Your Instructors

[RobinTKD]

I just wanted to know a little about the people you all learned from, if they ever studied any other martial art, or where there journey began.

I have 2 main instructors, a 5th dan and a 3rd dan.

My senior Instructor, the 5th dan has trained in ITF TKD for nearly 30 years now, during that time he has also trained in Ninjutsu and Aikido, holding dan ranks in both. He also trained with GM Ki Ha Rhee for 7 years.

The 3rd dan started off at a KKW club in his hometown, but switched to a TAGB (ITF) class when he moved down here, he didn't like it so much so he trained firstly in Wado-Ryu (acheiving a dan rank) and then Muay Thai (though I don't know how that works in terms of rank or progression)

 

[SahBumNimRush]

My Sahbumnim is Master Chuck Hannah. He began his Tae Kwon Do training under our Kwan Jang Nim, Grandmaster Sok Ho Kang, in Parkersburg, West Virginia in 1973. Master Chuck Hannah holds black belt number 82 under Grandmaster Sok Ho Kang, and he is the Head Instructor of Grandmaster Sok Ho Kang’s Tae Kwon Do Association. He served in the United States Marine Corps from 1961-1965 and was stationed at Marine Barracks 8[SUP]th[/SUP] and I in Washinton, D.C. He also served in the Marine Corps Honor Guard. He currently holds a 7[SUP]th[/SUP] degree black belt and is the highest ranking black belt under Grandmaster Sok Ho Kang. After the inception of the United States Taekwondo Won, Master Chuck Hannah was elected as the first West Virginia Taekwondo Won President, and holds a permanent position on the WVTW Board of Directors.

He did not train intensively in any art outside of Moo Duk Kwan Taekwondo under GM Kang. That said, he has always encouraged us to learn from others, and has worked with the few local serious (as in not hobbyists, not meant as a condescending remark) martial artists from other styles. Back in the day, a few engineers from a local chemical plant were transferred here from Florida, and as it was, both of the gentlemen were black belts in Yoshukai. They worked out with my sahbumnim while they were in town, and I believe learned much from one another in those couple of years.

 

[Kinghercules]

My instructor now is GM Albert Cheeks (www.lacancha.com/albertcheeks.html). GM Cheeks had trained under KJN Ki Whang Kim in Tangsoodo Moo Duk Kwan Taekwondo. As I did as well when I was a kid.

Kwan Jang Nim Ki Whang Kim had got his 1st black belt from the Kodokan in Judo. He had joined the Japanese military and moved to Japan where had trained under Toyama Kanken getting his 3rd dan in Shudokan Karate. He also held a 1st dan in Yoshinkan Aikido and a 1st dan in Shaolin Gung Fu when he lived in China for 2yrs. GM Kim returned to Korea teaching Chung Do Kwan at one of the universities. GM Kim joined the Korean Karate (Tangsoodo) movement back in the 50's and by committee was promoted to 8th dan in Tang Soo Do Moo Duk Kwan. GM Kim had moved to the states in the early 60's and begun to teach at the local YMCA in downtown Washington DC.

 

[miguksaram]

My first instructor was the late GM Ron Rollands. He was an old school teacher who first received his training in the military. He eventually studied Shuri-ryu under GM Phil Koppel who was under GM Robert Trias. I was with his schools for 2 years until I moved to Chicago area.

There I trained under Sifu Arturo Gabriel Andersen. I received my 1st dan in Moodukkwan-Tangsoodo. However we were also taught Wing Chun Gung Fu, Arnis and Kumdo. I also had the opportunity to train in MT from a good friend of his who would come in in once or twice a week to coach us. He grew up on the south side of Chicago near Chinatown where he began studying Wing Chun under Sifu Lan Wong. His MDK training was from a GM Lee, Ki-Hwan who taught out of Ft. Brag, NC. He also studied MDK in Korea while he was stationed there (I do not know what base he was stationed). I was with sifu for about 5 years and then left for the military. When I got back home he had moved to Baltimore City, MD (Around your neck of the woods KH) and is now teaching Wing Chun and Arnis.

During my stay in the military I started my training in KKW-TKD under GM Kim while I was stationed in Italy. I do not know anything about his background since the only language he spoke was Korean and Italian and I barely knew either. The class was taught in extreme broken English and Korean. It was a monkey see monkey do type class, but a lot of fun. After the military I came back and signed up with GM Kim, Gab-tong and trained in KKW-TKD. I was told that he received his training in Seoul. I do not know much more than that. After moving again, I began training at United Martial Arts which had 4 separate styles that they taught. I trained with Sensei Champ, David who taught me Arnis, Kosho Shorei Kempo and Yang Taiji. His Kempo training came from Bruce Juchnik, his Taiji training was learned over in Japan where he went to school for OM and his Arnis training came from the late Guru Remy Presas. I also trained with GM Randy Stigall to learn Hapkido. His instructor was GM Hyun,Kwang-sik, who I believe studied under Kim, Jung-yoon who was direct student of DJN Choi, Young-sool. I was with their group for several years until the school closed down and so I started training with GM Park, Kyoung-ho who taught me Kumdo, KKW-TKD, and Hapkido. I am not sure of his TKD background outside of him being part of the Jidokwan and training in Seoul. I do know he received his Kumdo training under GM Koo and his Hapkido program was developed with the help of GM Yoon who is a KSW master.

