First Posted: 9/12/2012

In the upcoming winter in Clarks Green, if there are footprints in the snow – footprints, not shoeprints – they could belong to Pastor Brent Stouffer of Clarks Green United Methodist Church.

He wears shoes in winter only when walking a distance.

“I hate shoes,” said Stouffer. “And a lot of it goes back to martial arts, because when I was 14, I would train five to six days a week. Most of my time I spent barefoot…”

And 26 years of walking barefoot and breaking wood has toughened both his feet and spirit. Nicknamed, “Master Pastor,” by his martial arts friends when they found out he was on track to become a church leader, Stouffer began his martial arts training at 14.

“I was getting bullied at school. And that was it…I’ve stayed with it my whole life.”

Stouffer will teach basic kicks, punches, blocks, wrist locks and self-defense techniques from Sept. 18 through Nov. 6, to participants as part of the Abington Area Community Classroom’s (AACC) lineup of fall classes.

With black belts in three martial arts’ disciplines: Tae Kwon Do, Hapkido and Tang Soo Do and all Korean martial arts’ disciplines, he currently teaches children’s Tae Kwon Do at Clarks Green United Methodist Church.

“Most of us live lives that are pretty quiet and don’t have to worry about being mugged on a daily basis. My experience is that martial arts is good exercise and it’s a lot of fun, but it is also a good confidence builder…What I’m hoping people will take away from it, is a better sense of self, physically mentally and spiritually,” he said.

The Tae Kwon Do class is open to adults and customizable to the individual, including people of all ages and abilities.

“You can do it your whole life. I know guys who are 80 years old and move like a 20 year old. It’s not something that stops when you reach a certain point. You can, if you want, pursue the martial arts your entire life,” Stouffer said. “You have more inside of you than you possibly realize, and for me, and maybe for you, martial arts are one of the keys to unlocking that…”

In addition to Tae Kwon Do, the Abington Area Community Classroom is offering sessions in the following categories: “What’s Cooking,” “Make & Take,” “Language Arts,” “Technology, Facts & Fun,” “Stay Fit and Organized” and “Dance The Night Away.”

Classes offered are informal and tailored to meet the needs of the community by providing the community with enrichment and recreation through a broad array of learning opportunities. To view a full schedule of fall classes, and for the latest updates, visit aacclass.org, or email [email protected]. Classes are held at the First Presbyterian Church of Clarks Summit, 300 School Street and Clarks Green United Methodist Church, 119 Glenburn Road.