While other martial arts despite their different names have much of the same curriculum such as katas (forms), sparring, stances, blocks and so forth and they also look alike except for they way they execute their movements. Koo Self Defense's curriculum is totally opposite to every martial arts currently in existence! The unique blend of KSD’s aerobics, flexibility and anaerobic in one single class is truly unique compared to all other workout programs in existence. This unique blend has resulted in tremendous health benefits for all of our members as you will read throughout this web site which is ranked in the top 20 for most keywords in many popular search engines.

Koo Self Defense was developed in Cartersville, Georgia, USA by Master Roger Koo in 1992 after 25+ years of traditional martial arts training. Through his many years of training since the age of fifteen, Master Koo discovered that most of the techniques he had been taught and sought to perfect were not practical and did not translate into real life situations. All martial arts find their roots in other martial arts styles. Koo Self Defense is no exception.

Master Koo while in his search for a progressive and practical martial arts found Choi Kwang Do but after only a short time found it to be very limited. It, like other martial arts styles emphasized on one look for all students rather than one that fits each. Choi Kwang Do is similar to traditional martial arts in its concept of training curriculums as they still do forms (katas), blocks, self defense scenarios, exact/precise execution of techniques, punching/kicking “air”and lots of forms during colored belt and black belt testing. He found that all martial arts systems tried to duplicate the movements of its founder which severely limited individual achievement. Their cardio and fitness workout is limited as in traditional workouts. Master Koo abandoned this antiquated approach and developed a revolutionary, progressive and more importantly realistic and varied methods of training and target hitting drills for his students. While others sought to adopt from other styles, Master Roger Koo eliminated all traditional techniques which found no real translation into real self defense situations. Koo Self Defense is leading the way in the much needed evolution of martial arts and self defense systems.

Master Roger Koo left Choi Kwang Do in 1991 because of its unethical business practices which he exposed in his 22 page letter of resignation. Choi Kwang Do chief instructors have left the CKD organization in 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2003, 2004 and 2005 (see copy of email from Smitha Vijaykar, General Secretary for Choi Kwang Do in India whose organization under Master Jugnu Nanda has been with Choi Kwang Do Martial Art International since 1992). The ones that I know of are listed, there are those who have disappeared quietly and yet more continue to leave to this day! Why Master Koo and many others have left Choi Kwang Do with scanned DOCUMENTATIONS - CLICK THIS LINK

Philosophy of Koo Self Defense

The philosophy of Koo Self Defense is to allow any individual to achieve his or her maximum potential (and beyond) regardless of age, sex, physical ability, disability or level of fitness from our total body cardiovascular workout program that promotes health, fitness and devastating hitting power. Whatever area of our training one's wants to focus on, one's potential can be realized and contrary to all other martial arts system it does not take a lifetime of training to achieve!

What makes Koo Self Defense Different from other types of martial arts and self defense training?

Unlike other martial arts training, Koo Self Defense reenforces natural and instinctual movements developed through evolution by thousands of years for survival conditioned responses to 'real life street situations' while maximizing your cardiovascular conditioning. and producing awesome hitting power often surpassing that of 'professional boxers' and kick boxers. Koo Self Defense training focuses on individual development rather than competition. Koo Self Defense offers the ultimate cardiovascular workout program that will challenge everyone from beginners to Olympic athletes. No other exercise training program comes close. You decide the level of fitness you desire. Whether your goal is health, physical fitness, street self defense or to become a better martial artist, Koo Self Defense is for you!

Jesse Frankson of Alaska with no prior martial arts training broke the world records for the highest jumping kick 9 feet 8 inches on Guinness World Record, Primetime on Fox Television Channel which was aired on Thursday, September 6, 2001. The previous record was 8 feet 9 inches. While Koo Self Defense was in transition back in 1994, we used to have a demonstration team similar to traditional martial arts demonstrating amazing feats such as high jumping kicks and power breaking, we had two black belts gifted students Daxton Edwards, 14 years who jump a record of 9 feet 2 ins. and Matthew Huskey, 14 years old reached a height of 9 feet 1 inch both breaking a plastic rebreakable board. For high flying side kick, they both can achieve 8 feet 4 inches. His amazing feat was published in our local newspaper on June 24, 1994. According to the Guinness World records, the highest martial art kick stood at 8 feet 9 inches, we were not even awared that such a record existed otherwise Daxton would have entered for the event back in 1994! Both of them could also break 6 new plastic re-breakable boards with a side kick during that same time period.

