Rising Phoenix gave me a sense of belonging at a time when I was in need of becoming part of a community. At the time I discovered Rising Phoenix and Master Olds, I didn't know how lucky I was and how much it would impact my future in martial arts. In the time I trained under Master Olds, I was able to hone my skills and fully understand my potential.

I met Master Olds after I had earned my second degree black belt and had been training for nine years, and I don't think I would have been able to fully appreciate his skills and commitment to martial arts without my years of training. Many black belts can impress white belts with their precision and power, but Master Olds would leave me and my fellow black belts in wonder. In addition to admiring him for his physical skill set, I revered Master Olds for his lifetime commitment to the arts. He spent years refining his base of Taekwondo, while also exploring the applications of other arts. Master Olds is committed to imbuing all of his students with an internal ambition to hone their skills, learn the rich history, and live the teachings of true martial artists.

In addition to sharing his fervor for the arts, Master Olds is devoted to building a community within his school. The students within Rising Phoenix are not classmates they're family. Some of my closest friends are part of the Rising Phoenix, and I built life-long relationships in the few years I was part of Rising Phoenix. Master Olds has an aptitude for identifying talent, and he surrounds himself with excellent people. His assistant instructors are well-versed in their arts and are very competent teachers.

I can say, without a doubt, Rising Phoenix has changed my life. It fueled a life-long yearning in me to practice martial arts it introduced me to a community of admirable martial artists and it instilled within me an philosophy of confidence, perseverance, and indomitable spirit.