1382 Lamberton Drive ♦ Silver Spring, Maryland 20902 ♦ 301-681-1200 ♦ info@championsilverspring.com
Instructors
Grandmaster Thomas H. Thompson (retired)
Grandmaster Thompson was elevated to the rank of Grandmaster by Grandmaster Sung Hyun Hong in a ceremony held in October 2005. Prior to that, he received his sixth-degree black belt from Grandmaster Hong in June 1997. He has trained and taught the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) style of taekwondo since 1978. Before that, he spent his first years training in Moo Duk Kwan tang soo do.
Grandmaster Thompson is a six-time Maryland State Light Heavyweight Champion and winner of numerous grand championships in both sparring and forms—both as a single player and as a member of the Maryland State Team. He also served as the director of the Maryland State Games Taekwondo for four years.
Master Jin Kim
A brief history of Master Kim:
♦ 1973 Started Taekwondo training in Seoul, Korea.
♦ 1981 Commenced Hapkido and Judo training.
♦ 1984 Help instructor at the Seoul Children Center.
♦ 1985-1991 Instructor of Jung Kim’s Studio.
♦ 1987-1991 Taught Taekwondo in several Montgomery county public schools.
♦ 1992-1993 Instructor of the U.S. Taekwondo academy in Woodbridge, VA
♦ 1996 Opened Eagle Martial Arts Academy in Silver Spring, MD.
♦ 1996-2002 Master instructor of Eagle Martial Arts Academy.
♦ 2003 Opened Champion Martial Arts in Gaithersburg, MD.
Master Kim currently holds a 7th degree black belt in Hapkido and a 6th degree black belt in Taekwondo. He also holds a 3rd degree black belt in Judo.
Master Bong Kim, a native South Korean has been training in Tae Kwon Do since he was 14 years old. Master Kim earned his 4th degree Blackbelt from the former World Classic Martial Arts under Grand Master Thomas H. Thompson (6th Dan) in 2006. Master Kim competed in numerus local and out of state tournaments from the year 1992 to 1999 and won the Maryland State Championship from 1993 to 1996.
He graduated from the University of Maryland at College Park in 2005 with Computer Science degree and works as an IT Senior System Analyst at University of Maryland at College Park. He is currently pursuing a Master Degree at the University of Maryland University College (UMUC).
Master Kim loves watching movies and TaeKwonDo training. He is happily engaged to a lovely lady, Min Ji Chung and hopes to be married some time in the future.
Instructors
Master Robert Lipstein began his martial arts training in 1992 (at the age of 37) at the former World Classic Martial Arts (WCMA) in Silver Spring, and received all of his black belt promotions from Grandmaster Thompson (1st dan - 1995; second dan - 1997; third dan- 2000, and fourth dan - 2005). A graduate of Stanford University (B.A. Economics 1975), and Stanford Law School (J.D. 1978), Master Lipstein has lived in Silver Spring since 1978 with his wife Cheryl. He has a daughter (Becca) and a son (Matt - also a first dan), and in 2008 became a grandfather. He is a partner in the law firm of Crowell & Moring LLP in Washington, D.C., and practices antitrust and international trade law.
Mr. Johnson was born in Los Angeles, California in 1963. He started Taekwondo training with Headmaster Kim in 1998 and earned his 3rd degree Taekwondo black belt in 2005. Mr. Johnson loves to teach and places great emphasis on the mental and spiritual aspects of the art.
Outside of the dojang, Mr. Johnson works as a software and test systems designer for the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center's Space Simulation Facility. Mr. Johnson is married and a father of three children. His wife Pam is a first degree black belt, his eldest son Robert is a second degree and his youngest son Robby is a first degree. Mr. Johnson just became a proud Grandfather in Sep 2007.
Omid is a 2nd degree black belt instructor at Champion Martial Arts. Born June, 10th 1986 his Taekwondo training began almost ten years ago. Omid’s energy and enthusiasm make him an excellent instructor. Omid is our main instructor for children's classes and the Champion demo team.
Omid is currently pursuing a degree in safety engineering at Montgomery College.
Eric Balzer began his martial arts training at World Classic Martial Arts (WCMA) in the summer of 1996, under the tutelage of Grandmaster Thompson and instructor Bong Kim. He received his black belt in the fall of 1999, his second dan in the spring of 2003, and his third dan in the spring of 2007. Eric graduated from the university of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) in 2005 with a B.S. in biological sciences, and is currently pursuing his Ph.D. in molecular medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, and hopes to graduate in the spring of 2009. Eric lives with his wife Liza in Ellicott City.
Patricia Sweeney was born January 14, 1981 and spent the majority of her time in New Jersey, where she began her training at age 11 in the ITF style of Tae Kwon Do. At 17, she took a break from her training and moved to upstate New York to attend Russell Sage College for a BS/MS in Physical Therapy and her Athletic Training certification. In 2003, she moved down to Maryland and resumed her training in WTF style Tae Kwon Do under the direction of Grand Master Thompson. In 2004, she received her first degree black belt and her second degree in 2006. She now continues her training and teaching with Champions Martial Arts while working as a therapist with Metro Orthopedic and Sports Therapy, and as an Athletic Trainer with Marvateens Gymnastics.
Strive each day to be better, in body, mind and spirit...
Modern teaching methods. Traditional values.
Classes every day.
Taekwondo and cardio kickboxing.