Generations of people have for over half a century taken to Moon Lee Taekwondo to learn more than martial arts.
For teacher Colin Garrick, who has been teaching taekwondo for 48 years, it’s about building confidence, discipline and respect.
Founded in 1974 by Moon Lee after his arrival from Korea, the organisation has grown from a single Brisbane club into a network of dojangs across Logan and the rest of Australia.
From Springwood to Greenbank, thousands of students have passed through its doors — parents, children and grandparents alike.
Mr Garrick said his passion for the sport began when he was a teenager searching for confidence.
“I’m not the tallest of guys, and I got bullied a bit in high school,” he said.
“When I was 15 years old, I watched a couple of Bruce Lee movies when they first came out, and I thought, ‘Wow, I’d love to be able to defend myself like that.’
“We found a Taekwondo class happening in Brisbane… and I’ve been doing it ever since.”
Mr Garrick said the club’s longevity came down to one simple thing: good ethics.
Over the decades, Moon Lee Taekwondo prided itself on inclusivity. Entire families train together — from children as young as four to seniors well into their seventies.
“I’ve got one guy who trains with me with his eight kids — they’re all second, third and fourth degree black belts,” he said.
“I’ve even got grandmothers training. One lady just had two knee replacements and she’s already talking about coming back to class in a few weeks.”
But the lessons go far beyond the physical.
Students learn perseverance, self-control, indomitable spirit and modesty, Mr Garrick said — traits that shape them outside the dojang as much as within it.
“Parents often put their kids in not only for self-defence, but for the character traits that will make them excel in other sports.
‘There are a lot of Korean golfers that have done taekwondo as kids and they’re the best golfers in the world.
“It makes them excel due to the discipline that they’ve learned throughout their training.”
He believes humility is at the heart of the art, which was born in Korea and dates back 2000 years.
“That’s the modesty side of it. You don’t go around bragging that you’ve done this and you’ve done that,” Mr Garrick said.
“You just go through life being a really nice and good person.”
