Beck Martial Arts

Plano Self-Defense and Self-Improvement

(214) 334-5951

Master David N. Beck

Martial Arts Resume

Hapkido

Began September 1983 under Master Yong Chin Pak at Iowa State University. Achieved 1st degree black belt in the fall of 1987. At the time Master Pak was not certifying HKD black belts, so I don't have a piece of paper from him to stick in a frame and put up on the wall. But I have the knowledge, the actual belt he tied around my waist, and pictures. After graduation in December 1988, began study with Master Yon Sun Kim in Texas. Achieved 2nd Dan under Master Kim on 3/29/90, and 3rd Dan on 6/17/92 (certification via World Hapkido Federation). Split with Master Kim because of a number of philisophical differences and opened Beck Martial Arts in September of 1993. Met Sin Moo HKD Master David Henderson in March of 1995 and began occasional seminars with Masters Henderson, Larry Dorsey, Chad Zweig, and Dojunim Han Jae Ji. Achieved 4th Dan on May 14, 1996 (certification via World Sin Moo Hapkido Association. Went back to World Hapkido Federation in late 1999 to certify 3 of my HKD students as 1st Dans during a time when Dojunim Ji was moving around and difficult to contact. Promoted to 5th Dan on June 29, 2000 via the WHF. Re hooked up with Dojunim Ji in 2004 and after hosting him for a couple seminars to better master the Sin Moo curriculum and its updates since 1996, accepted promotion by Dojunim Ji to 6th Dan on June 11, 2005 (World Sin Moo Hapkido Association). Promoted to 7th Dan by Dojunim Ji on July 6, 2020. Have also trained in numerous seminars with other masters, including Grandmaster Geoff Booth, Grandmaster Ian Cyrus, Grandmaster James MacMurry, Grandmaster Sun Kyu Yang, Grandmaster JR West, and Grandmaster In Sun Seo. Continuing training and teaching.

Taekwondo

Began training in 1986 under Master Yong Chin Pak at Iowa State University, achieving 7th Gup. Then studied with Master Yon Sun Kim in Richardson,Texas in January, 1989; achieving 1st Dan on January 21, 1991, certification via the Kukkiwon (World Taekwondo Federation). Continued study and achieved 2nd Dan on June 21, 1993 (Kukkiwon certification). After split with Master Kim later in 1993, began training with Grandmaster Sun Hee-Sup Lee. Achieved 3rd Dan on Sept. 20, 1996 (Kukkiwon certification). Continued training and achieved 4th Dan through GM Lee on Nov. 5th, 1999 (Kukkiwon certification). Continuing training and teaching, though less frequently than Hapkido. I am way overdue for testing for 5th Dan, someday I will get around to it...

Arnis

Began with seminar training in Modern Arnis in 1993 under Professor Remy Presas. Began group and private lesson training with Grandmaster Anding de Leon in late 1994, training off and on somewhat sporadically as time allowed, including attending the Professor's summer camps in Dallas 1993, '94, '95, and '96. Did not test for rank at the camps in '95 and '96, wanting to master the whole curriculum as taught by Guro de Leon. Did so and achieved black belt on August 25, 1999 (certification via International Modern Arnis Federation). After the Professor's death and the formation of the International Arnis de Leon Federation, achieved black belt in Arnis de Leon from the IADLF in 2002. Achieved Lakan Isa level of black belt in Arnis de Leon from the IADLF in Dec 2012. Achieved Lakan Dalawa from the IADLF in Jan 2022. Have also attended seminars by other Filipino Martial Arts teachers such as Remy's brother Grandmaster Ernesto Presas, Datu Tim Hartman, Datu Dieter Knuttel, Grandmaster Art Miraflor, Gat Puno Abundio Baet, Master of Tapi Tapi Chuck Gauss, and Guro Dan Inosanto. Have studied other training materials from other Filipino systems including GAT (Garimot Arnis Training), Mirarada, Pekita Tirsia, Inayan Serrada, , and the Dog Brothers. Continuing training and teaching.

Other

Informal boxing training with a longtime Dallas Golden Gloves competitor. Grappling training with friends involving wrestling and Brazilian jujutsu. Seminars and informal training with friends in aikijujutsu, Shorin-Ryu, Kempo, Pekita-Tirsia, Eskrido, and jo staff. Seminars and certification by NAPMA to teach Cardio Karate aerobic kickboxing. Certification in CPR and First aid.

Teaching and Beck Martial Arts

First started thinking about teaching about blue belt or so, after being the highest rank on a Saturday HKD workout at Iowa State, running the class, and finding out how much I enjoyed it. From that point on I was learning how to teach from my instructors besides studying the martial arts themselves. Taught HKD under auspices of Master Pak beginning in 1985. Taught HKD and TKD under auspices of Master Kim beginning in 1989. Opened Beck Martial Arts as a sole proprietorship in September of 1993. Taught HKD and TKD out of the Olympus Gym in Garland from 1993 - 1995, then from the Kids in Motion dance studio in Sachse (1995-6) then from the North Texas Performing Arts Academy dance studio in Wylie (1996-7). All three went out of business! I finally got tired of finding new locations on short notice and teaching out of non martial art places and opened my own storefront in Wylie in September 1997. Taught HKD, TKD, aerobic kickboxing, and arnis from the storefront from 1997-2000. But with a full-time job, the birth of a daughter, the distance from my home in Plano at the time, and an illness in the family, it was taking too much time. Closed the storefront in September 2000. From 2000 - 2007 taught out of Sun Lee Texas TKD Center, first in Plano and then in Richardson. From 2008 through 2009 taught out of the Douglas Community Center in Plano, in 2010 taught at Power Play Fitness in north Dallas, from 2011-2019 Jerome's Gym in Richardson, and from 2019-the present Elite Performance Academy/Pure Athlete Center in Plano. Taught many self-defense and HKD seminars, including to sororities, family and friends of existing students, gym members, company employees, and the general public.