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35 | O akville B eaver | T hursday,D ecem ber 10,2020 insidehalton.com By JennaMohammed You don't have to travel far to learn the skills and techniques of the founder of tae- kwondo, General Choi Hong Hi. You can learn the martial art discipline from Oakville resident Mike Morningstar, a world cham- pion taekwondo master who travelled the world with the founder himself. Located at the corner of Third Line and Speers, Morningstar Taekwondo has been serving the Oakville community for more than 30 years with the best martial arts teaching. Owner and founder Mike Morning- star has had a great deal of life experience and taekwondo experience to teach children and adults the admirable art. Before opening his studio in 1988, Morn- ingstar began his journey at the young age of 17 in Scarborough. "While driving one day, I came across a local martial arts school," he recalls. His curiosity led him to join, and since that day it's been his passion. "It takes one second to make a decision that can change the rest of your life," Morning- star says, and he's living proof of that. Since beginning his martial arts journey, Morningstar has always wanted his own school. He moved to Oakville in 1986, and during this time he was communing back to Scarborough to gain his blackbelt. When he attained his goal, the next step was to open the school we know of today. Initially, the stu- dio was on the upper level of Saint Volody- myr Cultural Centre on Dundas and Fourth Line. He rented a room to hold classes. All he needed was students. Morningstar's entrepreneurial spirit was strong. He created more than 1,000 flyers and distributed them in the Glen Abby area where he lived at the time. He managed to gain a student base, which would grow im- mensely over the years. After relocating several times to accom- modate the growing student body, Morning- star found its current home that was a hid- den gem at the time. "I had to look for a new place, which led me to the location we're at now - a 3,000 square-foot facility," Morning- star explains. "Back in 1991, Speers Road and Third Line were like the boondocks, it wasn't as developed as it is today." Going into a more remote area of Oakville and into an industrial complex did raise some concern. Still, it was important for Morningstar to be in the heart of the com- munity, and today, the building has a lot of character and history. "I didn't want to have a school in a fancy plaza where I'd have to charge more for classes to cover rent." For Morningstar, taekwondo is a very spe- cial hobby. He works a full-time job during the day, and in the evening, he's teaching and sharing his passion with his students. "It's true," he says, "if you find something you love, it'll never feel like work." His goal is to spread the true teachings of taekwondo to his students who are 60 per cent adoles- cent and 40 per cent adults, some of whom have been with him for 25 years. Make no mistake, taekwondo is not a sport. Morningstar says teaching rather than coaching is what sets the martial art apart. "To be a teacher of taekwondo, you have to have a lot of life experience, world experience and experience with taekwon- do." Morningstar says he used to play many different sports and was very competitive but he quickly learned that the only one affected in how he practised was himself. "If I'm on a team and don't perform well, I could let my team down," he explains. But with martial arts, he realized that he wouldn't get better at the skill if he didn't do well. Adapting to COVID-19 restrictions came naturally for Morningstar who was deter- mined to keep classes going and inspire his students. Three days a week, for free, he would live-stream his class from the studio. Virtual courses were so popular he had view- ers from around the world tune in. Although the experience was enjoyable and the posi- tive response was overwhelming, he says martial arts is best taught in person. In the summer, he took students out to the park so they didn't have to rely on online classes. "Being physically out of touch with students really affected their performance and sometimes their discipline too," he ex- plains. Morningstar Taekwondo is doing every- thing they can to keep students safe by rig- orously following COVID-19 protocols. Four classes are offered from beginner to expert level and are in one-hour segments. For more information about memberships and classes, visit mstartkd.com or call 905-847- 8955. A life dedicated to taekwondo,Mike Morningstar passes on the teachings "It takes one second to make a decision that can change the rest of your life," Morningstar says, and he's living proof of that. Advertorial Photos provided by Moringstar Taekwondo