Master Eric Heintz (6th dan) and Master Kaye Bair (6th dan) are the master instructors who trained the primary instructors of Two Rivers Martial Arts. Masters Heintz and Bair began training in Tae Kwon Do in 1977 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa with Grandmaster Woo Jin Jung (8th Dan).
At the time Master Heintz was an attorney. He trained with Grandmaster Jung for many years and eventually began teaching as well. When his work took him to Ames, Iowa, Master Heintz began teaching Tae Kwon Do at the YWCA in nearby Des Moines. He continued to teach there part-time while working full-time as an attorney for several years. But as his love of Tae Kwon Do grew, his interest in working as an attorney full-time waned.
In 1984 Master Heintz made the big leap and opened the main branch of the Eric Heintz Black Belt Academy in Des Moines, Iowa. Now that Master Heintz is retired, his black belt students carry on his tradition through Two Rivers Martial Arts.
In addition to having owned and operated his own school, Master Heintz has also been a philanthropist. He and the Eric Heintz Black Belt Academy had a strong tie to a local charity called Amanda the Panda. Now that Master Heintz is retired, Two Rivers Martial Arts maintains that strong bond of support. Amanda the Panda is an organization dedicated to helping children and families through the grieving process when a loved one has died. Students and instructors at our academy support Amanda the Panda as volunteers, camp counselors, and with donations of material and money. In addition Master Heintz has organized board breaking marathons to raise funds for the charity on six occasions.
At his first board breaking marathon in 1985, Master Heintz broke 1000 boards in six hours. More importantly, he raised approximately $1800 for Amanda the Panda in the process. Since then he has repeated the feat with 2000, 3000, and 4000 boards. Finally on Saturday August 27, 1994 Master Heintz broke 5000 boards in about eight hours. In 1995 his students took over the board breaking duties for a marathon which featured board breaking by more than 100 different students. In total Master Heintz and his students have raised over $60,000 for Amanda the Panda. The impact of his board breaks has been felt by hundreds of children and their parents who have received help from Amanda the Panda.
Master Kaye Bair (6th Dan) was the highest ranking student and instructor at the Eric Heintz Black Belt Academy and is one of the highest ranking women black belts in the Midwest of the United States. Master Heintz and Master Bair began training together under Grandmaster Jung in 1977.
Master Bair was the primary instructor at the Southeast Polk branch of the Eric Heintz Black Belt Academy for many years. She was also the primary instructor for the Friday night brown and black belt classes from 1995-1997.
Master Bair has been the spiritual leader and senior judge at our academy's Tae Kwon Do tests for the past several years. She continues to be an advisor to the Board of Directors of Two Rivers Martial Arts and performs as a judge at our tests when her schedule permits. Master Bair is currently taking a leave of absence from teaching Tae Kwon Do, but she may choose return at some point in the future.
Master Heintz, Tae Kwon Do, Taekwondo, Taekwon-Do, Karate
Master Eric Heintz (6th dan) and Master Kaye Bair (6th dan) are the master instructors who trained the primary instructors of Two Rivers Martial Arts. Masters Heintz and Bair began training in Tae Kwon Do in 1977 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa with Grandmaster W
Master Eric Heintz (6th dan) and Master Kaye Bair (6th dan) are the master instructors who trained the primary instructors of Two Rivers Martial Arts. Masters Heintz and Bair began training in Tae Kwon Do in 1977 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa with Grandmaster W Master Heintz, Tae Kwon Do, Taekwondo, Taekwon-Do, Karate Two Rivers Martial Arts