Taekwondo instructor Tony Page entered the realm of martial arts at the age of 10, and many years later, he continues to bring that love and artistic enthusiasm for the arts into the Poplar Bluff community.

For nearly 25 years, Page has trained and guided many students through his martial arts program at Black Belt Academy, founded in 2001. Each and every student, regardless of their age, ability or physical condition, is provided with a welcoming and educational environment through the program.

In addition, the students also acquire vital self-defense methods that instill confidence in them in day-to-day activities, and throughout the years, the academy has achieved much success in competitive competitions. Page has trained six world champions, and the academy has collected nearly 130 state titles.

Besides being a combat sport, Page said Taekwondo offers many important tools for daily living.

“There are actually three things you need in order to have a decent quality of life,” Page said. “You must have strength, stability and stamina, and taekwondo works on all three. We also zone in on balance, coordination, strength and agility. Taekwondo has become a really good vehicle for kids because it provides discipline. It's doing what you're supposed to do even when you don't feel like doing it, and that's the discipline aspect of martial arts.”

Training in martial arts involves a variety of techniques, including punching, kicking, dodging, jumping, parrying and blocking. Taekwondo also focuses on sparring and learning formal patterns of movement called forms, and self-defense.

Before starting his journey of teaching martial arts, Page received a brown belt in judo at the age of 12. Shortly after, he took some time away to focus on other sports, but little did he know that his path with martial arts would cross again many years later.

After taking some time away from martial arts, Page received a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering, and though he was satisfied with his career choice, his introduction to Taekwondo would take him on another path. Upon moving to Sacramento, California, Page began to train again and received his black belt three years later.

He entered the instructor trainee program in 1990 and became a certified instructor in 1994 with the American Taekwondo Association. Page then moved to St. Louis, where he was presented with one of the most important questions that would change his life.

His dad asked him, "If you won the lottery tomorrow, would you keep being an engineer or do taekwondo?" From that moment on, Page decided to open his own school to begin training full-time. After meeting his wife Terry, who is an eye doctor at Pearle Vision, both made their way to Poplar Bluff, and the rest was history. Since then, the school's popularity has extended beyond the local area, with recognition in other parts of the country.

Over the years, Page has discovered that taekwondo is a mix of teaching physicality and tapping into the emotional side. He has found methods to bring out the best in his kids while also teaching them all of the life skills they will need. Despite seeing many students walk through his doors, Page still gets excited whenever new students begin their journey in martial arts.

“We get two kinds of kinds that step through those doors,” Page said. “We get the kids who want to be here and the others who instead be playing video games. The ones who are nervous about training shortly realize they can do it, and that’s the part I love to see. If they can conquer martial arts, they can do anything. We tie our belts evenly, and it represents 50% physical training and 50% mental training because it's a balance.

“The physical aspect is fantastic because they get to do the tumbling and sparring at competitions. From an emotional standpoint, it's hard to feel confident, and that’s what martial arts provides. Our goal here is to build confidence by building competence. We use tests and tournaments, to a certain extent, to try to get people accustomed to being under stress and not folding. I want them to have the mindset of turning failures into motivation to keep going.”

Page said he informs the students and parents that taekwondo is not just an activity, it's a lifestyle choice. Once a student makes that commitment, they will embrace the lifestyle choices of always being fit, healthy and confident.

Today, Page has accomplished in the martial arts. With his nonstop training and teaching, he has been ranked in the World's Top Ten in each belt rank, and in 2003 became the World Champion in forms. He is also a 5th-degree master-apprentice in GShim Taekwondo and continues to strive for excellence in himself and his students.

Though Page is still moving forward with his training, he understands that one day he will take his final bow from teaching.

“I'm probably going to retire from martial arts at some point,” Page said. “I'm 64 years old right now, and I'm looking at 70 as a target, but it's really just being retired from being a school owner, which means I'll probably sell the school to one of my students. I can't see myself ever not doing this because it is a lifestyle choice, and I recognize its health benefits tremendously. It helps me on a personal and professional level, and it's just something I can't see myself giving up because it's just ingrained in who I am.

“I've been doing this for almost 40 years, and I still get a rush from teaching. I still love watching the kids' faces light up when I hand them a pair of nunchucks. If you want God to laugh, tell him your plans, so I don’t really know how long I can do it, but we’ll see.”