Elite Taekwondo Center is one of the Bay Area’s foremost taekwondo studios, headed by one of the country’s most distinguished instructors, Grandmaster Kwangil Bae. If you’re looking for quality instruction, ETC is a no-brainer.

Grandmaster Bae is a world-class instructor, athlete, and international referee. He was recently appointed Head Coach of the AAU National Poomsae Team and is always up-to-date on the latest rules/regulations due to his connections at Kukkiwon (World Taekwondo Headquarters in Seoul). As such, you should expect only the highest level of instruction, as well as incredible opportunities for growth that can’t be found at other Bay Area martial arts studios. Joining ETC (or GM Bae’s other studio in Palo Alto) is akin to attending a top university like Harvard: you get as much out of it as the effort you put in, but your ceiling becomes much higher due to the availability of resources.

For reference: I began training with GM Bae in Palo Alto as a blue belt, having transferred from another studio. Under his guidance, I reached the rank of 3rd-dan black belt, won medals at NorCal State Championships and the US Open, became a nationally-certified referee, and attended seminars led by world champions.

GM Bae has an innate talent for teaching, and he has both an incredibly nuanced sense of the rhythm and aesthetics of poomsae (forms) and an intelligent understanding of sparring tactics. He designs exercises and describes physical motions in a way that is informative and easily accessible, and he truly embodies the spirit of taekwondo as not only a sport, but also a lifestyle.

Elite Taekwondo Center offers classes for all ages and types of students, from beginners to nationally-ranked competitors. In terms of teaching style, GM Bae instills a strong sense of discipline and respect within his students, yet always makes sure to treat us with genuine warmth and care. There is a palpable sense of community and respect within the studio that has been crucial to my personal growth, and as an assistant instructor, it has been a pleasure to see even the youngest students mature into sharp, talented individuals. I really can’t stress enough how valuable of an opportunity it has been to train with Master Bae – he is truly a one-of-a-kind instructor.

I have had the honor of being a student of Grand Master Bae in Palo Alto Martial arts and recently in Elite Taekwondo Center for more than three years now and the experience has been priceless.Grand Master Bae is a dedicated teacher with vast amount of knowledge and expertise. However, more than that he really cares about the growth and progress of each individual student. He sees the potentials and works with the individuals to improve them. He gives you opportunities to grow and be acknowledged. His style of teaching is versatile and not limited to certain techniques or curriculum.His encouragements, recommendations and supports has made me improve tremendously and I am forever grateful for that. So if you have a kid you want to enroll in this school or if you are an adult who ponders about learning martial arts you can not go wrong with Grand Master Bae and Elite Taekwondo Center.