A rank is only worth what stands behind it — and there is a great deal standing behind a Bulsajo belt. These are the organizations our certification, curriculum and competition connect to.
World Taekwondo Headquarters
Kukkiwon is the world headquarters of Taekwondo and the body that issues official dan (black belt) certification recognized internationally. Bulsajo black belt ranks are registered through Kukkiwon, which means the rank travels with the student anywhere in the world.
Our traditional lineage
Moo Duk Kwan — the school of martial virtue — is the lineage our curriculum descends from. The forms, the terminology, and the emphasis on character over trophies all come from this tradition. It is why the dojang runs the way it does.
Federación Mexicana de Taekwondo
FEMEXTKD is Mexico's national governing body for Taekwondo — established in 1976, made up of 32 state associations, and Mexico's member federation to World Taekwondo. Bulsajo carries its endorsement, which ties this school to one of the strongest competitive Taekwondo programs in the hemisphere.
Where Master Skye earned his black belt
This is the one that is personal. Master Skye earned his 1st degree black belt in Olympic style Taekwondo in Mexico City, at what was then the Víctor Estrada school's main location — training under Grandmaster Víctor Estrada Sr. and Marcos Estrada, the association's general directors. Bulsajo is formally affiliated with the association through that line.
The association carries the name of Víctor Estrada, who took bronze at Sydney 2000 — Mexico's first Olympic medal in Taekwondo, won the year the sport became a full Olympic event. He added silver at the 1993 World Championships and gold at three straight Pan American Games, has since been inducted into the Taekwondo Hall of Fame of the Americas, and today is head coach of the Mexican national team.
Founded in 2000, the association now runs dozens of schools across Mexico inside the FEMEXTKD structure. It means the standard a Bulsajo student is held to did not start in Belle Glade — it came up through that dojang in Mexico City.
Professional full-contact league
Kombat Taekwondo is the professional league that blends traditional Taekwondo with full-contact competition, with licensed clubs in over a hundred countries and broadcasts on major sports networks. Our teens and adults program is being rebuilt around this format for students who want to compete seriously.
Police Athletic League — youth & teen programming
The Palm Beach County Police Athletic League is a registered National PAL program, supported and staffed by the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office. It runs supervised athletic and mentoring programs for youth and teens at five sites across the county — one of them right here in Belle Glade. We are joining PAL to open our mat to more young people in the Glades, especially the ones for whom cost would otherwise be the deciding factor.
Where our conditioning standard comes from
Taekwondo is the skill; conditioning is what carries it. Master Skye is a Certified Personal Trainer through the National Council on Strength & Fitness, whose board for certification is accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies — the same independent standard used for credentials in healthcare and public safety.
It is the reason the warm-up, the strength work and the recovery in a Bulsajo class have reasons behind them, and the reason those reasons are different for a six-year-old than for an adult. Children are still growing; loading them like small adults is how you injure them. Somebody in the room should know the difference.
Where the boxing in our striking comes from
Box N Burn Academy was founded by Tony Jeffries, bronze medallist in the light heavyweight division at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, to certify coaches to teach boxing properly rather than approximately. Master Skye is certified through it. The academy publishes today as Boxing Fitness Academy — same certification, newer sign over the door.
Taekwondo is a kicking art and it is honest about that, which makes the hands the part a Taekwondo school is most likely to teach badly. This is the certification that closes the gap — and it is why Women's Kickboxing here is real boxing technique on a real bag rather than an aerobics class with gloves on.
A standalone senior fitness program in the Glades
Senior Friendly Fitness is a standalone senior fitness program operating in the Glades — its own program, its own staff, its own locations, in Belle Glade and South Bay. Chair yoga, resistance training, chair cardio, dance for fitness, outdoor walking, balance and fall prevention, wellness coaching, and classes online.
It is listed here for one reason: it is who we point families to when the question is about a grandparent rather than a child. Many of its classes are included at no extra cost for members of qualifying Medicare Advantage plans through the SilverSneakers program — eligibility is theirs to check, on their site or by phone.
Ask us anything about rank, certification, or where a belt is registered — we are proud of the answer.
