Meet Our World Class
Masters and Instructors
Master Dominick Brioche is a 6th-degree black belt and three-time Black Belt Hall of Fame inductee with mastery in Jujitsu, Hapkido, and TaeKwonDo. As the first and only female Shihan in Kumite Ryu Jujitsu, she combines international teaching experience with a doctoral-level dedication to the philosophy of martial arts.
Master Betty is a 4th-degree Hapkido and 3rd-degree Jujitsu black belt who has been training under Grandmaster Herbert since 1997. A recipient of a Brooklyn Borough citation for her community contributions, she integrates her expertise in yoga, personal training, and meditation to provide a well-rounded, elite martial arts education.
Master Brad is a 4th-degree Hapkido and 2nd-degree Jujitsu black belt who has been teaching in Brooklyn since 2003. With a martial arts journey spanning multiple disciplines since age 10, he specializes in technical fundamentals and conditioning, having successfully guided WMAC’s very first group of junior black belts.
Master Jonathan Waks is a 4th-degree Hapkido and 1st-degree Jujitsu black belt who has been training with Grandmaster Herbert since 1996. Serving as WMAC’s CFO, he brings over 2,000 hours of teaching experience across specialized disciplines, including weapons training, sparring, and meditation.
Master Shira Beery is a 3rd Dan HuBae in Hapkido who began her journey at WMAC in 1998 at just 10 years old. An Ivy League graduate with an MBA from Yale and a BA from Stanford, she leverages over 29 years of experience—including becoming an assistant instructor at age 12—to help students build empowered and healthy lives.
Master Carol Glasgow is a 3rd-degree black belt in Hapkido and a 1st-degree black belt in Kumite Ryu Jujitsu with over 22 years of training. A certified personal trainer and founder of Kick Fever Fitness, she specializes in empowering students through a dynamic blend of traditional martial arts, self-defense, and elite fitness conditioning.
Master Kelly Rutkowski is a 4th-degree Hapkido black belt who has been training with Grandmaster Herbert since 1998. A specialist in joint-locking techniques and weapons defense, she integrates over 25 years of martial arts experience with her expertise as a NYS licensed Acupuncturist and Master of Science in Oriental Medicine.
Master Jill Zoll-Burdick is a 4th-degree Hapkido black belt who has been training with Grandmaster Herbert since 1998. A specialist in joint locking and weapons tactics, she possesses the rare ability to teach martial arts to everyone from three-year-olds to seniors, blending her technical mastery with a professional background in global sales management.
Senior Instructor Douglas Kyosanim is a 3rd-degree Hapkido black belt who has been training at WMAC since 2007. Drawing on a distinguished career in the NYC Department of Education, he specializes in adaptive, student-centered instruction and champions martial arts as a vital, lifelong practice for maintaining mental and physical health.
Senior Instructor Michelle Kyosanim is a 3rd-degree Hapkido black belt who has been training at WMAC under Grandmaster Herbert since 2001. With over a 25 years of experience teaching both children and adults, she integrates her background in Judo, Capoeira, and Yoga to foster physical fitness, leadership, and mental focus in her students.
Advanced Instructor Sung E Bai Kyosanim is a 4th-degree Hapkido black belt who has been training at WMAC since 2006. A social justice leader with two master’s degrees from Columbia University, she integrates over 30 years of advocacy and non-profit leadership with her expertise as a certified mindfulness instructor to foster a practice rooted in empowerment and mental clarity.
Advanced Instructor John Kyosanim is a 3rd-degree black belt and Brooklyn native who has trained under Grandmaster Herbert for over 25 years. Having taught and assisted in over 1,000 Hapkido and Judo classes, he leverages a broad expertise in Jujitsu, Aikido, and Tai Chi to provide students with a well-rounded and deeply rooted martial arts education.
Certified Instructor Danielle Uchitelle is a 2nd-degree Hapkido black belt who began her training at age 60, proving that martial arts mastery is possible at any stage of life. An educator with advanced degrees from NYU and Columbia, she teaches children and adults while championing the profound physical and spiritual growth found within the WMAC community.
Certified Instructor Jacques-Philippe has trained under Grandmaster Herbert since 2012, drawing on a lifelong background as a national Judo champion and elite wrestler. An entrepreneur and global leadership advocate with degrees from Georgetown and Dartmouth, he helps students build character and resilience by blending martial arts philosophy with modern leadership development.
Instructor Renaud is a dedicated member of the WMAC community who originally began his martial arts journey for health and fitness. A Chief Technology Officer with a passion for craftsmanship and watchmaking, he brings a high level of technical precision and a commitment to lifelong wellness to his teaching and personal practice.
Certified Instructor James Calhoun is a 1st Dan Hapkido black belt who has trained under Grandmaster Herbert for 10 years. A Brooklyn-born technology leader and entrepreneur with global experience, he is dedicated to helping students of all ages develop confidence and discipline through a holistic practice that balances physical self-defense with mental and spiritual growth.
Certified Instructor Isabel is a 2nd-degree Hapkido black belt who has been training at WMAC since 1999 and teaching since 2003. A Digital Marketing Program Manager and somatic therapy coach-in-training, she focuses on the co-emergence of body and mind, helping students achieve holistic growth and present-moment awareness through their martial arts practice.
Certified Instructor Da-Hea has been studying HapKiDo at WMAC since 2020. As an instructor, she enjoys working with committed students to help them progress on their martial arts journey.
Certified Instructor Janet Rutkowski leverages 20 years of martial arts experience and a decade of Hapkido training at WMAC. An accomplished metal sculptor with work featured in galleries across New York, she has spent the last seven years specializing in youth instruction, where she serves as a dedicated and cherished mentor to the school's youngest students.
Grandmaster Herbert is a Sabumnim. A Sabumnim is a guide and instructor, through whom your martial arts knowledge and many life skills will come. To be a Sabumnim means one has earned the honor to pass on the invaluable lessons and experiences of numerous masters and sages. To be a Sabumnim means always being of service to humanity, there for one's students and striving to help them achieve their absolute best. To be a Sabumnim means not only having years of martial arts training, but also the ability to produce extraordinary students, instructors and masters like all those below from individuals just like you. A Sabumnim provides solutions for individuals to clear their life's journey of obstacles and light their path to a more fulfilling life and a rewarding future.
SaBumNim has been teaching for over 45 years. He is also a certified Zen meditation instructor. He has attained an 8th Dan in HapKiDo, 8th Dan in VSK Jujitsu, 8th Dan in Tae Kwon Do, and is a Martial Arts Life Guidance Master with the World Pro HapKiDo Federation. He is currently the President of the World Pro HapKiDo Federation in the tri-state area. He is the only non-Korean Master awarded by the World Pro Hapkido Federation for contributing to the ongoing development of present day Hapkido. He was awarded by the World Tae Kwon Do Federation for his contributions, support and has assisted many masters in achieving higher excellence and higher rank. Additionally, he was a referee for the World Tae Kwon Do Federation for Olympic TKD. He was a former president for the Chinese martial arts division of the Amateur Athletic Union. He has trained extensively with nine of the world's most renowned, respected and innovative Grandmasters and Masters of the Twentieth Century. These phenomenal martial artists include: Master Chin Yun Chung, Master Mantak Chia, Grandmaster Sang B. Ko, Soke John Davis, Grandmaster Jong Yuk Kim, Grandmaster J. Choi, Grandmaster Billy Davis, and is presently still a student of Grandmaster Chih-Young Lin since 1993. They are all the foundation of Master Herbert's extensive skills, knowledge and understanding of martial arts.