Martial Art Biography The son of a career army officer, Michael Park spent his early years on the move. This frequent relocation provided him the rare opportunity to study martial arts under many reputable instructors. While still a dependant teenager, he attended his first formal training in a tough three-month course in Shotokan Karate-do at a club for off duty soldiers from Fort Hood, Texas. Many years later he ultimately achieved the 7th dan in this form of Japanese karate. Following his initial introduction to Japanese karate, Park began a long affiliation with the Korean Moo Duk Kwan in both Tang Soo Do and pre-Olympic style Tae Kwon Do organizations earning master instructor certifications. His most influential teachers in this style include the well known masters Ye Mo Ahn, Chuck Serreff, Soo Woong Lee and James K. Roberts Sr. For a time, before returning to more traditional forms, Park operated Tang Soo Do studios affiliated with the United Fighting Arts Federation under Chuck Norris. He also holds master instructor certificates from Chuck Norris's instructor, Grandmaster Jae Chul Shin of the World Tang Soo Do Association. In 1982 Park began studying the Korean Royal Court Martial Art (Koong Joong Musool) known as Kuk Sool, a comprehensive form of Hapkido. He trained under Grandmaster In Hyuk Suh, recognized by the Korean government as their "National Teacher", and under the direct supervision of American master Jay Lee. Today Park holds black belts in World Kuk Sool and other forms of Korean Hapkido. In 1988 he founded Mikuk-Won (USA) Hapkido and the United States Hapkido Black Belt Federation. Park continued broadening his skills and in 1989 began an intensive study of the non-sport combat effective martial arts of traditional Jujutsu and Aiki-jujutsu while training directly under a controversial and flamboyant American sensei eventually earning the grade of 7th dan in the un-documented yet effective Dai Yoshin-ryu Jujutsu (Yokoto family) and 8th dan in Kobu Shin-Ryu Jujutsu which he founded as the honbu system for Kobu-kai International. While studying martial arts as a serious avocation he has led a distinguished professional career with a prestigious federal law enforcement agency. He served as one of the first staff instructors in defensive tactics to SOG, the highly trained paramilitary Special Operations Group within the U.S. Marshals Service. He is known as a relentless "man hunter" and as a fugitive investigations supervisor in Dallas he was often commended by officials for apprehending armed and violent felons with his martial art skills. His career specialty evolved to an elite program of confidential dignitary and high threat principal protection. He conducts workshop to law enforcement officers in his reality based Total Immersion Police Controls (TIPC) program. Park was a private student of Bill Sosa sensei earning his Shodan and Nidan from him. He continued that legacy through Godan under another sensei after Sosa's passing.