The Workouts Koo Self Defense Offers.

3. Power Drills - Anearobic Drills (20-30 mins. of hitting Focus Mitt/Shields with maximum power). There are 35+ different power drills with some of them consisting on a combination of aerobic, anerobic drills for stamina, endurance and power.

Master Koo leads all KSD aerobics #1 through to #4 in order to maintain his high level of personal fitness. In any given week, Master Koo would perform 600+ push ups, 3,000+ variety of crunches, 9,000+ punches, hundreds of kicks and thousands of jump rope (including several hundreds double jumps) with variety of footwork.

Our training program allows anyone to go to the extreme and our unique drills works on fast and slow twitch muscles fibers. There are no martial arts style, self defense, kickboxing or physical exercise workout program that has a training curriculum like KSD anywhere in the world!

Every student can train at their own paces. For example, in the 'jump-rope' class, a new beginner with no previous physical workout for the past 20 years would execute 30+ jumps in 1 minute, whereas another student who has been training regularly for several months might be executing 60+ jumps in 1 minute while another who has been with Koo Self Defense for a couple of years might be executing 120+ jumps in 1 minute. This applies to any of KSD aerobic workouts #1, #2, #3 or #4 and during our power workout drills (hitting focus mitts/shields).

KSD students develop their awesome power by hitting focus mitts and shields at every class by a unique hybrid of 'aerobic/anaerobic' drills that Master Koo has developed over the years.

With other types of workouts you soon become bored and get use to it. With KSD, it's forever cardiovascular challenging!

KSD's Kickboxing Aerobic is just the warm up to our unique cardiovascular workouts. The hitting of the mitts and shields with full explosive power is the greatest challenge of all!

Koo Self Defense's UNIQUE workout program has Physical Therapy Benefits'.

Koo Self Defense overall training program does more for your body and mind than you imagine. Our training program will improve your health and fitness level regardless of your current physical condition. Students with prior injuries sustained in other sports many years ago have reported disappearance of discomfort from regular KSD workouts. Here are some examples.

Anne Rapp states "I have scoliosis, and have never been able to stay with any aerobics or exercise program. After a year with Master Koo, I am still at it. The yoga stretches and strength building have made the difference for me." She signed the KSD's guest book, records #52. A student who twice had Hodgkin's Disease (Cancer of the Lymphatic System) Phil Murelli's Koo Self Defense was given a new life with KSD workout drills.

Two KSD students, Jay Platt and David Center, both former U.S. Marines had rotator cuff problems prior to joining and within a few weeks, their rotator cuffs (a supporting and strengthening structure of the shoulder joint that is made up of the capsule of the shoulder joint blended with tendons and muscles as they pass to the capsule or across it to insert on the head of the humerus) problems had disappeared. Jay Platt, (also a cancer survivor) thought he needed surgery before he joined, he is glad he did not. Send him an email and ask him about it yourself! Jay appeared on television channel CNN's Sunday Morning show between 9:15-9:25am on Sunday, June 3, 2001 as part of "Cancer Survivor Day."

Read the testimonials of three medical doctors who have trained in Koo Self Defense, Dr. Larry Kjedlgaard's Koo Self Defense, an Orthopedic Surgeon , Dr. Gary Haag's Koo Self Defense, an Anesthesiologist and Dr. Russell Pruitt's Koo Self Defense, a General Surgeon

Janet Brooks joined Koo Self Defense on March 15, 2001 suffering from a heart condition which she inherited called Arrhythmia: Tachycardia, meaning too fast a heartbeat. She has been physically active for years in various aerobics and weight training programs to no effect. One her first day at KSD, she performed a 'kick drill' class (training at her own pace) and the very first round her heart beat registered 200 beats per minute and struggled to complete her workout. Remarkably on her 3rd. class, her heart beat registered 170 beats per minute and performed another 'kick drill' class with ease. Her heart beat hovered around 130-150 beat per minute during her 17th class at Koo Self Defense, remarkable!

My pulse rate went from 85 beat per minute to 56 in just 3 months, truly amazing and for my age 46 years old, that is excellent! 'The Moser Family Koo Self Defense

What other martial arts' students soon discovered when they switched to Koo Self Defense

John Morgan, a former black belt in Choi Kwang Do soon discovered that the lower ranks of Koo Self Defense Students have more power than he ever felt in his previous style!

