Instructors
Regional Team
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Regional Head Instructor Mike
Specialization: Bagua and Ship Pal Gae Regional Head Instructor Mike signed up in the Bellevue school in 2000. He had always been interested in martial arts, and had trained intermittently in other styles before coming to Oom Yung Doe. The 8 styles taught as one interested him enough to come in and try. It didn’t take long for him to realize the strength of Oom Yung Doe and the depth of knowledge available there. In 2002 after dedicating a significant time to training every day, he opened the Kirkland school and began teaching full time. He had seen so many benefits to his training and wanted to share that with others. To this day he is still teaching (though no longer full time) because it is the best way he has found to help others stay healthy physically and mentally.
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Assistant Regional Head Instructor Sherry
Specialization: Tai Chi Chung and Weapons Sherry became interested in Martial Arts as a way of cross training. She had been a runner for 20 years. At the age of 47, in 1994, she was having hip and knee pain, so she tried Oom Yung Doe. She realized it wasn't just knees and hips that were a problem. She had also lost balance, coordination, body timing, and upper body strength simply from aging. When Sherry retired from the business world at 62, she decided to open a school to give others the opportunity to explore Oom Yung Doe and see how the knowledge of "mind and body pathway" could help them improve their conditions and lives as much as it has, and continues, to improve hers.
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Assistant Regional Head Instructor Tom
Specialization: Bagua, Weapons and Injury Recovery Tom originally joined Oom Yung Doe to relieve neck and shoulder pain he had experienced since a car accident approximately 16 years earlier. He has been practicing Oom Yung Doe since 2006 and has found his training to have resolved his neck and shoulder pain while increasing flexibility throughout the body and increasing overall agility. Oom Yung Doe has also helped him to relieve stress, increase focus, while helping him to balance both mentally and physically for more effective communication. Tom is married and his wife is also an Oom Yung Doe instructor who is credited with encouraging him to join Oom Yung Doe. For twenty years Tom held software engineering and management positions at Boeing, Intel, Pritsker and Microsoft and works as an independent software design and architecture consultant.
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Assistant Regional Head Instructor Michelle
Specialization: 18 Weapons, Women's Self Defense, Inst. Training Michelle began her training in 2010 at the Kirkland school. Having taken other hard styles of martial arts before, she originally stopped by the school because of an interest in expanding her understanding of Martial Arts and movement through Kung Fu and weapons training. Once she started training with Oom Yung Doe, she soon saw the difference between Traditional Martial Arts (Moo Doe) and her previous martial arts experiences. Michelle became interested in teaching when invited to assist with a series of self-defense lesson at a local elementary school about a year into her training. She discovered that she enjoyed helping students improve themselves and their understanding of martial arts and began training as an instructor. Over the next few years, Michelle continued to train both her personal understanding and her ability to teach that movement to others. Now she is a Certified Assistant Regional Head Instructor, 4th Degree Black Belt, and focuses on teaching instructors across multiple locations and programs.
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Assistant Regional Head Instructor MacKenzie
Specialization: Self-Defense, Demonstration Team, Instructor Development MacKenzie has been with Oom Yung Doe for 16 years and and plans to continue for as long as life will allow. “I love challenge and the continued improvement of my mind and body, especially as I got older. I have been athletic but this art has been by far the most rewarding study of my life. I started Martial Arts in Japan when I was 5 and fell in love. It is deeply fulfilling to me that I have the opportunity to share my passion and experience with others through my practice as an instructor.”
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Assistant Regional Head Instructor James
Specialization: Self-Defense, Internal Strength (Nae Gong), Tai Chi and Bagua James began martial arts training in 1987 and has taught in Oom Yung Doe schools from Boston to Los Angelas, Pittsburgh and Seattle. James was educated in History & Finance and has worked in the financial field and in industrial and manufacturing sales and sales management. James found that the physical and mental foundation of Oom Yung Doe training, meditation & moo doe principles provides the basis for his professional success. Having gained so much he wants to teach so that he can see others also gain the same benefits.
