Instructors

Head Instructor Ernest Le

A 3rd Dan Black Belt, Ernest has been with the Hopkins Taekwondo Club since 2012 and became the Head Instructor in 2017.

As a child, Ernest took a few years of karate classes, but he did not begin serious martial arts study until he entered college. Since then, he has accumulated 6 years of training in Uechi-Ryu Karate, 4 years of Aikido, and a year each of Battojutsu and Capoeira. Ernest has also had formal training in Escrima and Tai Chi. He brings all of this experience to the study of Taekwondo in order to give students a well-rounded experience and push them to outside perspectives.

Ernest received his Master of Public Policy from Johns Hopkins in 2013 and in his professional life, he is a policy analyst for the Maryland Department of Health. When he’s not working or teaching Taekwondo, Ernest enjoys baking, training, and studiously avoiding Snapchat.

Grandmaster Tae Sun Kang

Grandmaster Kang was the founder of the Hopkins Taekwondo Club in 1989. A student of Taekwondo for all his life, Grandmaster Kang traces his lineage back to the origins of the art of Taekwondo itself. His father Suh Chong Kang was a student at the Chung Do Kwan, the very first school of Taekwondo in Korea.

Grandmaster Kang was promoted to 9th Dan Black Belt in 2007 and runs a network of Taekwondo schools based out of New York City. However, he still makes time to travel to Johns Hopkins to teach seminars, and all of the students of Hopkins Taekwondo receive their black belts after undergoing testing personally administered by Grandmaster Kang.

Club Officers

President: Serena Tang

Class Year: 2020

Major: Physics and Neuroscience

Having started with Hopkins Taekwondo in her sophomore year, Serena was elected President in 2018. When she’s not studying or doing Taekwondo, Serena enjoys photography and playing the guitar.

Vice-President: Mateo Abascal

Class Year: 2021

Major: Archaeology, Mathematics, Near Eastern Studies

Mateo started taking classes with Hopkins Taekwondo in his freshman year and was elected Vice-President at the end of that year. Mateo’s other favorite activities incude cycling, cooking, and drinking coffee.

Treasurer: Aurelia Glass

Class Year: 2020

Major: Mechanical Engineering and Economics

Will came to Hopkins Taekwondo in the spring of her sophomore year and was elected Treasurer by the end of that semester. When she’s not doing her coursework or training in Taekwondo, Aurelia enjoys taking pictures or finding opportunities to chat with alumni.

Secretary: Timothy Lee