At first glance, the Starks family doesn't seem extraordinary.
Benton Starks is the director of facilities and maintenance for the Richmond County Board of Education, and Judy Starks is a stay-at-home mom of their 19-month-old son.
However, when it comes to martial arts, they are anything but ordinary.
Mr. Starks, a sixth-degree black belt in tae kwon do, has been practicing the martial art for 32 years and teaching it for 30.
He is the highest-ranking Georgian in the World Tae Kwon Do Association, one of six sixth-degree black belts in the country, the chief instructor for Georgia, and is the southeast regional head instructor of the association.
"I've been doing it for so long that it has become as much of my day as getting up in the morning," he said.
Mrs. Starks, a second-degree black belt in tae kwon do, has been practicing the martial art for 23 years and teaching it for 12. She also has a fourth-degree black belt in kickboxing and a first-degree black belt in jiu-jitsu.
"I'm half-Korean, and one of the things my mother wanted my siblings and I to do was to stay in touch with her culture. So I didn't really have much choice in learning (tae kwon do), but I liked it," she said. "I've always kept up with it -- though I did go and learn some other martial arts -- because it became something of importance to me."
Each week, the couple teach close to 200 students of all ages at area Family Y locations.
Students are taught basic movements, forms, three-step practice sparring, freestyle non-contact sparring, self-defense techniques with a focus on basic components of balance, accuracy, speed, power and focus.
"These classes are a positive influence on their lives, whether they're 7 or 57. It teaches them self-discipline, diligence and they gain self-confidence," Mr. Starks said. "It's a lot more to it than just sweating and learning movements. What they experience can make a difference in their life."
It's also rewarding to see those who have disabilities excel, Mrs. Starks said.
"For me, that's one of the best parts. We see children with disabilities overcome it and learn tae kwon do and do it well," she said. "I like seeing how they gain confidence and self-esteem knowing that they can do something that others can do."
In the time that they have taught, their dedication has never wavered, Mr. Starks said.
"We've rarely ended a class early or canceled a class in all that time," he said. "I don't know of many places or instructors who can say that."
For more information on their classes or on tae kwon do, visit www.gatkd.com.
Reach Nikasha Dicks at (706) 823-3336 or nikasha.dicks@augustachronicle.com.
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