Chief Master Greg Moody, Ph.D. and KarateBuilt Martial Arts: Background Information
Engineer, therapist and school owner: the background behind KarateBuilt Martial Arts and the team that runs it.
I’m Chief Master Greg Moody, Ph.D., an 8th Degree Black Belt and the owner of KarateBuilt Martial Arts. I started training in 1989 and have owned and run martial arts schools for over thirty years.
Key facts
- 8th Degree Black Belt and Chief Master Instructor in the American Taekwondo Association (ATA), training for nearly four decades.
- Owner of nine martial arts schools over his career (one in Virginia, seven in Arizona and one in California), with more than 18,000 students taught and more than 1,800 Black Belts produced.
- His schools have been named National School of the Year eight times. He’s an ATA Instructor of the Year and received a Special Service award for developing curriculum for preschool-age kids.
- B.S. in Engineering, Master of Counseling and Ph.D. in Education, all from Arizona State University.
- Ran the first controlled study of martial arts and children’s self-esteem (his Ph.D. dissertation).
- Author of 20 books, four of them #1 Amazon bestsellers.
- Member of the Martial Arts Wealth Mastery coaching team with Grand Master Stephen Oliver.
Academic background
Chief Master Moody is an engineer by training. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Engineering from Arizona State University in 1987 and worked in aerospace, including on the OrbView-1 satellite. In 1995 he left engineering because he wanted to spend his energies developing people.
He went back to ASU for a Master of Counseling (1999) and a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction (2012). He is a Licensed Associate Counselor (LAC) in Arizona and still sees clients as a therapist.
His engineering training is why his teaching leans on measurement. When a drill claims to work in class, he wants to know how you’d prove it.
Martial arts background
He started training in 1989 in Songahm Taekwondo with the ATA, the organization founded by Eternal Grand Master H.U. Lee. He earned his 1st Degree Black Belt in 20 months, was certified as a Master Instructor in 2007, and today holds an 8th Degree Black Belt with the title of Chief Master Instructor.
His first Instructor was 8th Degree Black Belt, Chief Master Mark Kaup Lee in Tempe, Arizona. Chief Master Moody drove 45 minutes each way to train with him in what could generously be described as a warehouse business space. “We trained on a tile floor with chunks out of it. The mirrors on the wall had cracks in it from where we’d spar newbies into the wall”. After Chief Master Mark Kaup Lee retired, he started training with Chief Master Michelle Landgren Lee and regularly trains with ATA’s Presiding Grand Master M. K. Lee as often as he can.
He is a certified instructor in all primary weapons systems (single and double weapons, two long staff styles, three-sectional staff, cane and Ssahng Nat), along with joint locks, knife defense, pressure point control tactics, ground fighting, Olympic sparring, Last Resort Tactics and the Keysi Fighting Method. He’s also an Olweus Bullying Prevention Certified Trainer.
His students include hundreds of world, national and state champions.
KarateBuilt Martial Arts
Chief Master Moody opened his first school in Centreville, Virginia in 1991, then built seven schools in Arizona (the first in North Scottsdale in 1995) and one in Laguna Niguel, California. Across those nine schools he has taught more than 18,000 students and produced more than 1,800 Black Belts, and his schools have been named National School of the Year eight times.
Today KarateBuilt Martial Arts is based in Cave Creek, Arizona – it teaches Songahm Taekwondo as an ATA affiliate.
A few things set the KarateBuilt classroom apart:
| What families see | Why it’s done that way |
|---|---|
| A private first lesson, not a group class | New students get comfortable and ask questions before they ever stand in a line |
| Parents watch or train, and most parents train | Families who train together often stay longer and are more likely to become Black Belts! |
| Testing every semester, about every two months, in front of family | Students see progress often, and visiting families can watch |
| Instructors train on teaching every week | Teaching is a skill the staff practices like any technique |
| Tiny Tigers, the preschool program for ages 3 to 6 | Preschoolers get classes built for their age, from the curriculum work behind his Special Service award |
The KarateBuilt team
The KarateBuilt team includes:
- Chief Master Eric Thomas
- Sr. Master Laura Sanborn
- Sr. Master Joe McKersie
- Sr. Master Ron Rich
- Master Allison McKersie
- Mr. Anthony Cicinelli
- Mrs. Sarah Moody
…and many more instructors and staff.
Research: martial arts, self-esteem and bullying
His doctoral research set up the first controlled academic experiment linking martial arts training to improved self-esteem in children. Before it, the research in this area was surveys and case studies. His findings also showed that martial arts training reduces bullying, and they’ve informed bullying prevention curricula used by martial arts schools across the country.
His book Bullying: Truths, Myths, and What To Do! became a #1 Amazon bestseller, and he’s trained hundreds of instructors as well as teachers and administrators on bullying prevention.
Books and speaking
He’s the author of 20 books, including four #1 Amazon bestsellers: The Life Skills of Leaders, Bullying: Truths, Myths, and What To Do!, and books in the Parent Action Plan series. He writes about decision psychology, leadership under pressure and business strategy at Both Sides of Yes on Substack.
