About the Owners
of Han Ho Martial Arts & Secret Weapon MMA
MIKE BARNARD
Mike Barnard is directly active as an instructor/coach in several of the programs within Han Ho Martial Arts & Secret Weapon MMA. He is Head Coach in MMA, Grandmaster in Taekwondo, Master in Hapkido/Self Defense, and Head Instructor in Police Defensive Tactics.
As an MMA Coach, he is extremely excited about the rapid growth of the MMA division – Secret Weapon MMA. His son, Cole Barnard is a Pro MMA Welterweight fighter. In April of 2021, Cole caught the eye of MMA Fighter and BJJ World Champion Daniel Gracie. Since then, Cole and Coach Mike have become part of the Philadelphia team with Daniel Gracie and John Marquez. Coach Mike is also honored to contribute his coaching skills to the Philadelphia team. He respects this rare opportunity to work with these top coaches and their outstanding team of fighters including an impressive number who are with the UFC and other top promotions. Training with the Philadelphia team is an opportunity that can be earned by any of Mike’s top fighters. Secret Weapon MMA fighters represent both Marquez MMA/Daniel Gracie Team Philadelphia and Secret Weapon MMA – New York.
Looking back to his first training, Mike began lessons in the sport of boxing at the age of 3 under the tutelage of his own father who was a golden gloves champion. He then started his martial arts training with two-time Korean National Champion, Grandmaster Ki Chung Kim. Ki Chung Kim was one of the first Korean Taekwondo instructors to teach in the United States. While moving to other locations, Mike also received training from other notable masters and eventually found his way to Grandmaster Richard Chun who was highly respected by Ki Chung Kim.
Grandmaster Chun was the President and Founder of the United States Taekwondo Association (USTA) and one of the highest ranked Taekwondo Masters in the world. He was appointed head coach of the U.S.A. Taekwondo team in 1973 for the first World Taekwondo Championships in Seoul. He assisted in the organization of Taekwondo as an event in the Olympics and also served as Senior International Referee. Grandmaster Chun passed away in November of 2017. While training with Grandmaster Chun, Master Mike Barnard was awarded his 6th Dan directly from him. Since Grandmaster Chun’s passing, Mike was honored to work closely with Grandmaster Fred Kouefati who is President of The Richard Chun Taekwondo Headquarters. Mike was given the title of Grandmaster when he received his 7th Dan in February of 2019 from Grandmaster Kouefati.
While already a black belt in Taekwondo, Mike became fascinated with the art of Hapkido. He put on a white belt and began a new journey. He trained under the guidance of World Hapkido Association President Grandmaster Tae Jung who is a 9th Dan. Through Grandmaster Jung, Mike also had the opportunity to train with Supreme Grandmaster In –Shik Hwang, a 2nd generation master taught by the founder of Hapkido, Grandmaster Yong- Sool Choi. Supreme Grandmaster was also known for his film work with Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee. In 2017, Mike was proudly awarded a 4th Dan (Master) Rank in Hapkido directly from Grandmaster Jung.
Due to popular demand, Master Barnard has implemented an exciting Self Defense Program to the curriculum which is called “Barnard Fight System.” These classes are heavily influenced by his extensive knowledge of Hapkido as well as other aspects of his training.
KIM BARNARD
Master Kim Barnard holds a 4th Dan Black Belt in Taekwondo. She developed and is the lead instructor for Han Ho’s “Kim’s Kickboxing”, an exciting women’s only class. She trains as a high level color belt student in Hapkido with a clear focus on earning her black belt within the next year. Master Kim is also known for her Defensive Tactics skills in the law enforcement community. She plays an important role as an Instructor with our Defensive Tactics team.
Master Kim got her first taste of martial arts as a student of Tang Soo Do in her Middle School years. She was quite an athlete and her varied sports interests led her in many directions with some very significant accomplishments. While attending Oakwood Friends High School in Poughkeepsie, NY, she was a Hudson Valley All Star playing center fielder as a Captain of the Varsity Soft Ball Team. She was also a Captain of the Varsity Soccer Team and MVP Player. In addition, she played High School Varsity singles and doubles as a tennis player. During these years, she also competed in down hill skiing for the Magic Mountain Ski Team in Vermont. She competed in slalom and giant slalom with her team at various mountains in Vermont. Plus, she competed in Nastar in Colorado and placed 9th for the State of New York!
Following College, Master Kim continued the sport of tennis as a player for the Sports Plex of New Windsor and competed within the USTA as a nationally ranked player.
Considering all her athletic accomplishments, Master Kim obviously understands the meaning of hard training, dedication, leadership, and other attributes that are essential parts of our martial arts training as well. Over the past years, she has dedicated herself to martial arts for more than herself, but more importantly, to lead others. Originally from Thailand, but growing up in the USA, she always felt that martial arts were a part of her DNA. Those who train with her will know this to be true!