Nick Boodris started his martial arts training back in 1965 at a Chicago south sideYMCA. His training there was offered only once a week on Saturdays. The rest of the week he trained with his friend in their backyards, who also signed up at the same time with Mr. Boodris. After several weeks of training at the Y, Mr. Boodris asked his instructor if he can supplement his training at the instructor’s school. Mr. Shin, who was the instructor, said that his school was quite a distance on the north side of Chicago. Travel time one way was an hour and a half with public transportation. The area where the school (dojang) was located was not in a desirable neighborhood. Mr. Boodris’ mother and father did not like for him to train that far away and in such an undesirable area, often coming home at 10 pm every night, 5 days a week, and going to school the next morning. His parents finally gave in after much discussion. Mr. Boodris always completed his school assignments before he left home to train. The instructors took a special interest in their student, because he had a very fast learning curve, not only in learning techniques quickly, but also in picking up the Korean terminology.

In those days, Tae Kwon Do was not very popular. Judo was the most popular martial art because children and young adults did not get hurt often, as in Tae Kwon Do and karate. Judo is named “the gentle way” and parents favored it more than the kick and punch arts. It did not take long for Tae Kwon Do and Karate to catch up and ultimately surpass Judo in the public’s choice of self defense. Not to say that judo today is not popular or unfavorable.  Thanks to the Korean and Japanese instructors who came to the United States to teach these wonderful martial arts, their American students who became black belts, spread these arts throughout the country.

While serving in the Republic of Vietnam in ’70-71 with the U S Army 23rd Infantry Division, 26th Engineer Batallion, Mr. Boodris with a Korean captain 6th Dan, who was an officer in the ROK (Republic of Korea Tiger Division Army), trained U S officers and NCOs, (non commissioned officers), 2-3 times a week.

After receiving his discharge in November 1971, Mr. Boodris worked and trained at his instructor’s school, who he helped build in the late ‘60’s, until he bought a school from one of his former instructors, Mr. Eun, operating in Morton Grove, IL in 1972.

 Mr. Boodris was tested for his  4^th degree black belt under Nam Tae Hi, who was the co-founder of Tae Kwon Do and Gen. Choi Hong Hi’s right hand man, and was awarded his 4^th Dan certificate in September of 1973 and June of 1974 was awarded his International Tae Kwon Do certificate to be an International Tae Kwon Do Instructor. At that period of time, Mr. Boodris believes that he was one of a handful of non Korean instructors in the International Tae Kwon Do Federation, to have achieved 4^th Dan status and to be an International Tae Kwon Do Instructor.