THE STORY OF SCORNAVACCO FAMILY KARATE

PHASE 1: CHICAGO

Brad Scornavacco first learned about Martial Arts by playing around in the backyard with his childhood friends, but it was his intense desire to learn effective self-defense techniques that inspired him to begin formal schooling at Dragon Wind Kenpo Karate on the South Side of Chicago under Lee Wedlake Jr., a 9th Degree Black Belt and first generation student of American Kenpo founder, Ed Parker, and one of the top teachers of Kenpo in the world. If a child wanted to survive the South Side of Chicago, it behooved him to master the art of practical self-defense.

Brad and his family also recognized that if a child was going to thrive on the South Side of Chicago, he also needed to enroll in the best schools possible. From Catholic Schools, to a Magnet School for academically elite students, to a private, Jesuit high school in Chicago, Brad developed into a life-long student of ideas, knowledge, reading and art. A near perfect score on his SATs, a fabulous grade point average, and an all-around commitment to stewardship and martial arts earned him a scholarship to Northwestern University, a Top-Ten School in Evanston, Illinois…and it is there where he met his future wife, Karla.

PHASE 2: GRADUATION - NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY

Brad continued his Martial Arts training through college both as a teacher and a student. Upon graduation, Brad started to work at the Chicago Board Options Exchange, doing what Northwestern graduates were “supposed to do” in order to earn money and secure high-power jobs. But his “real education” and his heart spoke louder, as he made the life-long decision to commit himself to helping others actualize their human potential – and he saw that the best way to do this was through Martial Arts training. Majoring in philosophy at Northwestern aided him in this process; after all, his studies afforded him the opportunity to look closely at the philosophy and world-views that underscore the martial arts. He also had formal schooling in logic, critical analysis, epistemology, and psychological development, which provided him with a foundation for how the human brain works as well as how people learn most effectively.

PHASE 3: FLORIDA

In addition to seeking out the top academic schools that were the “best fit” for Brad, Brad continually sought out the best Martial Arts teachers. Master Lee Wedlake had left the Windy City for sunnier skies in Florida, but that did not stop Brad from learning directly from him. Brad moved to Florida to train and teach for Master Wedlake….as well as to learn from him about management systems for opening and directing a reliable and thriving Martial Arts school.

PHASE 4: COLORADO

After a three-year apprenticeship, Brad aimed to fulfill yet another one of his dreams: to move to Colorado and open a thriving Martial Arts school among a backdrop of mountains. He pinned a map of Colorado on his bedroom wall as a visual reminder of his goal, and within that next year he was driving across the country, ready to engage in the next phase of his life.
Brad opened Scornavaccco Family Karate in Longmont, Colorado in August, 1998, and it has been successfully serving families
in the Longmont area ever since that opening day.

PHASE 5: RUSSIA

But Brad did not stop there. He continued to build upon his martial arts repertoire by training with his friend, Al McLuckie, a Filipino Martial Arts Master, who introduced him to yet another Martial Art that offered Brad something he sought out to learn decades earlier on the streets of Chicago: practical self-defense where there is not just one “right way” to do something, but a multitude of approaches – the best of which is the one that works for you, not against you…

Brad met Vladimir Vasiliev, former member of Russian Special Forces, trainer at the Spets Institute and Chief Instructor in the Western hemisphere of Russian Martial Art, also known as Systema. Since that first seminar, Brad has immersed himself in Systema training, including four trips to Russia to train with Colonel Mikhail Ryabko, and countless seminars throughout the United States and Canada.

Brad is currently one of the few senior instructors of Systema in America. He teaches a fortunate cadre of Systema students at Scornavacco Family Karate (under the name Russian Martial Art of the Rockies) in Longmont, Colorado as well as police officers, bodyguards, FBI agents and civilians at various seminars throughout the country.

PHASE 6: “EUDAIMONIA”

Whether Brad is teaching four-year old Little Dragons, adult Kenpo black belts, or a group of Systema students, he is conscientiously sharing many secrets to a “good life” – breathing, fluid movement, self-control, focus, and relaxation. Brad also remembers his roots. It was through play that Brad was first introduced to Martial Arts – and it was through a keen awareness of a need for practical self-defense that motivated him to continue. But it was his family who provided him with unconditional love, and who continues to this day to support him. There is a definite reason why “family” is a part of our name. Scornavacco Family Karate: A Place That Changes Lives.

Scornavacco Family Karate
640 South Sunset Street, Longmont, CO 80501
(303) 485-KICK (5425) or 800-448-7430

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