By Khalida Sarwari
The Saratoga Recreation Department’s veteran karate instructor, Kancho John Chang, was recently inducted into a Hall of Fame for martial arts leaders.
Chang, who holds a fourth-degree black belt in Shotokan Karate, was honored at the “Masters Hall of Fame” awards ceremony at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel in June. Founded in 1999, the association recognizes exceptional martial arts leaders for their dedication to the martial arts and their work in the community, in addition to their individual successes.
“This award is special for me because it acknowledges my years of hard work combining these different styles to form Chang Tai Do,” said Chang, referring to the martial arts studio he runs in Sunnyvale.
Forced to leave Vietnam with his family after the Vietnam War, Chang took up tae kwon do, judo, chin-na and kung fu while he was a refugee in Malaysia. He had to abandon martial arts after immigrating with his family to the U.S. at the age of 8 at the behest of his father, who fretted that Chang might injure another child and get the family deported. In high school, Chang joined the school wrestling team. Later at Foothill College, he found a Shotokan Karate group and eventually worked his way up to fourth-degree black belt.
Using that experience, he founded Chang Tai Do in 2003, offering a form of martial arts that combines kung fu, karate, chin-na and grappling. The studio also offers classes in Saratoga, Los Altos and Menlo Park.
According to Chang Tai Do’s website, Chang has been teaching in Saratoga consistently since 2003, having established one of his first schools at the Saratoga Recreation Center and hosting several tournaments there with more than 200 participants competing at both the individual and team levels.
For more information about the studio, visit karateinsunnyvaleca.com.
Link: Saratoga karate instructor earns induction into martial arts Hall of Fame