Master of his craft
CRANBERRY TWP — When Erik Gavula started out in martial arts as a young child, “I got knocked around pretty good.”
He’s since gotten a bit of payback.
Gavula, 43, a 1988 Knoch graduate and head master of the Young Brothers Tae Kwon-do Institute in Cranberry Township, retired from competition after winning grand champion in sparring at the 43rd U.S. Open in Charleston, W.Va., recently.
He has also tested for and received his seventh degree black belt, was an AAU gold medalist national champion and held the Pennsylvania State Karate and Tae Kwon-do championships simultaneously. Gavula has been a silver medalist in the North American Open Championship in Toronto, Canada, and sports an undefeated record as an amateur boxer and kick boxer.
“We’ve got trophies stored all over the place,” Gavula said. “We probably put 200 or so in the studio and I’ve got maybe another 200 or so at home ... I’ve never really counted them.”
Gavula has won nine grand championships in his career and has won championships in four different decades.
“That’s probably what I’m most proud of,” he admitted.
Not bad for a guy standing 5-foot-7, weighing 150 pounds, who started in the sport at age 10 because of confidence issues.
“I think my parents saw that in me,” Gavula admitted. “I lacked self-assurance and confidence at the time, so they signed me up for martial arts.
“That was a different time. Today, you see 90 percent kids in the studios. Back in 1980, it was probably 10 percent kids and everybody trained together. There were a lot of older people in the sport who wanted to learn how to fight.”
While still possessing the ability to win, Gavula is retiring from the competitive side of the sport because of an “awkward feeling” when he takes on an opponent.
“Most of the top guys in my division ... I could be their father,” he said. “My experience level is pretty high.
“When I’m sparring in competition, my opponent may have been training for five or six years. I’ve been training for 36 years. I feel a bit out of place.”
While he’s leaving the competitive side of Tae Kwon-do, Gavula is certainly not leaving the sport. He will continue to teach as he has learned under Grandmaster Kong Young Bo.
A martial artist can become a grandmaster once the ninth degree of black belt is attained.
“That is a goal of mine,” Gavula said. “But it will still take a long time to get there.”
Gavula has been teaching at Young Brothers in Cranberry since 2009. He has taught in other places as well.
“My wife and I were working at a school in Cranberry ... Grandmaster Kong needed me in Cranberry, so that’s where I needed to go,” Gavula said.
While he has his memories of success and the trophies to back them up, Gavula is looking forward to stimulating success for up-and-coming martial artists.
“I’m looking at the next generation now,” he said. “There are some really talented young people coming up. If I can help train them, maybe develop someone else who wins championships in four different decades, that’s what I want to do.
“Young Brothers have been in the Pittsburgh area for 43 years. My goal is to make sure we’re around for the next 43 years.”
