ABOUT US
Nothing beats a great foundation which can only come through leadership from excellent instructors.
What sets us apart from other schools
We believe achieving student goals is the key to a successful school. We start with quality instruction, then train our staff in excellence and customer service. The result is a pleasant learning experience for every student at our school.
We offer the best martial arts instruction in the area. Time and time again, we are told by the families of our students how much improvement they have seen in our students in and out of class.
The Concord school serves students from Concord, Kannapolis, Harrisburg, Cabarrus County, Rockwell, Charlotte and surrounding areas.
Meet Our Instructors
Sean Baxter
Master Instructor
Sixth Degree Black Belt
Mr. Baxter operates the Taekwondo America school in Concord NC, and has been teaching for over 20 years.
He received his black belt and instructor certification under Mr. George Strickland while in Charlotte NC and achieved his fifth degree black belt in 2005. Mr. Baxter started his martial arts training in 1984 and opened his school 11 years later in 1995. This year marks the school’s 14th year in business.
His background includes over 20 years in Information Technology and six years as an anti-armor specialist and expert marksman at Fort Bragg for the US Army with certifications in F.A.S.T. Defense from Bill Kipp of RMCAT in Colorado.
Mr. Baxter enjoys the strength and conditioning aspect of Taekwondo and looks forward to working with the students to achieve their goals in Taekwondo.
Benjamin Price
Level 4 Instructor
Fourth Degree Black Belt
Mr. Benjamin Price began his Taekwondo training at the age of 9 in 1997. 2007 marked his 10th year anniversary with Concord Taekwondo America and we look forward to another decade with us as an excellent instructor.
Jeff Hoffman
Level 4 Instructor
Third Degree Decided Black Belt
Jeff Hoffman hales from Gastonia, North Carolina. He has lived in Concord since 1992, currently a medical doctor who practices Family Medicine since moving to Concord and has been married for over 25 years.
His first Taekwondo experience was in 1980 in Charlotte, taking classes episodically through medical school and residency. He has been attending the Concord school since it started as a club in 1993 and has enjoyed seeing it grow to its current size and new location. He obtained his black belt in 1996 and has been a Certified Instructor since 1999.
“Many of my patients are quite surprised by my participation in TaeKwonDo. I have always enjoyed the motion and precision of the martial arts. I enjoy the intensity of the exercise and discipline required to attempt to excel in forms, sparring and teaching of TaeKwonDo.”
Jacque Fike
Level 4 Instructor
Third Degree Decided Black Belt
Ms. Jacque Fike started in September of 2003. She joined TaeKwonDo because she needed to get in shape and wanted to broaden her horizons. She wants to major in middle grade education, since it is her passion.
Ms. Fike is currently taking classes at UNCC and we wish her luck as she pursues her teaching degree.
“I enjoy meeting many new people and making friends. In the long run I have made some of my best friends and a new family.”
Michael Cunningham
Level 4 Instructor
Third Degree Decided Black Belt
Mr. Cunningham has been training in taekwondo since 2000 and relocated to Concord and has been training under Mr. Baxter since 2007. In addition he's been a nurse for over ten years. "Both arts allow people to overcome challenges they think to be unbeatable. I enjoy teaching because it allows me to be a stepping stone to assist others in reaching their personal goals. "My favorite quote is by Christopher Reeves who said ' I think a hero is an ordinary individual who finds strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles." |
Jennifer Foster
Level 4 Instructor
Third Degree Black Belt
Ms. Foster began her Taekwondo training in 2003 and received her black belt in 2005. She later earned her certification as an instructor the following year. As a student, and later as a black belt, Ms. Foster has competed in over 27 tournaments and attended numerous Taekwondo camps and other events. Ms. Foster is the school's Program Director and you can find her in class teaching or tending the Pro-Shop.
Anthony Moore
Level 4 Instructor
Third Degree Black Belt
Mr. Anthony Moore started TaeKwonDo when he was 13 in the summer of 2005. In June of 2007 he asked Mr. Baxter if he could help out with some of the classes. After that first day of assisting class he made it his goal to become an instructor.
"Though, teaching does have its advantages such as working with kids, learning new things, and improving your own skill but it was not that easy as he had learned. "
"You get to challenge yourself to get students to really understand Taekwondo. When they achieve that, it is the best feeling. That is why I love teaching."
Jonathan Moyes
Level 4 Instructor
Second Degree Senior Black Belt
Born in England, Mr. Moyes relocated to Concord in 1993 due to a job opportunity. Mr. Moyes’ wife is a pre-school teacher, currently studying for her Master’s degree. He started training at Concord Taekwondo with his eldest son in June 2006. He was awarded my Black belt (1st degree decided) on his birthday in August 2008.
"I wanted to be an instructor because I enjoy helping others and my belief that I couldn’t fully develop as a Taekwondo practitioner until I could successfully teach others to achieve their potential."
Nicole Mullins
Level 4 Instructor
Third Degree Senior Black Belt
Ms. Nicole Mullins began training in TaeKwonDo in 2005 at the age of 10, where she quickly developed a passion for the art. Since her first class, she has had a desired to perfect his skills and reach the level of Black Belt. While working to achieve her goal she added the aspiration of becoming an Instructor. In February of 2008 she earned her collar as an Certified Instructor.
