Simpson sets summer Hapkido programs for youth and adults

While spring has only just begun in calendar terms, summer is coming quickly and a Meadville Martial Arts school has announced plans to host a two-month training program outreach for area young people and adults.

“Our plan for the summer is to start the classes the first week after school ends and wrap up the week before the new school year begins,” D.M. Simpson Hapkido Owner and Master Instructor Duane Simpson said.

“For youth, between the ages of 7 and 12, the classes will be held from 3 to 3:45 p.m., Tuesdays and Thursdays while adults (ages 13 and up) will take part during regularly scheduled times for the classes that are already in place for them.”

Simpson noted the entire summer program will be offered for a $100 fee per student with the cost including a uniform that will be provided.

Registration for the classes is set to begin Monday, May 2 and will continue throughout much of that month.

Young people near the program’s age limits will be evaluated based on their body size as to which program — youth or adult — they will be placed in during the registration process.

“This is for the safety of all our students and because some young people have grown faster than others while others might not have hit their growth spurt yet,” he said.

Self-defense lessons through Simpson’s Hapkido-centered program will spotlight various personal safety techniques such as basic strikes, falls, kicks and escape techniques — all based on the level of understanding and development.

“I believe this will be something that will hopefully contribute to people being active during the summer,” Simpson said.

“The human body is not designed to sit the way many people do and that is killing their overall health and is causing their bodies — no matter the age — to deteriorate.

“Being sedentary also impacts mental and emotional well-being, so I feel like it’s vital we offer something that will help turn bad habits into good ones.”

He added it’s very easy for a non-active lifestyle to become a habit — whether that be a young man or woman spending all his or her time indoors on a hand-held electronic device or computer or for adult men and women who sit behind a desk five to six days per week with little physical activity attempted.

“None of us are designed to sit most of our lives, and we should also not overdo being active,” he continued.

“In fact, we all need about one hour of physical activity per day to help us live a healthier life, and that is what we are striving for with this summer’s program for youth and adults.

“I understand people are busy, but they also need to set aside some time to be active to promote their physical and mental health.”

Simpson said the summer classes are a natural progression for his Martial Arts business, which is set to celebrate its first-year anniversary on Friday, April 1.

“We have grown from three students initially to around 30 in the past 12 months, which is steady growth in a business that takes time to develop,” he added.

“I oversee the instruction while my father handles accountability and office work. We have also spent a lot of time doing things including painting, remodeling and expanding to make our location inviting and user-friendly.

“One of the things we’re most proud of is setting up video monitors in our lobby where parents or guardians can watch what is happening in real-time in the classroom. We want them to see what is going on and what their child is doing, and they can even sit in the classroom if they wish to.”

Simpson said he wants his outreach to look and feel different from others and seeks to build its reputation on the growth of those who have chosen to participate in his programs.

“Personal change in a student does not happen if he or she only comes to class a couple of times, but it occurs as they grow with commitment and dedication to wanting to get better,” he went on to say.

“With regular involvement, mindsets and abilities change and participants become more confident in themselves.

“The beauty of Martial Arts is the problems a participant might be facing can be set aside for a short time during class, and he or she can have a moment of clarity in which that person is doing something that helps him or her relieve stress and tension … they think about the now as opposed to focusing on the past or the future.”

The uniqueness and depth of Martial Arts training is that it promotes someone doing something that might be unnatural.

Students learn to look at and use their whole body — physically and mentally — for self-defense and they also get a better understanding of the Asian culture surrounding the use of the techniques.

“After 39 years, I have learned about the Korean, Japanese and Chinese styles of Martial Arts and those cultures through my studies,” Simpson said.

“I am not just a Master Instructor of Hapkido, but I also teach other Martial Arts. My philosophy is that if you ever stop learning, you’re backing up.

“The reality is that we are all constantly learning. I believe the more knowledge we obtain the more things we can do and the more we can bring to the table. I believe my students grow that way … I do not want them to become stagnant in life.

“I want to share things I have learned and hopefully they will have a desire to want to learn new things and share their experiences with others. We all grow with the time we spend with each other.”

Simpson said his driving desire is to teach students everything they can learn and help them build personal skills that will carry them to the next point in their lives.

“To do that, you constantly have to spend time on the basics,” he noted. “In Martial Arts like Hapkido, we always work on the basics because that is the foundation for everything done, but we also study to build new skills with those basics.

“Skills are perishable, and that’s why we approach it in this fashion … if we don’t do something all the time, we will not be good at it. It’s all about persistence.”

After a year in business, Simpson has been asked on many occasions as to why he chose to locate in Meadville.

He said local businessman Tyler Blalock, who operates Franklin County-based Rural Rapid Response ambulance service, encouraged him to take a chance in a small-town atmosphere while offering something that was truly unique and could reach people of all ages.

“I saw this as an opportunity to do something I had always wanted to do in a setting I enjoy,” he said. “I love to see the students — no matter their age — not only grow, but also excel in the programs no matter who they are or what their background might be.

“Hapkido can be a life-changing experience for those who have a desire to learn something that is both challenging and rewarding.”

Simpson also said he plans to expand his venture by taking on some individualized training locally for those who want to study the Martial Arts and might not have the time or desire to participate in his community classes.

At present, Simpson Hapkido’s junior classes (ages 7 to 12 for boys and girls) are held from 4 to 4:45 p.m., on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Adult classes (ages 13 and up) take place from 5:45 to 6:45 p.m., Tuesdays and Thursdays and from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m., on Saturdays.

A women’s self-defense class for ages 13 and up is offered from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m., on Saturdays.

For additional details on any of Simpson’s Martial Arts programs, call 601-265-8861 or visit his website at www.dssimpsonhkd.com.