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About Us

Martial arts community - students and instructors of Parks Martial Arts
Grand Master Park
Grand Master Park with student

Grand Master Park

Grand Master Park started Park’s Martial Arts Academy in Billings in the 80s after a storied career as a 5-time national champion and world class Judo competitor for South Korea. Park also placed 2nd in the Judo World Championships and spent time as the Olympic Judo coach for the Netherlands. After his competitive career was over, Park’s next goal was to come to the United States.  

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Park Dreamed of Starting a School in the United States

In 1978, Grand Master Park realized his dream of coming to the United States. He had visited the US while on an exhibition Judo tour with South Korea and knew his ultimate goal was to be here. 

 

That dream, drive, desire, and dedication are what he instills in his instructors and students.  For those he mentors, both young and old, Master Park has a passion to make a positive impact on their lives. 

American Jungdo Federation

Today, Grand Master Park is President of a family of schools in the region under the federation he founded- the American Jungdo Federation.  

Young girls engaged in martial arts

Park's Martial Arts Academy

Grand Master Park’s dream continues as his school and his students (now instructors) train students in the ways of traditional martial arts. The academy is dedicated to the community, students and families.

 

Master Park (and Mrs. Park) created a long legacy of dedicated instructors, students and friends that have been impacted by the Park's and martial arts in all aspects of their lives. A mission to build up each person, young or old, to become the best person they can be, is what draws people to Park’s Martial Arts. 

 

At Park’s Martial Arts Academy, students not only learn the physical, sport and self-defense aspects of martial arts, but also confidence, courage and the mental aspects of our tenets: courtesy, humility, integrity, perseverance, self-control and indomitable spirit.

 

The Academy offers two types of classes:

 

JUDO Classes

 a sport where each opponent attempts to break the others’ balance and pin. Team Judo USA describes judo as: "a tremendous and dynamic combat sport that demands both physical prowess and great mental discipline. From a standing position, it involves techniques that allow you to lift and throw your opponents onto their backs. On the ground, it includes techniques that allow you to pin your opponent’s down to the ground, control them, and apply various chokeholds or joint locks until submission.”

 

MARTIAL ARTS Classes 

(emphasis in taekwondo, self-defense and hapkido)

The Academy’s Martial Arts classes developed by Grand Master Park himself. These include Kata (forms), Taekwondo (use of kicking and hand techniques), Weapons, Hapkido (joint locksgrapplingthrowing techniques, kickspunches, and other striking attacks and self-defense counter measures. The classes also integrate techniques used in Judo and Jiu Jitsu.

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"Graceful, gentle martial artist" 
Billings judo master shows the power of control and humility
- Billings Gazette 

 One of the world's top martial-arts instructors, the hard-bodied Master Suk Byung Park teaches - not the skills of punishing kicks or darting body punches - but about the art of loving his opponent during a judo match.

To Master Park, martial arts is more about morality and spirituality, respect and honor, and humility and love, than sport. In heavily accented English, the black belt worked hard to explain his life and philosophy. Despite an office filled with plaques and trophies, Park announced, "I am not better than you. Physical exercise and mental discipline is more important'' than kicking and punching, Park said. Jungdo is a philosophy that teaches students "right-looking, right-listening, right-thinking and right-talking,'' which means living every aspect of life morally. His black-shouldered uniform sports two pairs of chest and arm patches, including Park's school patch and the American Jungdo Federation patch.


In 1970, he graduated from (Yong In University) the world's first martial-arts college, a school that flunked half of his 85-member class. The Korea Judo College hired Park as an instructor, one of two graduates honored with a teaching position.

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Park's message is simple, if ironic for today's world: Martial-arts students should respect their education, respect their parents, respect their country.

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Grand Master Parks with Olympic torch

Grand Master Park:

  • 10th Degree Black Belt Tae Kwon Do

  • 10th Degree Black Belt Judo

  • Yong In University Assistant Professor

  • 1969-1974 Korea National Champion

  • 2nd Place - World Championships

  • Netherlands Olympic Head Coach

  • Black Belt Man of the Year 1983, 1993, 1999

  • American Jungdo Federation President

Grand Master Park was a 5 time Korean National Judo Champion on his way to the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich when his arm was broken in a Judo match.

Since that time, Grand Master Park has devoted his time and talents to teaching the martial arts; first as a professor at Yong In University in Seoul Korea, then as head coach of the Netherlands Judo Team and then finally travelling to the United States where he taught and started a family with Mrs. Park in Billings, Montana.

Master Park was bestowed the honor of being one of the torch bearers for the Salt Lake City Olympics in 2002.

Instructors

Head Instructor

Grand Master Suk Byung Park 

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Instructors

Master Bruce Abbott

Master Ernest Woods

Master Frank Park

Mrs. Mikaela Toegel

Ms. Hannah Kellinger

Mrs. Melanie Tripp

Ms. Zoee Tripp

Mr. Oli Tripp

Mr. Danial Pack

Mr. Willis McCall

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Oli and Melanie Tripp of Parks Martial Arts
Branch Academies

Branch Academies

Park’s Martial Arts
1920 Central Ave 
Billings, MT 59102
(406) 245-8808

Head Instructor

Grand Master Suk Byung Park

Instructors

Master Bruce Abbott

Master Ernest Woods

Master Frank Park

Mrs. Mikaela Toegel

Ms. Hannah Kellinger

Mrs. Melanie Tripp

Ms. Zoee Tripp

Mr. Oli Tripp

Mr. Danial Pack

Mr. Willis McCall

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Cody Martial Arts Academy
502 Ray Road
Cody, Wyoming 82414
(307) 527-7613

Head Instructors
Master Bob Yager​

Master Bert Pond​


Tongue River AJF Martial Arts
Ranchester, WY 82839
(307) 763-6498

Head Instructors
Mrs. Dawn Moody-Riley

​Mrs. Lisa Balstad​

A complete list of the American Jungdo Federation - Branch Schools

A.J.F. Martial Arts - Sheridan
1030 N. Main Street
Sheridan, Wyoming 82801
(307) 751-5540

Head Instructor
Master Steve Cropley​

 

Star Valley Martial Arts

107736 N US Highway 89
Etna, Wyoming 83118
(307) 887-7859

Head Instructor

Ms. Brandi Jenkins

 

A.J.F. Martial Arts - Pierre
221 W. Capitol Ave. Suite 102
Pierre, South Dakota 57501
(605) 295-0352, (605) 224-1844 (cell)

Head Instructor
Mr. Tom Lehmkuhl​

 

Platte Valley Martial Arts
210 West Elm Street
Saratoga, WY 82331
(307) 215-9663

Head Instructor
Mr. Nicholas Haderlie​

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AMERICAN JUNGDO FEDERATION Headquarters

1920 Central Ave.Billings, MT 59102

info@americanjungdofederation.com

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