THE STORY of Scornavacco Martial Arts Academy
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 (and PhD in Education), Dr. 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; his studies afforded him the opportunity to look closely at the philosophy and world-views that underscore the martial arts. Brad engaged in formal studies 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 Martial Arts Academy in Longmont, Colorado in August, 1998, and it has been successfully serving families in the Longmont area ever since that opening day. The friendliest school in town with a committed, well-educated staff, Scornavacco Martial Arts Academy has developed into a mainstay (and thriving educational family center) in the Longmont community.
PHASE 5: RUSSIA
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 Martial Arts Academy (under the name Systema Colorado) in Longmont, Colorado as well as police officers, bodyguards, FBI agents and civilians at various seminars throughout the country.
PHASE 6: “EUDAIMONIA”
In partnership with his wife, Dr. Karla, a Harvard University graduate with a PhD in Education, Brad Scornavacco shares many secrets to a “good life” – breathing, fluid movement, self-control, focus, and relaxation. Together, they have created – and continue to refine – a superior curriculum that teaches the habits of mind and physical acumen to live a life of success. With programs that integrate character development, study skills, and opportunities for parental support, Scornavacco Martial Arts Academy provides the best mentoring in the Martial Arts. Our children will not be bullied (nor be bullies), and each of our students learns and practices a life of achievement, responsibility, courtesy and respect.
Brad and Dr. Karla also remember their 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. For Dr. Karla, it was her amazement into ways that Martial Arts complements personal learning, especially in terms of one’s commitment to make oneself into a better person, physically and mentally. But it is their families who provide them with unconditional love, and who continue to this day to support them. There is a definite reason why “family” is so often used to describe the school. Scornavacco Martial Arts Academy: The Place That Changes Lives.