President & Founder | Lee’s Champion Taekwondo Academy, Inc.
Grand Master Yong Hyeok Lee is a globally respected martial artist, educator, author, and community leader with over 50 years of Taekwondo experience. He is the President and Founder of Lee’s Champion Taekwondo Academy, Inc., established in 1993 in Mankato, Minnesota, with headquarters moved to Shoreview in 2003.
A proud graduate of Seoul Physical Education High School — South Korea’s most elite athletic high school — and Sung Kyun Kwan University, Grand Master Lee made history in 1985 when his high school team reached the finals in all 8 weight divisions at the Seoul City Team Trials, earning 7 golds and 1 silver, then winning 6 gold medals at the Korean Olympic Festival. He claimed gold in the middleweight division, helping set a record still unbroken to this day.
He is a 9th Dan Black Belt certified by World Taekwondo, a three-time Korean National Middleweight Champion, and former U.S. National Taekwondo Team Coach and Manager. He has trained thousands of students, including U.S. National Team members, world-class competitors, and champions — including his own son, Brandon H. Lee, actor and national champion best known as “Kwon” from Netflix’s Cobra Kai.
Master’s Degree in Sports Psychology, Minnesota State University – Mankato
Graduate of Seoul Physical Education High School
Graduate of Sung Kyun Kwan University
Graduate of Anthony Robbins Mastery University and Leadership Academy
Certified in Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) by the American Board
Certified Dream Builder Life Coach
Graduate of High Performance Academy
Bullyproof Vol. 2: Unleash the Hero Inside of Your Child (Amazon Best Seller)
Fast and Curious: The Secret Behind Supercar Owners' Success! (Amazon Best Seller)
From Bench Warmer to Champion: 7 Steps to Make Your Dreams Come True
President, Korean American Association of Minnesota (KAAM)
President, MN State Taekwondo Association for U.S. Korean Sports Association
Referee Chairman, U.S. Korean Taekwondo Association
Former MN State President, American Taekwondo United (ATU)
Former Chairman, ATU Referee Committee
Adjunct Professor of External Affairs, Chosen University, Korea
Thank you for the great program that you have and all the encouragement and training that you have provided. I know these skills through his life.
All the very best,
Shome family
Our daughter loves coming every week! She is learning a ton and burning off steam as well. We've seen her start to learn discipline, patience, and coordination. We actively recommend it to other families.
