David Lader

Tucson, AZ

David Lader is a Tucson-based martial arts, fitness, and wellness instructor with over twenty five years of experience. He is currently a 5th Dan Master of Chung Do Kwan Tae Kwon Do and has additional training in numerous other styles, including Gung Fu, Aikido, Hapkido, Karate, Judo, Jutitsu, Muay Thai, Tai-Chi, Capoera, Pa Kua, and Hsing-I. David has also studied yoga and Pilates, and he received formal dance training at the Royal Ballet School in London.

Mr. Lader studied Tae Kwon Do under 3rd Degree Black Belt David Warden for four years while at Cornell University. After graduating, he began training directly with Master Hyun Ok Shin at the United Chung Do Kwon Home School in Floral Park, New York. David went on to establish four Tae Kwon Do schools himself throughout New York, Vermont, and Ohio, prior to founding The Dojang in Tucson, Arizona in 1991. It was here that he began branching out and using less conventional teaching methods. Eager to establish a safer, healthier way to warm up his aging body for the rigorous demands of Tae Kwon Do, David Lader combined his understanding of biomechanics with his knowledge of classical ballet, traditional Korean martial arts, and yoga to develop his signature system, Warrior’s Dance.

As beautiful as it is powerful, Warrior’s Dance is a system that has been predicated on a foundation of dignity, respect, and fellowship. It enables students to mindfully and playfully push their own mental and physical limits by fully engaging their bodies in flowing, graceful, and martially effective movements. While other disciplines often foster competition, Warrior’s Dance places an emphasis on community and group interaction. During the course of Warrior’s Dance study, students learn how to balance activity with recovery, thus building remarkable muscle tone while preserving the integrity of joints and connective tissues. Most significant to this martial art, however, is how it emphasizes creativity – David Lader challenges each and every student to explore new movement combinations and keep personalized workouts fresh and engaging. While class formats certainly change from week to week, the timeless wisdom of proper martial arts biomechanics remains constant.

Through the years, David Lader has shared his expertise with hundreds of students, and his schools have produced over forty Black Belt and Black Sash experts combined. After having sold The Dojang to his senior instructor in 2004, he w

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