Warren native and Fowler resident Darrin Warren has practiced taekwondo for 30 years, with 20 spent teaching the sport. He recently was inducted into the Cleveland International Martial Arts Hall of Fame.

Darrin Warren had something to jump for earlier this month when he was inducted into the Cleveland International Martial Arts Hall of Fame.

Nominating Warren for the recognition was his best friend and fellow instructor, Grand Master Sean Gordon.

Warren, 57, is a fourth-degree black belt taekwondo master.

Taekwondo rankings begin with the white belt and progress through a series of levels, ultimately with students reaching red and black.

Advancing to each level involves written and physical tests, Warren said.

To become a black belt, Warren said the intensive training program lasts about six to eight months.

Taekwondo isn’t all Warren does. He has been employed as an IT manager for more than 30 years with Jobs and Family Services.

Born in Warren, he moved to Bristolville when he was 8 years old. He resides in Fowler and operates his school, New Wave Martial Arts Academy, in Newton Falls.

It was watching actor and martial arts icon Bruce Lee on the television as a child that inspired Warren to start taking classes.

Of his 30 years in the discipline, he’s spent 20 of them as a teacher.

Warren said he believes in the martial arts philosophy of humility, diligence, self-control and helping others. He stated that taekwondo is “not the school to learn how to fight. We’re more to learn how not to fight.”

The school teaches students how to defend themselves and “fight only as a last resort.” He noted that the air of confidence goes a long way in avoiding a fight. In addition to the physical movements, lessons are taught in how to talk to people.

“Bullying is a big issue and teaching students how to talk to others and how to stand up to them helps them avoid being a target,” Warren said.

His classes consist of all age groups, with the largest class consisting of about 20 children, aged 8 to 16 years old.

He likes to teach because “I like kids. I like when they reach goals.”

He said part of the reaching of goals for these kids is a feeling that they “want to be like him.”

Warren said he believes in meeting the students where they are and leading them, not “pushing them.” He spoke of a young student who was quite shy and would not say “Kiap,” a Korean word meaning “shout,” that is said when performing a movement.

He said it was wonderful to watch her gain self-confidence as she progressed through the class and one day, “she said, ‘Kiap’ at the perfect time. It wasn’t loud, but she said it.” The hardest movement is getting someone to “pay attention, to stand absolutely still and listen,” he said.

There’s more to taekwondo than discipline and selflessness.

To attain a black belt, in addition to the physical fitness tests, students must answer 10 written introspective questions. These include explaining what the student has learned, what has been most beneficial and what are their plans. Warren noted that many of the tests, physical and mental, are administered when the student is tired, “because a black belt should be able to perform even when exhausted.”

In addition to guiding his students, Warren has partnered with the Trumbull County Family Court to offer a diversion program.

“Some kids are in trouble but don’t need to be in JJC,” he said.

With encouragement, instruction and a goal, “little adjustments are made in providing ways of getting frustration out which helps the kid move forward.” The court pays for the diversion program classes.

All students are welcome to his studio — there’s even a program for special needs individuals.

“Some students have barriers, hard things to overcome. The small steps, teaching them how to breathe and to focus go a long way in changing their attitudes.”

What is the biggest benefit of all this to Warren? “It’s the lifelong friendships that are formed. The students can relate to people who have shared experiences. They did something hard and came through times when they wanted to quit.” He said teaching taekwondo is worth it when a student thanks him. “It feels good to make a difference in someone’s life.”

Warren said he is proud of his hall of fame induction, but he is quick to emphasize that it is not about winning titles. It is not punching and kicking. It is the reward of working hard and helping.

Warren has other interests that keep him chugging along.

A great train enthusiast, he has a large riding train at his home in Fowler. An avid do-it-yourself person, he built the train himself and installed it in his yard. There, he and his wife, Krista, host parties for the taekwondo school students, complete with food and, of course, a train ride.

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