Pat Munk
Judan
(10th Degree Black Belt)
One of Grand Master Gary Avery's Black Belts Students
Promoted to: Shodan, Nidan by: Grand Master Gary Avery
Promoted to Sandan thru Shichidan by Grand Master Al Tracy
Peomoted to Hahidean thru Judan by: Grand Master Tim Teausant
Born February 19, 1953, Master Pat Munk began his training in the Tracy system of Kenpo at the age of 23 under Mr. Joe Renzi, in Louisville Kentucky. He then trained under the studios owner, Master Gary Avery, who awarded him Shodan in mid 1979. Master Avery’s teaching style was hard and brutal. He pushed his students to be their best by drilling on power and technique. That style produced several full contact kick boxers who were state and national champions. Elements of that style, such as a strong focus on precise technique, can be seen in the way Master Munk trains his own students today.
Master Munk came up through the ranks with some of the toughest bunch of Kenpo practitioners in America. Not only did they have formidable self-defense skills, they were also accomplished competitors. Training in the Joe Lewis Fighting system, combined with their hard hitting Kenpo technique, made them very tough to beat. Several of the competitors on his team wore the Tracy’s checkered gi, which was a recognized symbol of ferocious competition at tournaments across America.
Between 1979 and 1996, Master Munk competed in many tournaments and never failed to place 3rd or higher. Master Munk has also coached his son, Marc, to numerous tournament victories at national and world championship levels.
In 1983, Master Munk and his family moved to Georgia where he became a member of the Georgia Professional Karate Commission (PKC) Board of Directors and was the first President of The Georgia PKC Board of Directors. He became the first PKC Full Contact Kick Boxing Referee to be certified in the State of Georgia. He is also a certified PKC point fighting referee and official.
In addition to his Martial Arts career, Master Munk was a Police Officer for 10 years and was certified to teach Law Enforcement Officers in 1985. He was assigned to a Regional Police Academy in Marietta, Georgia. During this time, he developed lesson plans and taught courses in defensive tactics, PR-24 Baton, Straight Baton, Expandable Baton, Tactical handcuffing, Firearms and other related subjects. After retiring from Law Enforcement in 1992, he turned his full attention to teaching Kenpo out of his home in Austell, Georgia.
During the years since receiving his teaching certification, Master Munk has established himself as a very well-respected martial arts instructor. This reputation has earned him a place in the Universal Martial Arts Hall of Fame four times, as well as a place in the International Kenpo Hall of Fame, Charter Member, and the USA Martial Arts Hall of Fame 6 times. He is recognized for his outstanding technical precision and extremely detailed understanding of the principles behind the techniques of the Tracy System of Kenpo. Such understanding comes from years of training as well as some real life experience. Master Munk has often said that whenever he has used the system’s self-defense techniques in real life, the attacker was finished long before the technique was. It’s that kind of practical insight that enables him to guide each individual student to their own most powerful and strategic utilization of the techniques.
In spite of having heart surgery in 1995, Master Munk has continued to teach private classes, seminars and self-defense courses. In addition to maintaining his health, he enjoys many other benefits of continuing his training in the art of Kenpo. He is constantly striving to improve his understanding of self defense situations. His training puts a strong focus on improving and implementing the power points of specific defenses. Master Munk hopes to impart a sense of confidence and accomplishment to the students that he trains and works with. One of his goals is to train every student to be better than he is. For him, seeing a student’s expression when they finally understand what they are working on is a feeling beyond description.
In January 2005, Master Munk received a promotion to Shichidan from Grandmaster Al Tracy.
In July 2009, while conducting a seminar in Roanoke Virginia Master Munk was promoted to Hachidan by Grandmaster Tim Teausant.
August 12, 2013 while visiting with Grandmaster Tim Teausant, Master Munk was honored with a promotion to Judan, 10th Degree Black Belt, by Grandmaster Tim Teausant.