My last move brought me to my current and last school I plan on training which is Sharkey's Karate Studio. I have been with Sensei Sharkey for over 8 years and have earned my 2nd Dan with him. I continue to study with him as well as teach a sword class. He is a student of Mst. Bridgewater who was under Phil Koppel. He was also a very good friend of Guru Presas and they trained together in Arnis. Though Sensei Sharkey claims no rank in Arnis at all.

Ok...I think that about covers everything.

 

[Earl Weiss]

Started with Judo In High School 1971.
Moved to TKD under Gregg Youstra who was with Han Cha Kyo at the time in 1972. One of the main instructors at his school was a guy named Bob Newman Don't know what became of him..
In 1975 Ben Bergwerf came to the school to improve his striking skills . He was / is a good Judo / Ju Jitsu guy becoming head of the USJA Ju Jitsu division. Supplemented my training with him earning my JJ Shodan in 1994.
1975-1977 in College, in Miami trained at a TKD / Hapkido school under Kyu Suk Park. Don't know what became of him. Supplmented my Hapkido tarining thru seminars / workshops with GM Myung. Also attended a brief session with GM Ji Han Jae, In Sun Seo, and John Pelligrini (OK I know, had to go because so many people bad mouthed him).

Supplemented my JJ trainmg with workshops / Seminars by Royce, Rickson, Reylson, Carlson jr, and Renzo Gracie.
Gregg Youstra retired in 1987 and his ITF Dan # was A-6-13. At which time I along with the other Seniors took over the School. At that point Sr. GM Charles Sereff became my "Instructor".
Attended various camps and workshops thru the years and decided I needed to train with the organization founder General Choi attending his courses (6) and hosting one. Also attended various courses and workshops both within and without the ITF and USTF. Hosted some classes / courses as well including PPCT edged weapons and pressure point class, as well as noteables Nam Tae Hi, and Joe Lewis.

 

[Manny]

My fisrt master Ramon Alvite Gazca was one of the Mexican TKD pioners, as I know he was an advanced karate-do student before he got enamored of TKD way back in 1967-68 under Grand master An Dae Sup a member of TKD Hall of fame and one of the best competitors in Korea back in the 60's. Ramon Alvite holds a 7th degree black belt. My second Master a Jorge Alberto Morales Gallegos (former student of Ramon Alvite Too) is a 1sta dan black belt in judo and studied karate do too, Jorge is if I recall a 4th dan black belt in TKD too. My actuall sambonim Master Miguel Angel Carillo Pineda started his martial arts carrer with a little shotokan and he was a top national competitor in (brown belt) Nihon Kenpo but he leave Nihon kenpo for TKD, he was a student of Dai Won Moon the father of Mexican TKD and also was a student of Ernesto Moran a mexican subchampion (bronce medalist) in the firsth worl TKD Championships in corea back in 1973. My actual master holds a 7th degree black belt in TKD and has more than 45 years inside the martial arts.

Myself.... mmm well nothing special, just a 2nd Dan Black Belt in WTF TKD, an orange belt in Kenpo Karate and very little studies in judo and aikido.

Manny

 

[Pedantix]

I train at Sakura Warrior Arts under the legendary Jim "Ronan" Harrison. He is a 9th degree in Ronin Jutsu, a 9th degree in Boshidokan, 9th degree in US Jujitsu, a 9th degree in Kodokan Judo, a 7th degree in Kodokan Karate, and a 5th degree in Aikijitsu. He was recently named as Black Belt Magazine's Self-Defense instructor of year (2009). He has also been inducted into the International Karate Hall of Fame.

He was a large part of what he coins the "blood and guts days" of karate around the '70s, where he trained with and trained many high profile students of the arts. He is a long time friend of Chuck Norris and also spent some time with Bruce Lee while he was still with us (we still receive Marry Christmas cards and greetings from Linda, Bruce's wife, that hang on the walls of our dojo). He also coached many champions, including the U.S. Professional Karate team of Al Dacascos, Howard Jackson, Bill Wallace, Jeff Smith, Jim Butin, and Joe Lewis in 1974. He was also former UFC heavy weight champion Josh Barnett's first coach and the one that put him on his path to become a staple in the modern sport.

During his younger years he was part of the "Special Violence Police Squad" down in Kansas City, where he is from, where he and his team were pretty much responsible for going into the most violent high profile situations and bringing back their man however they could. The stories he tells of these times and many other occasions outside of that, shows how every aspect of the arts he teaches us is not only practical in situations which they may need to be applied, but have been tried and put into practice by him throughout his astonishing life.

He is in his mid 70s now, and still teaches class with the authority, knowledge, strength and dedication you would expect from a man of his caliber in this industry. His motto of "as realistic as possible, as safe as possible" has always held true and in the short time I've known him (I've been there for about two years now) I have grown to truly respect and admire him more than probably any man I have ever met.

Although he is one of the world's toughest SOBs (Chuck Norris is quoted saying, "Jim Harrison saved my life once... he pulled his punch and inch from my face" as well as Bruce Lee stating, "I fear no man, but Jim Harrison and Mike Stone are the two last men that I would wish to meet in an alley fight. Jim Harrison’s fighting style is not flamboyant or spectacular, it’s just simple and deadly! He’s one of the most dangerous men in the world."), you would never know it if you just ran into him on the street, as he is one of the most kind and minor mannered people I know.

We have a large stack of articles that Mr. Harrison has written (many of them published in martial art publications) at our dojo. All in all he is just an amazing man I and feel extremely privileged to be able to learn from him while he is still teaching.

If you would like to learn more about him, you can find him by looking him up. Though be sure to search Jim "Ronin" Harrison, as Jim Harrison is also the name of a famous author.