who we are
Our philosophy
We are a group of Song Moo Kwan Tae Kwon Do Grandmasters & Masters who have banded together to spread Song Moo Kwan throughout the Greater Cincinnati area. We are a traditional Tae Kwon Do School where we believe Tae Kwon Do is an Art of Self Defense.
grandmaster jeffrey schare
9th Dan
President of Cincinnati Song Moo Kwan Tae Kwon Do Association
President of the World Song Moo Kwan Federation
Grandmaster Jeff Schare is an 9th Dan Black Belt in Song Moo Kwan Tae Kwon Do. GM Schare began his martial arts journey in 1972 at the age of nine years old under GM Il-Kwon Kim. GM Kim was a direct student of SGM Byung-Jick Ro, the founder of Song Moo Kwan Tae Kwon Do. GM Schare was able to train with SGM Ro on several occasions in the 1970s. Another student of GM Kim, GM Ray Witte, took GM Schare under his wing and guided him up through the ranks. GM Witte was and continues to be a major influence in GM Schare's life. GM Schare has also trained in Hapkido and Shotokan Karate. GM Schare is a two-time Ohio State AAU Tae Kwon Do Champion and a Medalist in numerous National competitions. GM Schare is a retired Homicide Detective with the Cincinnati Police Department and an expert in street self defense and police defensive tactics. GM Schare was one of the homicide detectives featured on the A&E show "The First 48"" and the Identification Discovery channel show “The Real Murders on Elm Street”.
Tae Kwon Do Timeline:
* September 1972 - Began training in Song Moo Kwan Tae Kwon Do under SGM Il-Kwon Kim, a direct student of SGM Byung-Jick Ro, the Founder of Song Moo Kwan* March 1975 - Promoted to Temporary 1st Dan Black Belt; certified under SGM Il-Kwon Kim and Song Moo Kwan* April 1977 - Promoted to 1st Dan Black Belt; certified under SGM Il-Kwon Kim and Song Moo Kwan* September 1981 - Promoted to 2nd Dan Black Belt; certified under SGM Il-Kwon Kim and Song Moo Kwan* September 1985 - Promoted to 3rd Dan Black Belt; certified under SGM Il-Kwon Kim and Song Moo Kwan* March 1990 - Promoted to 4th Dan Black Belt; certified under SGM Il-Kwon Kim and Song Moo Kwan* June 1995 - Promoted to 5th Dan Black Belt; certified under SGM Il-Kwon Kim and Song Moo Kwan* March 2000 - Promoted to 6th Dan Black Belt; certified under SGM Il-Kwon Kim and Song Moo Kwan* July 2006 - Promoted to 7th Dan Black Belt; certified under SGM Hwa Chong and GM Karl Stolberg * July 2014 - Promoted to 8th Dan Black Belt; certified under SGM Hwa Chong* July 2018 - Promoted to 8th Dan Black Belt; certified under SGM Joon-Pyo Choi and WSMKU *July 2018 - 8th Dan Black Belt certified by AAU Taekwondo * July 2018 - 8th Dan Black Belt certified by the United States Black Belt Federation * August 2018 - Founded Cincinnati Song Moo Kwan Tae Kwon Do Association* September 2018 - Founded World Song Moo Kwan Federation * July 2023 - Promoted to 9th Dan Black Belt; certified under World Song Moo Kwan Federation Board of Examiners * July 2023 - 9th Dan Black Belt certified by the United States Black Belt Federation
Tae Kwon Do Timeline:
* September 1972 - Began training in Song Moo Kwan Tae Kwon Do under SGM Il-Kwon Kim, a direct student of SGM Byung-Jick Ro, the Founder of Song Moo Kwan* March 1975 - Promoted to Temporary 1st Dan Black Belt; certified under SGM Il-Kwon Kim and Song Moo Kwan* April 1977 - Promoted to 1st Dan Black Belt; certified under SGM Il-Kwon Kim and Song Moo Kwan* September 1981 - Promoted to 2nd Dan Black Belt; certified under SGM Il-Kwon Kim and Song Moo Kwan* September 1985 - Promoted to 3rd Dan Black Belt; certified under SGM Il-Kwon Kim and Song Moo Kwan* March 1990 - Promoted to 4th Dan Black Belt; certified