Our Instructors
Dedication and Expertise:
The Instructors of AAKF
AAKF instructors, both male and female, are highly dedicated karate practitioners who balance daily training and teaching with their professional careers and personal responsibilities.
Whether it’s 10 or 50 years of continuous martial arts experience, our instructors offer a powerful combination of karate competition success and expert teaching skills. Their deep passion for and knowledge of traditional karate allows them to demonstrate and explain techniques to students of all ages and skill levels. This unwavering commitment helps preserve the authentic traditions of the American Amateur Karate Federation and ensures that the legacy of classical karate is passed on to future generations.
Mahmoud Tabassi
9th Degree (KyuDan)
Mid-Atlantic Region
Alex Tong
8th Degree (Hachidan)
Southwest Region
Albert Cheah
7th Degree (Sichidan)
Western Region
Richard Kageyama
7th Degree (Sichidan)
Western Region
Joel Ertl
6th Degree (Rokudan)
North Central Region
Anita Bendickson
5th Degree (Godan)
North Central Region
Bryan Hays
5th Degree (Godan)
Mid Atlantic Region
Evangeline Emanuel
5th Degree (Godan)
Mid Atlantic Region
Laurie Elliott
5th Degree (Godan)
North Central Region
Soolmaz Abooali
5th Degree (Godan)
Mid Atlantic Region
Trung Le
5th Degree (Godan)
North Central Region
Art Wong
5th Degree (Godan)
North Central Region
Jim Wade
4th Degree (Yondan)
North Central Region
Jon Hodapp
4th Degree (Yondan)
North Central Region
Thomas Meagher
4th Degree (Yondan)
North Central Region
Vassil Peytchev
4th Degree (Yondan)
Great Lakes Region
John Hyatt
4th Degree (Yondan)
South Atlantic Region
Adam Blanchard
3rd Degree (Sandan)
Southwest Region
Hai Nguyen
3rd Degree
South Atlantic Region
Michael Ching
3rd Degree (Sandan)
North Central Region
Anjali Krishnan
2nd Degree (Nidan)
Southwestern Region
Bill Badlo
2nd Degree (Nidan)
North Central Region
Deirdre Layne
2nd Degree (Nidan)
North Central Region
Frederick Turner
2nd Degree (Nidan)
Southwestern Region
Gina Wood
2nd Degree (Nidan)
North Central Region
J Robert Todd
2nd Degree (Nidan)
Southwest Region
Lanny Little
2nd Degree (Nidan)
Southwest Region
Mark Abeln
2nd Degree (Nidan)
North Central Region
Asim Haracic
1st Degree (Shodan)
Mid-Atlantic
Atul Kotamraju
1st Degree (Shodan)
Mid-Atlantic Region
Brandon Kammer
1st (Shodan)
South Atlantic Region
Chris Penning
1st Degree (Shodan)
South Atlantic Region
Donna Lee
1st Degree (Shodan)
Mid-Atlantic Region
Dr. Phil Smith
1st Degree (Shodan)
South Atlantic
Ethan Nyberg
1st Degree (Shodan)
Mid-Atlantic Region
Mike O’Malley
1st Degree (Shodan)
Northwestern
Uzma Rasheed
1st Degree (Shodan)
Mid-Atlantic Region