Korean Martial Arts Center: Ocean Avenue Taekwondo Dojo Since 1983

The Korean Martial Arts Center, known to regulars as KMAC, has held the same storefront at 1414 Ocean Avenue since Grandmaster Merrill W. Jung founded it in 1983, and the K Ingleside streetcar rattles past its windows several times an hour. Inside, the padded floor hosts children's taekwondo, adult self-defense built on hapkido, and judo throws, which makes it a good fit for families who want one dojang that covers kicking, joint locks and falling safely.

Jung never planned to run a business. In a 2022 profile by the Ingleside Light he said he worried that commerce would hurt what he loved about martial arts, and that his student Andrew Erickson convinced him to open the school. Before KMAC he taught around the city at clubs and recreation centers, including the Embarcadero YMCA, while working for the San Mateo County Probation Department, from which he retired in 2005.

In August 2020 the San Francisco Small Business Commission unanimously approved KMAC for the city's Legacy Business Registry, recognizing it as one of Ingleside's oldest community-serving institutions. The center had earlier received a certificate of honor and a proclamation from Mayor Gavin Newsom in 2006. Jung is a certified 8th-dan black belt in Moo Duk Kwan taekwondo, an International Sin Moo Hapkido 10th dan, and a member of the U.S. Taekwondo Grandmaster Society, according to the registry coverage.

The website lists three core disciplines: traditional taekwondo, hapkido and judo, all taught under Jung's direct guidance and affiliated with the World Taekwondo Federation. Taekwondo classes focus on precision kicking, dynamic strikes and poomsae forms, with an emphasis on agility, balance and the tenets of courtesy and perseverance. Hapkido brings joint locks, throws and pressure-point control for close-range self-defense.

Over the years the floor has hosted a wider mix. Earlier Ingleside Light coverage described classes in yongmudo, tai chi, Filipino stick fighting and Wing Chun alongside the Korean arts. Some students from the center have gone on to the Junior Olympics and to competitions in Korea, and one student from 30 years earlier testified to the Small Business Commission about the school's role in the neighborhood.

Children's Taekwondo is the backbone, aimed at focus, respect and coordination, and the school has taken students as young as four. Adult Self-Defense blends practical taekwondo and hapkido for real-world situations, building strength, agility and situational awareness rather than chasing tournament points. Advanced Forms and Weapons is the deeper track for experienced students who want precision work and traditional weaponry.

Progress follows a three-stage path laid out on the programs page. White belt foundations cover stances, basic strikes and the principles of respect and discipline. Colored belts work through a structured curriculum of forms, sparring and self-defense, with each level earned through consistent effort and evaluation. Black belt testing is presented not as an end, but as the start of advanced technique and leadership.

KMAC does not run an online booking calendar. Trial lessons are scheduled weekly, and the contact page asks newcomers to call (415) 333-1050 or send an inquiry form; staff then reach out to set a trial date and explain the class options. The programs page describes that first session as complimentary, and parents can also ask to book a class observation if a child would rather watch before stepping on the mat.

Tuition and timetables are not posted online, so the phone call is where you learn which evening suits your age and level. Arrive a little early for the trial in loose athletic clothes, remove shoes before the mat and expect to bow to the instructors on entering. Kids' sessions are often taught by Grand Master Larry Dorsey, who told the Ingleside Light that the key concept of the art is peace before fighting.

Jung likes to say KMAC is more club than business. In the same profile he invited anyone curious to drop by, say hello and meet a friend, even if they never sign up. The center is family-run: his nephew Thomas Mar has helped manage it, and his son Sonny Jung and daughter Sandy Lee help out and have expressed interest in taking it over. That continuity is why longtime students keep returning years after earning their black belts.

That attitude shapes the room. Classes mix ages more than a franchise studio would, so a teenage brown belt may hold pads for a parent in their forties, and senior students are expected to model the courtesy and self-control listed among the school's four foundations: courtesy, integrity, perseverance and self-control. Jung, who described himself to the paper as a child at heart and a people person, still paces the padded floor during class, watching for sloppy form and correcting it on the spot.

The K Ingleside line stops directly on Ocean Avenue, and Balboa Park BART station is a short ride east, so the dojang is easy to reach without a car. Parking on Ocean is metered and tight in the evening, so the streetcar is the calmer choice for after-work classes. The 29 Sunset bus also crosses nearby for riders coming from the west side of the city.

City College of San Francisco's Ocean campus, where Jung himself studied, sits a few blocks east and makes a pleasant loop on foot. Closer to the dojang, the Ingleside Branch Library on Ocean Avenue is a quiet place for siblings to read during a lesson, and the strip of Korean, Chinese and Latin American restaurants along the avenue is ideal for a post-training dinner.

Korean Martial Arts Center is at 1414 Ocean Ave, San Francisco, CA 94112, in Ingleside. Phone (415) 333-1050 or (415) 347-3628, or email info@kmacsf.com. Trial lessons are booked weekly by phone or the website's inquiry form, and the first session is complimentary. Disciplines: traditional taekwondo, hapkido and judo, for children and adults. Head instructor: Grandmaster M. W. Jung, founder in 1983.