Instructors

 

	Master Phil Power President / Chief Instructor Master Power started TaeKwonDo in 1992 through a local martial arts instructor who was a student of Grand Master Tae Eun Lee’s.  Master Power instantly fell in love with this style of TaeKwonDo as he had previously tried several other martial arts.  Master Power knows what it’s like to be a student as he is always making trips to Ottawa to visit Grand Master Lee and to upgrade his knowledge and skill.  Master Power started in the Martial Arts when he just 15 years old.  He was trying to put himself through school and found himself losing focus and short tempered due to long school and work days.  After Master Power’s initial 3 month signup he was offered a scholarship in lieu of cleaning the dojang as his instructor knew of the financial hardship Master Power was experiencing. This truly was a turning point in Master Power’s life as not only was he learning Martial Arts, but he was learning life lessons that could not be taught any other way.  Master Power now had a new passion and found himself training in the dojang 7 days a week.  This eventually led to a teaching position and a full time paid position as an instructor.  Now, Master Power has taken his passion further and opened up his very own dojang.  Grasshoppers has an unparalleled teaching system in Grand Master Lee’s Moo Kwang curriculum & Master Power believes he has some of the top instructors in Canada.  Master Power’s passion for teaching is apparent in each and every class he does; Master Power is constantly challenging and pushing his instructors and students to new levels.  Master Power is a 4th Degree Black WTF Black Belt, Master Instructor with Tae E Lee Taekwondo, NCCP certified instructor, National Level I referee, President for TaeKwonDo Nova Scotia, and Eastern Canadian Director for Grand Master Lee’s Moo Kwang System.  Master Power is married and has 3 beautiful daughters and a son, which can all be found running around the school.  Mrs. Power can usually be found helping out or taking care of business in the office. Master Power is employed as a Police Officer with the Halifax Regional Police.
	Mrs. Janine Burton Chief Assistant Instructor Janine has been in Grasshoppers since the club originated in Clayton Park in 2002.  (Janine has followed Master Power around everywhere he has moved as she thoroughly believes in his program and the philosophies of Grandmaster Lee.)  Janine initially joined TKD because her young son had joined, and she thought it looked like it would be a great way to get exercise as well as have fun.  As her son moved on to other sports, she continued on with her training and received her first degree Black Belt in 2005.   Janine enjoys teaching as well as training and is known throughout the school as being the memory expert!  Janine had this to say about her training; “It's great to see members progress in their belt levels as well as their dedication to the sport of TKD.  Even as a Black Belt, there is so much more to learn and perfect that my training is never finished.  There is always room for improvement and with this I have a never ending goal.”  Janine is a 2nd Degree WTF Black Belt and is employed by Bunge Foods Canada.
	Master Randy Nelson Instructor Master Nelson started TKD with Grand Master Lee in 1989 at age 36. At the time he was looking for an activity to follow up on a competitive passion for wrestling and fencing, that would at the same time help to maintain flexibility and conditioning. Having now been a student of Master Lee's for the past 23 years, he found those early aspirations to have been greatly exceed and have now become an important part of his lifestyle. He has found Master Lee's traditional Martial Arts program to be the only one that truly focuses on the family with a curriculum that is oriented to all ages and abilities. To have had the opportunity to associate with Master Lee has been a true privilege and an inspiration. Master Nelson has been a 4th Degree WTF Black Belt since 2008. He is an instructor with a focus on detail and precision and lives by Master Lee's motto of Jung Shin Tong Ill (Of one mind and single purpose or more loosely translated "you never fail until you stop trying"). Master Nelson has recently retired to the Halifax area after a long career with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, having finished with a posting to Canada's Embassy in Switzerland.
	Ms. Kayla Cummins Instructor Kayla is our top competitive student and has won double gold medals at the Provincial TaeKwonDo Championships as has been a medallist in every competition since starting in 2007.   Kayla has won the superstar award two times and has also been the recipient Grasshoppers scholarship for a student having outstanding leadership in their community. Kayla started teaching in the after school program and is the chief assistant Instructor in the program.  Kayla is an outstanding young lady that has the ability to adapt to any situation, and is a great asset to the Grasshoppers Instructor team.   Kayla is a 2nd Degree Black Belt, Level III National referee, and is in her final year at Prince Andrew High School.
	Mr. Duane McOnie Instructor Duane began training at Grasshoppers in September of 2006 when the Dartmouth School first opened its doors. He had always had an interest in the Martial Arts, and was looking for a way to get in shape. To this day his enthusiasm for learning and instructing continues to grow. This is evident in the fact that Duane rarely misses a class and is always willing to help out around the school. (Duane has won Instructor of the year numerous times)  Duane says that one of the best things about being a student / instructor is passing on what he has learned and watching other students grow as they progress through the ranks. Duane is a 2nd Degree Black Belt, certified NCCP instructor, and is employed by Capital Health where he supervises the Housekeeping Department at Hospitals throughout the district.
	Mrs. Rhonda McOnie Instructor Rhonda joined Grasshoppers when Master Power opened the doors in Dartmouth in 2006. Her main goals for joining were for a form of exercise and self defense. She never dreamed that TKD could be more than a form of exercise. Now it has become a huge part of her life and couldn't imagine not training to improve herself both physically and mentally. Grasshoppers is not just a TKD School but also a family. It is always growing and it is great to see so many people enjoy everything that the school has to offer. It makes it worthwhile to continue training and to help train all the students in any way that you can. Rhonda is a 2nd Degree Black Belt. She is employed by Capital Health as a Biomedical Electronics Engineering Technologist.
	Mr. Robert Powell Instructor Robert was attracted to the Grasshoppers Tae Kwon Do school by its dedication to the traditional "Art" of Martial Art. Robert earned his 1st degree WTF Black Belt in 1996 and spent another three years studying Kenpo Karate before joining the Grasshoppers family in 2006.  Robert decided to "start over" from the beginning belt levels as he wanted to improve his TaeKwonDo and learn the Moo Kwang style. Robert continues to work at improving his technique and Tae Kwon Do knowledge, and finds the technical aspect of the art fascinating. Rob's goals include obtaining his 2nd degree Black Belt and improving himself as a true Martial Artist. Robert is a 1st Degree WTF Black Belt and is employed as an off-shore geotechnical engineer.
	Dr. Nadine Trudeau Instructor Nadine began  training with the Grasshoppers family in 2006 after retiring from Highland Dancing.  She has previous training in Kenpo Karate and decided to try a different Marital Art.  She enjoys both the physical and technical challenges of Tae Kwon Do.  Nadine is continually trying to perfect her technique and improve her strength, endurance and jumping abilities. Nadine always gives herself a goal and takes pleasure in helping and teaching the students to reach their own personal goals. Nadine's next goals include achieving her 2nd degree Black Belt and improving her self-defense techniques. Dr. Nadine is a 2nd Degree Black Belt and iis employed as a veterinarian at Petworks Animal Hospital.
	Cameron Yetman Junior Instructor Cameron began training in Taekwondo in Sept 2006 as an 8 yr old at the Grasshoppers Halifax School and took to the sport right away. When the school was relocated to Dartmouth he followed Master Power and obtained his 1st Degree Black Belt ( Junior) in Nov 2010. Cameron loves the physical aspect of Taekwondo as well as the intricacies of the patterns. He is focused on improving his kicks and board breaks as well as obtaining his 2nd degree Black Belt. Cameron is a grade 8 student at Park West Elementary in Halifax and when not in Taekwondo class loves to bang away on the drums.
	Junior Instructors Dylan Potter Gia Rossi Isa Rossi Brian Quick Daniel Quick Teaching Assistants Alexs Burchill

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