Pat Munk - Georgia Kenpo

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 kickboxers 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 2 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.