9th Dan

Grandmaster Ted Hillson began training in Chung Do Kwan Tae Kwon Do in 1972 in Hackensack, NJ, under Grandmaster Duk Sung Son, while also training in Judo, Shorin Ryu, Tai Chi, and Tang Soo Do over the years that followed. He earned his 1st Dan with the World Tae Kwon Do Association in 1977 and opened his first school in Somerset, PA. Over the next two decades that school grew into 15 schools and clubs, organized as the South Central Tae Kwon Do Association (SCTKDA), which became independent in 1996. In 1983 he began training in Bagua and Hsing I under Robert W. Smith, arts he continues to practice and teach alongside Tae Kwon Do. In 1995 he was introduced to Grandmaster Ted Vollrath, founder of Martial Arts for the Handicap-able, who promoted Hillson to 8th Dan shortly before his passing.

Hillson has competed in numerous tournaments over the years, including 1st-place finishes at the U.S. National TKD Championships and Pennsylvania State TKD Championships, and has been inducted into the United States Martial Arts Association (named Grand-master of the Year for Pennsylvania in 2000) and the International Eastern Alliance Hall of Fame (Humanitarian of the Year, 1998). He is an adjunct professor at Hagerstown Community College and Harrisburg Area Community College in Gettysburg, PA, teaching credit courses in Self Defense, and serves as head instructor for the Shippensburg University and Gettysburg College clubs. He is the author of two books: Tae Kwon Do Classic Forms: 21 Hyung, Novice White Belt through Advanced Black Belt (2003) and Fundamental Korean Karate, Tae Kwon Do Basic Techniques (2012).

8th Dan

Grandmaster Michael began training martial arts in 1985 through the Harvard/Radcliffe and MIT Korean Karate Clubs under Mark Spaulding, Irwin Jungreis, Peter Everett, and Steve Heller. He then trained with Fred Stark in Philadelphia and was introduced to jujitsu and aikido. He received his first through third Dans from Grandmaster Duk Sung Son. In the 1990s, he trained in Mountain View, CA with Bob Hodges, Alice Bedoyan, and Cynthia Dwork, and received his fourth through eighth Dans under Don Richardson, Ron LeBlanc, and Grandmaster Ted Hillson. He also enjoys practicing taiji, aikido, jujitsu, and other martial arts. By day, he is a research scientist with a Ph.D. in biological sciences from Stanford.

7th Dan

Master Ron Gans began practicing Tae Kwon Do in Philadelphia in 1986. He received his 1st degree black belt in 1993 from Grandmaster Duk Sung Son, under whom he was fortunate to train on many occasions. He has continued to practice and teach following the style and lessons of GM Son in Boston and Santa Barbara, where he now leads a school based at UCSB. He received his 7th degree black belt in 2026 in front of the Chung Do Kwan review board at Summer Black Belt Camp (SBCC).

7th Dan

Master Alexander Laszlo has studied the martial arts since 1984, with now over 40 years of experience as both student and, for the last 34 years, as instructor. He has earned a 2nd Dan Black Belt from Shotokan Karate-do International, a 7th Dan from Chung Do Kwan USA, and in 2011 was awarded the rank of Master of Chung Do Kwan Tae Kwon Do. Currently, he is a ranking instructor of the Chung Do Kwan Union and member of its National Promotion Test Board, having founded and run the Presidio Outdoor Dojang (POD) of San Francisco from 2003–2009, the Dojang At Occidental (DAO) from 2010–2014, and the Dojang Of Credo (DOC) from 2015–2017. Master Laszlo currently resides in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where he offers a vibrant course of physical, mental, and spiritual engagement with life that combines his experience in a Quaker school (Haverford College) and his interest in embodied Daoism. He continues his own training in the Budō of the martial arts as a means for thriving self-development that focuses on the dynamic balance of life energies in relationship with one's environment. His life interest focuses on the philosophy and practice of the martial arts.