“The closer I got to my goal of being a Black Belt the stronger my desire to be an instructor became. I just want to help others achieve their goals and pass on my passion for TaeKwonDo!”
Kyle Sunderman
Junior Certified Instructor
Third Degree Decided Black Belt
Mr. Kyle Sunderman’s TaeKwonDo career started when he was 6 years old in Ohio.
Two years went by and Kyle reached his 2nd Degree Black Belt by the time he was 8 years old.
When he was eleven his family moved to North Carolina and in the spring of 2005, Kyle walked through the doors of Concord TaeKwonDo and met Mr. Baxter. He, his father Chris (1st Degree Senior at the time), and his little brother, Conner, happily signed up again.
Currently, Mr. Sunderman is a Junior Certified Instructor. He loves TaeKwonDo and enjoys drumming.
“I love everything about TaeKwonDo, the mental and physical training that develops me, all the fun things I get to do, but my favorite aspect of it is the people. I have lots of friends and I love my students.
My goal as an instructor is to further myself as a person and martial artist, but my main goal is to develop my students and give them a fun time. If they have a bad day or they’re just bored, I want them to be able to say ‘I wanna go to TaeKwonDo!’ Even when I’m having a bad day I like to go teach because they can cheer me up like nothing else can.”
Michael Rinaldo
Level 3 Instructor
Second Degree Decided Black Belt
Mr. Michael Rinaldo joined Concord Taekwondo at the young age of 38 and worked hard to receive his first black belt by 40. Previously (1994) he was an instructor for the Hurricane Island Outward Bound Schools, where he worked with at-risk kids, teaching them life skills.
While he currently works in the business world, he continues to stay involved in teaching as an instructor with the National Apartment Association. His daughter, Taylor, joined the school two months before he did and he maintains that, for her and the impact he saw Taekwondo was having on her, he had started in the first place.
"I believe it is never too late to try something new regardless of age. My daughter started Tae Kwon Do in 2007 and I joined because I thought it was a great way to not only have an activity we could do as a family, but also stay in shape at the same time. I grew to love it and am honored to have the opportunity as an instructor to help others learn. I hope that I can be an inspiration to those out there who believe it is too late to follow their dreams."
David Quesada
Level 2 Instructor
Third Degree Black Belt
Mr. Quesada began training in Taekwondo in 1993 earning his Black Belt in 1995. He continued to train in Taekwondo until a work related back injury took him out of Taekwondo for 8 years. His family moved to Concord in 2005 and soon found Concord Taekwondo for his two children. Watching his children out there doing kicks and punches rekindled that old passion for the art in his. Working with Mr. Baxter I was able to return to Taekwondo and re-earned my Black Belt in 2006.
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I have always wanted to be an instructor to share my passion for the art of Taekwondo and to help other achieve their goals."
Josh DeBerardinis
Instructor Trainee
Second Degree Senior Black Belt
Mr. Joshua DeBerardinis started Taekwondo in 2007 at the age of 11. When he became a black belt in 2009, he sought after becoming an instructor. Following his second attempt at instructor test, he received his collar in April of 2010.
“I wanted to become an instructor because I wished to help others experience what I have come to know and love in Taekwondo.”
Jacob Walker
Level 2 Instructor
Second Degree Black Belt
Mr. Walker started martial arts at the age of 5 in 2004. He achieved his black belt at the age of 9.
He began assisting in the younger kids classes at the age of 10. After assisting for a year he realized he wanted
to work towards becoming an instructor.
When he was 11 he joined Concord Taekwondo. Since being at Concord Taekwondo, Jacob has achieved much on his journey in martial arts. He looks forward to continuing his training towards his next rank and instructor goals.
Cara Kimer
Level 1 Instructor
First Degree Senior Black Belt
Bio pending.
Andre Cottrell
Level 1 Instructor
First Degree Senior Belt
Mr. Andre Cottrell started Tae Kwon Do in April of 2008 at the age of 42 years young. He is a Chicago native who moved to North Carolina in 2004. He was driving by the school one day and stopped in to see what it was all about. He immediately found a love for Tae Kwon Do and never looked back. His strong belief that hard work pays off was the model behind his training regimen. Mr. Cottrell is known for his dedication and willingness to learn and was often found running laps after class in order to improve his conditioning. He received his black belt in June of 2011 and immediately turned his focus on helping other students. He trained to become an instructor and received his collar only four months later.
“I believe helping others is a gift of life and on the way to being successful, it is nice to take someone with you!”
Taylor Rinaldo
Level 1 Instructor
Second Degree Black Belt
Ms. Taylor Rinaldo started Tae Kwon Do when she was 7 years old and worked hard to receive her black belt in April of 2010. She started volunteering as an instructor’s helper and decided she wanted to work toward earning her instructor collar. Despite her young age, she committed herself to training and learning as much as she could. By her 12th birthday, she earned both her instructor collar and second degree black belt and hopes, one day, to be a TaeKwonDo master. In addition to her achievements in Tae Kwon Do, she is also an honor student at Northwest Cabarrus Middle School.
“I love teaching and it is even better to be able to teach something I love!”