under SGM Il-Kwon Kim and Song Moo Kwan* June 1995 - Promoted to 5th Dan Black Belt; certified under SGM Il-Kwon Kim and Song Moo Kwan* March 2000 - Promoted to 6th Dan Black Belt; certified under SGM Il-Kwon Kim and Song Moo Kwan* July 2006 - Promoted to 7th Dan Black Belt; certified under SGM Hwa Chong and GM Karl Stolberg * July 2014 - Promoted to 8th Dan Black Belt; certified under SGM Hwa Chong* July 2018 - Promoted to 8th Dan Black Belt; certified under SGM Joon-Pyo Choi and WSMKU *July 2018 - 8th Dan Black Belt certified by AAU Taekwondo * July 2018 - 8th Dan Black Belt certified by the United States Black Belt Federation * August 2018 - Founded Cincinnati Song Moo Kwan Tae Kwon Do Association* September 2018 - Founded World Song Moo Kwan Federation * July 2023 - Promoted to 9th Dan Black Belt; certified under World Song Moo Kwan Federation Board of Examiners * July 2023 - 9th Dan Black Belt certified by the United States Black Belt Federation
A tribute to senior grandmaster ray witte
9th Dan
Grandmaster Witte has trained for over 60 years and I have had the pleasure of training with him my entire time in the Martial Arts. I have watched Grandmaster Witte over the years mentor and develop many martial artists.During the late 80's through the 90’s Grandmaster Witte was the primary person at I.K.Kim Tae Kwon Do to handle all promotions and tournaments and black belt classes.There are many students who consider Grandmaster Witte to be their primary instructor or at least senior instructor. Most of these martial artists have started from white belt and have been guided along their martial arts path by Grandmaster Witte. I have listed a few of the senior most students that make up this group of Martial Artists.
Grandmaster Jeff Schare – 9th dan
Grandmaster Don MacFarland – 8th dan
Master Raymond Fay – 7th dan
Master Milt Proctor – 5th dan
Master Ken Fender – 5th dan
Master Carmen Nyswonger – 5th dan
Ms. Gayle Nyswonger – 4th dan
Mr. Jason Phillips – 4th dan
Grandmaster Witte brings practical experience to his teaching of the Martial Arts. He is currently a retired Cincinnati Police Sergeant and during his active years, Grandmaster Witte was the Physical Fitness/Defensive Tactics Instructor. With this responsibility as well as his years walking a beat in some of the roughest areas of Cincinnati, he has an understanding of practical application that is unsurpassed.
Grandmaster Robert Frankovich
9th Dan President of White Tiger Martial Arts Vice-President of the World Song Moo Kwan Federation
Robert Frankovich was born and raised in Chisholm, MN. He attended Chisholm High School and graduated in 1980. Earning an Associate of Arts degree from Hibbing Community College and a Bachelor’s of Science degree in 1987 from the University of Wisconsin – Superior allowed him to begin working in the fitness industry. Later he went back to Hibbing Technical College and completed the law enforcement coursework necessary to become Minnesota POST eligible. He began working in the security industry in 1986 and since he has worked in proprietary and contact security as an armed and unarmed officer.
In 1981, he found the opportunity to train in Taekwondo through the Karate North organization as part of Hibbing MN’s Community Education program and has continued his training since. When he moved to Superior, WI to complete his bachelor’s degree, he trained with the UW-Superior Karate North classes. His teaching started when Master Tom Sullivan asked him to the UM-Duluth Summer class in 1986. His training continued at UW-Superior and he started offering classes through community education in Superior and Duluth.
