Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to David Johnson. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

David, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?
I started training in martial arts back in the early eighties during my freshman year of High School while also starting wrestling. My first instructor was Mr. Todd Petterson, this was in Mason City Iowa at a local martial arts club where I trained 2 to 3 times per week. I still remember one of my first belt test when my instructor drove me to the main location to be tested by Mr. Pettersons instructor and told me if I didn’t break my board during the test that I might not pass, It took me a couple of good sidekicks to break my board for my gold belt. On the drive back home with my instructor he was very quiet but finally spoke, and said “hey, you had me worried a bit on your board break. In the late eighties I move to Texas and lived San Antonio for 5 years where I started training with my next Karate teacher, Mr. Stan Singleton who still teaches out of San Antonio Texas to this day. I trained with Mr. Singleton for a year or two but every time I started a new Karate school, I had to work my way back up to my last belt so by now I had been training for a good 4 to 5 years but still at a beginner belt rank.

My third Instructor was April Jean Cunningham, this was after I moved to Houston Texas and found a new martial arts School close to my house so I could continue my path towards archiving a Black belt one day.
Ms. Cunninham was a very high-ranking Black belt under Mr. Pat Burleson and was also very strict, I remember being a bit late for class and she would look at me and say, see you next time Mr. Johnson, she was not into games or exegeses at her studio. My final Instructor was Mr. Wayne Nguyen also known for his movie role in the nighties movie with Chuck Norris called, Side Kicks. He was the white ninja who performed the double nunchakus kata towards the end of the film, this is where I learned my sport Karate weapons training and creative forms. I finally achieved my Black Belt with Mr. Nguyen in 1994 and took a little from each past instructor to create my style of teaching, discipline, and training skills to become who I am today. It was later in 1998 when I open my own studio “K2 Karate: now known as Team K2 Karate and have never looked back, Today I continue my path in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu with Mr. Art Alvarado while becoming a student once again after 20 plus years.
Martial arts, Karate or whatever style you may train in enhances your life by providing constant goals and keeping you focused with a never-ending cycle towards self-improvement.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I have been operating Team K2 Karate in the Houston / Cypress and Katy area for over 20 years teaching American style Taekwondo and sport Karate. I teach traditional martial arts that includes Katas/Forms, self-defense, sparring and creative weapons. I was a top competitor on the tournament circuit for over 20 years in the AOK, NBL/SKIL & TKO tournament series known for my weapons katas and breaking. We offer classes for ages 5 years old to adult at our studio and try to make everyone feel like family at Team K2 Karate.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
I’m a bit more forgiving than I use to be with students, I try to understand their own induvial needs and goals such as working with a student just on focus vs a student just wanting to become a State Karate Champion.

Times are changing but I try to stay true to my craft and help everyone understand that anything worth something takes hard work and is earned, not given.

: Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
I love it when a student returns to my studio that was a teen in one of my youth classes years ago with their own child to start in martial arts. My goal is a never-ending story or journey to improve, adapt and evolve while maintaining the basic principles of martial arts such as discipline, self-control, focus and respect. I have one student who open his own K2 based school called “Team K2 Elite: in Port Lavaca Texas. Mr. Escalona started from White belt with me when he was a teen and worked his way up to Black Belt and later on opened his own studio so you never know wear your journey can end up.

Contact Info:

• Website: teamk2karate.com
• Instagram: Team K2 Karate
• Facebook: Team K2 Karate Port Lavaca location Team K2 Karate Elite
• Youtube: myteamk2karate
• Yelp: Team K2 Karate

Image Credits
Past Instructors Wayne Nguyen, Houston Texas April Cunningham, Houston Texas Stan Singleton, San Antonio Texas Todd Peterson, Mason City Iowa