<strong>Redwood</strong> City Martial Arts a “Factory for Building Champions” By Julie McCoy, contributing writer
Students at <strong>Redwood</strong> City Martial Arts are training with the best. In late January, the studio — which operates out of Powerhouse Gym at 2075 Broadway St. — received a “Best School” award at the Golden Gate Open Taekwondo Tournament in San Anselmo. “Out of all the schools there, we took home the most medals — seven gold and one silver,” said Greg Escolta, who heads <strong>Redwood</strong> City Martial Arts. “This validated [that] the quality of our teaching is very good. My kids won. I’ve had some kids who have been training with me only a few months who have participated.” Junior World Taekwondo champion In addition to the studio’s recently receiving a “Best School” designation, Escolta’s son, Geremy, 17, who trains with <strong>Redwood</strong> City Martial Arts, received a gold medal in the 2012 Junior World Championships in South Korea last July. “So far, it’s my biggest accomplishment,” the younger Escolta said. “It was great to be able to go out of the country and be able to compete at the highest level.” <strong>The</strong> gold medal from the Junior World Championships hangs in his room. <strong>The</strong> Junior World Championships featured teams from 68 different countries. “It was always his goal to win a major international competition,” his father noted. When a tournament is coming up, Geremy Escolta trains four to five hours a day, in the morning and after school. Before going to South Korea, he told his father, “It’s my time, Dad. I’ve trained so hard.” Geremy Escolta went to South Korea by himself. It was the first time Greg “If you want to be the best, you have to train like you want to be the best.” Escolta had been unable to watch his son compete. It was nerve-wracking having his son on the other side of the world by himself, and learning that some of his teammates had been injured didn’t make it any better, he said, noting that it was “the worst two weeks of my life.” Even with a Junior World Championship under his belt, Geremy Escolta hungers for more and aspires to go further. His next goal is to go to the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. “Once you’re at Olympic level, that’s the highest you can take your career,” he said. Always been around taekwondo Geremy Escolta — who is of Filipino descent with influences from Spain, Denmark and Sweden — has always been around taekwondo. In fact, the day he first came home from the hospital, he was taken to meet his older brother, Gregory, at taekwondo lessons, he said. He officially started taekwondo at age 3. In addition to studying taekwondo, Geremy Escolta is team captain for the Sequoia High School Wrestling Team. World champion is in many ways a typical teen Outside of school and athletics, he enjoys doing typical teenage things like hanging out with his friends, going to movies and playing video games. He manages to find a good balance between sports, school and friends, he noted. “I’ve been doing it for a while, so I’m used to it. I’ve got a routine down.” Helping other students become champions, too <strong>Redwood</strong> City Martial Arts strives to help its other martial arts students become champions, just like Geremy Escolta. In fact, six students from the studio happen to be going to the Junior and Senior Olympic Taekwondo National Championships in Chicago July 3 through July 9. “It is my goal to produce the greatest citizens <strong>Redwood</strong> City has ever produced,” Greg Escolta said. He added, “We’re a very, very good school. I like to think of it as a factory for building champions.” <strong>Redwood</strong> City Martial Arts has classes for both youth and adults. Students range in age from 3 to 33. Students expected to keep their grades up Youth are expected to earn good grades in their classes at school while they’re with <strong>Redwood</strong> City Martial Arts. Escolta looks at their transcripts and if they have below a B in any of their classes, he has them concentrate on their schoolwork instead of martial arts. Building self-confidence, learning respect and discipline Those who study martial arts not only get exercise but also gain self-esteem and learn respect and discipline, noted Escolta, who has 40 years of martial arts experience, including 20 years of taekwondo experience. You’re never too old You’re never too old to learn martial arts, Escolta emphasized. He provides private lessons to a man who is 65 and knows of people in their 90s who are still training. A unique hybrid Escolta describes his style of martial arts as “a hybrid of kempo karate, taekwondo, kickboxing and wrestling.” No need to call him master Students refer to Escolta as Mr. Escolta, not master. Escolta is stern, but he has a soft side, too. “I want to be approachable,” he said. “I don’t want them to be afraid of me, but I want them to respect me.” Quitting not an option At <strong>Redwood</strong> City Martial Arts, quitting isn’t an option. Shortcuts aren’t allowed either. “If you want to be the best, you have to train like you want to be the best,” Escolta said. “<strong>The</strong>re’s no mediocrity here. <strong>The</strong>re’s no shortcuts here. If [you] take a shortcut, you’re the one that’s going to be on the receiving end of being knocked out.” Helping youth with special needs learn, enjoy martial arts Escolta has helped youth with special needs learn and enjoy martial arts. “I have kids with various difficulties and I have been able to reach all of them,” he said. One of those students is Dillin Barganski, 12, a sixth-grader at Charles Armstrong School in Belmont, who has dyslexia and ADHD, or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. “I like that he’s really tough on us to do good,” Dillin said. “He makes us feel like we’re the star of the class. He keeps you up and doesn’t let your head hang low.” Despite having special needs, Dillin has always been treated like everybody else, he said. “He teaches you like you’re everybody else,” Dillin said. “He treats us together like a family. He’s really nice to everybody.” Dillin said Escolta “makes you feel good inside about who you are.” Dillin, whose parents are divorced, said that, “Geremy is like an older brother to me. Mr. Escolta is like the dad I didn’t have.” Dillin’s mom, Lisa Picchi, who is a single mom, said it’s been great knowing her son has the support of the Escoltas. She likes that Greg Escolta “teaches the entire child. He’s making them champion kids in every area.” Every kid, whether they’re a white belt or a black belt, leaves there thinking they’re black belts, Picchi said. “<strong>The</strong>y all walk away feeling like a champion.” (continues on next page)