GM Michael Vasquez

At the age of 7, Michael Vasquez sought out martial arts due to being bullied. He was able to train with his father and his sister at the YMCA in town. He started his training under Master Don Betts and shortly started traveling to Trenton, Michigan to train under Chung Do Kwan instructor Grandmaster Edward Sell. In 1971 his family found the instruction of grandmaster Ho Yung Chung and soon made that their home school base. His family traveled all over Canada, Michigan, Ohio and Indiana for open tournaments. He placed in all of them. In 1975 he and Grandmaster H.Y. Chung traveled to Korea. There he spent two and a half weeks training at other Ji Do Kwan schools while Grandmaster H.Y. Chung visited family. Grandmaster Vasquez says:

“That is where I learned the true art and discipline of Taekwondo. The training was so much more intense and captivating that it made me want to follow the art and train even harder when I got home”.

In 1976 he made the US National team. He spent 4 years as a team member and team captain for one of those years. Grandmaster Michael Vasquez has also trained in Hapkido, Jiu-Jitsu, Arnis and Wrestling. He continues to instill into others the training he has received through the years.

COMPETITIVE RECORD & HONORS

Grandmaster Michael Vasquez holds the distinction of being the first USA male to win a gold medal in an international competition held in the Kukkiwon.

1977 US Tae Kwon Do Team Trials – Berkley, CA – Fly – Gold
1977 US Team Member 3rd World Tae Kwon Do Championships – Chicago, IL 1977 Presented Special \Award by National AAU Tae Kwon Do Committee 1978 US Team Trials – Washington, D.C. Fly – Gold
1978 Pre-World Tae Kwon Do Games – Seoul, Korea – Bronze
1979 Tae Kwon Do Team Trials – Dayton, Ohio – Fly – Gold
1979 US Team Member World Championships – Stuttgart, Germany
1979 US Team Member North American Games – Honolulu, Hawaii – Silver
1979 US Team Member World Games – Taipei, Taiwan
1980 US Tae Kwon Do Team Trials – Berkley, CA. – Fly – Gold
1980 1st International Goodwill Meet – Silver
1980 Selected Team Captain for International Goodwill Meet
1980 US Team Member Pan Am Games – Houston, TX. – Gold
1983 2nd Division Championship – Camp Casey, Korea – Gold
1983 14th Foreigners & Women’s Taekwondo Championships Kukkiwon –Gold
1993 Inducted to Port Huron Sports Hall of Fame
2009 Inducted Into the Taekwondo Hall of Fame April 10th, 2009
2013 Inducted to US Grandmasters Society Hall of Fame
2013 Discipleship Award by US Grandmasters Society Hall of Fame