Master Tony Morris is the founder, head instructor and co-owner of Asheville Sun Soo Tae Kwon Do. Master Morris is also the founder of the Sun Soo Martial Arts Association, dedicated to the excellent practice, teaching and preservation of traditional martial arts. Master Morris has been a life-long athlete and has practiced martial arts for nearly 35 years, having taught for over 20 of those years. The majority of his practice has focused on traditional Tae Kwon Do, complemented with substantial training in Hapkido, Judo and Jujitsu. He holds a 6th Degree Black Belt in traditional Tae Kwon Do under the tutelage of 9th Degree Black Belt, Grandmaster Suk Jun Kim, Founder and president of TaeKwon-Do International. As a practitioner, Master Morris has placed first in forms, sparring, in-close-self-defense and board-breaking in numerous tournament competitions – including the national level. As a teacher and mentor, Master Morris holds numerous awards for distinction as an instructor and innovator in martial arts. Master Morris’ leadership and teaching style is a mix of high energy, creativity, presence, compassion for students, love of the art, appreciation for excellence, attention to detail, passion for continual progress and a couple of doses of humor for good measure.
Master Morris’ role as Master Instructor is supported by his wide range of experiences and accomplishments. In addition to being a father, husband and friend to many, his professional education includes a B.S. in Chemistry, an M.A. in Architecture, LP PhD certification as a Life and Business Coach/Trainer and certification as a Level II Reiki practitioner. Currently, Master Morris is pursuing certification in the Silva Method as well as NLP and EFT to complement his comprehensive approach to teaching. His professional work experience simultaneous to his martial arts training and teaching includes a twenty-year architecture career (Design Principal for major A&E firm); creation and ownership of a successful advertising agency; university instructor of building structures, presentation graphics and life drawing; private tutor of organic chemistry; published author of numerous articles on subjects including martial arts, parenting and creating results; and acclaim as a nationally renowned commission portrait artist (www.tonymorrisart.com).
While having developed an accomplished and dedicated staff at Asheville Sun Soo, Master Morris teaches all of the “Masters” classes (for black-belts only), the majority of the adult classes, about one-third of the kid classes and about one quarter of the teen classes from a school schedule with more than thirty classes per week, and growing. Additionally, Master Morris offers classes, demonstrations and motivational presentations at a number of area schools, community centers, public events and places of work. When he is not teaching, Master Morris can be found spending time with his family, exploring new knowledge or working on a commissioned portrait.
Master Morris believes that, “Life is an amazing adventure – and we have never ‘arrived.’ Every day is a new beginning!”