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Local Team
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Head Instructor Justin
Specialization: Nae Gong (Internal Energy), Kung Fu Forms, and Bagua Justin has always been interested in martial arts, but he only engaged in minor studies up until 1998 when he joined Oom Yung Doe and became a serious practitioner. Justin was a competition swimmer for 11 years and has worked in the legal, financial, and IT fields (among others) but considers martial arts to be his true calling in life. Justin has developed mental and physical skill and ability through Oom Yung Doe training, but he has also grown a great deal spiritually. He has been consistently impressed by the variety and depth of knowledge in the Oom Yung Doe line of martial arts, and wishes to share this knowledge with others so that they too can gain the benefits that he has gained. In 2015, Justin was inducted into the USA Alliance Martial Arts Hall of Fame (verification can be obtained at www.usamartialartshalloffame.com).
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Head Instructor Jon
Specialization: Samurai Sword, Ai Ki Do, Foundation Movements Jon began his training in 2004 on the recommendation of his Brother-in-law who was a student at the school. “I had studied Aikido for many years and after being away from martial arts for several years was looking for something to improve my condition.” He was immediately impressed by the strength of movement exhibited by the Instructors and decided to join. Our training uses forms and herbs to develop physical and mental ability, improve flexibility, and balance condition, as well as to help people recover from injuries (Jon had knee surgeries 20 years ago due to running and other activities).
“I became an instructor to continue my development and to share what I have learned with new students.” |
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Head Instructor Geoff
Specialization: Chung Yung Doe Geoff was an all-state offensive lineman in high school and has always been drawn to good physical challenge. While training at another school in his sophomore year at UW, he saw a flyer for Oom Yung Doe. “The school I was training at before was strictly geared towards self-defense, and I was interested in something more.” Geoff will be the first to tell you that while the physical conditioning at Oom Yung Doe is like nothing else you’ve ever experienced, it’s the mental benefits that keep him coming back. Geoff trains primarily at the Lake City School and continues to be an instructor to share the message that ‘You Can Change Your Reality’.
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Assistant Head Instructor Casey
Specialization: Udo (Juijitsu) and Weapons Casey began his training in 2017. He had always had a slight interest in Martial Arts, but never enough for him to do anything about it. He has worked in kitchens for over 14 years, so he never really felt he had any time to take out for himself. He decided to try it out on a whim one day when he and his wife were watching Marvel’s Iron Fist and he thought “that looks fun.” Casey quickly became hooked and saw the benefits of training and before he even reached his first section knew he wanted to help other see the same that he did. Working in a kitchen Casey became very stressed and angry, but he quickly saw through training he could maintain his stress an anger making him a lot better coworker, friend and husband.
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Instructor Rowin
Specialization: Double Swords Rowin enrolled at the Redmond school soon after moving from the East Coast, where he had attained 3rd degree black belt in ITF style Tae Kwon Do. He enjoys the great variety of contrasting and complementary styles offered by Oom Yung Doe for continuing training. The physical conditioning exercises have alleviated the debilitating joint and back pain from early onset rheumatoid arthritis, diagnosed while growing up in the Washington DC area. Now, even under Seattle levels of sunshine, a decade of Oom Yung Doe led to a full recovery so he can enjoy long mountain hikes backpacking with his family. Rowin is currently studying in a doctorate program for evidence-based management and enjoys exploring how the ancient eastern practices have been supported by the emerging western leadership theories.
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Instructor Scott
Specialization: Chung Sool (Spear) and Nae Gong (Internal) Scott Started training in 2017 in the Kirkland school. He was always interested in martial arts but was looking for something a lot deeper than a kick and punch school. He grew up pretty active with sports and outdoor activities but never found anything that clicked with him until he found Oom Yung Doe.
“This school has helped me in more ways than I could have ever imagined”. |
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Instructor Chris
Specialization: Sang Pro Gom (double 5 edged swords) and Yung Do San Quan (Dragon on the Mountain Kung Fu form) Chris started Oom Yung Doe as part of a 90 day challenge from a coaching program. What started as something to try and explore has become part of him as a person, a father and a businessperson.
