KwanJangNim Spillmann

9th Dan / Degree Black Belt TaeKwon-Do
3rd Degree Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (IBJJF 156044)

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Competition Record

All certificates, awards, medals and Trophies can be viewed online and at the academy.

  • 1st Place Sparring 1982 Y.K.Kim’s Championships
  • 1st Place Full Contact Heavy Weight 1982 Shido Karate Open
  • 1st Place Sparring & Forms 1983 Y.K.Kim’s Championships
  • 2nd Place Sparring 1983 Florida US Open
  • 1st Place Sparring & Forms 1984 Y.K.Kim’s Championships
  • 1st Place Sparring & Forms 1985 Y.K.Kim’s Championships
  • 1st Place Sparring 1985 Peter Lee’s Championships
  • 2nd Place Forms 1986 Florida US Open
  • 1st Place Sparring US Open – Texas 1986
  • 1st Place Forms US Open – Texas 1986
  • 1st Place Sparring & Forms 1986 Y.K.Kim’s Championships
  • 1st Place Sparring & Forms 1987 Y.K.Kim’s Championships
  • 1st Place Sparring Master Jo’s Championships 1988 Tampa
  • 1st Place Sparring, 2nd Forms 1988 Florida State
  • Grand Champion Sparring 1988 Master Ji H. Jae’s TaeKwon-Do
  • 2nd Place Sparring & 1st place Forms 1988 Y.K.Kim’s Championships
  • 1st Place Sparring & Forms 1989 Y.K.Kim’s Championship
  • 1st Place Sparring & Forms 1989 Y.K.Kim’s Championship Gainesville Fl.
  • 1st Place Open Miami Jiu-Jitsu Championships 1990 Blue-Belt Division.
  • Excellent Technique Sparring & Forms 1990 Y.K.Kim’s Championship
  • 1st Place Sparring 2 Place Forms 1990 Saigon TaeKwon-Do Open
  • Excellent Technique Sparring & Forms 1991 Y.K.Kim’s Championship
  • 1st Place Sparring 2 Place Forms 1992 Saigon TaeKwon-Do Open
  • Superior Technique Sparring & Forms 1992 Y.K.Kim’s Championship
  • Best Breaking 1992 San Juan Puerto Rico.
  • 1st Place Sparring 1992 California US Open
  • 1st Place Breaking 1993 Hami-Dan Competition
  • 1st Place Sparring Seniors  WHRDA Open 1993 UCI Bren Center CA
  • 1st Place Sparring - Seniors 1993 LA Open
  • 1st Sparring - Seniors 1993 California US Open 
  • 2nd Place Brazil Rio- Championships 1995 Senior Division
  • 1st Place Sparring Seniors  WHRDA Open 1993 UCI Bren Center CA
  • 1st Place Sparring Seniors - Red Scorpion 1993 UCI Bren Center CA
  • Retired - 1993 - To focus on schools
  • JIUJITSU COMPETITION 
  • 1st Place JiuJitsu Open (In house) Las Vegas NV 1997 - Blue Belt 
  • 1st Place Jiu-Jitsu Seniors Brown Belt 2001 Laguna Beach CA
  • 1st Jiu-Jitsu Seniors Brown Belt 2002 - Brown Belt
  • 2nd Jiu-Jitsu Open Senior -  Sao Paulo BR

Student Team Awards

  • Hundreds of 1st place students
  • 3 Team Championships
  • 2 National Winners
  • 5 California State Champions
  • 8x National Champions

Block Breaking Charity Events

  • For Charity Saint Jude’s Children’s Cancer Hospital Breakathon 
  • 250 - 2.5 Inch End Cap Blocks Broken 48.5 Seconds ( Dare Program) 1987
  • 200 Concrete  Blocks Broken in 46 Seconds for charity 1995
  • Over 411 Concrete Garden Blocks Broken in 16.5 Minutes.  2006