In 1990, he changed his school name to Pine Tree Taekwondo, which has been re-branded to Song Moo Kwan Pan Song Ryu in 2020, to reflect the more traditional aspect that his teaching had developed toward. This is a result of his search for what Song Moo Kwan was. The first of his articles about Song Moo Kwan, an original school of Taekwondo, was published in 1994. He remained with the Karate North and earned the rank of 3rd Dan until 1996, when an opportunity was given to him to help build a new Song Moo Kwan Taekwondo organization. This new organization, in its original version, failed and he returned to Minnesota in late 1997.
He began training at the North American Taekwondo Federation with Grandmaster Ro, Hee Sang, son of the Song Moo Kwan founder, and was promoted to 4th Dan before leaving the organization due to financial disagreements. In 2002, he contacted the American Song Moo Kwan Association, which had re-established itself after the initial attempt in 1996. He trained with their curriculum and was promoted to 5th Dan in August 2003. (View breaking demo from this test here). This was shortly before Master James Wohlwend took formal leadership of the organization.
Since then, Robert has been working to collect information about Song Moo Kwan, its Masters and Grand Masters and the stories from the leaders. Toward this goal, he developed the International Song Moo Kwan Association (ISMKA) as a place to collect the names, stories and those who have lost their instructors or schools but do not want to lose their connection to Song Moo Kwan. Through the Masters working with the ISMKA, he was promoted to 6th Dan in 2009. The ISMKA has been put aside and the work done moved to the World Song Moo Kwan United organization to benefit the growth of Song Moo Kwan under the leadership of SGM Joon Choi.
In 1990, after completing the law enforcement training, he decided that his martial arts training needed to be supplemented by an art that didn’t promote striking as the method of gaining control of a situation. It was at this time that he found Seidokan Aikido. A Northern Lights Aikido class at the Duluth YMCA taught by Brad Bergeron-sensei started the journey in Aikido. This seemed to be a natural direction to develop and train within now that he had completed the law enforcement training and testing with police and sheriff departments and didn’t feel the Taekwondo would be sufficient enough for working within a police/sheriff department. One of the governing concepts for Seidokan Aikdio was to bring the principles of Aikido into daily life. Shihan Roderick Kobayashi, founder of Seidokan Aikido believed that everything taught should have applications in daily life for anything from conflict resolution to promoting health and personal growth. Kobayashi-sensei’s insights were unique and the product of his years of training and as a student of Koichi Tohei-sensei. He received his Shodan certification in 1993 and was one to the last students promoted (to Nidan) before Kobayashi-sensei’s untimely death in 1995.
ScabbardBlock-Thrust-1In August 2003, Robert had the opportunity to begin training in Haidong Gumdo, a Korean sword art. He continued working on the introductory curriculum and, in March 2005, connected with Master Laura Clements to further his training. He received his Master Instructor certification in November 2005 and is currently teaching classes as WTMA Haidong Gumdo.
Interest in the curriculum grew quickly and branch schools were opened shortly after making connections with Master Laura. There are now ten masters who have joined Master Frankovich. The first black belt testing was held in December 2008. Three students received their certifications with one also joining the instructor’s program.
The headquarters of Midwest Haidong Gumdo is the Twin Cities (Fridley) dojang. There are 13 Masters in the Midwest Haidong Gumdo group. In August 2010, saw the beginning of a new working relationship with the USA Haidong Gumdo Association Senior Chief Master Marshall Parnell.
View a cutting demos from the 1st Pan American Championships (2011) here – five cuts on two bamboo sticks at the 2011 Haidong Gumdo Pan American Championships…..four cuts on two double mats at the 2011 Lake Superior Dragon Festival.
In June 2009, he created White Tiger Martial Arts to provide martial arts courses through a variety of Minnesota locations. This is an expansion of Sparrow Institute philosophy. Once established and other like-minded instructors are found, work will begin on opening a full-time schools as additional locations.
