Instructors

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Instructors

	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 James Ward Judo Instructor 6th Degree Black Belt (Taekwondo) 4th 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.
	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.
	Paul Cook Taekwondo Instructor 3rd Degree Black Belt (Taekwondo) Paul cook is a native of Memphis and has been training under Grand Master Kim for almost 15 years. He accredits his work ethic, drive, perseverance, and dedication to his years of training Taekwondo. His goal is to be a role model For the students and to instill these same traits in every student he has the privilege to train and teach.
	Doug Jarret Senior Instructor 4th Degree Black Belt (Taekwondo) Doug Jarrett is a native of Memphis and joined Kims Martial Arts in 2000 And began training under Master Kim. In his 17 years of training he has achieved his 4th Degree Black Belt,as well as placing 2nd in two separate state sparring contests. He has been an instructor at Kims’s Martial Arts for over 10 years. In this time he has help hundreds of students learn confidence,self control,discipline, perseverance,and respect. His main goal is to train students to succeed in every aspect of life by teaching them all the life lessons he’s learned in taekwondo over the past 17 years.
	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.