Our Martial Arts School
Our History and Philosophy
Established in 2014, Summit Martial Arts is a small, family run Taekwondo school. We are invested in all our student's martial arts journey. We get to know our families and students, tailoring our approach to each students needs. We offer Taekwondo classes for ages 4 through adult, beginner to advanced black belt. We have a competitive program for those interested in taking their training to the next level. We pride ourselves on maintaining a high standard for belt promotion. We adhere to the traditional methods of training. We believe strongly in earned, not given.
Summit Martial Arts is a member of the Korean Taekwondo Moo Duk Kwan Association.
We work to empower and elevate our students to reach their full potential
Students will learn courtesy, respect, integrity, and discipline
Students learn real life self defence and how to stand up to bullies
We work with parents to address their child's specific needs
We believe in quality instruction over the quantity of students
We are humbled to have been voted Top Martial Arts School in Calgary 2017 - 2025, named 2025 Canadian Choice for Best Martial Arts School and named one of 2022 Best Martial Art Schools in Calgary by Rated Viral, Chatterbox and Best of Calgary. Our students have earned spots on Team Canada & Team Alberta each year, capturing Bronze for Bo Staff at the 2023 WKU World Championships, taking home 2024 WKC National Champions in Korean Forms, the 2016 W.O.M.A.A. World Martial Arts Games Silver Medalist for Sparring, the 2014 TAFISA World Martial Arts Games Champions. We are active and involved in the Alberta SPORT KARATE tournament scene, showing our support to other local schools and organizations. We believe strongly in creating a strong and collaborative martial arts community across the province.
The 5 Tenets of Taekwondo
Courtesy
Perseverance
Integrity
The showing of politeness in one’s attitude and behaviour towards others.
It means showing respect to your instructors and fellow students by being on time for class, bowing when entering and leaving the dojang, bowing to black belts as they enter and leave the dojang – you are showing courtesy and respect for their earned rank, standing at attention when speaking to a black belt, always listening to your instructor when he or she is speaking, always addressing instructors with the appropriate title, being respectful to your senior ranks and courteous to your junior ranks, it is important to be patient and kind to our junior ranks – you set the example for them, being respectful of your fellow students training time and the instructors time, be polite – always.
Integrity
Perseverance
Integrity
The quality of being honest and having strong moral principles.
The best way to think of integrity is to always do the right thing. If you are asked for 25 push ups, you do 25, not 23. If you commit to something, see it through. Always be honest with yourself and others, dishonesty is never rewarded.
At Summit Martial Arts, maintaining our integrity is of the utmost importance. Our students are a representation of what we teach. We take this seriously. We teach our techniques properly before we move on, we do not promote unless a student is ready, we do not reward ego or unsportsmanlike conduct.
Perseverance
Perseverance
Perseverance
Persistence in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success
What does that mean for our martial arts training: this tenet can be applied to any goal a student would like to reach both inside and outside the dojang. If you are looking to achieve your Black Belt, you must persevere to achieve this milestone. To persevere means pushing yourself when you feel like quitting, pushing yourself to practice when no one else is watching, doing what ever it takes to achieve your goals
Self Control
Indomitable Spirit
Perseverance
The ability to control oneself, in particular one’s emotions and desires, especially in difficult situations
Self control is extremely important inside and outside the dojang, whether conducting oneself in sparring or in your own personal life. A loss of self control in sparring can cause great harm to both student and opponent. Senior students should control their ego and not feel the need to dominate or “show up” less experienced students. As Lao Tzu says ““The best fighter is never angry.”
Indomitable Spirit
Indomitable Spirit
Indomitable Spirit
A spirit that cannot be subdued or overcome; unconquerable
Any martial artist must possess an indomitable spirit in order to develop their physical, spiritual and moral character. This spirit helps you to persevere through seemingly insurmountable obstacles, it keeps you going, it pushes you through mental and physical exhaustion, it cannot be crushed, it tells you to try again if you fail, to pick yourself up when you are down, to keep practising, and it pushes you to face your fears. This indomitable spirit will push you to be the BEST you can be.