Another former Choi Kwang Do student, Paul Quillen states "The next thing that was evident was how hard his lower belts could hit. Nobody that I'd ever worked with at the other studio (including several black belts) could hit anywhere near as hard. I wish there were some way that I could put into print how hard these low-belt Koo students hit. I couldn't believe it, newbies hitting harder than many of the other studios' black belts.

An extract from an article written by Lance Clements who has studied several different martial arts "You can tell someone that Tae Kwon Do evolved from Tae Kyun and Shotokan, or you can tell them that Bruce Lee used modified Tae Kwon Do kicks he learned from Jhoon Rhee or my personal favorite is the hardcore grappling advocate who watches too many Ultimate Fighting Championships (It is a sport, it has rules geared to give the grappler the advantage. One of the world championships was won when a contestant put his hand over his opponent's mouth and smothered him. If the guy had done that to Mike Tyson, rules or no rules, he would not have any fingers left!). It goes on forever people want to believe in Space Aliens, Bigfoot, crop circles and that their system is the result of thousands of years of ancient secrets handed down from monks living in a cave."

Koo Self Defense's unique objective black belt test is definitely the most demanding test in the world, read the experience of one of the student Kurt Zettlemoyer Koo Self Defense. See photos and video clips of Kurt breaking brand new plastic (polymer) re-breakeable boards. He broke a total of 86 boards ranging from 1 board to 4 boards using both hands and feet. Mr. Kurt Zettlemoyer wrote an article which was published in The Daily Tribune Newspaper in the Special Edition of 'Health and Fitness', Friday February 28, 2003. Extract from arcticle - But the most important thing, is the workout itself. It begins with a simple warm up that is easy to do, but so important to avoiding strain or injury. Then an aerobic workout, of which there are many varieties. There are workouts that focus on the legs, on the abs, arms, workouts that build timing, jump rope workouts, calisthenics style workouts, and the list goes on. They are all challenging, and they are always changing, staying fresh and interesting. After aerobics comes stretching, but not stretching like you often see. Koo Self Defense stretching is a unique blend of techniques incorporating yoga, hitting all the muscles and joints, and even improving breathing and balance. And finally we come to the meat of the workout, the self defense training. Koo Self Defense teaches full power strikes, punches, and kicks performed on focus mitts and shields. Like the aerobics, there is an ever changing stable of self defense work outs from speed punching drills to stamina kick drills to street self-style defense work outs. Yes, I do mean work outs. The exercise does not stop when the kicking starts. There is no punching in the air or stationary blocking drills. The self defense portion of the class is just as challenging, or even more challenging, than the aerobic portion. It focuses more on anaerobic conditioning, speed, power, agility, grace and footwork in perfect compliment to the aerobic workout. And not only is it a great workout, but you’re learning to defend yourself at the same time, instead of just learning how to push weights into the air, or program the stationary bicycle machine. This article is primarily about the fitness aspect of the program, but allow me to assure you, the self defense training is the best I have ever seen.

Read our ARTICLE which will give you an insight as to what other martial arts do not want you to know.

View our GUEST BOOK or Read the comments of Mr. Tony Marie, 6th Degree (former UKTA/UKTF Tae Kwon Do Instructor) and what other martial arts students/instructors from all over the world on Koo Self Defense and the home training video series!

Health and Diets

In the United States, we are spoilt in the land of plenty. With regards to food, the portions at fast food establishments and restaurant keeps increasing in size. One tends to become greedy in a buffet style (eat all your want) establishment because one has paid a good sum of money for it. The more one eats, the larger the stomach expands so the next time, one eats more due to larger stomach and the process continues.

Compared to the lifestyle pre World War II, today's kitchen cupboards are stocked up with junks food made up of carbohydrates, sugar and fat snacks which have little nutritional value. It is just there to nibble while we are watching television or rented movies. This is another phenomenon which is affecting obesity in America today, unnecessary snacks between meals are the greatest problem facing our society. The majority of commercials on our cable networks are about food. We are being programmed to eat ourselves to death!

