World Martial Arts Academy The Family That Kicks Together, Sticks Together

This is the man who changed my life and to whom I owe so much! Grandmaster M. Y. Kang

I spent my teenage age years working going to school and practicing martial arts In Columbus Ohio. I studied at many different schools and practiced many styles. The year I was to turn 18 the martial art school where I was studying closed and I thought it might be time for a break. So I stopped everything got an apartment with money I saved and like many teens invited all my friends to visit my new place. It turned out to be the place to hang out and the whole summer turned into the party that never ended. August of that summer (1977) I decided I had had enough and started looking for a new martial arts school. I was very interested in Hapkido and found a place that offered instruction. Little did I know that the person instructing was one of Koreas' first Hapkido masters. What I found out rather quickly was that Hapkido was unlike any other martial art. From the first technique I could feel the power and realize its' effectiveness. Shortly afterwards I knew that Grandmaster Kang was the master that I had searched for all along. Although we never conversed in those days you always felt that you were in the presence of greatness. Our conversations were like him saying "hey you.. come here..grab.." Always humble and respectfull even to the students, when he demonstrated a technique there was no doubt that it would work and with what remarkable ease a Hapkido student could control even the largest of opponents. Grandmaster Kang taught at a series of schools with a handful of other masters and each night he was at a different school. I soon learned his schedule and followed him to each location every night to learn from the master. I never missed a class even through the blizzard of '77 '78. He moved to San Diego California in 1980 and we kept in contact. When he opened his school he gave me the opportunity to relocate there and live with him and train. This was the dream of a lifetime. Just like the masters of old I was able to live eat and sleep martial arts. The lessons I learned were not only about martial arts and its' philosophy but life as well and too numerous to count. I can only say that he gave me a treasure that I will always keep and thank you is not enough. This treasure I will care for forever and only pass on to those that are worthy.

Kam Sa Ham Ni Da forever Grandmaster Kang!