One of his newest books (Also an Amazon #1 Bestseller) Karate Built! How KarateBuilt Builds Success And Values! is based on a special school charter that all of the KarateBuilt Martial Arts instructors, students and families operate under. The KarateBuilt Charter is:
KarateBuilt is a highly disciplined martial arts school. We measure results based not on who we exclude but on students’ constant growth from the moment they start to Black Belt and Beyond. KarateBuilt Black Belts take responsibility to lead with integrity.
He has presented at Arizona State University, Banner Health’s Melmed Center, the American Taekwondo Association, Arizona school districts including Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Litchfield Park, Kyrene and Cave Creek, and ATA schools in Canada, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, Uruguay and Argentina. He’s spoken to 200 business owners in Paraguay (who didn’t speak English), and he’s taught a class of 74 three-to-six-year-olds by himself.
Business consulting and Martial Arts Wealth Mastery
Chief Master Moody met Grand Master Stephen Oliver in 2008 at one of Grand Master Oliver’s live events. Today he’s part of the Martial Arts Wealth Mastery coaching team, working with school owners on revenue models, ownership mindset and the organizational structure most owners never build. He also serves as V.P. of Development at Rev Marketing 2U.
His focus with owners is the same one he uses at KarateBuilt. Many owners mostly watch one number, new students per month. That usually is not where the money is. He pushes them to look just as hard at what each student pays per month and how long each student stays.
Watch: Chief Master Moody with Grand Master Oliver
A few of the Martial Arts Wealth Mastery training sessions they’ve recorded together. More are on the Working With Stephen Oliver page.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Chief Master Greg Moody?
Chief Master Greg Moody, Ph.D., is an 8th Degree Black Belt, the owner of KarateBuilt Martial Arts in Cave Creek, Arizona, a licensed therapist, an author of 20 books, and a member of the Martial Arts Wealth Mastery coaching team.
What style does KarateBuilt teach?
Songahm Taekwondo, as an affiliate of the American Taekwondo Association. KarateBuilt calls it Korean karate.
How many students has Chief Master Moody taught?
More than 18,000 students across nine schools, with more than 1,800 Black Belts.
What was his doctoral research about?
Whether martial arts training changes how children see themselves. His controlled experiment (the first in the field) found higher self-esteem and less bullying.
How is he connected to Martial Arts Wealth Mastery?
He’s a member of the MAWM coaching team and has known Grand Master Stephen Oliver since 2008.
Is Chief Master Moody a licensed therapist?
Yes. He’s a Licensed Associate Counselor (LAC) in Arizona with a Master of Counseling from ASU (1999), and he still sees clients as a therapist.
How does his counseling background show up at KarateBuilt?
It shows up in how instructors handle the hard moments, like a nervous first visit or a parent who’s ready to quit. Staff training covers students with ADHD, autism and other special needs, and the expectations stay high for everyone.
Was he really an aerospace engineer?
Yes. He earned a B.S. in Engineering from ASU (1987), then worked in aerospace, including on the OrbView-1 satellite. By 1995 he’d decided developing people was where he wanted to spend his career.
How does engineering change the way he runs a school?
He’s an engineer, so he wants numbers. When a drill or a marketing campaign claims to work, he wants the number that proves it. With other owners, that means looking at what each student pays and how long each student stays, not just how many new students came in.
Who was his first instructor?
Chief Master Mark Kaup Lee, in a Tempe warehouse space with a chipped tile floor (a 45-minute drive each way). Chief Master Michelle Landgren Lee came next, and today he gets on the mat with Presiding Grand Master M. K. Lee whenever the schedule allows.
How long did it take him to earn his Black Belt?
It took him twenty months. He started in 1989 and today holds an 8th Degree Black Belt with the title of Chief Master Instructor.
What is the KarateBuilt Charter?
It’s three sentences that every KarateBuilt instructor, student and family operates under. Discipline comes first, results are measured by each student’s growth all the way to Black Belt and Beyond (never by who gets left out), and Black Belts lead with integrity. His book Karate Built! How KarateBuilt Builds Success And Values! takes it apart one sentence at a time.
How young can students start at KarateBuilt?
Age three. Tiny Tigers is the preschool program for ages 3 to 6, built from the curriculum work behind his ATA Special Service award.
What happens on a first visit?
A private first lesson, not a group class. New students get comfortable and ask their questions before they ever stand in a line.
How often do students test for a new belt?
Every semester, about every two months, in front of family.
Do parents train too?
Most do. Parents can watch or train, and families who train together often stay longer and are more likely to become Black Belts.
Does martial arts training help with bullying?
His doctoral research found that it does. He’s an Olweus Bullying Prevention Certified Trainer and has trained hundreds of instructors, teachers and administrators on bullying prevention.
What weapons and self-defense systems does he teach?
Every primary ATA weapon (Ssahng Nat and the three-sectional staff included) plus self-defense: joint locks, knife defense, ground fighting, Last Resort Tactics and Keysi.
Where can I learn more?
Visit MasterMoody.com for his articles, books and speaking, and KarateBuilt.com for the school.
Learn more at mastermoody.com and karatebuilt.com.
Disclosure: Chief Master Moody is a member of the Martial Arts Wealth Mastery coaching team. Martial Arts Wealth Mastery was founded by Grand Master Stephen Oliver, the publisher of this magazine. Chief Master Moody reviewed and approved this profile before publication.
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