"Any mention of martial arts in Mill Valley usually means a conversation about West America Tae Kwon Do. Tucked behind Edna Maguire School, Sensei Roger Carlon’s dojo has been the after school, weekend and summer camp home for kids (and adults!) of all ages since 1983. And today, nearly 30 years later, the school still boasts more than 200 students.
Before he became known simply as “Sensei,” Roger Carlon was a track and field star in France. Tired of running and following a stint in the French army, he relocated to New York City where he tended bar. In 1970, after a huge fight broke out in the bar, “It was just like in the movies,” Sensei started his Tae Kwon Do training to protect himself. “Because I am such a skinny guy, I wanted to learn a martial art that had a focus on many different kicks.” The rest, as they say, is history.
Sensei opened West America in 1983 and within two months, the dojo had 50 students. After the first year, the school had 100 students. At its peak, West America had 455 students. “There wasn’t as much competition for the kids’ time and attention. Now there are more choices for the kids.”
But, additional sports aren’t the only competition. Sensei says the biggest change in the students’ participation over the years is technology. “Kids didn’t used to have phones and video games taking up so much of their time.” The technology has resulted in a need to change some of his teaching tactics. “I have to use more psychology now. I have to be more of a motivator to get the kids to understand the power and importance of focus.”
One thing that has never lacked focus, however, is Sensei’s commitment to Kiddo! “I was originally asked if I wanted to sponsor a classroom or a school and I said, ‘I want to sponsor the whole thing!’” West America has donated nearly $75,000 to Kiddo! “It makes sense to me to support my community. It’s the right thing to do, as so many of my students go to school in Mill Valley.”
Although Sensei has trained 53 national champions (including his kids, Chantal and Roger, Jr., who also teach at West America), and has promoted 351 students to Black Belt, his ultimate goal is to help build well-rounded human beings. “I want the kids to learn about attitude and respect,” he explains. “If we have the right attitude, we can achieve more in our lives.” To illustrate this point, Sensei described how he became a national champion in 1987 at the age of 41 by defeating much younger opponents. “Attitude.”
After nearly three decades, Sensei’s greatest reward is meeting parents of students who have long been gone from the dojo. “They come up to me in at the store and tell me that our school had a major impact on their kid’s life. That let’s me know that we are doing something right.”
Teaching discipline, focus, respect, attitude…and charity. It’s easy to understand why West America Tae Kwon Do and Sensei Roger Carlon have become such an integral part of the Mill Valley community by playing a major role in the development of our children. Thank you, Sensei!"
http://kiddo.org/2012/02/business-partner-spotlight/