Awards, Achievements & Citations

  • JidoKwon Citation Dedication to TaeKwonDo 1980
  • World Martial Arts Reasearch Foundation Citation 1982
  • JidoKwon Citation Dedication to TaeKwonDo 1983
  • Cornell University Management Training Program 1984
  • Degree Business/Marketing ( Working on PHD Theology Studies )
  • Outstanding Team Coach 1991 A.T.F -Y.K. Kim
  • Outstanding Instructor of the year 1992 A.T.F -Y.K. Kim
  • Honorary Teacher Award Orange County 1993
  • Produced Instructional Self-Defense Training Video Tapes 1997
  • Outstanding Leadership Award World HapKi-Do Federation 1997
  • AMS Outstanding Business Award 1997
  • Pan-American Coach for ATC 1995, 1997
  • Director of California Inter City 1999 -2001
  • Director of TaeKwon-Do Games LA. 1998
  • California State Senate: Community Service Award 2001.
  • United States Presidential Award 2003
  • Elected VP. TaeKwonDo International 2005
  • Wrote: Taekwondo Business Manual  2005
  • Appointed Co-Director of WTF TaeKwon-Do World Games in LA 2006
  • Inducted into the TaeKwonDo Hall of Fame 2006 
  • Published 2007: The TaeKwonDo Business Manual
  • World TaeKwonDo Federation Citation of Merit 10/20/2007
  • ATCHDQ DVD Set - Produced the GMA Curriculum & Patterns 2011
  • Little Lions Activity Book / Little Lions Kids Book Series ( Master Joanne Spillmann) 

Featured In

  • TaeKwon-Do Times Magazine (Article)
  • Orange County Register
  • Preview Magazine
  • L.A. Times / Hapkido GM Myung
  • Aliso Viejo News 2007
  • Martial Art World Magazine 
  • Main Street Media TN 2023
  • West Coast Magazine
  • Aliso Niguel News
  • AP News 2025
  • USA News 2025 
  • USA TaeKwonDo News
  • TaeKwonDo Times May 2007
  • TV. Adventures 1995
  • Nickelodeon TV Show 1992
  • Movie Miami Connection 1988
  • Movie Amazing Gracie 2002
  • Exhibitions for the Orlando Magic 1992
  • Gallatin News 2015
  • Gallatin News 2016
  • Tennesseen 2016
  • Voted one of Gallatins Best Schools 2024
  • Voted one of Gallatin's Top Schools 2025

KwanJangnim Spillmann / History

GMA Director / Advisor

KwanJangNim Spillmann has been training in TaeKwonDo and the martial arts for almost 57 years and has been seen in printed media, movies, and several television shows. He has been a strong force in the Martial Arts community for over 45 years and has helped many Masters achieve successful academies and lives with his teaching and professional business methods. He has worked with professional fighters, professional athletes, law enforcement, the US Military, and even with several foreign military units, teaching hand-to-hand combative and street defensive techniques. He has performed demonstrations for many city events, including a demonstration with his Grandmaster  Y. K. Kim in front of 18,000 spectators at the Orlando Magic Arena halftime show. He has also taught self-defense and motivational seminars for several major companies.
 
KwanJangNim Spillmann has assisted many adults and youths not only in learning great martial arts and practical self-defense, but improving life skills, overcoming drug addiction, overcoming anger issues, improving goal-setting skills, conquering confidence problems, overcoming concentration issues, and developing positive thinking, while acquiring peace of mind and inner strength. Through his elite leadership martial arts programs, many students achieve top grades, go on to top universities, and have been very successful in their careers and finding happiness in their lives.

