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	Grand Master Jung Ho Kim Chief Instructor 8th Degree Black Belt (Judo) 8th Degree Black Belt (Taekwondo) 5th Degree Black Belt (Hapkido) Grand Master Kim is a native of Seoul, Korea. He has been training in the Martial Arts for over 45 years teaching. He has earned seventh degree Black Belt in Tae Kwon do and Judo and a Fifth degree Black Belt in Hapkido. He is a graduate of the Yong-In University where, in 1980, he received a Bachelor of Physical Science in Martial Arts. Master Kim came to the United States in 1984 and settled in Chicago. There he met and began training Arlene Limas who, in 1988, went on to win an Olympic Gold Medal for the United States. Upon moving to Memphis, Grand Master Kim established Kim’s Academy. Since then, Grand Master Kim has helped hundreds of students achieve their own personal level of success in Martial Art.
	Master Richard Thomas Senior Instructor & School Manager 4th Degree Black Belt (Taekwondo) 1st Degree Black Belt (Judo) Richard Thomas is a native of Memphis, TN. He has been training in the Martial Arts for over 25 years. He has earned a 4th degree Black Belt in Tae Kwon do. In 1986 he began his training at the age of 7 under Grand Master Jung Ho Kim. After Winning state and regional at only 8 years of age he qualified for the Junior Nationals where he won the bronze medal. After hard training and many competitions, he finally won the Gold Medal and was Ranked number one in the nation at the age of 13. After qualifying for the Junior National team he began training in Colorado Springs, Colorado at the Olympic training center with the Olympic Taekwondo team. Major injuries to his ankle during sparring at the OTC prevented him from trying out for the 2000 Olympic team. After College, He began teaching in 2004 at Grand Master Kim’s other Location in Bartlett, TN. His main goal is to pass on his invaluable experience to other students so they may achieve their goals and see the benefit of a life dedicated to martial arts.
	Master James Ward Judo Instructor 5th Degree Black Belt (Taekwondo) 3rd Degree Black Belt (Judo) Mr. James Ward has trained under Grand Master Kim for the past 28 years and has attained a third degree black belt in Judo and a fifth degree black belt in Taekwondo. He has been teaching Judo and Taekwondo since 1991. He has trained in Korea on multiple occasions at various training sites in Seoul Korea including Yong In and Dung He University. Throughout his martial arts career he has competed in local, state and international competitions. He is currently an Occupation Maintenance Life Safety Director at Harbor View Nursing and Rehabilitation facility. Mr. Ward feels that martial arts has helped make him the person he is today and attributes his perseverance, dedication and patience to the art.
	Shari May Junior Judo Instructor 3rd Degree Black Belt (Judo) Shari May has trained under Grand Master Kim for the past 18 years attaining a 3rd degree black belt in Judo and a 2nd degree black belt in Taekwondo. Shari has trained in both national and international Judo training camps including many camps in Albany, New York at one of the USA Judo National Training Site. There, Shari trained with some of the best judoka and judo instructors in the country. She also trained at Yong In University, a private university located in Kyonggi Province, Korea – to improve both her personal performance as well as her teaching skills. Shari has competed in multiple local, state, national and international judo tournaments and won the Silver Medal in the World Master’s Championship in 2005. Shari was the lead Junior Judo Instructor for 6 years at Kim’s Martial Arts Academy in Bartlett. Shari often accompanied her junior judo students to tournaments. She was especially proud to have six students take first place in their respective divisions in the state tournament in Nashville, Tennessee. Shortly thereafter, Shari began doctorate school and fully credits the discipline of martial arts training to the achievement of her goals in life. Shari is passionate in teaching the fundamentals and discipline of judo to her students. Shari believes the martial arts instill personal discipline, responsibility and the confidence that allows one to accomplish whatever they pursue.
	Dr. Lance Wright Taekwondo and Weapons Instructor 6th Degree Black Belt (Taekwondo) Dr. Wright started Taekwondo at the age of fourteen with George Minshew in Huston, TX. After a hiatus for college, he started training again with nationally ranked competitor Jimmy “Gato” Tabares and obtained black belt in May of 1986. Later he trained for several years under world kickboxing champion (and later IBF world boxing champion) Troy Dorsey in Dallas, TX. He trained in Okinawa Kenpo for a few years while in North Carolina and at that point began Okinawa Kolaudo (weapons), which he still practices. He returned to Taekwondo in 1993. He was awarded 6th degree black belt in 2012. He believes in physical fitness training (weights and aerobics) to enhance ones martial arts training.
