About
Serving the South Bay since 1995
About U.S. Tae Kwon Do Academy
U.S. Tae Kwon Do Academy has served the South Bay from our Sunnyvale studio since 1995. We were founded on a simple conviction: that Tae Kwon Do should be taught authentically, with clean technique and genuine respect for the Korean culture and philosophy behind it. Three decades later, that conviction still shapes every class we teach.
Our founder, Grand Master Jin S. Shim, holds an 8th Dan black belt certified by Kukkiwon and brings more than forty years of experience to the floor. Before opening USTA he trained and taught in Seoul as head instructor for Han Sung High School and the Korean Army, and toured the world with the Korea National Taekwondo Demonstration Team — performing at the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games and at Madison Square Garden.
He went on to serve as Head Coach of the 2006 U.S.A. National Team and Team Leader of the 2012 U.S.A. National Team, and today directs the Bay Area Open Taekwondo Championship.
We build true confidence through knowledge in the mind, honesty in the heart, and strength in the body.
Students learn basic techniques, poomsae, one-step sparring, self-defense, free sparring and breaking — alongside the philosophy that turns a martial art into a way of life. Grand Master Shim teaches with a team of certified instructors, and with two or three instructors on the floor in most classes, every student receives real individual attention.
Whether your child is stepping onto the mat for the first time or you are an adult returning to training, you will find a studio that is serious about technique and warm about people.
The Five Tenets We Teach
Every belt, every class, every student — technique is only half of what we pass on
Courtesy
Respect for parents, instructors and elders.
Integrity
Honesty in the heart — knowing right from wrong.
Perseverance
Always finish what you start. No shortcuts.
Self Control
Discipline to know when not to use your power.
Indomitable Spirit
Face challenges without backing down.
Train With Grand Master Jin S. Shim
Visit our Sunnyvale studio and see an authentic Korean Taekwondo class for yourself