As we grow older, our metabolism gradually slows down BUT our consumption of food continues to increase, thus resulting in weight gain. Americans have serious obesity problems from very young children and up. The children of today are less physically active due to television, video/computer games, the Internet, and the lack of play time in schools. Parents are overworked with long hours and they choose the easy way out, fast foods.

We also live in a society heavily influenced with automobiles thus making us too lazy to walk. It is amazing to see people circling a parking lot just to get a parking space near the entrance to where they want to go.

Weight gain is a gradual process due to a combination of eating too much, snacking between meals and a great reduction of physical activity because we live in an era where machines do most of our chores. It takes several years to take effect and will render your overall health at risks which also results in lack of energy, tiredness and good quality sleep. Yet we see a lot of quick fix diet fads which do not work long terms. There are also many ‘magic' diet pills such as Metabolife, Advocare, Metabolite, Metab-Rx Ultra, and numerous other diet supplements, muscle enhancers, appetite suppressants, and other products containing Ephedrine, also called Ma Huang, Ephedra, Ripped Fuel, epitonin, and/or Chinese ephedra under the umbrella of herbal supplements that works but the side effects are extreme. They are all under the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warning list. Sure, you might lose weight in the short term BUT without a complete change in LIFESTYLE and regular exercise your overall health and fitness will not improve.

In order to improve one health, it would require strict discipline to alter one lifestyle, reduce the portions' one consume and exercise regularly. To get the maximum benefit, one should train at least four or five times per week. It took years to gain weight but it will take some time to reduce it, to increase one's metabolic rate and to maintain it at a healthy level. There is no magical quick fix diet pill out there!

Exercising regularly has another benefit, it keeps the doctor's away. On October 16, 2002 Good Day's show on television channel Fox5 WAGA-Atlanta, under Morning Housecall, Dr. Stan Winokur says the key to preventing colds could be exercise. He says a recent study conducted on five hundred men and women, by a researcher at the University of South Carolina found that the people who exercised most, had fewer colds. He says those respondents who said they exercised at least thirty minutes, five days a week had the least amount of colds. Those who responded by saying they never exercised had fifty percent more colds than those who got regular workouts. His conclusion is that your immune cells, which fight off common infections, increase after a good workout.

Latest News

Congratulations to the following students: Mia Vinson on her wedding to Greg Gilstrap on Saturday, April 7, 2001 Photo of wedding. Best Wishes to both of you from Master Koo and all other KSD students! Mia has been training with Master Koo since October 1998 at least five times per week!

Congratulations to Anne Rapp for enduring 11 STAMINA classes during the week of Monday, May 14, 2001 through Saturday, May 19, 2001!

Congratulations to Mr. Kurt Zettlemoyer and to Doug LaVigne on their production of an Amateur Horror Film entitled "Seige of the Dead"

Congratulations to Paul Barrett, 59 years old who recently had a medical physical test, to the amazement of his doctor has a resting pulse rate of 56 (fit as an athlete). He originally joined KSD in 1998 at age 57 due to high blood pressure and had not worked out since he was in high school. His blood pressure has greatly reduced!

Congratulations to my son Gregory Koo on his achievement of being ranked number 1 out of 339 Freshman at Cartersville High School for the school year 2002-2003!

Congratulations to my daughter Gemma Koo on her graduation as an honor student for the class of 2003 at Cartersville High School!

Congratulations to Anne Rapp who performed 850 non stop power kicks on the shields in 50 minutes on Tuesday, September 9, 2003!

Congratulations to Jay Platt who performed 1,000 non stop power kicks (500 forward and 500 backwards Kicks) on the shields in 50 minutes on Tuesday, September 16, 2003!

Congratulations to Michael Spaulding who performed 1,150 non stop power kicks (575 forward and 575 backwards Kicks) on the shields in 60 minutes on Tuesday, October 21, 2003!

Congratulations to Josh Minton who performed 1,400 non stop power kicks (700 forward and 700 backwards Kicks) on the shields in 60 minutes on Tuesday, October 28, 2003 while other students performed 400 non stop kicks on shields in 30 minutes!

Congratulations to Michael Spaulding who performed 3,360 non stop power punches (in multiples of 3,6,9,12,15,18 & 21 jabs, round/vertical punches, palms, reverse knife hands, uppercuts to head/body targets) on focus mitts in 25 minutes on Friday 20, February 2004!

