DOJANG SPOTLIGHT: A FORCE OF ONE

Master Eric Suan, 5th Dan Master Instructor, is the owner of Force of One Martial Arts School in Clovis, New Mexico.  His father grew up in Hawaii but was sent to California when he joined the military. Eric grew up at the George Air Force Base, located in Victorville, CA.  At age 6 he met his first Tang Soo Do instructor, Master Robert Price. Master Price was trained in Korea in Tang Soo Do and was later stationed in Thailand where he trained in the Lotus style. Price was a good friend of Eric’s father and lived nearby at the same Air Base. 

Eric would walk out his home’s door, jump in Price’s car, and together they would drive to the school. Master Price was one of the first instructors to bring Tang Soo Do to the United States. He opened his school in 1974 after returning from Thailand, where he was the first American to test for a black belt in 1972. Eric’s first instructors were all military, and trained in other countries, bringing back to the United States authentic style training in various disciplines. 

From the age of 9 to 11, Eric studied boxing at the Victorville YMCA which was in a rough neighborhood. The boxing instructor was Thom Price, a former Golden Glove Champion, who had injured his hand in a car wreck and could no longer compete professionally. Because of this superior level of training, Eric competed in boxing competitions and demos all over the local San Bernardino area.

Eric decided to return to Hawaii where he married and had his first child. But in 1988, he sent his wife and child back to the mainland. He began working three jobs and at first tried living with friends. But he soon realized that their negative lifestyle of drinking and drugs made the living arrangement too difficult. Over the next three months, he slept in his car before joining the air force. Being stationed in various Asian countries, the military gave him a structure and environment that was conducive to studying with authentic and renowned martial arts instructors. 

Eric was stationed in Okinawa, Japan, for 11 years, where he could train, compete, and instruct under Joe Giampietro and continues to teach Master Giampietro’s lessons even today. As a Master Sergeant, Eric retired from active duty at Cannon Air Force Base, in Clovis, NM after completing 22 years of active duty. He began instructing in 1998, then opened his own school, in 1998. Force of One specializes in Olympic Style Taekwondo, Mixed Martial Arts, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Cage Fitness, Weapons, and Little Dragons.  The school wins the Best of Clovis Award, year after year. 

He has formally tested with Masters and Grand Masters from both the World Taekwondo Federation and the United States National Taekwondo Federation and several more. Master Suan is certified with the NM Athletic Commission as a Referee/Judge/Manager/Trainer for Mixed Martial Arts with the NM Athletic Commission, and he is certified as a Manager/Trainer with the Texas Athletic Commission is Certified as a Manager/Trainer for Mixed Martial Arts.

His teaching philosophy combines the gentleness of a mother and the toughness of a father. He is never critical but builds respect with his students and calls them each by name. The students’s faces glow with pride when he focuses on their achievements.  He pays close attention to details in the execution of the forms and patiently trains each student. He remains calm in tense situations and stresses the importance of the student’s safety at school, home, and at the dojang. Videos are shown in class warning of stranger danger. The students are also, taught the importance of taking action appropriate for their age and ability, to help others, when there is a crisis of any kind.  

The classes include a variety of drills, yet warmups and the forms remain consistent in order to instill both muscle and mental memory and accuracy. Eric often explains the reasons behind different moves. This makes it easier for even the youngest students to grasp the reason why perfecting the move is important and it encourages them to practice. The school is a safe haven from some of the negatives of society and offers a type of camaraderie for students of all ages.

Force of One, 605 Commerce Way, Clovis, NM 88101