A Different Kind of Art: David Eller’s Tang Soo Do History

David Eller, 12, attacks a punching bag with a roundhouse kick at Common Ground Martial Arts Academy. Eller spends many of his afternoons at the Academy teaching young children Tang Soo Do. “Teaching has actually taught me a lot about Tang Soo Do that I didn't understand before.” Photo Creds: Edie Berke, The Powderhorn

Edie Berke, Staff Writer for The Powderhorn

While most people have heard of martial arts styles like karate, Jiu jitsu, and Taekwondo, it’s rare to find someone who has heard of Tang Soo Do. For David Eller, Tang Soo Do has been a fixture in his life for the past 11 years. He began practicing the Okinawan martial art at the age of 6, which he said he first encountered at a birthday party. 

“I was like, that looks really cool, I want to go do that,” said Eller, a senior at Watauga High School. “So I just sucked it up and went out and did it. Right from when I started there, I was like, this is awesome, and I want to do it again.” 

It wasn’t an easy beginning though. The curriculum of Tang Soo Do contains, along with typical kicks and punches, many unique techniques and series of moves that students must memorize. Eller said that it was pushing through these challenges that got him truly committed to the art. 

“[Martial arts are] certainly not easy, especially when you're little and give up on everything,” said Eller. “It's tough to stick with it, but once I got through the middle phases of, ‘This is too hard, I don't want to do it,’ then I saw a real growth in myself, and that's what made me come back.”

Since then, Eller has advanced through 13 ranks to achieve a second degree black belt, a level that is reserved only for the most dedicated students. However, practicing Tang Soo Do has left him with rewards beyond the tangible.

“It's given me more confidence in my life, which is something that has helped me so much,” said Eller. “It didn't happen immediately. It's a constant effort, but I think that martial arts is what gave me the groundwork and the framework to be who I am today.”

The studio where Eller practices, Common Ground Martial Arts Academy, hosts a biweekly adult and teen class. These classes and their participants are one of the big reasons why he continues to train.

“The martial arts academy has always just really felt like a community to me. We've moved around a lot, but there's always been a few core members that have stuck with it for a long time and I'm really good friends with a lot of them,” said Eller. “The support of other people is how I overcame a lot of challenges in Tang Soo Do.”

This fall, there is much in store for Eller and Common Ground. They have been invited to an international Tang Soo Do tournament in Santo Domingo Xenacoj, Guatemala. 

“For seven days in October, we're going out to Guatemala to see the Mayan culture, the Mayan structures, do service for the people living there, and do martial arts,” said Eller. “It's going to be really exciting.”

Eller is eager to learn from the tournament participants about both the local culture and different styles of martial arts in order to take the next step in his journey to mastery.

“It's a lifelong sport,” said Eller. “You're always learning, and I love that part about it.”