The USA Hall of Fame honor of Korean Martial Arts Master of the Year was awarded to him in April 2014. Additional recognition as the Minnesota State Co-Director of the Martial Arts Alliance was confirmed in October 2014. The 2015 USA Hall of Fame brought an induction as the Haidong Gumdo Master of the Year. Taekwondo Timeline 1982 to 1990…..Karate North Taekwondo (Northern Taekwondo Assoc., Tom Sullivan, Chief Instructor).12/1988 …..Certified 1st Dan Black Belt through the Northern Taekwondo Association – Karate North under Tom Sullivan, Chief Instructor.12/1990…..Certified 2nd Dan Black Belt through the Northern Taekwondo Association – Karate North under Tom Sullivan, Chief Instructor.4/1992…..Certified Kukkiwon 1st Dan Black Belt through Grandmaster Hee Sang Ro.11/1993…..Certified 3rd Dan Black Belt through the Northern Taekwondo Association – Karate North under Tom Sullivan, Chief Instructor.10/1998…..Certified Fourth Dan Black Belt through the North American Taekwondo Federation & World Song Moo Kwan Association under Grandmaster Hee Sang Ro.5/1999…..Certified Kukkiwon 2nd Dan Black Belt under Grandmaster Hee Sang Ro.6/2000…..Certified 4th Dan Black Belt through Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) Taekwondo.8/2002…..Certified 4th Dan Black Belt through American Song Moo Kwan Association.8/2003…..Certified 5th Dan Master Black Belt through the American Song Moo Kwan Association.1/2009…..Certified 6th Dan Master Black Belt through the International Song Moo Kwan Association.9/2013…..Certified Kukkiwon 4th Dan Black Belt5/2017…..Certified 7th Dan Senior Master through World Song Moo Kwan United under SGM Joon Pyo Choi.10/2021…Certified 8th Dan Grand Master through World Song Moo Kwan United under SGM Joon Pyo Choi. 3/2024...Certified 9th Dan Grand Master through World Song Moo Kwan Federation Board of Examiners.
In 1981, he found the opportunity to train in Taekwondo through the Karate North organization as part of Hibbing MN’s Community Education program and has continued his training since. When he moved to Superior, WI to complete his bachelor’s degree, he trained with the UW-Superior Karate North classes. His teaching started when Master Tom Sullivan asked him to the UM-Duluth Summer class in 1986. His training continued at UW-Superior and he started offering classes through community education in Superior and Duluth.
In 1990, he changed his school name to Pine Tree Taekwondo, which has been re-branded to Song Moo Kwan Pan Song Ryu in 2020, to reflect the more traditional aspect that his teaching had developed toward. This is a result of his search for what Song Moo Kwan was. The first of his articles about Song Moo Kwan, an original school of Taekwondo, was published in 1994. He remained with the Karate North and earned the rank of 3rd Dan until 1996, when an opportunity was given to him to help build a new Song Moo Kwan Taekwondo organization. This new organization, in its original version, failed and he returned to Minnesota in late 1997.
He began training at the North American Taekwondo Federation with Grandmaster Ro, Hee Sang, son of the Song Moo Kwan founder, and was promoted to 4th Dan before leaving the organization due to financial disagreements. In 2002, he contacted the American Song Moo Kwan Association, which had re-established itself after the initial attempt in 1996. He trained with their curriculum and was promoted to 5th Dan in August 2003. (View breaking demo from this test here). This was shortly before Master James Wohlwend took formal leadership of the organization.
Since then, Robert has been working to collect information about Song Moo Kwan, its Masters and Grand Masters and the stories from the leaders. Toward this goal, he developed the International Song Moo Kwan Association (ISMKA) as a place to collect the names, stories and those who have lost their instructors or schools but do not want to lose their connection to Song Moo Kwan. Through the Masters working with the ISMKA, he was promoted to 6th Dan in 2009. The ISMKA has been put aside and the work done moved to the World Song Moo Kwan United organization to benefit the growth of Song Moo Kwan under the leadership of SGM Joon Choi.
