Grand Master David J. TurgeonOwner - Kwan Jang & Grand Master - 8th Degree Black Belt
Grand Master David Turgeon is the Owner of the Connecticut Chung Do Kwan Academy and an 8th Dan Grand Master Instructor who has been studying Taekwondo for over 45 years! Him and his wife Judy have enjoyed running their studio together while raising their 3 kids. Their 2 sons have since become black belts and their daughter has excelled in dance!They have been a part of the the Colchester, Connecticut community for the past 35 years, and have had the pleasure of teaching and passing knowledge onto over 2,000 students!
Some fun facts about Grand Master Turgeon: ◈ He's been a 5x US National Poomsae Team Member, 3x US Poomsae Team Captain and a 2x USA Taekwondo All-American athlete ◈ He has served as the National Team Coach at 4 World Championships from 2014-2020 ◈ Recently, he's been Appointed to the board of directors for USA Taekwondo, the Olympic Taekwondo Organizer ◈ He currently holds a World Taekwondo International Referee Certification in both Sparring and Poomsae ◈ He's certified as an International Kukkiwon Instructor and a past member of the Kukkiwon Advisory Board ◈ Outside of Taekwondo, he has coached the RHAM Wrestling Team for 9 years ◈ Saying that he is a Lego Enthusiast would be an understatement... his collection contains over 600 THOUSAND Lego pieces!! You can come and check out some of the displays at the Dojang! ◈ When he's not at the Dojang you can find me cycling or traveling across the globe to coach or referee! |
Master Judy Turgeon 6th Degree Black BeltMaster Judy Turgeon has been training with the Connecticut Chung Do Kwan for the past 29 years and in 2019 she received her 6th degree black belt. When asked what her favorite class is she said "I enjoy teaching the juniors because they're the most eager to learn new techniques!"
Some fun facts about Master Turgeon: ◈ In 2008 she represented the U.S. at the 2008 World Poomsae Championship in Turkey as part of the U.S. National Poomsae Team ◈ She's involved in organizing and executing our Dojang's tournaments, testings and special events every year ◈ Her and her husband David are celebrating our 30th anniversary this year! ◈ She worked for Aetna for over 20 years! ◈ She doesn't start her day without at least one cup of coffee ◈ She enjoys spending time with my 3 adult children Daniel, James and Julia ◈ She love taking our dog Seamus for walks every day, she says "he certainly keeps me on my toes!" ◈ You can also find her playing women's soccer whenever she can squeeze it into her schedule |
Mr. Daniel Turgeon 3rd Degree Black BeltMr. Daniel Turgeon is a 3rd degree black belt and assists with Monday and Wednesday classes here at the Connecticut Chung Do Kwan. He's been around Taekwondo his entire life through his dad Grand Master Turgeon and started when he was just 4 years old! He went on to test for his black belt when he was 8 years old, making him the youngest at our school!
Some fun facts about Mr. Turgeon: ◈ He was on the RHAM Wrestling Team and was awarded MVP and later went on to wrestle at UConn ◈ He joined the UConn Taekwondo Team after he realized their team practiced right after the wrestling team! He then went on to win multiple medals, scoring points for UConn in the Eastern Collegiate TKD Conference & was later named Team Captain for his Junior and Senior year! ◈ He graduated from UConn for Computer Science & is currently working as a Data Engineer and Analyst ◈ Our students know that when he's teaching class they're going to be doing alternative stretches and sweat dripping plyo & ab workouts! ◈ He is really into traveling, having visited many countries across Asia & Europe. He'd probably be backpacking right now if it weren't for Covid-19 ◈ He is also an avid Boston sports fan & a major PIZZA enthusiast! |
Our Certified Masters & Black Belts
Master Brien Brown
6th Degree Master A lifelong athlete, Master Brown wrestled and played football as well as coached wrestling at both RHAM High School and Bacon Academy. He began training at the CTCDK in 1993 and currently assists teaching the family classes. Before retiring, Master Brown taught History and Geography at RHAM High School, Bacon Academy and Central Connecticut State University and was an administrator at Enrico Fermi High School. |
Master Larry Jones
6th Degree Black Belt Master Jones started training with Grand Master Turgeon in 1994 as an activity he could do with his sons Dan and Master Tim Jones and it continues with his grandson Gabriel. It has been a family event with his wife Karen and daughters also getting their black belts. Master Jones enjoys assisting the beginner classes on Tuesday and Thursday nights, making a positive influence on the students and teaching them all something about themselves. Outside of TKD, you can find Master Jones working at Salas O'Brien as a Mechanical Electrical Project Manager. |
Master Tim Jones
5th Degree Black Belt |
Ms. Lindsey Cassarino - 4th Degree Black Belt
Ms. Cassarino has been studying at the Connecticut Chung Do Kwan since 1998 after following her older brother into Taekwondo. Soon after her whole family was training together, all eventually reaching black belt. After becoming a black belt Ms. Cassarino started assisting in teaching the beginner students while also training in sport Poomsae. In 2009 she made it to the US Team Trial Finals for the U.S. National Poomsae Team. Outside of Taekwondo, Lindsey is a Wedding and Event Manager, travel enthusiast & dog mom to her 90lb Doberman Mossberg. |
Mr. Mark Terranova - 2nd Degree Black Belt
Mr. Terranova has been with the Connecticut Chung Do Kwan since 2011 when, after his kids started taking it he thought "Why am I just watching them, it looks like fun." Having recently tested for his 2nd degree, he has taken on the task of assisting the Junior classes on Monday and Wednesday nights. Outside of Taekwondo you can find Mark working at his company Brand Mojo, Inc. in Colchester or climbing Mountains with his fellow Taekwondo friends. |
Our Studio (Dojang)
We have been located in the heart of Downtown Colchester, Connecticut since 1987, participating in numerous community events as a Taekwondo Family. Our school features a large and open style training area perfect for practicing and hosting tournaments, but can also be divided into 3 separate rooms using our air walls when needed. We are fully equipped with kicking targets, heavy weight bags, training mats, climbing ropes, practice weapons and a variety of specialty equipment perfect for agility training and self-defense.
Discipline, self-control and perseverance are what we strive to achieve through kicking, punching and blocking techniques all applied through forms, self-defense and sparring.
Discipline, self-control and perseverance are what we strive to achieve through kicking, punching and blocking techniques all applied through forms, self-defense and sparring.
Spectator AreaOur spectator area is spacious and perfect for parents to watch their young martial artist or for students to stay while they're waiting for their sibling or parents to finish their own class.
There are cubbies for students to put their shoes and personal belongings as well as a private restroom. We also offer a live video feed of our training area for parents to watch their youngsters without distraction. |
Our training SpaceWe have designed the studio to accommodate 3 full size Olympic rings, each of which can also be broken out into three separate rooms using the air walls. This is perfect for private lessons, break out sessions or specialty classes.
Additional amenities include spacious locker rooms, bathrooms and showers, multiple water fountains, and storage cubes for students to put personal items. If you're interested in renting this space for any private physical fitness classes please contact us! |