth.

When I look at a website for a martial arts school or instructor, there are a few things I'm looking for:

What do they teach?
How do they teach it?
Who teaches it?
What are their qualifications?
What are the location, hours, pricing, etc.?
How easy is it to find all of the information above?
Are there any red flags that make me wonder about what is being presented?

Technically, factors such as spelling, grammar, clarity of expression shouldn't make a huge difference in evaluating someone's ability to teach martial arts. However if there are major obvious issues with those factors, it gives me at least subconscious doubts about their overall professionalism.

With all that in mind, let me go through your site and see what jumps out at me ...

What do they teach?

Starting on your home page, the only specific arts listed are Tae Kwon Do and Hapkido. There's a link offering to explain what TKD is, but it leads to a page which no longer exists. There is also a link leading to a general history of Hapkido. One of the other pages leads to the assertion that HAPKI reality-based combat "is a non-traditional HAPKIDO art as taught by the Founder of HAPKIDO, Choi, Yong Sul." This is somewhat confusing - if you are teaching the art as taught by the founder, wouldn't that make it traditional by definition? Clicking around a bit I also find that Sungja-Do is an eclectic art "based on Korean, Japanese, Filipino, Indonesian and other martial arts". There is no explanation of what those arts specifically are or who created the art, but I'm going to assume that you are the founder?

How do they teach it?

Nothing really helpful here.

Who teaches it?

That would appear to be you, George Petrotta. I'm a little confused, in that you seem to be placing a heavy emphasis on your international association, but there are no mentions of any other schools or instructors within that association.

What are their qualifications?

All I've been able to find so far is that you have been training for over five decades and that you started with Judo. It also states that you are "the leading authority on the art of Sungja-Do". If Sungja-Do is an art you created, then that would seem obvious. I don't see anything mentioning your rank or experience in Tae Kwon Do, Hapkido, or whatever other arts you drew upon in creating your own system.

(Please note that this is not an attack on whatever your qualifications are - I'm just saying that it would be a good idea to mention them on a website promoting your instruction.)

What are the location, hours, pricing, etc.?

If I'm reading things correctly, you only teach private lessons and seminars in the Florence, SC area and don't currently operate an active school?

How easy is it to find all of the information above?

Not super easy. You have a lot of random links cluttering up your home page and no clear organization of the information on your website. As a counter-example, I'll share the link to the gym I train and teach at. I made the website - I won't claim it's the best around, but you should be able to find any info you want pretty quickly. Four Seasons Martial Arts

Are there any red flags that make me wonder about what is being presented?

For me, the top concerns would be:

• Lots of talk about your international organization and how to pay for a membership, with no meaningful explanation of what the organization does or what benefits a member would gain.
• The "promotion requirements" page only list prices for testing and certificates, but nothing about the actual expectations regarding skill and knowledge. That's not a good look.
• No details about your experience or credentials.

factors such as spelling, grammar, clarity of expression

Different fonts, font sizes and colors all over the same page. Random all-caps, italics, underlines. Misplaced punctuation. Sentences with no clear meaning.

As I said, none of that necessarily relates to your abilities as a martial arts instructor, but it kind of hurts my eyes and doesn't leave the best impression.

Hope that helps.

 

[gpetrotta]

TD, thanks for the info. I will answer your questions subsequently. I appreciate your help in this matter.--GP

 

[gpetrotta]

Effective for what purpose? Killing people on a battlefield, winning plastic throphies at sporting competitions, practical self protection from non consensual criminal violence?

PD, The battlefield has moved to our neighborhoods now. I do not teach sports competition. I do teach "self-protection" when the need arises. Violence must be met with VIOLENCE. ( What is your meaning of non consensual criminal ) violence ?

 

[Paul_D]

PD, The battlefield has moved to our neighborhoods now. I do not teach sports competition. I do teach "self-protection" when the need arises. Violence must be met with VIOLENCE. ( What is your meaning of non consensual criminal ) violence ?

Non Consensual criminal Violence
Violence you do not want to be part of, but are left with no choice by a criminal, e.g. mugger/sexual predator/etc

This differs from:-
Consensual Violence
If you get into an argument in a bar and the other person asks you to go outside and "settle it" by fighting, if you agree to do so this is consensual violence.

 

[gpetrotta]

P, I'll offer my two cents worth.

Non Consensual criminal Violence
Violence you do not want to be part of, but are left with no choice by a criminal, e.g. mugger/sexual predator/etc

This differs from:-
Consensual Violence
If you get into an argument in a bar and the other person asks you to go outside and "settle it" by fighting, if you agree to do so this is consensual violence.

PD thanks for the info.

 

[NATOGUY]

The founder is George Petrotta. From my understanding he is a high rank in many Korean martial arts as well as some Japanese styles. I believe he is a high Dan in Kukkiwon Taekwondo and had worked with Karate For Christ. Anybody heard of his martial arts association or his style of martial arts? Is Sung-Ja Do effective? What is its focus? Is it worth the effort to try and train in?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I have worked with Grandmaster Petrotta since 2006. At the time I was a 4th Dan in Kukkiwon and was just starting a school in Belgium. He helped me get started and has been a steadfast supporter of my schools, which eventually trained some very good people (mostly expats in Belgium) who have since returned to their home countries. As someone starting out, I could not have asked for better. He is a rock-solid person of integrity. He will do what he says he will do. If I send him an email, he will respond that day. Although I am in semi-retirement, I still have my few students join the ISA and, though I have the right-to-recommend in the Kukkiwon, I still forward my student's requests for Kukkiwon Dan certificates through him. He does it faster and it is always correct. I believe he has a very good relationship with the Kukkiwon.

Brendan Wilson
LTC, US Army (retired)