Glen Ridge Taekwon-Do Master Instructors
Master John Meany, 7th Dan
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Master John Meany is a 7th Degree black belt with over 20 years of experience practicing and teaching Taekwon-do. Master Meany is a student of Grand Master Suk Jun Kim in New York City. Grand Master Kim was a member of the internationally renowned Korean Taekwon-do demonstration team under General Choi Hong Hi, the founder of Taekwon-do. In 2014 Master Meany was appointed Chief Instructor of Taekwon-Do International.
Under Grand Master Kim, Master Meany has served as Patterns Demonstrator at Taekwon-do International seminars, and also competed extensively in patterns, breaking and free fighting. Master Meany has also coached many students to competitive success while serving as judge, referee, and head judge at many competitions. Master Meany appreciates his original and traditional training under Grand Master Kim and endeavors to emulate that professionalism, intellect and spirit of Taekwon-do in his teaching and training. A former marketing director for a major financial institution, Master Meany is an avid soccer player and coaches in a local recreational soccer league. He resides in West Caldwell with his wife Laura Giletti, also a Master Instructor, and their two children Margaret and Charlotte. |
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Master Laura Giletti, 7th Dan
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Master Laura Giletti (7th Degree Black Belt) started studying Taekwon-do in a small college club and discovered it was something she really had a passion for. After college she moved to New York City and was lucky enough to find Grandmaster S.J. Kim's Taekwon-do where she studied for many years, earning black belt, and later becoming a Master Instructor.
Because she was told at times that "girls can't do" when it comes to Taekwon-do, Master Giletti has a particular interest in showing women and girls that a Taekwon-do practitioner is judged on the quality of their art and not by their gender. Each student needs to be judged by their merits, and each student has strengths that can be cultivated to help a student achieve greater success. In addition to teaching, Master Giletti enjoys working on the technology in the back office at Glen Ridge Taekwon-do and improving online presence for both the school and the school's parent organization, Taekwon-do International. She is also a Master Gardener with the Essex County Master Gardeners. Master Giletti is married to Master John Meany and they have two school-age daughters. |
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Master Patricia Papera, 4th Dan
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Master Patricia Papera (4th Degree Black Belt) has been with the school for a very long time, starting under the school's founder, Master Marr. This is the only Taekwon-do school she has trained in and she has dedicated many years in service to her training and to helping many students.
She is someone who is always ready with an encouraging word, and her cheerful personality can be felt whenever she is in the school. She is a teacher who never hears the word "CAN'T" and finds a way to "CAN DO". In addition to her teaching responsibilities, Master Papera keeps the school chalkboard decorated with wonderful, cheerful designs, and is one of the regular photographers at our tests. All of the artwork and calligraphy in the school is her talented work on display. |
Grandmaster Suk Jun Kim, 9th Dan
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Grandmaster S.J. Kim, 9th Degree Black Belt, is the founder of Taekwon-do International and is the instructor under whom Master Meany, Master Marr, and Master Giletti studied for many years. Grandmaster Kim studied Taekwon-do under General Choi, the founder of Taekwon-do, and was a member of the original Korean Taekwon-do Demonstration Team. Grandmaster Kim still teaches at his school in New York City. (more ...)
History of Taekwondo, by Grandmaster S.J. Kim |