Certifications | ||
Promoted to Shodan - 1st Degree Black Belt Certificate Number: OB-0096 Promoted by: Gary Avery | ||
Promoted to Nidan - 2nd Degree Black Belt Certificate Number: B-206 Promoted by: Gary Avery & Grandmaster Al Tracy | ||
Police PR-24 Baton Instructor | ||
Promoted to Sandan - 3rd Degree Black Belt Certificate Number B-341 Promoted by: Grandmaster Al Tracy | ||
Tracy's International Studio of Self Defense Instructor Certification Certificate Number I-605 Recognition & Certification issued by: Grandmaster Al Tracy | ||
Police Officer Standards & Training Associate Instructor | ||
Police Officer Standards & Training Instructor Certification | ||
Police Straight Baton Instructor Certification | ||
Police Asp Baton Instructor Certification | ||
Police Defensive Tactics Instructor Certification | ||
Police Firearms Instructor Certification | ||
Police Officer Standards & Training Senior Instructor Trainer Certification | ||
Police Tactical Hand Cuffing Instructor Certification | ||
Police Tactical Flashlight Instructor Certification | ||
Police Side Handle Baton Instructor Certification | ||
Police Chemical Aerosol Spray Instructor Certification | ||
Promoted to Yodan - 4th Degree Black Belt Certificate Number B-458-13 Promoted by: Grandmaster Al Tracy | ||
Peace Officer Standards & Training Master Instructor Trainer Certification | ||
Promoted to Godan - 5th Degree Black Belt Certificate Number B-563-35 Promoted by: Grandmaster Al Tracy | ||
Promoted to Rokudan - 6th Degree Black Belt Certificate Number: B-652-36 Promoted by: Grandmaster Al Tracy | ||
Promoted to Shichidan - 7th Degree Black Belt Certificate Number: B-742-34 Promoted by: Grandmaster Al Tracy | ||
Tracy's International Studio of Self Defense Master Instructor Certification Certificate Number: MI-107-05 Recdognition & Certification issued by: Grandmaster Al Tracy | ||
Promoted to Hachidan - 8th Degree Black Belt Promoted by: Grandmaster Tim Teausant | ||
Promoted to Judan - 10th Degree Black Belt Certificate Number: GM-10813-2 Promoted by: Grandmaster Tim Teausant | ||
Competitions | |||
1979 | Kentucky AAU Championships - 3rd Place | ||
| 1980 | KDSA Championships - 3rd Place | ||
| 1981 | Tweeds Southern Indiana Open - 1st Place | ||
| 1981 | Mid West Open Tae Kwon Do Championships - 2nd Place | ||
| 1986 | International Police Olympics - 2nd Place | ||
| 1994 | Georgia Peach State Classic - 1st Place | ||
| 1994 | North Georgia Double Eliminator - 2nd Place | ||
| 1994 | Bushido Invitational Shiaii - 2nd Place | ||
| 1994 | Georgia State Championships - 2nd Place | ||
| 1995 | Georgia Peach State Classic - 2nd Place | ||
| 1996 | Bushido Invitational Shiaii - 1st Place | ||
| 1996 | Battle of Rome National Championships - 2nd Place | ||
| 1996 | Bushido Invitational Shiaii - 2nd Place | ||
| 1996 | Georgia State Championships - 2nd Place | ||
Awards | |||
1994 | Georgia PKC State Champion - Annual Year End Award | ||
2003 | Universal Martial Arts Hall of Fame, Man of the Year - Kenpo | ||
2004 | Universal Martial Arts Hall of Fame, Outstanding Master | ||
| 2005 | Universal Martial Arts Hall of Fame, Master of the Year- Kenpo | ||
| 2006 | Universal Martial Arts Hall of Fame, Universal Master of the Year | ||
| 2007 | Kenpo International Hall of Fame - Charter Member Inductee | ||
| 2014 | USA Martial Arts Hall of Fame - Leading Grandmaster of the Year | ||
| 2015 | USA Martial Arts Hall of Fame - Soke of the Year | ||
| 2016 | USA Martial Arts Hall of Fame - Pioneer of the Year | ||
| 2017 | USA Martial Arts Hall of Fame - Kenpo Grandmaster of the Year | ||
| 2018 | USA Martial Arts Hall of Fame - Kenpo Living Legend | ||
| 2021 | USA Martial Arts Hall of Fame - Kenpo Living Legend | ||
Accomplishments | ||||
1980 | SEKA Judge & Referee Seminar | |||
1985 | Nominated Professional Karate Association Instructor of the Year | |||
1994 | Professional Karate Commission Judge Seminar, Certificed Class "C" Judge | |||
1996 | Professional Karate Commission Judge Certiricate Class "B" Judge | |||
2017 | Alliance - Lifetime Member | |||
2019 | International Congress of Grandmasters - Lifeime Member | |||