Dynamic Martial Arts

My daughter has been attending Dynamic Martial Arts since she was five years old. Master Gwek and instructor Matthews are great.
It’s so great to see the accomplishments she has me. I would highly recommend this school for other children.

My 3 kids have been attending Dynamic Martial Arts for the past 2 years, ages 5, 6, 7 years. I can honestly say my kids have been more disciplined, respectable and as a mom, calmness is everything and I’m sure every mom can relate to that especially with boys! Master kwak teaches Tae Kwon do and hapkido and he is in a great location where parking is not so hectic so for those of you that live in the Orange County area it’s great for kids and adults of all ages!

Great location, my son has been coming here for over a year, great improvement. Great location. Instructors are great with kids. Have been referring friends to this location.

Almost 2 years ago my son asked to start taking Tae Kwon Do and after checking out diifferent options in the area we decided on Dynamic Martial Arts and couldn’t be happier with our decision. Over the past 2 years, my son has learned and continues to learn so much. He loves coming to class as much as today (if not more) then when he first started which I attribute to the great job Master Gwak and Instructor Matthew do at teaching and keeping the kids engaged.

As a mother of two extremely active and somewhat inattentive young boys (ages 4 and 6), I highly recommend Dynamic Martial Arts. Over the past year, my kids have improved so much in their concentration and self-​control while still having fun learning Tae Kwon Do. At their young age, they get frustrated when they cannot master things right away but the instructors are very patient with them and put more emphasis on effort and attitude than perfect technique. They love the challenge of belt testing every three months and are committed to reaching their black belt. They have made good friends in class and look forward to going twice a week. Master Gwak has a firm but fun teaching style and Instructor Matthew is very personable and great with kids. The studio itself has been recently renovated with a very comfortable and open feel. I always bring something to read or work on while my kids are in class but inevitably end up mesmerized and entertained watching them. We also love the convenience of Yogurtland a few doors down for a post-​class treat :)

I started my daughter in Tae Kwon Do with Master Gwak a couple of months ago. It has been a great experience. When she started she looked like she had 2 left feet. Now after less than 2 months she looks like she knows what she’s doing. She absolutely loves it here! They take time with each child to offer individual instruction to ensure they understand.
I would give 10 stars if I could!

My wife and I took private lessons from Master Gwak for about 4 years. We learned Hapkido. He was very disciplined and thorough in is training. We’ve tried private lessons from other masters in our area and felt like we’ve been ripped off by there training. Master Gwak was not like the others who seemed to give out belts every month just for a testing fee. He made us deserve and work hard for our belts. My wife and it really felt we got a good workout after each lesson.

I’ve trained with Master Gwak for many years. He is very knowledgeable in the art of Korean martial art. He is really passionate about his art. I love the fact that this is a traditional martial arts school that focuses both physical and mental aspect. This is truly one of a kind of dojang because Master Gwak teaches all his classes from children to adult. His teaching method is unique because his style incorporates both Taekwondo to hapkido and transitions to Gong kwon Yusul (which is korean combat jijitsu). This is not a chain school that teaches weak curriculum. You will be challenged and learn the newest creative teaching methods. So if you are looking to start training for yourself or your children make sure you look up master Gwak’s school in Irvine. Also the academy Tuition is very affordable.

I sent my two kids to Dynamic Martial Arts a month ago. They both love it so much! Master Gwak is very patient and friendly to the kids. Under the guidance of Master Gwak, my kids learned great self-​defense skills and disciplines. And other instructors are also experienced and knowledgable.
The location is so convenient. I also like the openess of this center. Parents can observe how their kids doing all the time. I highly recommend Dynamic Martical Arts.

I have been attending Dynamic Martial Arts for about 2 years, and had about the same previous experience in Shaolin Kungfu as well as about 1.5 years’ experience in Krav Maga, which I am also currently taking right now at another location. So I have a mishmash of experience in various «martial arts» or self defense — enough to have a broad, solid base, though I would not try to bill myself as an expert in anything.
Master Gwak took over the school last year, and I really like his teaching style. He is straightforward, is able to pinpoint problems and articulate solutions, and uses meaningful metaphors and examples to connect with the students. He has a deep understanding of the mechanics of movement, and as someone with an engineering background, I appreciate the fact that he doesn’t just tell you that a kick needs to be higher or have more force, he can point out how the angle of your supporting foot will affect where your kick goes or how powerful it will be, he will show you why sticking your butt out just a little bit more will allow you to leverage an opponent over your shoulder with hardly any effort at all, he can show you how stepping just 6 inches farther forward will prevent you from being thrown in turn when trying to pull an opponent off balance. He will tell you when you’re working too hard at something and when you’re not working hard enough. He can be detail-​oriented without swamping his students in the mechanics, and overall, I have felt very comfortable with the balance of his focus between the broad movements and the fine tuning. Most of all, I trust his explanations — I’ve had some instructors in the past where they sort of gloss over details or give explanations that don’t quite fit in with what I know, but thus far, all of Master Gwak’s answers to the whys and wherefores have seemed solid to me.
I also like how he mixes the class curriculum between taekwondo and hapkido. Maybe the purist will find it irritating, but while before I had taken taekwondo simply for the fitness/​flexibility/​fun, I am finding this combination to be much more useful from a practical self defense aspect. As a woman who often travels alone all over the world on business trips, there is no way that I am going to be performing most taekwondo moves while in a business suit and heels while fresh off a 6 hour flight. However, the hapkido aspects — even if right now we’re concentrating on ground «wrestling» type moves that maybe I would still be reluctant to perform in a suit, but are at least much more manageable than roundhouse or high kicks — are much easier to translate to practical street self-​defense, and he is always careful to emphasize what actually works and what doesn’t when you’re not in a refereed ring with an opponent in the same weight class as you.
He has a dry sense of humor that I love — don’t let his «traditionalist» mien fool you, he’s quite the character! — and I like how he pushes every student to do better. If you’re slacking, he’s going to make sure you understand that you can do better, though not in any obnoxious manner. Even those being scolded laugh. I admit that, with the previous master, it had fallen into a bit of a routine and I was simply going through the motions of practicing the same kicks over and over, but now, I feel like I am learning something new every day, and Master Gwak continuously provides insights even on tried and true techniques.

I have been training wushu here for about a month. I have about 8 years of wushu experience on and off during grade school. Its great learning/​training environment. The dojo is fitted with taekwondo mats. It makes doing jumps a little more difficult since it absorbs some if your jumping force. I see it as a handicap so when I compete, I’m going to get more air than used to. The mats make falls and more difficult jumps great to practice on. They act like crash mats.
Coach Matt has created a personalized training program for me to improve on my weaknesses and help me get back into competitive shape. He is very passionate about wushu. He is a southern style specialist so he knows the ins and outs of those forms. He has given me great input on my long fist form and combinations as well.