Richard Hackworth Ph.D., LAC, CPT

Grand Master, 9th Dan

President, American Dragon Martial Arts Academies

Richard Hackworth is an international certified Grand Master of the Korean martial arts of  Taekwondo, Hapkido and YuSool. His official title is Chong KwanJangNim which is the highest level of Grand Master in the Korean martial arts.

When it comes to the traditional military art form of Taekwondo in America, no figure has been more influential than Richard Hackworth. While others chased easy money promoting Taekwondo as a sport, Grand Master Richard Hackworth and a close circle of masters worked very hard to keep the classical form of Taekwondo alive in the USA.

Few can claim that they dedicate each day to learning, teaching and promoting martial arts, or that they were hand-picked by Korea’s highest ranking Masters to be America’s first true Grand Master.

However, that is exactly what Grand Master Richard Hackworth has accomplished and continues to be dedicated to.

His enthusiasm, charisma, and ability to communicate with people of all ages have made him America’s most sought after martial arts teacher in Taekwondo, Hapkido and YuSoo.

His martial arts career began as a student in Japan where he trained in Karate and Kendo.  He also had some training in Aikido while preparing for a small part in a television mini-series.  After finishing his schooling in Japan he returned to the US where he joined the US Army and was stationed in Korea.

His time in Korea allowed him to train with the first generation of Taekwondo martial arts masters in Korea who were trained after the Japanese occupation. Their specialty was the military arts forms of Taekwondo and Hapkido, not the modern Olympic sport Taekwondo of today.

Hackworth was the first of what is now called a “Multi-Arts Grand Master” having achieved Grand Master level ranks in Taekwondo, Hapkido, and YuSool. Some of his past instructors include Hong Chong Soo and Kim Yong Hon of MooDukKwan, Lee Yong Woo of JungDoKwan, Lee Suk Kyu of ShimKiDo, YuSool and TaeGukKwan, Song Yong Ki of HanMuKwan, Kim Young Jin of UlJiKwan, Jun Baek Yun of JunMuKwan. Having different Hapkido teachers gave him a unique perspective on the finer points of the art and helped him evolve his training into a new Hapkido form in itself, HaeMuKwan Hapkido, which became an official Kwan of the Korea Hapkido Federation in November of 2000.

In recent years Hackworth has won international acclaim as an author and martial artist. His achievements and teachings have been featured in over 1,000 magazine articles worldwide. He even received a special letter of appreciation from the Korean Government for his many contributions to the Taekwondo community.

Traveling the globe, he delivers technical seminars to audiences of all sizes. With an artful way of teaching that is entertaining and motivational he is known for his ability to impart a vision and clarify a purpose while combining his thorough research, motivational strategies, humor, wisdom and international perspective to inspire audiences of students and masters alike.

As Hackworth has risen through the martial arts ranks he has made several outstanding achievements.

• He is the first non-Korean to be allowed membership into the prestigious Korean Martial Arts Instructors Association and today serves as the International Director.
• He has earned seven martial arts Hall-of-Fame inductions.
• He has earned a Ph.D. in Asian Studies and a second Ph.D. in Oriental Medicine.

These accomplishments make him one of the most qualified Grand Masters of his generation, not only in the USA, but in the entire world. This is why he was the first non-Korean in the world to be appointed to the Korean Martial Arts Instructors Association World Council.

Grand Master Richard Hackworth is probably most well known as the host of the “World Martial Arts” TV and Radio Shows.  World Martial Arts Media, Inc selected him as the host of the show because of his professional reputation as a martial arts teacher and his past experience as a performer on other action-oriented television programs.

He is also the Executive Editor of “World Martial Arts Magazine” and the Founder of the US National Taekwondo Association.

Now making his home in Florida, Richard Hackworth operates the American Dragon Martial Arts Academies school located in Ocoee, Florida, where his personal clients range from children, parents, business professionals, police officers and corrections officers to other martial arts school owners.