My name is Norman Wrigley and I am currently a 4th degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do. I began studying martial arts in 1993 for about 4 or 5 months when the school closed down.

In the spring of 1995 a school located in East Greenwich RI, ran by a gentleman named Dan Zarbo who got his rank of first degree back in 1972. He explained how classes went and what was expected and I signed up right away. He was “an old school” teacher, not believing in the “no student left behind” method of teaching. You worked hard, learned your material, tested in front of a board, then if you passed, you had earned your next rank.

I studied with him for 3 ½ years until his retirement in 1998. I had begun helping to teach the kids classes with him after a few months of instruction, and soon began instructing the adult classes, though always in his presence. In the 3 ½ years of studying with him, he missed 2 classes, he was always there.

After earning my brown belt I began to study Aikido on and off with an instructor and continued as much as possible in my limited time. When my instructor decided to retired I helped open a school with another student and ran that with him for about 18 months.

With a difficult work schedule and our main instructor moving to Florida soon, I began to study and train with Mr. David Arundel.  Mr. Arundel had achieved his black belt from Mr. Zarbo back in 1975 and currently is a 7th degree in Tae Kwon Do and 7th degree in Nick Cereo’s Kenpo. I began taking private lessons with him in 1999 and soon began instructing regular classes at night as well as attending private lessons. Mr. Arundel and Mr. Zarbo are 2 very respected and admired, martial artist in RI. Mr. Arundel is also earned the rank of Yellow Belt training with Mr. Ed Parker.

During this time I also continued with my Aikido training on and off, took lessons and seminars in Brazilian Jujitsu and Krav Maga before my move to Iowa in May 2008.

Once settled in Iowa, I was introduced to Mr. Ed Brown who taught a small class in Bondurant, who let me come in and workout with his class and assisted me during my training to test for my 3rd degree.

August 2010 I began instructing my first student in Iowa in East Coast Tae Kwon Do just out of my home garage. I soon pick up another student in September and two more students in October. Worried about training in the winter and tired of “talking” about having a school, I was able to put a plan into place and got Iowa’s first East Coast Tae Kwon Do school opened in January 2011.

In 2021, I was introduced to Master Nixon from Clinton Iowa and my school joined the USAMA. This had opened many new doors for ECTKD and was fortunate to meet Grandmaster Wadley on my first trip to South Korea. Many new friendships were created and many new doors of training and opportunity have opened for ECTKD to grow.

Norman Wrigley