World Class Taekwondo

World Class Taekwondo offers Taekwondo classes that include practical self defense techniques, traditional Taekwondo forms, and Olympic Style sparring skills. The program also offers birthday parties, summer camps, games, arts and crafts, and field trips as part of its activities.

• Ages: 4–18 years old
• Schedule: Classes available 6 days a week
• Price: $20 Beginner Class

World Class Taekwondo offers Taekwondo classes for children, adults, and families from ages 4 and up, including a Little Tigers program for 4- and 5-year-olds, kids classes for ages 6–12, teens and adults programs, and family classes. Birthday parties at World Class Taekwondo include Taekwondo basics, demonstrations, and board breaking, followed by pizza and refreshments served by staff, with no decorations, set up, or clean up needed for families. The summer camp is open to students and non-students all over Western New York and features a structured, well-organized day with varied activities including games, arts and crafts, and field trips, and no martial arts experience is required.

World Class Taekwondo has been a staple in the community since 1993 and is described as WNY's premier martial arts school, celebrating over 30 years of teaching martial arts in Western New York. The story of World Class Taekwondo began in 1983 when Grandmaster Sun Ki Chong opened his first school in Syracuse, NY, and in 1993 the first World Class Taekwondo Center opened in Williamsville, NY, with additional locations added over the next 15 years. World Class Taekwondo has trained thousands of students of all ages, and its staff is now teaching the children and grandchildren of original students. It has served as a training ground for dozens of aspiring instructors, with over 35 former staff members opening their own independent Taekwondo schools across the United States.

The leadership team includes Founder Grandmaster Sun Ki Chong, an 8th Degree Black Belt, and Co-Founder and Executive Director Master Michael Mertens, a 7th Degree Black Belt and senior student of Grandmaster Chong. Grandmaster Chong has over 60 years of experience, is a former Korean champion, a former head coach for the U.S. National Taekwondo team, and a 5-time Head Coach for the U.S. National Taekwondo Team. Master Mertens is a former national-level competitor with over 40 years of Taekwondo experience, is a three-time New York State sparring champion, a two-time bronze medalist at the Collegiate National Taekwondo Championships, and was captain of the Cornell University sparring team, as well as a graduate of the Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations with a focus on Organizational Behavior. World Class Taekwondo’s curriculum was personally developed by Grandmaster Chong as a balance of traditional Taekwondo forms, practical self defense, and Olympic Style sparring skills, and the school is described as more than just a place to learn martial arts, but as a community where students of all ages come together to grow, challenge themselves, and achieve their goals.

According to its mission statement, Grandmaster Chong’s philosophy is that Taekwondo is about self improvement as well as self defense, and instructors focus on teaching “life skills” as much as physical techniques, aiming for students of all levels to gain increased focus, confidence, and determination that they can apply to all areas of their life. World Class Taekwondo is described as the most popular Taekwondo school and martial arts program in all of Western New York, with a positive and encouraging environment that includes peers of every fitness level and age, and flexible scheduling with classes available six days a week.

Last updated February 8, 2026.