About
The UC Berkeley Martial Arts Program offers training in martial arts through six different clubs: Judo, Karate, Taekwondo, Taiji, Wushu, and Self-Defense Yongmudo. The program also runs instructional seminars, symposiums, martial art camps, and annual events such as the UC Open, the Chinese Martial Arts Tournament, and the UC Yongmudo Championship.
• Ages: 13–18 years old
Since its inception in 1969, the Martial Arts Program of the University of California’s Berkeley campus has had a twofold mission. Its stated purpose is to preserve the philosophy, techniques, and traditions of martial arts and to develop a scientific understanding of the physical and spiritual implications of human performance.
Instruction in UC Berkeley Martial Arts Program clubs is carried out by high-ranking instructors in their particular martial arts, many of whom are themselves students of Dr. Ken Min. The program is led by Dr. Russell Ahn, Director of the UC Martial Arts Program, and was founded by Dr. Ken Min, who started the first major university-based martial arts program in the nation in 1969.
The future of the UC Berkeley Martial Arts Program was secured in 1995 with a one-million-dollar endowment by the Ministry of Culture and Sports of the Republic of Korea and the World Taekwondo Federation, officially named the Ken Min Endowed Directorship for Taekwondo and the Martial Arts. The program has partnerships with Yongin University and Korean National Sport University, and it has trained many successful competitors and teams and hosted many tournaments. It is described as one of the top producers of martial artists in the country and as unique in its combination of athleticism and scholarship, vision and history, and innovation and tradition.
The UC Berkeley Martial Arts Program is dedicated to providing martial arts instruction to the campus and surrounding communities, offering martial arts classes to Cal students and to residents of Berkeley and neighboring communities. It is active in organizing and hosting instructional seminars, symposiums, and martial art camps, furthers the presence of martial arts in collegiate, national, and world competitions, and contributes to the martial arts experiences of the local and international community. The program pools together hundreds of members to run events in a university environment and is described as an expanding, dynamic organization.
The International Martial Arts Research Institute (IMARI) associated with the program publishes an academic journal of martial arts monograph series with an annual compilation of martial arts papers. The Universal Locker Room used by the program is described as an award-winning facility. The UC Berkeley Youth Recreation website notes that the program has “4 Stars on Yelp!”.
Last updated May 11, 2026.
• Ages: 13–18 years old
Since its inception in 1969, the Martial Arts Program of the University of California’s Berkeley campus has had a twofold mission. Its stated purpose is to preserve the philosophy, techniques, and traditions of martial arts and to develop a scientific understanding of the physical and spiritual implications of human performance.
Instruction in UC Berkeley Martial Arts Program clubs is carried out by high-ranking instructors in their particular martial arts, many of whom are themselves students of Dr. Ken Min. The program is led by Dr. Russell Ahn, Director of the UC Martial Arts Program, and was founded by Dr. Ken Min, who started the first major university-based martial arts program in the nation in 1969.
The future of the UC Berkeley Martial Arts Program was secured in 1995 with a one-million-dollar endowment by the Ministry of Culture and Sports of the Republic of Korea and the World Taekwondo Federation, officially named the Ken Min Endowed Directorship for Taekwondo and the Martial Arts. The program has partnerships with Yongin University and Korean National Sport University, and it has trained many successful competitors and teams and hosted many tournaments. It is described as one of the top producers of martial artists in the country and as unique in its combination of athleticism and scholarship, vision and history, and innovation and tradition.
The UC Berkeley Martial Arts Program is dedicated to providing martial arts instruction to the campus and surrounding communities, offering martial arts classes to Cal students and to residents of Berkeley and neighboring communities. It is active in organizing and hosting instructional seminars, symposiums, and martial art camps, furthers the presence of martial arts in collegiate, national, and world competitions, and contributes to the martial arts experiences of the local and international community. The program pools together hundreds of members to run events in a university environment and is described as an expanding, dynamic organization.
The International Martial Arts Research Institute (IMARI) associated with the program publishes an academic journal of martial arts monograph series with an annual compilation of martial arts papers. The Universal Locker Room used by the program is described as an award-winning facility. The UC Berkeley Youth Recreation website notes that the program has “4 Stars on Yelp!”.
Last updated May 11, 2026.
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