Congratulations to Anne Rapp for achieving 1,000 classes on August 26, 2004. She is the second student at Koo Self Defense to achieve this event!

Congratulations to Gregory Koo on scoring 5, the highest score available on the Advancement Placement Tests for US History, top 10 percent of high school scholars in the USA! The tests were taken in the 10th Grade (sophmore).

Read Dr. Russell Pruitt's (General Surgeon at the Cartersville Medical Center) article plus photos and video clips published on Thursday, February 28, 2002 in The Daily Tribune newspaper's Special Supplement on Health & Fitness entitled "My experience at Koo Self Defense." Extract from article: "I had observed Master Roger Koo's self defense classes in the past, but never made the committment to enroll. Then a friend of mine convinced me to give it a try. The first class was a real eye opener. Watch out Billy Blanks, Master Koo's class was turbo Tae-Bo."

The Koo Self Defense's Cartersville studio has been at the same location for more than 12 years. During that time, there has been four martial arts studios that have opened and closed down. There has been a Choi Kwang Do studio which has changed ownership 5 times before they closed down in 1998. It was first opened in 1988 by Kwang Jo Choi who over the first 4 years sent the following Chief Instructors: Bob Lowery, Tommy Cho, Eric Hennings, Kelly Chandler, Larry Key, Michael Cook, Marhsall Pereira, Bob Devore and others. The studio was then sold to Kenneth and Iris Harper. They sold it to Dennie Lantzer. He sold it to Kirk Robbins who eventually closed the Cartersvile Choi Kwang Do studio in 1998. All of these Choi Kwang Do Chief Instructors and owners failed to succeed after 10 years in Cartersville! A United Karate Studio (UKS) which lasted three years (closed 2002); an American Tae Kwon Do Association (ATA) Studio which lasted two years (closed 2002) and a Jeet Kune Do (Bruce Lee)/Kung Fu studio which lasted three years (closed 2001). Moreover, there have also been numerous ‘wants to be' professional martial arts instructors who ran part time schools renting places twice a week at various locations in Bartow County who eventually closed down too.

Koo Self Defense Home Training Video Series

Koo Self Defense Video Library Series produced professionally on a 3 chips, Sony Digital Camera is available in NTSC, PAL & SECAM Format. CLICK HERE to Check your country's video system/format prior to ordering your video!

Click Here To Order Koo Self Defense Videos

Some quotes from Master Roger Koo

KSD's training is 99%Cardiovascular and 1% Technique, meaning we spend more time in actual cardiovascular training than 'perfecting' techniques!

Guestbook Record 33 Name: Cliff Vaughan
Email: suzcliff@oz-online.net
HomePage: http://
Where are you from: Ft. Riley, kansas
Comments: My name is Cliff Vaughan. I am a Sgt. in the U.S. Army and former student of Master Koo. I obtained my black belt from him in Nov. 1995. Recently, I was asked to coach the 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Division's boxing team for an October post boxing tournement. With less than 6 weeks to train soldiers with absolutely no boxing skills, I immediately employed all of the hand technique drills used by Master Koo. The result was absolutely incredible. Most of the soldiers with absolutely no fight experience went into the ring and either delivered a knock out blow or had the fight stopped by the referee because the other fighter could not fight back against the onslaught of punching combinations being thrown by them. I do not condone the use of Koo self defense techniques in tournements because the rules of any controlled fight always take away from the effectiveness of the techniques being taught by Master Koo. I never told any of those fighters where the techniques came from until after the fight. All were amazed that there was a martial art school teaching such devastating techniques. Believe in this system! It Works!!
January 19, 2000 02:29:16 (GMT Time)

Guestbook Record 31 Name: Clay Worley
Email: claytonworley@yahoo.com
HomePage: http://
Where are you from: Austin, TX
Comments: Master Koo has the key to complete success in the martial arts. During my last year or so in college I got the opportunity to train along side of my father for the first time, a period I will never forget, in Master Koo's dojang. In my 16 years of martial arts experience, no one has taught me more about absolute power in the execution of technique as Master Roger Koo. This knowledge was especially helpful in maintaining cool confidence during critical missions in Bosnia towards the end of my time in the active military. I shared my Koo Self Defense training with fellow officers during my tour and many troops after my return. Even today, I still continue to share his methods. It has changed the way I think and train in the martial arts forever.
December 29, 99 22:54:13 (GMT Time)

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