“What I love about Traditional Martial Arts, specifically Oom Yung Doe, is the level of mental and physical training I get to enjoy. Martial Arts is so much more than a “workout” and some self defense skills. It creates new abilities in mental focus and determination. These skills easily translate outside of the school, into business, into fatherhood, into being a better partner and into being a better man.” Chris loves that he trains WITH his two teenage kids who are both Oom Yung Doe students. “We have gotten to the point, as we have developed on different paths and have different strengths, that we can learn from each other, and grow together” Chris suffered a torn rotator cuff, and after physical therapy used Oom Yung Doe movements and training to rehabilitate his body into even better physical condition than before the injury. Even the surgeon was shocked at his rate of recovery and his mobility. Chris wants to teach others that any physical obstacle a person THINKS they have, is merely something to overcome. In his late 40's, after having 2 lower back surgeries in his 30s and his more recent surgeries, moves better than he did in his late 20’s. “I’m in some of the best shape of my life...better than my 20’s and 30’s!” |
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Instructor Julie
Specialization: Women's Self Defense Julie began her training in early 2020. Her young son had joined Oom Yung Doe a few months earlier when lessons were shifted to zoom only. To ensure her son's constant engagement, Julie joined him during the zoom kid’s lessons. As the lessons transitioned back to in-person, Julie immediately joined the Adult White Belt program. At that time, training at Oom Yung Doe was used as cross-training to improve her triathlon training. Julie was a collegiate swimmer and avid runner, and Oom Yung Doe provided clear goals of improved mobility, reduced injury and improved recovery time. As her training progressed, Oom Yung Doe became her primary practice while swim, bike, and run workouts became the cross-training activity. To her initial amazement, even with less time focused on swim-bike-run, her results in those activities significantly improved. To continue her own development and because she enjoys helping other students improve, she began training as an women’s self-defense volunteer Assistant Instructor. Julie is married and her husband is also an Oom Yund Doe Assistant Instructor. Their two children are students and both aspire to be instructors as well. For over 20 years, Julie has held finance and technical program management positions at Microsoft.
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Instructor Mike
Specialization: Kong Su (Tae Kwon Do/Karate) Mike started with Oom Yung Doe in September of 2020. At that time, Mike joined to be able to train with his wife (Assistant Instructor Julie) and two children, as well as use Moo Doe as cross-training to improve his flexibility following a hamstring injury. Mike has been a swimmer and triathlete, as well as a former swim coach, and has a degree in Exercise Science and Sports Medicine. He has used this background and Oom Yung Doe training to target improving mobility, reducing injury and improving recovery time. Additionally, this practice has also helped with his patience – understanding that recovery and change take time can be a challenge! As his training has progressed, Oom Yung Doe has become his primary practice while swim, bike, and run workouts have become the cross-training activity. Mike has focused his sights on working toward the goal of Instructor and will utilize his coaching background to working with students at Oom Yung Doe.
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Assistant Instructor Benjamin
Specialization: Frog Technique, Kom (Chinese Broadsword) Benjamin began training in 2013 at the age of 5. When he first started training he was easily distractible and had difficulty focusing for the full lesson. Through training he learned to set goals for himself and developed the self-discipline to persist with his practice until he achieved those goals. Benjamin's consistency and dedication to his practice have helped him to become the first student under the age of 18 to earn a Regional Level (highest possible tournament level) Silver Medal. He continues to pioneer the development of Youth Leadership Programs in the Kirkland School to help his peers become student leaders.
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Assistant Instructor Jenn
Specialization: Women's Self-Defense Jenn began training with Oom Yung Doe as a means to heal from the aftermath of a traumatic stalking event. While a desire to learn self-defense was the catalyst to begin her training, Jenn quickly began to realize many benefits including increased strength, stamina, and mobility, and a significant decrease in anxiety. She has experienced tremendous support from the Oom Yung Doe community and is passionate to share the diverse benefits of training with others. Jenn is married with two children and her entire family trains at Oom Yung Doe. For nearly 20 years, Jenn has held Data Science and Supply Chain Strategy positions at multiple Fortune 500 companies.
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Assistant Instructor Daniel
Specialization: Kicks Daniel started training at the Seattle Lake City school in 2018. Daniel has always loved being active in the outdoors and has been cycling since he could walk. He was never a very social person, and had trouble with social skills and making friends. He never really took to team sports, preferring instead to go on long bike rides, or backcountry ski tours in the mountains. As he got older and became increasingly focused on cycling, his parents encouraged him to try martial arts as a way to be more social, and for something to do after school. Dan was reluctant at first, but soon found that Oom Yung Doe was so much more than a typical martial arts school. It not only had an amazing and supportive community of instructors and students, but he also found that the physical skills he developed helped him to excel as a cyclist. In 2020, he started down the path to becoming an instructor, and it has been an amazing and rewarding experience. He is extremely grateful to all his instructors and fellow students for helping him to learn and grow in various aspects, as well as the welcoming environment that Oom Yung Doe provides as a space for students to learn and improve themselves.
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