Today we’d like to introduce you to Brad Bezoni.
Brad, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Fighting Dragon Tae Kwon Do came to be from a chance conversation between a dance student and the owner of the studio where they were taking tap classes. But before we talk about that, let’s go even farther back and talk about how I got to where I am today.
I started training in 1992 when, after being attacked outside of a high school football game, my father – along with encouragement from one of my friends – enrolled me in Tae Kwon Do classes. Having grown up watching shows and movies featuring Bruce Lee, Chuck Norris, Ernie Reyes, Jr., Cynthia Rothrock and more, there was already more than a spark of interest in martial arts in my life. Once I started formal training, that spark grew into a towering inferno that would lead to earning multiple Black Belts in different disciplines, competing in local, state, National and World tournaments, and eventually teaching in and owning several schools.
I was originally a member of the American Taekwondo Association (ATA), and reached the rank of Fourth Dan (Fourth Degree Black Belt) before leaving the organization in 2007. Throughout that time I was part of the instructional staff at two different schools – my home school of Hemann’s ATA in Omaha, NE and then at West Houston ATA after moving from Nebraska to Texas. In 2003 I partnered with another black belt to open the Mont Belvieu Black Belt Academy, which I ran with my business partner for 4 years. After leaving the ATA I continued to work with fellow martial artists across multiple disciplines including Taekwondo, kickboxing, Lima Lama and more. However, I missed the feeling of teaching students and seeing them grow not just physically but in all areas of their lives.
That leads to that chance encounter that gave birth to Fighting Dragon Tae Kwon Do. In 2016 my wife was taking adult tap classes at the Moriah Davis School of the Arts, a local dance studio in Spring, TX, and the owner of the studio happened to be filling in for the regular instructor. Ms. Moriah made a comment about needing to find “a karate instructor or something”, to which Mrs. Bezoni said “you know my husband is a martial arts instructor, right?” After meeting with Ms. Moriah and working out the details, MDSA Taekwondo came to life. The classes started out small, with only 6 students taking part in those first few classes. But over time the membership grew, as did the reignited spark within me.
The following year MDSA Taekwondo had grown to over 20 students, with the student base starting to compete in tournaments as well as being part of demonstrations and performing at MDSA’s annual recital. At that time, I rebranded from MDSA Taekwondo to Fighting Dragon Tae Kwon Do – providing a callback to the origins of the art with the separation of the 3 elements of the name of the art as well as establishing a unique school identity.
Since starting in 2016 Fighting Dragon has continued to grow and improve, both in students and leadership. In 2024 Fighting Dragon Tae Kwon Do accepted students and instructors coming from other schools, including bringing on Senior Instructor Master Thomas Meehan (4th Degree Black Belt) and promoting black belts who have trained using the Fighting Dragon curriculum to assist with instruction. The staff has continued to advance their training through annual training camps along with seminars with Masters and Grand Masters of different arts. I continued my advancement as well, in 2023 having been promoted to 6th Degree Black Belt by the International Martial Arts Council of America’s Grand Masters Council – a panel comprised of 7th, 8th and 9th Degree Black Belts from multiple arts across the world.
Fighting Dragon Tae Kwon Do continues to be recognized as an outstanding school with an exceptional instructional staff. I’ve been inducted into the United States Martial Arts Hall of Fame multiple times as Tae Kwon Do Master of the Year and Black Belt of the year, as well as being named a History General of the National Sport Karate Museum and being inducted as a member of the G.O.A.T. (Greatest of All Time) Martial Artists. Master Meehan is a fellow inductee of the United States Martial Arts Hall of Fame as Instructor of the Year in 2025. Additional Black Belt inductees into this Hall of Fame include Austin West (2nd Degree Black Belt) as Assistant Instructor of the Year in 2023 as well as Noah Bezoni (1st Degree Black Belt) who was inducted as Black Belt of the Year in 2021. The school itself was recognized as Tae Kwon Do School of the Year by the United States Martial Arts Hall of Fame in 2023.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
There have definitely been challenges along the way! The largest was definitely Covid, where in person classes were put on hold. Not knowing when we would be able to teach in person again, we started up Zoom and Facebook Live classes to help students continue working on their material, stay fit and remember that even though we had to keep ourselves distanced we were still a community and a martial arts family.
There were also other hurdles in the shape of hurricanes, floods, and any number of natural disasters that Houston has dealt with over the past 9 years. With each of these obstacles the black belts, students and families of Fighting Dragon rallied together to not only keep things going for the school but also reach out to help families outside of our membership that had also been affected.
Also, continuing our partnership with MDSA and teaching out of their facilities has provided its own obstacles to overcome. Scheduling which classes get the largest rooms to teach out of and also having to move our equipment from room to room when the studio is putting on shows and recitals are common, but easy. things that we have to address. However, our student and family base is incredibly adaptive and we always find a way!
As you know, we’re big fans of Fighting Dragon Tae Kwon Do. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
At Fighting Dragon we feel that what we teach should be practical and applicable in the real world. In addition to traditional Tae Kwon Do, we also incorporate elements of ground fighting, pressure points, joint manipulation, weapons and more to give our students a well rounded curriculum. We also help students focus on and improve their health and fitness, and take a vested interest in all of our students both inside and outside the school. At Fighting Dragon you’re not just another student in a uniform, you’re part of a family.
As mentioned before, we’re also a member of the International Martial Arts Council of America, as well as the Tang Soo Do Karate Association and Chunjido International, which allows us to expand the options available to our students. Through these organizations we have access to additional instructors from around the globe, allowing us to continually expand our knowledge base and provide additional avenues for our students to learn, not to mention options for keeping in shape while traveling elsewhere!
We are open to students ages 5 and up, and new students can start at any time. We also conduct self defense seminars for individuals or groups, at our location or at yours. Master Meehan also teaches at select schools and day cares around the Spring area. Feel free to visit our website or reach out for additional information!
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
The most important thing I’ve learned is that you have to be ready to deal with the unexpected. This can take shape in many forms – whether it be a physical provocation, a last minute work assignment, a hurricane, a pandemic; being able to assess what’s happening and formulate the appropriate response to it is the absolute key. Look at what is in front of you, what your options are, what tools you have at hand, and most of all whether it is something that you need to exert your energy toward or if the best option is to do nothing (or in the case of an attack disengage and leave).
Pricing:
- Classes for 5-12 year olds – $99-$109
- Classes for Teens and Adults – $125-$140
- Private Lessons and Self Defense Seminars – Feel free to contact us!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://fightingdragontkd.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fightingdragontkd
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/FDTKD
- Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/fighting_kwon
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGsTTjpsMfFwLkVR4EC88cA
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@fightingdragontkd
