Aside from their alliterative names, Oak Park-based martial arts instructor Vinson Villena and actor Emilio Estevez have something else in common.
They are firm believers in the Flying V.
Portraying hockey coach Gordon Bombay in the popular 1994 movie “The Mighty Ducks,” Estevez taught his players the Flying V formation which utilizes five players skating down the ice in the same manner as a flock of ducks. It’s not coincidence that Villena opened Flying V Martial Arts in 2009.
“Since my name is Vinson Villena, I thought Flying V would be a cool name for my martial arts school,” said Villena, “but my wife also suggested naming the school Flying V from the movie Mighty Ducks.
“I liked the idea. In that movie, the players are always helping each other to move forward. On that [Flying V] line, if one player gets injured or is having a hard time, another player steps up ready to help. The Flying V is about developing teamwork, helping others, maximizing your ability and creating a sense of family.
“That’s why my school is named Flying V Martial Arts because we are a family.”
Since opening his business six years ago in Forest Park, Villena has relocated Flying V Martial Arts to Oak Park (111 N. Oak Park Avenue/www.flyingvmartialarts.com) with other locations in Rolling Meadows, Countryside and Chicago. Reflective of that expansion, Flying V currently has 250 students of assorted ages. Villena started the business with 20 students.
Flying V instruction is mobile, too, offering after school programs at elementary schools in Oak Park like Beye, Hatch, and Holmes along with Grace Lutheran School and Mosaic Montessori in River Forest.
Flying V students are active within the community, often making donations to the local school district and Oak Park River Forest Food Pantry.
While Villena and his staff teach Taekwondo with expert training in proper techniques for moves like the kick, punch and throw, personal development of each student is the primary focus. Developing self-confidence, focus, discipline, fitness, and self-esteem comprise the core curriculum of the Flying V lesson plan.
“Obviously, my students will both win and lose at tournaments,” Villena said. “What I look for is how well they prepared and how hard they worked for the tournament, and then how do they react to the results.
“Sometimes a student can be prepared and focused and still lose. There will be some good days and bad days, but the lesson is to stay positive and keep working hard in Taekwondo and in life.”
Villena’s students have excelled in some notable tournaments this summer.
At the 2015 Pan American Taekwondo Youth Open at Navy Pier over the weekend, the Flying V students won several medals. Results for the students include the following: Nami Kim (Gold Medal/Poomsae Division), Tessa Troyer (Gold/Poomsae), Kalyx Calimlim (Silver/Sparring); Bronze/Poomsae), Carissa Westman (Gold in Poomsae/Sparring), Chandler Torres (Gold/Sparring; Bronze/Poomsae); Autumn Tully (Gold/Poomsae; Bronze/Sparring); Christopher Tran (Silver/Poomsae), Yuri Rogachev (Silver/Poomsae) and Arian Ramos (Quaterfinalist).
Flying V also sent 16 students to the USA Taekwondo 2015 National Championships at the Austin Convention Center in Texas on July 4-11. With over 5,700 competitors on hand from all around the country, the Flying V team brought home an impressive haul of 15 medals (8 Gold, 4 Silver, 3 Bronze).
“All of our students did well at these big tournaments,” Villena said. “Since the start of summer, they have practiced almost every day. The tournaments are very competitive with lots of rounds and a single-elimination [format], but our students had a lot of success. More importantly, they believed in themselves.”
As kids get ready to go back to school, Villena is optimistic that Flying V is poised for its best fall season to date. He also noted that Flying V students range in ages from 3 to 51. Many adults take part in classes, and it’s not uncommon for parents and their kids to take a class together.
“Our classes offer more than just something to do after school,” Villena said. “Flying V is about more than just sparring or breaking boards. We teach our students about developing important qualities like work ethic, discipline, confidence and caring about others.
“It’s a totally different generation of kids now. That’s why it’s so important to establish good habits at an early age because those lessons will last a lifetime.”