{"podcast":{"title":"A Black Belt Way of Life","slug":"a-black-belt-way-of-life-7024093","podcast_index_feed_id":7024093,"rss_url":"https://feeds.captivate.fm/black-belt-way-of-life/","website_url":"https://black-belt-way-of-life.captivate.fm","image_url":"https://artwork.captivate.fm/6f5259d9-fecb-4686-b450-3a56829ba904/2ofo6tsemQuoaaH3nhWhqWgc.jpg","author":"New York Black Belt Center","episode_count":36,"summary":"The most important lesson Master Joseph Lupo Jr. received from his father was, \"A black belt is worn around your heart, never your waist.\" This quote became the foundation that Master Joe lives by, and the basis for his show. Master Joe is a sixth-degree Taekwondo black belt and owner of the New York Black Belt Center in Queens, NY since 2010. With over four decades of knowledge and insight, Master Joe interviews guests in and around the martial arts world, sharing their life experiences and philosophies to motivate listeners to become a black belt in whatever path they walk.","last_synced_at":"2026-06-24T14:18:42.376846+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/a-black-belt-way-of-life-7024093"},"episode":{"title":"The Do's and Don'ts of a Taekwondo Referee with Marc Zirogiannis","slug":"the-do-s-and-don-ts-of-a-taekwondo-referee-with-marc-zirogiannis","published_at":"2025-07-24T04:05:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/a-black-belt-way-of-life-7024093/the-do-s-and-don-ts-of-a-taekwondo-referee-with-marc-zirogiannis","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/a-black-belt-way-of-life-7024093","url":"https://black-belt-way-of-life.captivate.fm","audio_url":"https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/117a8b5c-358d-4f6f-8ada-2b08e2abfdda.mp3","summary":"Master Marc Zirogiannis is a World Taekwondo International Referee and the Founder/Editor-in-Chief of Taekwondo Life Magazine. His journey in Taekwondo began in the early 1980s, following his older brother into martial arts. This led him to YH Park Taekwondo. Grandmaster Park, one of the first to open a Taekwondo school in Long Island, New York, was a former USA National Team and Olympic Coach who is considered a pioneer in Taekwondo in the United States. Competition in the sport of Taekwondo did not bring him much success. Coaching the sport of Taekwondo was not his thing. But he loved the martial art of Taekwondo. All he needed was someone to believe in him, and this came from his Grandmaster's son Master Edward Park. Master Park encouraged him to become a referee. In life, we just need one person to believe in us. Master Zirogiannis has not looked back since. Starting at local Taekwondo events gave him the confidence to pursue international status in sport Taekwondo. No simple task, as it takes years of experience and education to become certified as an IR. He took his love for everything Taekwondo and Martial Arts to the world of print, starting his publication, Taekwondo Life Magazine. Already a contributing writer for Taekwondo Times, under the direction of Grandmaster Park, Taekwondo Life Magazine was born. Covering all things Taekwondo, martial arts, and movies.  Being a referee is no simple task, at times the most underappreciated at the tournament, and often the blame for a loss. Throughout all that, Master Marc Zirogiannis never loses the principles of fairness and always prioritizes the safety of athletes. For more info, click into the bio below for everything BBWOL 🥋 YouTube -  https://www.youtube.com/@blackbeltwayoflife Spotify -&…","meta_description":"Master Marc Zirogiannis is a World Taekwondo International Referee and the Founder/Editor-in-Chief of Taekwondo Life Magazine. His journey in Taekwondo be…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":3778,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/a-black-belt-way-of-life-7024093/episodes/the-do-s-and-don-ts-of-a-taekwondo-referee-with-marc-zirogiannis/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/a-black-belt-way-of-life-7024093/the-do-s-and-don-ts-of-a-taekwondo-referee-with-marc-zirogiannis.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}