7th Dan

Master Joe Montanez is the owner and head instructor of San Diego Korean Karate Club, which he established in 2010. He began his martial arts journey at the Harvard Korean Karate Club in 1988, training under Mark Spaulding, Peter Everett and Irwin Jungreis, and earned his 1st Degree Black Belt in 1992 from Grandmaster Duk Sung Son (World Tae Kwon Do Association). He went on to train at Mountain View School of Tae Kwon Do under Bob Hodges, Alice Bedoyan, Cynthia Dwork and Michael Conboy, and at Ocean Beach Blue Wave Tae Kwon Do under Arthur LeFebvre. He holds a 5th Dan from Kukkiwon, a 6th Dan from the World Tae Kwon Do Chung Do Kwan Federation (Grandmaster Hae Man Park), and 7th Dan ranks from Chung Do Kwan USA (Grandmaster Ted Hillson) and Tae Kwon Do Chung Do Kwan Schools (Grandmaster Dong Hoon Kim, Grandmaster Gerry Bates).

Master Montanez teaches weekly adult classes at Doyle Recreation Center near UCSD, and offers specialized women's self-defense instruction for corporate team-building events, as well as for college-bound young adults and women looking to build personal safety skills and confidence. He has also helped organize and perform in the annual “Martial Arts Day” demonstrations at the Japanese Friendship Garden in Balboa Park.

6th Dan

Master Brad Bransky began studying Chung Do Kwan Tae Kwon Do with his wife and three sons under the tutelage of Sensei Don Richardson and Master Lou Blazquez in 2000. Master Bransky has been teaching Chung Do Kwan at Northern Arizona Martial Arts School of Chung Do Kwan for 25 years and has been the head instructor at that school, filling in for Master Blazquez for a number of years. Chung Do Kwan USA presented Master Bransky with his 6th Dan certificate in June of 2025. Brad has been active in helping to organize and run 16 martial arts summer camps in Flagstaff, with hopefully many more to come. Brad recently retired after an approximately 40-year career as a capital-certified Public Defender in Coconino County and has tried numerous high-profile felony cases during that time. Master Bransky's greatest joys in life are his wife, children, and grandchildren.

5th Dan

Master Blazquez, a retired seventh-grade math teacher, holds a 5th dan in Tae Kwon Do, a B.S. in physics, a master's in teaching, and certificates in writing and computer graphics. He studied under Grandmasters Duk Sung Son and Don Richardson, beginning in 1974. Master Blazquez is a member of the United States Martial Arts Hall of Fame.

5th Dan

Master Tony started martial arts after joining the military (US Navy) in 1978. He began with Kung Fu (White Crane and Kajukenbo styles) and Tai Chi, and also took up boxing with the Navy teams. This continued until he transferred to Australia in early 1982, where he started training with Master Don Richardson in Chung Do Kwan Tae Kwon Do. He trained with Master Richardson from the beginning of 1982 until 1985, when he was transferred back to the US. While training with Don, he received his 1st degree black belt from Grandmaster Duk Sung Son in December of 1984. He has continued training in Tae Kwon Do and the Chung Do Kwan system ever since, and has been promoted from 1st degree to 5th degree over the years. During this time, he has run several schools teaching Chung Do Kwan Tae Kwon Do, kickboxing, and self-defense classes.

In addition to Tae Kwon Do, he has trained with Grandmaster Steven Jimerfield in Judo and Jujitsu since 2007, receiving the rank of 1st degree black belt in Taiho Jitsu.

Since 1988, he has taught self-defense classes to various agencies, including Social Workers for the City of Vancouver, Washington; Fort Vancouver Regional Library; SEH America Inc. (a manufacturing facility); mixed adult classes; and children through the Gresham Church of Christ.

Over his career in martial arts, Master Tony has been fortunate to work with many senior masters who have contributed to his growth and style, including Don Richardson, Ron LeBlanc, Ted Hillson, and Steven Jimerfield — all of whom he thanks for their dedication, tips, and instruction along the way.

5th Dan

Master Annemarie has been a music teacher for LAUSD since 1996. She started training in Mountain View, California under Rod Preble and Bob Hodges in 1981, and also trained under Art LeFebvre in San Diego. She holds memberships in the World Tae Kwon Do Association, Tae Kwon Do USA, and Chung Do Kwan Alliance, and is presently with Tae Kwon Do USA. She has supported events for these organizations and sister organizations across the country, and also practices kickboxing and yoga.

5th Dan

Master Mike has been a practitioner for over 20 years. He is a board member and treasurer, vice president of Northern Arizona Martial Arts, and a member of North American Martial Arts (NAMA).

5th Dan

Master Chris started as a child at the Mountain View, CA branch in 2001 under Master Michael Conboy, before taking over the school in 2013. His main field of study is in comparative bunkai (bunhae in Korean) — the application and analysis of forms between Chung Do Kwan and its predecessor styles