Grandmaster St James
Rank:
9th Dan
When Started:
1974
Other areas:
Shotokan Karate, Tae Kwon Do, Hapkido, Quick Defense, weapons
Grandmaster St. James
President and CEO
Atlantic-Pacific Tang Soo Do Federation
Grandmaster John St. James has been training for nearly 50 years. He began his martial arts and leadership training when he was 13 years old. He earned his Black Belt before graduation from high school in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania from Grandmaster Young Kook Kwon. When he was 18, he became a certified instructor and started his teaching career under the tutelage of Grandmaster Young Hyuk Kwon in San Diego, California where he later started his first school while attending the University of California, San Diego. Master St. James attained his Bachelors Degree in Political Science in 1984 and later an advanced degree in Insurance and Risk Management from the American Institute in 1986.
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In addition to being an expert in Tang Soo Do, Grandmaster St. James is considered an expert in personal development and peak performance training. He has been featured in MA Success Magazine, MA Professional, Tae Kwon Do Times Magazine, EFC Eagle Express, Business Master Publications, and has also been recognized in Black Belt Magazine.
Grandmaster St. James holds a brown belt in Shotokan Karate (1975), a 2nd Degree Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do (1981), and a 5th Degree Black Belt in Hapkido (2003). He is well versed in advanced pressure point manipulation and is certified as an instructor in Quick Defense by the American Self Defense Association in Belton, Texas. His is also a past Board Member of the World Tang Soo Do Association where he served as both the Director of Finance and Business and a Regional Director for many years. Grandmaster St. James received his Master’s rank and Senior Masters rank from the late Grandmaster Jae Chul Shin while a member of the World Tang Soo Do Association.
Grandmaster St. James is an 9th degree Black Belt (Gu Dan) in Tang Soo Do and serves as the President and Founding Master of the Atlantic-Pacific Tang Soo Do Federation. He is also Co-Chair of the Asia Atlantic Alliance, an organization of highly distinguished Grandmasters in the Korean martial arts. He is also the President the APTSD Foundation (501C3) non-profit and President of The Healing Warrior Society.
In addition to be an expert in Tang Soo Do, Grandmaster St. James is considered an expert in personal development through his unique style of teaching Black Belt Leadership and personal self defense. He is gifted speaker who is internationally certified through the John Maxwell Team and enjoys sharing his life’s experience with his students in the United States and abroad.
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