In 1990, after completing the law enforcement training, he decided that his martial arts training needed to be supplemented by an art that didn’t promote striking as the method of gaining control of a situation. It was at this time that he found Seidokan Aikido. A Northern Lights Aikido class at the Duluth YMCA taught by Brad Bergeron-sensei started the journey in Aikido. This seemed to be a natural direction to develop and train within now that he had completed the law enforcement training and testing with police and sheriff departments and didn’t feel the Taekwondo would be sufficient enough for working within a police/sheriff department. One of the governing concepts for Seidokan Aikdio was to bring the principles of Aikido into daily life. Shihan Roderick Kobayashi, founder of Seidokan Aikido believed that everything taught should have applications in daily life for anything from conflict resolution to promoting health and personal growth. Kobayashi-sensei’s insights were unique and the product of his years of training and as a student of Koichi Tohei-sensei. He received his Shodan certification in 1993 and was one to the last students promoted (to Nidan) before Kobayashi-sensei’s untimely death in 1995.
ScabbardBlock-Thrust-1In August 2003, Robert had the opportunity to begin training in Haidong Gumdo, a Korean sword art. He continued working on the introductory curriculum and, in March 2005, connected with Master Laura Clements to further his training. He received his Master Instructor certification in November 2005 and is currently teaching classes as WTMA Haidong Gumdo.
Interest in the curriculum grew quickly and branch schools were opened shortly after making connections with Master Laura. There are now ten masters who have joined Master Frankovich. The first black belt testing was held in December 2008. Three students received their certifications with one also joining the instructor’s program.
The headquarters of Midwest Haidong Gumdo is the Twin Cities (Fridley) dojang. There are 13 Masters in the Midwest Haidong Gumdo group. In August 2010, saw the beginning of a new working relationship with the USA Haidong Gumdo Association Senior Chief Master Marshall Parnell.
View a cutting demos from the 1st Pan American Championships (2011) here – five cuts on two bamboo sticks at the 2011 Haidong Gumdo Pan American Championships…..four cuts on two double mats at the 2011 Lake Superior Dragon Festival.
In June 2009, he created White Tiger Martial Arts to provide martial arts courses through a variety of Minnesota locations. This is an expansion of Sparrow Institute philosophy. Once established and other like-minded instructors are found, work will begin on opening a full-time schools as additional locations.
The USA Hall of Fame honor of Korean Martial Arts Master of the Year was awarded to him in April 2014. Additional recognition as the Minnesota State Co-Director of the Martial Arts Alliance was confirmed in October 2014. The 2015 USA Hall of Fame brought an induction as the Haidong Gumdo Master of the Year. Taekwondo Timeline 1982 to 1990…..Karate North Taekwondo (Northern Taekwondo Assoc., Tom Sullivan, Chief Instructor).12/1988 …..Certified 1st Dan Black Belt through the Northern Taekwondo Association – Karate North under Tom Sullivan, Chief Instructor.12/1990…..Certified 2nd Dan Black Belt through the Northern Taekwondo Association – Karate North under Tom Sullivan, Chief Instructor.4/1992…..Certified Kukkiwon 1st Dan Black Belt through Grandmaster Hee Sang Ro.11/1993…..Certified 3rd Dan Black Belt through the Northern Taekwondo Association – Karate North under Tom Sullivan, Chief Instructor.10/1998…..Certified Fourth Dan Black Belt through the North American Taekwondo Federation & World Song Moo Kwan Association under Grandmaster Hee Sang Ro.5/1999…..Certified Kukkiwon 2nd Dan Black Belt under Grandmaster Hee Sang Ro.6/2000…..Certified 4th Dan Black Belt through Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) Taekwondo.8/2002…..Certified 4th Dan Black Belt through American Song Moo Kwan Association.8/2003…..Certified 5th Dan Master Black Belt through the American Song Moo Kwan Association.1/2009…..Certified 6th Dan Master Black Belt through the International Song Moo Kwan Association.9/2013…..Certified Kukkiwon 4th Dan Black Belt5/2017…..Certified 7th Dan Senior Master through World Song Moo Kwan United under SGM Joon Pyo Choi.10/2021…Certified 8th Dan Grand Master through World Song Moo Kwan United under SGM Joon Pyo Choi. 3/2024...Certified 9th Dan Grand Master through World Song Moo Kwan Federation Board of Examiners.
GRANDmaster raymond fay
8th Dan
master patrick brown
7th Dan
Master William ZImmer
6th Dan