Testimonials
Read what our parents and students have to say about SMA
"Master Shane Morris is one of the greatest martial artists and instructors that I know. His standards are very high and he expects the same of his students. He will motivate you to your full potential in a positive environment. I am who I am today because of him. Anyone who is fortunate enough to train under Master Shane Morris should embrace the opportunity as he is an excellent teacher with extensive knowledge to share." Master Wayne Langille - 5th Dan Tae Kwon Do
"As someone who has trained Martial arts at different schools, it’s easy to say Summit is a cut above the rest. The instruction, skills, activities and standards are what make Summit the premier school in Calgary. From the moment you enter the Dojang, the love for martial arts is apparent in every direction you look. To say Master Morris is a world class instructor is an understatement. Not only will he teach you, he will be on the mats every day training with you . He will push you beyond the limits you have set for yourself and show you the potential you have inside. To be a great martial artist you need a great teacher and if that’s the goal you have set for yourself you need to look no further. Summit is the place to be." Marshall Nippard
"Before my son introduced me to Summit Martial Arts, I had no real interest in martial arts. But after training under the supervision of Master Shane Morris, who has an incredible eye for detail, I eat, drink and sleep martial arts! I've been active in competitive sports for over 30 years, but now I train better so I can move and feel better. There is also a competitive aspect if you want it, which is something that keeps me motivated. The stripe and belt promotion system keep my son and daughter motivated, and training together as a family is a great bonding experience. If you want to open yourself to a fascinating new world, improve your fitness or fine-tune your martial arts skills, Master Shane Morris will give you what you're looking for. He's fun to watch too!"
Dan Brennan – Parent of 2 children and Student
"If you are looking for great martial arts and you want to learn from the best, this is the place to be. With 6 degrees black belt, Master Morris has every tool you need to learn from patterns, self-defence, grappling, and sparring. He remains humble with all of these and challenges himself to train with his students every single training day." Florian Bernardo - Parent of 2 children and Student
"Our son has been attending Summit Martial Arts since 2014. We attended 2 other schools previous and this school by far exceeds the others. The instruction is very good- they make sure the students learn techniques well before moving on to others and teach the techniques in a fun and dynamic class. The instructors are encouraging and kind. They develop positive relationships with the students and always reinforce student efforts. Our son loves it- he is 'a kid who loves taikwando' (his words)- he feels confident in himself and a sense of accomplishment for his efforts. It's great for him!" Chastity P. - Parent
"For people like me who are "motivationally challenged", this school has been great at getting the best performance possible out of me. For example, my fitness improvement has exceeded my expectations. The curriculum never gets stale as Master Morris seems to have an endless list of drills and exercises that he draws on to keep things fresh. 5 stars." Lee Morin - Student
"Summit Martial Arts has been a great experience for our son. Since he started two year ago, he's shown amazing progress in his strength, coordination and confidence. It's always a warm and welcoming environment with great members who are positive role models for the young ones!" Charity A. - Parent and Spouse of Students
"My children started at Summit last March (2015) and they love it! Summit has been more than accommodating meeting the needs of my children. They focus on the physical components of my children's learning optimizing the class time to the fullest. This makes their classes more enjoyable. We are delighted to have found Summit!" Debi Mowat - Parent of 2 children
"If there was a beyond "excellent" rate I can choose from to rate Summit Martial Arts School, I will. The quality of teaching they provide is beyond exceptional. They don't just teach martial arts techniques but they also teach by example to live as a martial artist following all the tenets of taekwondo. You get more than what you are paying for! The are family oriented business based who welcomes everyone with big warm hearts. I absolutely recommend Summit Martial Arts." D. B.
"A very professional, organized and credible organization. My child doesn't just get their next belt. They have to work hard to earn it. They spend time helping kids succeed when they are struggling and show they really do care. The child feels a sense of pride once they have achieved something." H.D.
"The team at Summit is beyond compare, they truly care about the children they teach. Not only do they pass along the knowledge of the moves but teach self confidence and resilience. My daughter has thrived under the instruction of Master Morris and his team." K.R.
"We have been to several different martial arts studios, Summit is professional and helpful to helping my daughter achieve her individual goals." E
REGISTER NOW!
Interested in competing? Want to be part of our awesome team? We are looking to add to our competition team in 2025. Join us for dedicated team training sessions, special seminars, travel, team events and lot of fun!
We offer a free trial class to all prospective students. We want you to love Taekwondo and start your journey off on the right foot with us! Flexible schedule, no locked in days, traditional class structure. Come down and experience the Summit difference.