Norwalk Tang Soo Do

Norwalk Tang Soo Do is a martial arts school in Norwalk, Connecticut, teaching traditional Tang Soo Do with an emphasis on self-defense techniques and fighting skills. Students work on self-confidence, focus, coordination, and self-discipline while getting a workout. The school holds a 5.00 rating from the customers who have reviewed it.

Instruction is led by Doug Peoples, a 9th Dan black belt who has been teaching martial arts in Norwalk for over 30 years, and many of the school's current students are the children of adults he taught years ago. He is joined by Lisa Crosby-Bohacs, 5th Dan, who has studied Tang Soo Do since she was 14 and previously ran the Wilton Tang Soo Do program; Jason Iannacone, 5th Dan, who began training at age 8 and also studies Aikido and Brazilian Jujitsu; and Nick Terranova, 3rd Dan, who started at 11 and earned his 1st Dan under Mrs. Bohacs before joining the Norwalk class.

The program operates in cooperation with Norwalk Parks and Recreation and is community-oriented, with no long-term contracts required. Testing is generally held only twice a year, and every effort is made to keep testing fees affordable. Students learn techniques, self-defense, and forms consistent with traditional Tang Soo Do, with emphasis on understanding how and why techniques work or do not work in real-world situations, along with discussion of how to avoid those situations in the first place.

Classes are held at the Norwalk Senior Center, 11 Allen Rd. The school sits near Betts Pond Brook and the Senior Center and Norwalk Rec and Park, both within about a tenth of a mile, with Betts Pond and Fourteen Acre Pond also close by. Newtown Avenue is roughly two-tenths of a mile away.

Adults and teens 13 and up train Wednesdays at 7:30 P.M. across all belts and skill levels, with multiple rooms used to break into smaller groups. Children ages 6 to 12 meet Mondays at 6 P.M. for beginners and Wednesdays at 6 P.M. for intermediate and advanced students. New students do not need to buy a uniform ahead of time; gym or workout clothing that allows free movement, such as a t-shirt and jogging pants, is fine, though jeans are not. Prospective students can call to arrange to observe or try a class.