Breaking two baseball bats with his shin is one of many moves of Philip Ameris of New Kensington.

But his most distinctive move to date is earning his 8th degree black belt in taekwondo.

The belt award makes Ameris, 48, the youngest and the highest-ranked student under legendary Korean taekwondo grandmaster Hee Il Cho, who is based in Honolulu, and has students around the world.

Originating in Korea, taekwondo is one of the world's most popular martial arts known for its kicks, punches and code of conduct.

Ameris tested for his belt at a ceremony held by the Action International Martial Arts Association, founded by Grandmaster Cho, on July 11 at Trinity Washington University in Washington.

Ameris owns Cho's Taekwondo along Carl Avenue in New Kensington, and has been practicing the martial art since he was 7 years old.

"I'm constantly training and trying to improve," says Ameris, whose fulltime job is president of the Laborers' District Council based in Pittsburgh. He trains six days a week with running, calisthenics, some bag work, taekwondo patterns and, of course, teaching class at his martial-arts school.

Good technique in taekwondo is a constant work-in-progress. For example, Ameris says that his favorite kick is the sidekick -- not flashy but fast, powerful and effective. When asked what kicks he's still working on, he says, "all of them."

It takes years of work, dedication and consistency, Ameris says of his long tenure as a martial-arts teacher and student.

"Taekwondo is a part of his everyday life, like brushing his teeth," says wife Jeanne Ameris, a fourth-degree black belt who runs their school. The couple's two children also are black belts.

"Martial arts connects the mind, the body and the spirit," she says. "You have to have a passion for it."

Besides the quick, high-flying kicks seen in the movies, taekwondo teaches discipline, indomitable spirit, respect and a strong work ethic.

For example, when Ameris broke his neck in a car accident in 1986, he said he thought he was done with martial-arts competitions. Ameris has competed in martial-arts tournaments around the world, touring with Cho.

"I was feeling sorry for myself and talking with Master Cho, and he told me, 'You're a champion for one day. You're a martial artist for a lifetime.' He knew what to say, and that was 'hey, look, get back on the stick and keep going.' "

Luckily for Ameris, there were no lingering side effects from his accident, and he was able to continue to enter martial-arts competitions.

Now in his late 40s, Ameris says he feels fantastic and has no aches.

"I'm very active," he says. "But I'm not as fast as I used to be or as strong as I used to be. I don't like to compare myself to others. I'm doing the best I can, and I feel good."

While Ameris says that all martial arts are good, it's not just about learning how to fight.

"If you are just teaching a physical technique, without the code of conduct and the philosophy of discipline, you are teaching (students) to be a danger to themselves," he says.

The taekwondo taught in Korea is steeped in discipline and a formalized system of signature moves, attitudes and behaviors.

"Philip is really following the traditional training," says Emily Chen, who lives in Hawaii fulltime and in Pittsburgh for summers.

Chen trains under Cho and Ameris.

"Philip has an outgoing and warm personality," Chen says. "In terms of the art, he follows the curriculum to a 'T.' "

Ameris has had schools in several locations in New Kensington and Lower Burrell for more than 35 years. He has more than 180 students ranging from ages 4 to 83, in his location behind Golden Dawn supermarket.

"I love to see someone come in the school and overcome some weaknesses they have, whether it's physical or psychological," he says.

Ameris notes that it has been gratifying to see one student come back to class recently to rehabilitate himself from a back injury.

"Someone can do taekwondo, and it can just be physical," he says. "But a true martial artist will look at it as, 'I'm doing this to improve myself.' Teaching is so important. You have to pass that gift on so other people can enhance their life."