About Choe's Black Belt Academy

Choe's Black Belt Academy helps kids, teens, adults and families build confidence, discipline, focus, fitness and leadership through structured martial arts training.

What we do

Martial arts as an education, not an activity

Students come to us for different reasons — a child who could use more confidence, a teen who wants a real challenge, an adult looking for training that holds their attention, a family who wants to do something active together.

What they have in common is a curriculum built around character as much as technique. Respect, focus, perseverance and leadership are taught directly, reinforced every class, and measured through belt requirements students earn over time.

Every academy teaches the same standards, with instructors who know their students by name and correct them kindly.

Students and instructors of Choe's Black Belt Academy lined up in the dojo

Our founder

Grandmaster Jimong Choe

Founder & Grandmaster — born in Seoul, Korea. Direct inheritor of Traditional Choe Family Hapkido, passed down from first son to first son for generations.

Credentials

Ph.D. in Oriental Medicine
Certified Acupuncturist (NCCAOM)
Expert in Feng Shui, Qi Gong and Korean Herbal Medicine
Featured in Who's Who of Martial Arts (2002, 2004)
Honored by Governors, Mayors and International Leaders

Martial arts background

Black belts in multiple martial arts, including Hapkido and Tae Kwon Do
Mastery in 20+ traditional weapons
More than 50 years of martial arts leadership

“Grandmaster Choe doesn't just teach techniques — he teaches the habits, character and mindset associated with becoming a Black Belt.”

Visit drjimong.com →Visit choeshapkido.com →

Instructors

Meet the Choe's teaching team

RJ LoPresti

Academy Owner & Instructor

The greatest reward is helping others become the best version of themselves.

Experience: Black belt since 2004; martial arts leader since age six. Owns and operates Choe's Hapkido Schools and Shape Up Kickboxing Gyms.
Teaching philosophy: It is better to be a warrior in a garden than a gardener in a war.

Krystal LoPresti

Instructor

It's more than training—it's a family that lifts each other up.

Experience: Black belt since 2013. Elementary educator with a degree in Elementary Education and a community-driven leader.
Teaching philosophy: Helping one person might not change the world, but it could change the world for one person.

Maurice Murphy

Academy Owner & Instructor

We're not just a team—we're a real family. Diverse, united, and always growing together.

Experience: Black belt since 1994. Martial arts school owner, mentor and lifelong entrepreneur with decades of experience in martial arts, business and leadership.
Teaching philosophy: Winning is a habit. — Vince Lombardi

Desiree Murphy

Instructor

Hapkido gave me more than fitness—it gave me lifelong friendships and community.

Experience: Black belt since 2004. Registered nurse and proud mom whose passion for martial arts began in her early twenties.
Teaching philosophy: If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.

William J. Field

Academy Owner & Instructor

We're more than a school—we're family, and we've got each other's backs.

Experience: Black belt since 2020. Began his martial arts journey in 1992 with Taekwondo and later found his home at Choe's Hapkido. School owner and mentor passionate about helping others grow in skill and confidence.
Teaching philosophy: Every failure is a lesson learned.

Mercedes Field

Academy Owner & Instructor

Training has pushed me to grow in strength, endurance, and flexibility—both mentally and physically.

Experience: Black belt since 2024. Biomedical engineer from Georgia Tech and real estate director who joined martial arts to share an activity with her husband and found a supportive community.
Teaching philosophy: It always seems impossible until it's done.

Anthony Rivera

Academy Owner & Instructor

We're a family that kicks together and sticks together.

Experience: Black belt since 2011. After exploring team sports, Anthony found his path in martial arts, where focus, discipline and self-growth became his foundation. Mentor and motivator dedicated to creating those 'aha' moments for students.
Teaching philosophy: Respect is a two-way street, built on understanding and valuing others' perspectives, boundaries and worth. Now I get to teach others by being an example.

Pattiann Rivera

Academy Owner & Instructor

We're not just a martial arts school—we're a true community that grows together.

Experience: Black belt since 2012. Brings years of customer service and management experience, along with warmth, strength and leadership, to every class alongside her family.
Teaching philosophy: Respect, friendship and kindness matter most in an instructor. It elevates students' confidence in their techniques and creates a positive, happy life.

Stephen Taewoong Mallory

Academy Owner & Instructor

Choe's Hapkido is a family—we train hard, grow together and always support one another.

Experience: Black belt since 2019. Joined Hapkido after seeing its impact on his children and earned his black belt alongside all five of them. B.S. in Computer Science from Georgia Tech and a career as a software architect.
Teaching philosophy: Respect is the most valuable lesson I can impart. It is the foundation of a beautiful life—it breeds compassion and understanding.

Jim Havens

Instructor

Choe's Hapkido is a journey of self-discovery—and you're going to love it.

Experience: Black belt since 2008. Martial artist and musician who moved from stage combat in high school drama club to the real discipline of martial arts, finding a lifelong path of mental, physical and personal growth.
Teaching philosophy: All you could ever want or be, you already have and are.

Cassandra Mae Ansara

Instructor

Training here turned barriers into breakthroughs—and brought out the strongest version of me.

Experience: IT architect and cybersecurity expert with multiple degrees in Information Technology and nearly 20 years in the field, including a decade with the American Cancer Society. On track to earn her black belt in 2026.
Teaching philosophy: A good life is one lived in completeness.

PJ Moore

Academy Owner & Instructor

Sparring taught me more than self-defense—it taught me anything can be figured out.

Experience: Black belt since 2019. Martial arts school owner and former asphalt pro who fell in love with martial arts as a kid watching Kung Fu Theater with his brother. Built a business on passion, purpose and consistent effort.
Teaching philosophy: Talent is a pursued interest.

Come see a class

Two free classes at the academy nearest you.

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