Grand Master Dana Vaillancourt
Vaillancourts Korean Martial Arts, Huron SD
Grandmaster Vaillancourt has been training in the Korean martial arts for over forty-six years. He studies both traditional and modern Tae Kwon Do Chang Moo Kwan. He has a 9th degree black belt in Traditional Tae Kwon Do Chang Moo Kwan from Grandmaster Jon Wiedenman, endeavoring to preserve the legacy of Grandmaster LEE, Nam Suk. He also has a 9th dan in Taekwondo from the United States Amateur Athletic Union’s (AAU) Taekwondo program, an 8th dan (#178) and international instructor certification with the World Taekwondo Chang Moo Kwan (Korea) and master-level rank (2002) from the Kukkiwon (Korea). While familiar with the methods and merits of modern sport Taekwondo, Mr. Vaillancourt stresses the more traditional material and training methods of Korean self-defense and self-improvement, placing less emphasis on the sport aspect.
Mr. Vaillancourt is also no stranger to Tang Soo Do Moo Duk Kwan. Dana (Dan Bon #14676) received all of his Tang Soo Do dan ranks up to 7th dan from the late Grandmaster KIM, Jae Joon (Dan Bon #38) and was promoted to the rank of 8th dan in Tang Soo Do by the late Grandmaster KIM, Chung Il (Dan Bon #475). Mr. Vaillancourt was an Executive Committee member with the World Moo Duk Kwan Tang Soo Do Federation (WMDKTSDF), a certified WMDKTSDF master instructor and received many Letters of Commendation and several Certificates of Appreciation from Grandmaster Jae Joon Kim. He is currently a member of the World Tang Soo Do General Federation based in Seoul, Korea and a 2021 Hall of Fame recipient with that organization.
At Gilbert’s Korean Martial Arts, we thank GM Vaillancourt for his ongoing mentoring, encouragement, and leadership in traditional martial arts training!
Master George Manlove
4th dan Tang Soo Do, 5th dan Taekwondo & Kukkiwon
Master Manlove began training in 1981 and had trained with Grandmaster Vaillancourt for several decades. Master Manlove taught at numerious locations in Maine and was a noted competitor during his career.
Master Manlove has a 5th dan in Taekwondo from the World Taekwondo Chang Moo Kwan (Seoul, Korea) and a 4th dan in Tang Soo Do from the World Tang Soo Do General Federation (Seoul, Korea).
Master Manlove has retired from active teaching.
Grandmaster KIM Joong Young
World Taekwondo Chang Moo Kwan
9th Dan, President of World Taekwondo Changmookwan Federation