Master Garth Charland

Master Garth Charland

began studying martial arts over twenty seven years ago. He holds a sixth degree black belt in the art of Tang Soo Do, and has studied other arts extensively. More than that, he has been teaching the martial arts for more than 23 years. He has devoted his life to being a teacher and student of martial arts and incorporate all that he has learned through life in his teaching and training.

Master Charland was on a U.S. team in 1990, visiting Poland and Russia for friendship tournaments and demonstrations. He was frequent competitor and very successful on the tournament scene mainly in forms, fighting and breaking. Recalling his most memorable moments he cites the 1992 Green Mountain Challenge where he won the largest Middleweight division he had ever seen, then won the Grand Champion in fighting and then with his teammates (Richard Hoyt and Fred Bushy), won the team fighting division against teams as far away as Russia.

He now runs one of the largest karate training facilities in New England and has an attrition rate almost unheard of among large karate schools. This means that The Charland Institute loses an unbelieveably small amount of students.

He began his martial arts instruction career in 1988 teaching a karate program for the Watertown, CT Parks and Recreation. After making it the most popular program outside of Pop Warner Football (120 students) with the help of Master Scott Hanson, he gave the program to its current instructor and opened full time in 1992, later that same year he was married to 2nd dan black belt Teresa (Mongillo) Charland. They are still happily married (yes, these days that is worth mentioning).

On December 1 of 1995, he was promoted to the rank of 4th dan by a large American based Tang Soo Do style.

in 1996 he became one of the five cofounders of The Tang Soo Do Masters Alliance. In 2006, Master Charland was named Chairman of the Board of Advisors of the United States Goodwill Tang Soo Do Association which may well be the fastest growing Tang Soo Do organization in the U.S. today.

Master Charland was the Tang Soo Do Masters Alliance (TSDMA) Best of the Best Champion for 2002, and was promoted to 5th dan on Saturday, August 3rd, 2002 by the TSDMA masters, and invited masters in attendance.

On Monday, September 30 2002, Master David L. Sgro also promoted him to 5th dan in the San Kil Tang Soo Do organization.  

In November of 2007 Master Charland tested for the rank of Yuk Dan (6th) in a grueling 5 day test in North Carolina, and was promoted in March of 2008 by Master David Sgro through San Kil Tang Soo Do. This promotion made Master Charland our highest ranking senior master. Since then, Masters Daniels and Kenneth Laliberte achieved the rank of 6th dan. The three of five founders are considered to be the active senior masters of the TSDMA.