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The World Taekwondo
& Hapkido Association
The World Taekwondo & Hapkido Association
Honoring The Past, Embracing The Future
GM Frank R. Nelson is one of the highest legitimate multi Kwan officially ranked Masters in the world, an original student of Moo Duk Kwan GM Chong Soo Hong and GM Jae Sun Do, Chungdokwan GM Edward B. Sell and GM Hae Man Park, Jidokwan GM Oh Joo Yul and GM Dong Kyun Lim, the KTA, WTF, the Kukkiwon Academy, Korea Hapkido Federation, Korea Hapkido Total Association, Sin Moo Hapkido, JJ Kwan Hapkido, American Hapkido Association, and several others, and Co Founder and Vice President of The World Taekwondo & Hapkido Association.
Master Nelson taught elements of the US Army First Infantry Division “in theater” during the Persian Gulf War (ODS/DS) 1990/91, and Iraqi Translators, U.S. & British Special Forces & Ugandan Republic Military Guards “in combat theater” during the Iraq War (OIF/OEF) 2008/09. Master Nelson taught Taekwondo in several community settings as well as an adjunct professor at Valencia Community College in Orlando Florida where he was also a State College Campus LEO.
Grand Master Frank R. Nelson, a retired U.S. Army Captain with 25 years of active duty around the globe including multiple combat tours was born in Miami Florida in 1960. He began his Korean Martial Arts training in 1975 practicing “Korean Karate” “Kong Soo Do.”
In April 1977 Master Nelson entered U.S. military service where at that time a combination of Taekwondo, Hapkido, and Judo “Hand to Hand Combat ” training was a standard Basic Combat Training requirement.
Upon completion of Basic and Advanced training Master Nelson went overseas in September 1977 and began formal Taekwondo and Hapkido training in Sung Moo Kwan and Sung Do Kwan. Following the death of his teacher in 1980 Master Nelson studied both Ishynryu Karate and Wushu Gungfu for approximately one year each before returning to Taekwondo and Hapkido.
GM Do eventually relocated to Georgia in the mid 1990’s.
During that time Master Nelson sought to participate with other Florida based martial arts organizations and as a result began training relationships with United States Chungdokwan Association President GM Edward B Sell and World Taekwondo Chungdokwan Federation Vice President GM Park Hae Man, Florida State Taekwondo President and former Pan American Olympic Coach, Jidokwan GM Oh Joo Yul, Chunnam Techno College Education Director Jidokwan GM Ki Jeong Lee, and Hodori Demonstration Team Director, Jidokwan GM Dong Kyun Lim, Judo O’Sensei Philip S. Porter and others, Jeet Kun Do with Sifu Edwin Pagan and Bruce Lee student Sifu Richard Bustillo, BJJ with Gracie Jujitsu Black Belt Andre Linares, Shito Ryu with Sensei Vincent Sands, Tenshin Aikido with Luis Santos Sensei, Kumdo with GM Anthony Ropero, and has had continued formal and distant Hapkido training from the late 1970’s to present day under the Korea Hapkido Total Association, the Korea Hapkido Federation, American Hapkido Federation GM Chong Mon Lee, JJ Kwan GM Kim Myung Yong, WHF GM Kwang Sik Myung, IHF GM Bon Soo Han, Sin Moo GM Ji Han Jae, HMD GM Dr He Young Kimm, and several others, all Korean born Hapkido systems.
In 1994 Master Nelson hosted Korean Tiger Team Director – a former Jidokwan Vice President GM Hak Sun Ahn and The Korean Tiger National Demonstration Team at his Dojang in Orlando Florida.
From 1997 to 2000 in coordination with Kwangju City Chunnam Techno College Professor of Education GM Lee Ki Jeong Master Nelson hosted a Korean American Masters exchange program with Chunnam Techno College.
In September 2013 Master Nelson returned to Forts Stewart and Benning for medical care and was subsequently medically retired in September 2015.
In January 2016 Master Nelson opened the Korean American Martial Arts Academy in Orlando Florida.
The World Taekwondo & Hapkido Association-WTHA offers progressive beginner to advanced Korean Martial Arts training with World Class Curriculum and World Class Credentials uniting and elevating practitioners with higher standards across the globe.
WTHA is above and beyond, you should be too!
The World Taekwondo & Hapkido Association-WTHA offers progressive beginner to advanced Korean Martial Arts training with World Class Curriculum and World Class Credentials uniting and elevating practitioners with higher standards across the globe.
WTHA is above and beyond, you should be too!