Joanna Ra said when she first met her husband, John, in South Korea, she was instantly drawn to his character.

“I fell in love watching how disciplined he was,” Joanna said. “So respectful, the way he treated his family members.”

She said that level of integrity allowed her to trust his decision to move them to Los Angeles with their firstborn. The couple eventually came to Rochester in 2006, unaware that they would become leaders in the local Asian American and Pacific Islander community.

“Los Angeles is always saturated with everything, and there wasn’t much room for me,” John said. “I’m glad we decided to move out here (Rochester).”

When they arrived, the couple worked odd jobs to make ends meet. But John’s passion had always been martial arts. He started volunteering his time as a Taekwondo instructor, then Joanna gave her blessing for John to fully lean into what he loved.

“It was for the passion,” John said. “I didn’t do it for the money aspect.”

The couple spent their spare time looking for studio space to train out of, while learning the business side.

After years of trial and error, the Ras opened their dream space, the Agape Black Belt Center in Pittsford. They now teach martial arts to more than 200 individuals of all ages.

The dojang also gave Joanna an opportunity to pursue her love for childhood education.

“I believe its impact is greater,” Joanna said about academics. “If you give a good foundation and good moral life character in young age, you have much healthier, productive citizens.”

The couple designed the center with space for both of their passions to live side by side. The martial arts studios fill most of the facility, and an after-school learning space occupies the back of the building. Once the kids arrive, they’re instructed to wash their hands, unpack their things, grab a snack, and do their homework.

“If they don’t have homework, she (Joanna) will give them a worksheet to do,” John said with a smile. “No matter what, they have to sit and do some schoolwork.”

For Joanna, education isn’t just about academics. It’s about the whole person, including social emotional learning. She said kids are heavily influenced by technology these days and lack real human connection.

Joanna said she wants the dojang to be a space where kids can “play with each other, learn how to disagree and agree, and understand someone else’s feelings and their own.”

Both programs operate on three main philosophies: respect, humility and patience. John said students must come ready to learn, or as he puts it, with their “cups empty.”

“You’re only teachable when you’re humble,” John said. “Kicking, punching, blocking, yelling, are all just defensive tools, but the main goal is to really instill good character within.”

Even with a successful business and growing enrollment, the Ras still longed for deeper connection and a sense of community.

Together, with other community leaders, John and Joanna launched the local chapter of the Asian Pacific Islander American Public Affairs association. APAPA gave them a space to pass on their values and to provide fellowship for others.

The organization was responsible for Rochester’s first Harvest Moon Festival. Through the dojang and festival, the Ra’s have been able to turn their passions into a community built around education, discipline, and connection.

“I honestly believe that to live a good healthy life, we need to first eat, we need sleep, we need water, but we also need community,” John said.