GM Kennith Martin

Head of the Korea Martial Arts Trainning Center

 

Black Belts -

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• 8th DAN Taekwondo - Global Taekwondo Federation International

• 8th DAN Taekwondo - Song Do Kwan

• 8th DAN Taekwondo - The Martial Arts Unity Federation

• 6th DAN Taekwondo - Chundokwan

• 6th DAN Taekwondo - Kukkiwon

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• 5th DAN Hapkido - The Korea Hapkido Federation

• 5th DAN Hapkido - Yong Moo Kwon

 

Other Ranks -

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• Kumdo Instructor (Korean Sword Fighting)

 

• Boxing -  Amateur record of 4 and 1

 

   

  GM Kennith Martin began Taekwondo training in Philadelphia, at the age of 13. His instructor was Grand Master James L. Mitchell a Taekwondo, Chung Do Kwan stylist, Co-Founder of The Martial Arts Unity Federation and a Vietnam Veteran who was Master Martin's first mentor whose encouragement set him on the right path. In 1977 after high school, he joined the Pennsylvania Air National Guard became a boxer and amassed an amateur record of 4 and 1. He turned professional, but his family strongly disagreed with boxing so he never fought again. He was promoted to black belt with instructor certification at age 19 and was appointed head instructor of his school. Master Mitchell's example motivated Master Martin to follow his footsteps.

 

In 1984, Master Martin joined the Air Force and continued his martial arts training while stationed at Norton Air Force Base, San Bernardino, CA. He became a student of a Korean Master, Young H. Lee, a Chung Do Kwan Master and Vietnam Veteran who also taught the same combat unit as Mr. Mitchell was assigned to in Vietnam. In 1985, Master Martin won the California/Nevada State Karate Championship. He remained a loyal student to Master Lee for nearly twenty years and taught classes on the base. Master Lee promoted him to 4th degree black belt and introduced and him to the art of Hapkido.

 

In 1988 during an assignment to Eglin AFB, FL., he started a school that grew to over 100 members and produced 21 black belts. He won the 1990 Gulf Coast Martial Arts Championship, and in 1993 won the Florida State Sunshine Games. In 1992, while assigned to Operation Desert Storm, he taught self-defense to multinational forces, during the Gulf War. In 1998, he met the late Grandmaster Bruce Twing at a Connecticut tournament and was invited to accompany him to Korea to study Taekwondo in its homeland. While at the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) Headquarters, (Kukkiwon) for a three-hour training session with over 70 black belts the session turned into a black belt test when Great Grand Master Woon Kyu Um, President of The World Taekwondo Headquarters Kukkiwon and Taekwondo Chung Do Kwan, arrived to officiate. At the end of that grueling session, Master Martin was 1 of only 8 black belts to remain standing and received a promotion.

 

In 1999 he was awarded 5th Dan by President Um, who happened to be Master Young H. Lee's Grandmaster. Master Martin was assigned to Osan Air Base Korea, where he intensely studied Hapkido, training under Grandmaster Sung Jun Lee of The Korea Hapkido Federation (KHF). He was the school's only American student and trained 4 hours a day, 6 days a week and in 1 year achieved 1st Dan. In 2003 he attended the KHF Masters Seminar in Orlando, Florida and performed in front of the Federation President Grand Master Oh Se Lim. Master Martin was encouraged to apply for his 2nd Dan at the seminar by a leading master. President Oh Se Lim approved a rare skip promotion and awarded him 3rd Dan black belt. Master Martin is the US Representative for the Korea Hapkido, Yong Moo Kwon Association.

 

That same year he was appointed National Level Referee status by The United States Taekwondo Union. In 2004, the director of the World Chung Do Kwan Academy in Seoul, Korea, Grandmaster Hae Man Park and the Chief instructor at the main Gym, Grandmaster Tae Sung Lee, authorized Master Martin to start his own Branch in the United States. Master Martin retired from the Air Force in 2004, and remained living in Fort Walton Beach, Florida.

 

He was honored in 2007 by The World head of Sokeship Council, as Hapkido Instructor of the Year. The same year Master Martin was promoted to 8th Dan by his original Taekwondo Masters and their organizations: Grandmaster James L. Mitchell, President of The Philadelphia Tae Kwon Do Chung Do Kwan Association, Grandmaster John Crudup, President of The Song Do Kwan Kong Su Do Alliance, Grandmasters Bobby Graham, Osborne Wright and James L. Mitchell, Presidents of The Martial Arts Unity Federation, and The Global Taekwon do Federation International. 

 

In 2008, Master Martin fulfilled his lifelong dream when he opened The Korean Martial Arts Training Center at 913-B Beal Parkway, in Fort Walton Beach, FL. 

 

In 2010, Master Martin reunited with Hapkido Grandmaster Lee Sung Jun in Korea and was promoted to 4th Dan by The Korea Hapkido Federation Headquarters in Kyungkido Korea.

 

In 2011, Grandmaster Tae Sung Lee encouraged him to test and in 2013 Master Martin was promoted to 6th Dan by The World Taekwondo Headquarters Kukkiwon and from The World Taekwondo Chung Do Kwan in Seoul Korea. 

 

He was recognized in 2014 by The Philadelphia Martial Arts Historical Society. He has been honored for his dedication to the martial arts by Norton AFB, Vandenberg, AFB, Eglin AFB and Hulbert Field AFB, The City of Fort Walton Beach and The State of Florida.

 

He has his Main school is at 913-B Beal Parkway, in Fort Walton Beach, FL. As well as schools at the First United Methodist Church, Community Life Center, Eglin Air Force Base and Hulbert Field Air Base. 

 

Master Martin is a Master and Grand Master of Multiple Martial Art disciplines. As well as certified Kumdo Instructor (Korean Sword Fighting)