Student section

Mr. Raymond Mannion, 3rd Dan

Ge-Baek

In 1992, Mr. Mannion left Villanova University with a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and a desire to do something with his life beyond enrolling in a white-collar profession. He packed up his belongings into a Dodge Omni and drove to Los Angeles where he had been accepted by Teach for America. Within 6 weeks, he was handed keys to a classroom in a section of South Central Los Angeles called Watts. Just a few months after riots erupted surrounding the police brutality verdicts in the Rodney King trial, Ray Mannion was living and working in the heart of the nations toughest neighborhoods. It was at this point that he enrolled in a Taekwon-do school for the first time to learn some self-defense.

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In 1995, Mr. Mannion was invited by Mr. Dean O'Hanlon to take classes in Suffern, NY. The enthusiasm and passion of the instructor and senior students carried him through several promotion tests until a job transfer required him to stop practicing.

Finally, arriving in New York City in 1997, he enrolled in two different Taekwon-do schools and quickly dropped out before finding Grandmaster S.J. Kim. With Grandmaster Kim, he found an exceptional role model and teacher. He practiced for several years and earned a black belt in 2002 before relocating to Oneonta, New York. Although 4 hours from New York City, Mr. Mannion continues to train under Grandmaster Kim. He has committed himself to improving his Taekwon-do practice daily and to teach all those who wish to learn.

Ray Mannion backflips