	Allison Bray Taekwondo Instructor 3rd Degree Black Belt (Taekwondo) Mrs. Bray is a 3rd degree black belt instructor. At the age of thirteen she, along with her parents and two oldest brothers, started Taekwondo with Daire Burton in Bartlett, TN, as a family activity to stay fit. Her Taekwondo career paused for college and graduate school, but she (with her husband and children) resumed Taekwondo study in 2008 at Family Taekwondo Center (now Collierville Taekwondo) to teach their children the invaluable lessons she had learned from Taekwondo. She believes the Tenets of Taekwondo (courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self control, and indomitable spirit) can help guide one’s decisions, outlook, and drive to accomplish all that is desired.
	Sanford Lyon Senior Instructor 3rd Degree Black Belt (Taekwondo) Mr. Lyon has been a member of the Collierville Taekwondo family from the very beginning. He is a loving husband, father, and grandfather. In addition to teaching Taekwondo at least one night a week, Mr.Lyon frequently volunteers at his church and is always happy to provide his unwavering support to his friends and family.
	Dr. Len Lothstein Judo Instructor 2nd Degree Black Belt (Judo) Dr. Lothstein began his commitment to combative sports in his early teens with wrestling and boxing in New Jersey and Maine. In 1979, while in graduate school in Nashville, he started his Judo instruction with Brazilian master Valdir Castro, continuing his training and competition in New York, before moving to Memphis in 1988 and joining Kim’s Martial Arts Academy in 1994. He believes that Judo training develops physical conditioning, self-confidence and mental acuity akin to chess training, and, as such, is an ideal athletic pursuit.
	Patricia Henley Junior Judo Instructor 2nd Degree Black Belt (Judo) Patricia Henley is a 2 nd degree Black Belt in Judo and 1 st degree Black Belt in Taekwondo. She is married to Jeff Henley and has two children Skylar and Drake. She originally began Taekwondo back in 2003 at Kim’s Martial Arts Academy when she enrolled her son Drake into Taekwondo at the age of 4. He is currently a 3 rd degree Black Belt. While enrolled in Taekwondo she was invited to Seoul Korea for the “World Hanmadang” to compete in their tournament(s) along with other Black Belts from all over the world. Patricia has competed in multiple local, state and national Judo Tournaments. In 2006 she competed in her first National Judo Tournament as a green belt in Orlando FL. She managed to take home a bronze medal in 48kg. All the while with Patricia competing in Judo tournaments she was a Certified Personal Trainer at Powerhouse Gym and a Powerlifter. She began her powerlifting in 1996 with her husband Jeff and competed in her first State Meet in Murfreesboro TN and took home a bronze medal. As she continued with Powerlifting, she competed in several local and state meets to go on and break a “Tn. State” record along with an “American” record in 2012 for the Squat(s) 285lbs, Bench Press 209lbs, and Deadlift 325lbs. Upon retirement of Powerlifting, she is currently assisting in the teaching at the Collierville Taekwondo Judo school.
	Cody Prentis Judo Instructor 1st Degree Black Belt (Judo) Mr. Prentiss is a native of Memphis, TN. He started learning judo at the age of 14 with his father and two older brothers at Kim’s Martial Arts Academy in Bartlett, TN. While his training paused during college, he resumed practicing judo at Master Kim’s after graduating with his bachelor’s degree. He believes that judo is a wonderful discipline that helps build muscle, community, and mind. It gives students a great opportunity to better one another through competition while emphasizing mutual respect for your fellow judoka. He tries to pass on that traditional to new students as both a teacher and student of judo.
	Allison Dufour Junior Instructor 3rd Degree Black Belt (Taekwondo) Allison Dufour currently attends Christian Brothers University and is in the honors program. Having developed an interest in martial arts from an early age, she joined Collierville Taekwondo in the summer of 2011 and has loved the art ever since. She earned her first degree black belt in July of 2014, her second degree black belt in July of 2015, and plans to continue her training for the foreseeable future. Allison loves to help with all ages and ranks. She believes she has learned more than anyone could ever teach her by helping others succeed. She is thankful for all the experiences Taekwondo has given her and for the experiences to come.