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DR.
SCOT CONWAY, Ph.D., J.D., SOKE. Supervising Master Instructor, Guardian Kempo, Guardian Karate, Guardian Jujitsu, Guardian Kobujitsu, Junior Guardian Karate, Little Guardian Karate.
Head Instructor
Scot Conway has credentials, a lot of them. However, what’s
more important than what titles or degrees he’s earned is
the quality of the programs he designs and the quality of the classes
he teaches. However, anyone can say they teach a great class, and
few people can match his credentials, so both are discussed.
If you’re interested in credentials, the supervising master instructor, Scot Conway, has a PhD in Christian Martial Arts from the Physical Education Department of Great Plains Baptist College. He earned his JD (law degree) from Thomas Jefferson School of Law and passed the bar on his first try in 1992. He is a licensed attorney, business consultant, counselor, and he pastors Agathos Ministries.
He has black belts in seven different martial arts with an 8th degree Black Belt in Guardian Kempo, a 7th degree Black Belt in Kajukenbo, a 6th degree Black Belt in Chinese Kempo Chuan Shu, a 3rd degree in Keichu Hoshin Ryu Karate Jujitsu, a 2nd degree in Mukashi Kindai Ryu Karate Jujitsu, a 1st degree in Kara Ho Kempo and Shiho Karano Kenpo Jujitsu. His title of Soke was awarded by Grandmaster Marx of Keichu Do Karate Jujitsu. The title of Soke means he is the recognized headfounder of a martial art.
The meaning of
all the belts varies from martial art to martial art, as does the
title. To help understand the significance of a 7th degree Black
Belt - such a rank represents about 26 years of consistent training.
It would take less time for a 1st grader to become a surgeon than
it would take a white belt to become a 7th degree Black Belt. No
matter the title, the rank represents a great deal of time and
effort. [NOTE: Obviously Conway trained in more than one art at
a time. Many of the arts have closely related skills, which made
training in multiple arts easier for him. Also, understanding martial
arts seems to be an unusual gift he's received.]
Conway is a co-author
of the ACMA Instructor Certification Manual, with more than 7,000
schools and instructors using that manual and seeking ACMA certification
through the Cooper Institute (the same organization that trains
and certifies aerobics instructors). In other words, he literally “wrote
the book” on teaching. He remains a Board Member of the American Council on Martial Arts. Conway has also been a regular instructor at the National Association of Professional Martial Artists (NAPMA) World Conference where he taught martial arts instructors and school owners. Videos of his seminars are distributed to all NAPMA members. In addition, Conway has written articles for many of the major martial arts magazines. He’s written for Black Belt,
Martial Arts Professional, Inside Karate, Inside Kung Fu, Karate/Kung
Fu Illustrated, Martial Arts Training, and more. He’s been
featured in local newspapers, and he’s been quoted by the
Christian Research Journal in their research into martial arts.
None of this would make any difference at all if the programs he designed were not first rate. There are many talented people with experience, but no credentials, and others with credentials, but no meaningful results to show for it. Ultimately, the only thing that matters to clients is what the client gets. It does not matter if the teacher was the most prestigious person on the planet if the client did not benefit from that. What really matters here isn’t that Conway is a recognized master of his art,
that he teaches teachers, or that he has degrees from colleges.
What matters is that he leads by example, he teaches classes packed
with valuable information for those that listen and practice, and
he is a dynamic, knowledgeable and skilled instructor. He leads
not only in his physical talent, but his character, his intelligent
faith, the quality of his relationship with his wife, and how he
lives his life. This isn’t just a job for him, it’s
a calling for which he has been ideally prepared.
For more information
on and from Scot Conway, go to www.ScotConway.org.
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STEWART TRUE, Assistant Head Instructor, Little Guardian Karate, Junior Guardian Karate, Guardian Karate, Guardian Jujitsu, Guardian Kobujitsu, Guardian Kempo
Stewart True earned his 4th degree Black Belt in 2006. As his mother, Mariellen True, is an inspiration and example to those who think martial arts is for the young, Stewart is an example to those who think that leadership is only for older adults. He has been assisting in Little Guardians and Junior Guardian Karate for years, apprenticed directly with Dr. Conway, and he is now the second most experienced child instructor at the Guardian Academy (second only to Soke Conway himself).
Stewart is qualified to teach all the Guardian Martial Arts. Soke Conway has chosen Sensei Stewart as the Assistant Head Instructor at the Guardian Academy. Ask Sensei Mariellen True, his mother, about whether "May you have a child just like you" is a blessing or a curse upon Stewart, and she'll tell you that it would most certainly be a blessing. Stewart is an excellent role model for young people.
WENDY
CONWAY, Head Administrator, Senior Instructor
Guardian Kempo, Guardian Karate, Junior Guardian Karate, Little Guardian
Karate
Wendy Conway is a fifth degree Black Belt, a level that takes 15 years of dedicated practice to reach. She keeps the Guardian Academy operating as the Academy Administrator. Her training and talent extends into all the core programs at the Guardian Academy, and she is a qualified instructor of Guardian Kempo, Guardian Karate, Junior Guardian Karate, Little Guardians. She invested herself in completing her Black Belt and was a full fledged Guardian Kempo instructor by her mid-teens with her own students. She continued to out-pace her contemporaries and remained dedicated to her training.
She is now the highest ranked person in Guardian Kempo except Soke Conway. Wendy Conway is an example to others in many ways. She soared through high school at a Charter School at triple pace, completing three years of high school in one year. She graduated from Azusa Pacific University Summa Cum Laude with a degree in Organizational Leadership. While Soke Conway developed the skills and techniques of the children styles, it was Wendy that organized the Little Guardian Karate and Junior Guardian Karate programs. She effectively created two full programs very nearly from scratch and is now the supervising instructor of the children's programs.
.DAWN KNOTT, Weapons Instructor, Karate Assistant Instructor, Jujitsu Assistant Instructor
Dawn is a Black Belt at the Guardian Academy. She has four sons who all attend classes and lead at the Guardian Academy. She is one of the most impressive stories of personal growth you will ever see. A decade ago, she was one of the most depressed people you might know. She wasn't suicidal, but she had every other symptom a clinically depressed person might have an was barely functional. She was even too insecure to go to the supermarket alone.
In the years since, she has become one of the strongest, most insightful, most capable women you could know. She attributes her triumph to things she learned at the Guardian Academy - and now teaches. She just kept coming even when she did not want to. She took her belt tests even when she felt queasy from test anxiety. She learned, she grew, and she eventually became a top students - and now, a top instructor.
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