The style we teach at Cheatwood’s Family Martial Arts evolved from ancient, traditional Korean styles known in the early 1900s as Tang Soo Do. Jhoon Rhee became the first Korean instructor to professionally teach in the United States in 1956. Jhoon Rhee referred to his style as Tang Soo Do and as Karate (a Japanese term that means “empty hand”).
His first two Black Belts were Pat Burleson and Allen Steen, who each went on to become early Champions and the premier instructors in the Texas-Oklahoma region. Many early students emerged from the Jhoon Rhee-Pat Burleson/Allen Steen schools in Texas, including Jim Butin (who was rated #1 Point Fighter in the Southwest and the #2 Kickboxer in the World from 1974-1978.) Mike Anderson who was one of Allen Steens Blackbelts opened schools in Oklahoma City called The American Black Belt Association, Troy Cheatwood became a student of Mr. Andersons in 1972, in 1973 Mr. Anderson sold the schools to Mr. Butin, and Troy became Jim Butins student and has been so ever since. Later Black Belt Karate became National Karate and is so today.
Troy kickboxed in the late 70s and 80s going to school and raising a family didn’t leave much time to compete. His two youngest boys developed an interest in karate in the late 80s and then Troy began to compete again in the 90s on the NBL and SKI circuit, never being rated lower than 8th in the World, and won the 1996 NBL Silver Medalists in Continuous Sparring. In January of 1999 Troy retired from competition and opened Cheatwood’s Family Martial Arts in Moore April of that year.
Mr. Cheatwood has enhanced the personal development aspects of the program by implementing success skills and attitudes, and added many goal-setting and personal development elements. Mr. Cheatwood continues to expand the curriculum to keep it at “state–of-the-art” and implements new teaching techniques to accelerate a student’s progress, while reinforcing the traditional philosophies of honest, knowledge, strength, courtesy, integrity, perseverance, and self-control. At Master Club level Mr. Cheatwood teaches weapons, boxing, kickboxing, and Xtreme Self-defense.