Summit Mist Martial Arts

Hoping to see everyone at our biennial World Championship in Chicago! I’m especially honored and humbled to have been asked to contribute the design for this year’s poster, and hope everyone sees it as the calling card to come once again and celebrate the art together with our global community. Thank you for the opportunity, Kwan Chang Nim & The ! Hope to see you there!

Hoping to see everyone at our biennial World Championship in Chicago! I'm especially honored and humbled to have been asked to contribute the design for this year's poster, and hope everyone sees it as the calling card to come once again and celebrate the art together with our global community. Thank you for the opportunity, Kwan Chang Nim & The World Tang Soo Do Association! Hope to see you there! (Registration in the post below, from WTSDA)

Exciting news about the 2026 World Championship!
Dates: July 15-19th 2026
Location: Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center and Hotel, 1551 Thoreau Dr N, Schaumburg, IL 60173. The hotel is attached to the convention center.

Tentative schedule of events:
• Wednesday July 15th- Ki Gong at the Convention Center
• Thursday July 16th- Ki Gong and WTSDA training clinics at the convention center. A lake and river architectural boat tour of Downtown Chicago with bussing will be available.
• Friday July 17th- Black Belt and creativity competition.
• Saturday July 18th- Opening Ceremonies and Gup competition.
• Saturday night July 18th One Family Championship party in the same room as the competition with a live band and a DJ.
• Sunday July 19th- One Family picnic at Six Flags Great America. About 40 miles North of the hotel. There will be bussing available for an additional cost.
• Bonus Monday July 20th- A Cubs game at historic Wrigley Field with a bus to and from the hotel, a 90 minute behind the scenes tour of Wrigley and a ballgame. WTSDA Member Bus Trip to Wrigley Field. Bus, Ticket, Tour, & Souvenir

The hotel link is open and accepting reservations.
• Reserve your room at the hotel; https://book.passkey.com/event/51012688/owner/27662/home
• Nearest airport: Chicago O’Hare International Airport, ORD.
• Local tourism bureau information on things to do in the area. World Tang Soo Do 2026 World Championships | Renaissance Schaumburg Hotel & Convention Center
• There are many restaurants and activities in the area around the hotel/ convention center. There is even a free shuttle that runs around the town. Woodfield Trolley | Schaumburg, IL

Check out https://worldtangsoodo.com for all the latest information on the World Championships and when registration will be live.

We can’t wait to see our WTSDA One Family at one great location! Tang Soo!

Having taken such an enormous step away from training and teaching this year, focus has been directed towards my professional life. So wonderful when they cross paths, and in a huge way, having met the awesome independent comic creator John Davis and his daughters Sydney and Lily at , all students and teachers with !!! Please check out his series and work, and support indie comics! So great to cross paths to remind me to make my way back to training again. Thank you sir for gifting me the series and for supporting my work in turn.

It was an absolute pleasure to sit with Master Don Logan yesterday in West Portal and share a meal in remembrance of Grandmaster Jerry Stine, and hear about his worldview, sense of humor, his adventures through the years, his hopes, and to be reminded of his joy in life, from one of his closest and dearest friends, and helped make him feel present one last time. My heart goes out to his family and to the association in this time of mourning and loss.

I remember passing him by on the Rockaway beach sands during our Dan Camp years ago, and happening upon this image of him overlooking the training and camaraderie in presence of this glorious sunset. It was a poignant moment, seeing him watching over our region at a time when we can all be together.

We all hope to honor his legacy of contribution, warrior spirit, commitment to our art and its people, and above all, absolute kindness, with our continued training in memory of his lessons and teaching. Thank you sir for everything your leadership and guidance.

Rest in Peace, sir.

In honor of a leader, teacher and mentor to the Region and Association. Thank you for your legacy of contribution, warrior spirit, commitment to our art and people, and absolute kindness.

We will miss you, sir. Rest In Peace.

A solid summer of reconnecting with some past partners in training. Great to see these two to reflect together on growth, evolution and life challenges, as well as reminiscing about the past and expressing hopes for the future.

On a much-needed and long overdue journey back to origins, I was able to spend time with (lifelong) teachers, mentors and friends Master Merrill, Master Strohm and Dr. Parsons. Time and good conversation with them is a breath of fresh air, and fuel to move forward. The little bit of time to set foot on the Appalachia Tang Soo Do floor is restorative and familiar. I met a great many of my heroes and role models on this floor, and figured out a lot of who I am as a martial artist here too. A lot has changed. Just enough remains the same… I also came home to grab an artifact… right where I left it and it still fits. Back to basics indeed.

One of the best reasons to go down to San Diego for work… to take on the town with very close friends from the ! Thanks to this crew, the long days are followed with good food, laughter, amazing company and sharing the vast world of pop culture that brings us together every year (outside of training). Love these folks, and especially wonderful seeing them this time around.

As of July 1st, Summit Mist Martial Arts formally closed its doors in the Inner Sunset district of San Francisco. Thank you to our students, instructors and infinite support from beyond our dojang walls for the proud years of your patronage, trust, and fostering of this strong community of warriors. It has been the honor of a lifetime to lead this amazing family, and I will miss it dearly, as I look forward to their achievements to follow, beyond our time together at SMMA. It’s been a tough span of time leading up to this decision, and even more challenging adjustment over the last month for the whole community, tying up loose ends and establishing new opportunities for SMMA’s former students and members. On my final trip over the hill to pack up at the studio on July 4th, Independence Day (passing by our neighbor Master Logan’s house in SF), I happened upon this vision of the Marin, blanketed by the incoming fog, a poignant reminder of this studio’s namesake. I trust we can all still see the summit through the mist, and keep striving to reach it, as we remain steadfast, strong, but yield to natural flow. My deepest gratitude to all, in great anticipation of our individual evolution.

Tang Soo!

Master Don Aguillo

A short, but meaningful, homecoming. One of many, and the start of something new and different. There is no destination without its origin.

Great to have my “sudo” son visit from California. Even tho just a short trip. One of my top students Master Don Aguillo. Miss ya.

With gratitude, reflection, conviction, and solace on this very significant, yet calm and quiet, day. “A warrior needs to know when it’s time to put down the sword and leave the field of battle.” - Master Michael White

Congratulations to our newest E Dans, Mr. Thomas Chang, Mr. Amos LaSan, Ms Sienna Li and Mr. Deeje Cooley on reaching the new threshold and crossing it. Their leadership, studentship, commitment and fulfillment of all of their responsibilities to their rank and community are ever-inspiring. We’re so proud of them and we look forward their new journey ahead. Thank you to our friends and families that attended the ceremony as well as those who joined us online to be there in spirit. The kind words of gratitude and celebration really gave weight to their accomplishment. Tang Soo!