Master John Choi, 5th Dan, was named one of Loudoun's Top 30 Under 30 in July's edition of Loudoun Business.
The article presented a brief interview with Master John as follows:
John Choi, 28
Master
U.S. Tae Kwon Do Academy
For John Choi, Tae Kwon Do isn't merely a hobby, but rather a lifestyle. Choi's journey with the art began when he was two years old, when his father Eung Gil Choi introduced him to the sport. Fast-forward 26 years and Choi is now Master of the United States Tae Kwon Do Martial Arts Academy in Leesburg, while his father is Grand Master.
Choi attributes his success to his father, who he said taught him the value of life through Tae Kwon Do.
"I am who I am because of him," Choi said about his father. "He pretty much paved the way for me. At 15 years old, he sent me to Korea every summer on my break from school, and I would train with Olympic athletes. I learned from the best of the best and would come back to teach our students to become the best."
At the same age, Choi ceased serving as a competitive student in Tae Kwon Do and began coaching-a decision that has been difficult but rewarding.
"When you are 15, you are thinking coaching has got to be easier than actually competing, but it has definitely been much harder," he said. "For me to help students achieve their goals and help them overcome fear to not only compete locally or in the state, but also internationally and at the national level-you can't top that. When you can help others achieve their goals it's just priceless."
Choi has brought what he has learned from his father and Olympic trainees to his own teaching. At age 15, he was the youngest person to train and create a Tae Kwon Do competition team that participated in a national championship in Virginia at the time. The team's name is C-Crew, which still exists today.
Despite his success, Choi said he truly enjoys just working with people, ranging from two-year-olds to 60-year-olds and up. "Every day presents a new goal, a new challenge," he said. "You can't teach everyone the same way, so when the students come in for class, it is always a fresh challenge for me."
But that doesn't mean his competitive instincts have run dry. In the future, he said he hopes to help a student represent Leesburg in the Olympics for Tae Kwon Do and win a gold medal. In the meantime, however, Choi continues to train students, help run the business and see his father as an inspiration.
"What he does now at his age, and for him to do what he has done for so long-to have that drive and energy to keep on-is just amazing to me," he said about his father. "If I can be half as good as him, I will be successful."