Scoot Thompson

Martial Art Studied and Rank Earned:

Tae Kwon Do, 2nd Dan Black Belt

Scott Thompson is an assistant instructor at Broadway Family Karate. He has studied Tae Kwon Do for almost seven years and has helped teach for over four years.

Background:

Scott was born in Maryland in 1972 to a military family. His father’s military career in the U.S. Navy lasted over thirty years. This meant that Scott and his family moved every two to three years, living in Pensacola, Florida, Virginia Beach, Virginia, and Patuxent River, Maryland multiple times. Scott’s father retired in 1985 as a Master Chief Petty Officer, the highest rank an enlisted person can achieve.

Scott and his family retired to Middle Tennessee, where he graduated from Bledsoe County High School. In 1989, he joined the Army as a Combat Medic. He served in the Tennessee Army National Guard until 1997, mostly assigned to the 190th Combat Engineers located in Morristown, Tennessee. It was during this time that he attended Carson-Newman College, graduating in 1997 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology with a minor in both Sociology and Photography.

Scott has resided in Knoxville, Tennessee for over sixteen years. He has worked as a medical billing specialist for a radiology group for over eight years. He also has a daughter who has earned her Black Belt at Broadway Family Karate.

Martial Arts Experience / Teaching Experience:

Scott began his study of Tae Kwon Do in 2007 at Broadway Family Karate, but not as a student but as the father of a student. His daughter Avigayle started taking lesson at Broadway Family Karate in early 2007, and he followed suit in the fall of 2007. He earned his Black Belt in 2009, followed by the rank of 1st Dan in November 2010, and eventually the rank of 2nd Dan two years later in November of 2012. He was certified as an Instructor Trainee in 2010 though the American Independent Karate Instructors Association through Radford University in Virginia. Soon thereafter, Scott began assisting in class instruction at Broadway Family Karate. By 2012, he was leading classes of students of various ages and ranks, while continuing to assist in other classes. He has helped to organize and lead several trips for the students, including an AAU tournement in Atlanta, Georgia and several trips to Karate College in Radford, Virginia. He has also helped plan, organize, and run many school events, as well as events involving other local schools. In December of 2013, Scott became a black belt member and instructor of the AKATO – American Karate and TKD Organization. He is continuing his study of martial arts and its instruction here at Broadway Family Karate under the tutelage of Tom Booker, as well as by attending special training seminars with other instructors, most notably Sensei Dale Kirby and Master Keith Yates.

Why do you teach?

I enjoy sharing my knowledge of the martial arts with other people. It is very rewarding to watch students you have worked with for several years progress through the ranks and eventually earn their Black Belts. Teaching has also helped deepen my own understanding of the principles of Tae Kwon Do – the why behind the how. You don’t really know how to do something, until you have to teach it to another person.

How do you use your martial arts training in your own life?

Martial arts training has been very beneficial to me in my life.  It has helped me improve myself both physically as well as mentally. Tae Kwon Do has helped me keep my fitness level high. It has helped me improve my coordination, balance, and flexibility. Mentally Tae Kwon Do has increased both my self confidence and self esteem. It has also helped me reduce the level of stress in my life.  Training in the martial arts has taught me how to set and reach goals, both in class and outside of class. I have enjoyed all the challenges that the martial arts has provided me with.

What got you started studying the martial arts?

There were two main reasons I started training at Broadway Family Karate. The first reason was fitness. I wanted something that would keep me busy and off of the couch. Tae Kwon Do was the perfect activity to keep my moving and to encourage me to work on staying in shape outside of class. The second and more important reason, I wanted to help my daughter practice Tae Kwon Do at home. As the parent of a student, I found out this was not as easy as it looks! By taking classes myself, I could learn the material along side her and we could practice together at home. While this was not always easy, (for both of us I am sure), I was very proud of her the day she earned her Black Belt. It was definitely a very positive experience for me, and a great way to bond with my daughter.