Jeff Cornelius SR. 

2ND generation instructor

In late November of 1974 my cousin David Zachary returned home from Germany, ending his time with the U.S. Army.  David had some interesting stories of his time with the army, about places he had been and the   martial arts he found.  As he spoke about the martial arts, David had pulled out a pair of Nunchucku’s from a leather case explaining what they were as he spun them around.  When he was done swinging them David had asked if I would like to try them. That was my first time trying anything having to do with the martial arts.

     Well, David moved back to North Carolina in December of 1974 so I really had no more opportunity to study until I had met John LaLonde.  John was a Tae Kwon Do practitioner teaching lessons out of his Taylor area garage. The school where he trained was in Taylor, Michigan. He already had some great kicking skills under his belt and I had asked how he could do those type kicks.  He asked if I would be interested in learning martial arts, and my training went forward from there.

     I started by learning the basic stuff…. a lot of stretching, and some punching techniques to go along with the kicks he taught me.  This lasted until September 1975 when I "Enlisted" to serve my country in the military, boarding a plane for Fort Dix in New Jersey.  

     Fort Dix was an awesome learning experience in itself.  Once I was assigned permanent quarters, the training routine began every morning at 5:00AM, my personal freedom was limited to a three-day pass and I was at the mercy of an irate drill sergeant.  The hand-to-hand combat course, the bayonet training and all the weapons training went very well. …I lived through it. 

      After basic training, I found my next stop at Fort Polk, Louisiana where I received additional infantry combat training. Subsequently, I was off to South Korea, the DMZ; and my new home became “Camp Grieves”.

 Near our camp was a ROC marine base camp. One day while walking, I noticed some guys  practicing with bayonets.  Twenty men were all lined up in four rows and columns; each had a sharp point at the end of their rifles and yet no one got injured.  I was impressed enough to resume my training once and soon found a school of Tang Soo Do.        

    Now many years have gone by. I have gotten married, raised a family and have earned a career as a maintenance staff manager with the Ford Training Center in Dearborn Michigan.  My rounds started every morning around 7:30AM.  One day, one of my staff, Bobby, told me about “Chuck Cory” (Chuck worked and taught in the Computer Lab at the center) who he said was a Kung Fu “master.  I did not believe him.  I guess that is when I learned that one can never judge a book by its cover, One thing that was for sure…. at first sight, Chuck Cory certainly did not look like a Kung Fu Master.  He looked more look like a computer guru with out the pocket protector.

      In July 2000, “Master”  Cory told a few select and others know of his intent to open a martial arts training club; and he asked if we wanted to join in the "core Group".  My friends and I watched a video of the “San Soo” martial arts style, and we visited some web sites Master Cory had suggested.  We decided to sign up.

     On our first day at the Wayne Recreation Center in Wayne, Michigan, my friend Stan and I were heading towards the school doors when we first saw Chuck in his martial arts garb, the “Gi”.  Stan first statement will always ring in my head when I think of the first day.  "Dang Jiffy Chuck sure looks awfully comfortable wearing that Gi"! From that day I was hooked. Kung Fu San Soo was for me.

     Six year later in May 2006, I became the “senior instructor” of San Soo Michigan.  

     Today, I am proud to say that I still continue my training under Master Charles W. Cory or the man known as Chuck to all. The art of San Soo will be my study, and my teaching, for the rest of my life.