AMERICAN TAE KWON DO ACADEMY 20 White Oak Drive, Asbury, NJ 08802 (908) 730-7151 Frank R. Coppola III-President ATKDA@earthlink.net

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MIRANDA COPPOLA
Miranda runs the popular children’s Tot Kwon Do program and also instructs adults at the Somerset Hills YMCA. Her passion shows in her teaching and it all started when she went to see a Black Belt test session led by Ted Hilson in 1997. She had not been particularly thinking about the martial arts but something about the focus and dynamism of the Black Belts got her completely hooked. Miranda originally came from Holland and was a preschool teacher when she started Tae Kwon Do. Her Preschool was looking for enrichment programs and so Miranda started teaching Tae Kwon Do once a week. The program soon became so popular that she was teaching 3 times a week and set up an after school program! Miranda’s Tot Kwon Do classes at Somerset Hills YMCA are geared towards 3 ½ to 5 ½ year old boys and girls. It is a mini version of the adult classes. She starts with a warm up then goes on to basic forms and 3 step sequences. Of course a healthy dose of fun is thrown in with balloon games and plenty of positive reinforcement! As an instructor, Miranda values patience and the ability to make training entertaining as well as useful. But there is also something else. Miranda cultivates an attitude of not giving up. This is something that was a part of her own family growing up and fostered a spirit of adventure leading to her leaving her home country and building a life in the US. She urges her students to keep going. The combination of fun and focus very much echoes the nature of ATKDA and is helping kids feel proud of their achievements in our community.