About the Owner, Steve A. Blakeley

Steve A. Blakeley
Owner/Senior Instructor

Steve Blakeley Since 1972, Mr. Blakeley has trained in the art of traditional Taekwon-Do and since 1979 has been the owner and senior instructor of Eastern New Mexico Taekwon-Do. As a national and internationally certified black belt Mr. Blakeley holds the rank of 5th degree black belt. Master W.L. Lang, 8th degree black belt from Albuquerque has been Mr. Blakeley's instructor since 1988. Mr. Blakeley certified as in International Instructor with the International Taekwon-Do Federation in 1994. The founder of Taekwon-Do Grandmaster Choi, Hong Hi instructed the course.

Mr. Blakeley is also certified as an instructor in police defensive tactics, and in past years instructed classes for the Portales City Police, Clovis City Police, Roosevelt and Curry County Sheriff departments, and Cannon AFB Military Police. As an instructor for the Army ROTC program at Eastern New Mexico University Mr. Blakeley instructed hand-to-hand combat classes to the university students.

Competing at the local, state, regional, and national levels Mr. Blakeley has over 30 years of experience. A highlight to his competing came with a silver medal in sparring at the 1992 Black Belt Nationals in Boston, Massachusetts, and earlier that year earning a silver medal in sparring and bronze medal in patterns at the Black Belt Regional Championships in Odessa, Texas. Mr. Blakeley competed in full Contact Karate matches for four years and retired with a 6 - 1 record.

In 1993 and 1995, Mr. Blakeley was selected to instruct classes at the ITF Taekwon-Do World Camp in Winter Park, Colorado. Currently black belts from across the state of New Mexico come to Portales to receive his instruction. In 1998, Mr. Blakeley qualified two students for the USA Team competing in Ireland. Mr. Bryan Bresler and Ms. Berni Huber returned from Ireland with three gold medals, one silver, and one bronze medal. Mr. Blakeley hosts international, national, and regional summer camps and seminars at Eastern New Mexico University. Mr. Blakeley has been selected to judge competition at each of the last five Regional and National Black Belt Championships.

In May of 1998, Mr. Blakeley, Master Lang, Master Griffin, Mr. Arnold, and Mr. Treich founded the Yom Chi Taekwon-Do Association. The YCTA is a non-profit organization promoting traditional Taekwon-Do across the United States. Mr. Blakeley also held the office of secretary in the YCTA 1998-2002.

In September 1999, Mr. Blakeley published the YCTA a " Gup Handbook " which is in its third edition. In December 2000, Mr. Blakeley published the YCTA " Black Belt Handbook ." In June 2001, Mr. Blakeley published "Taekwon-Do Etiquette and Customs " through Blue Dragon Publishing. Currently Mr. Blakeley is working on a book on instructing Taekwon-Do and hopes to have it published sometime in 2004.

On September 27, 2003 Mr. Blakeley tested for his VI Degree black belt in Portales, New Mexico. Master W.L. Lang and Master Floyd Griffin conducted the test. On completion of the test Mr. Blakeley was presented with several fine gifts from his students, family and friends.