Grandmaster Spillmann and his wife have fostered children, worked with many youths in poverty-stricken areas in the USA, India, and throughout the world, assisting them in becoming outstanding citizens and future leaders. He has also raised thousands for charity over the years with his amazing block-breaking strength and even holds a record for breaking over 411 concrete blocks for Saint Jude’s Children's Cancer Research, shattering all his previous records.  In late 1987, he broke 250  (3x8x16)  Endcap Blocks in under 48 seconds for D.A.R.E.  He also continues to help raise funds for local charities, schools, and fundraising events.  KwanJangNim  Spillmann, overcoming many struggles and a challenging childhood, has received many trophies and medals for competing in martial arts competitions and awards for his dedication to martial arts and teaching.

He has also written several business manuals and a martial arts business book to help other school owners teach, structure, and run professional academies.  KwanJangNim Spillmann has served on the advisory boards of a University and several private companies, and because of his skills, has held several vice president positions for several major martial arts organizations. He has won many martial arts competitions, received community awards, a state commendation for public service, and even a national and a state senate award. KwanJangNim Spillmann additionally received many other citations for dedication to the martial arts community.

KwanJangNim Spillmann has worked hard to achieve the levels of Grandmaster 9th Degree Black Belt in TaeKwonDo, 7th Degree Black Belt - Master in HapKiDo, 4th Degree Black Belt Master in Karate, 3rd Degree Black Belt in Rocian Gracie Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (IBJJF), and he holds a ranking in several other martial art styles.  KwanJangNim  Spillmann is also Vice President of several organizations and is one of the highest-ranking Instructors in the country; he has produced hundreds of Black Belts, champions, and many school owners worldwide.
 
If you have the golden opportunity to learn and earn a Black Belt under KwanJangNim Spillmann or one of his certified masters, it will be a life-changing experience.  KwanJangNim Spillmann has produced many superior black belts, national champions, top competitors, and life champions, and has changed many children's and adults' lives. Through his black belt leadership methods taught at his academies for several decades, students have gained wealth, happiness, and health, and have gone on to many top universities and fantastic careers.
 
He says his program works best when parents treat his program as a life education, not just a seasonal sport, and when students attend regularly and work hard to achieve a black belt.


The Legacy of Leadership, Discipline, and Transformation Throught Martial Arts 


Discover how Grandmaster Konrad Spillmann's martial arts journey has shaped communities, empowered lives, and built future leaders. In a world where the search for personal growth and strength often takes us in different directions, few paths are as transformative as martial arts. But for Grandmaster Konrad Spillmann, martial arts isn’t just about combat or self-defense; it’s a life philosophy, a tool for shaping better individuals, and a platform for leadership. His story is not just one of achieving personal mastery, but one of dedicating his life to making others stronger, both physically and mentally. The Unexpected Beginning Grandmaster Spillmann's journey began not in the dojo / dojang (training hall) but through personal adversity. Raised in a world filled with challenges, Konrad’s early life shaped him into someone who understood that strength comes from the inside out. It wasn’t until later that martial arts became his vehicle to overcome the emotional and physical struggles he faced in his youth. He wasn’t always destined to become the celebrated figure he is today, but the very obstacles that seemed insurmountable early on became the building blocks of his leadership and success. When he first discovered Taekwondo, it wasn’t about fame or accolades; it was about transformation.“Martial arts helped me find my center, ” Spillmann reflects. “It gave me the discipline to face life’s challenges head-on, and the strength to persevere, not just in the Dojang, but in every aspect of life."  What started as a personal journey soon evolved into a mission: to share the life-changing benefits of martial arts with others, using his experience as a foundation to help people overcome their own fears, addictions, and life challenges.


The Power of Mentorship: More Than Teaching Martial Arts


While many instructors simply focus on teaching techniques, Grandmaster Spillmann, like his traditional teachers in the past, specifically, Grandmaster Y.K.Kim has always believed that martial arts can be an essential tool for creating leaders who can make a positive impact on the world. His teaching philosophy goes beyond fighting, patterns, and self-defense strategies; it's about instilling leadership qualities, resilience, perseverance, and a sense of purpose in every student. Over the years, Spillmann’s programs have touched thousands of lives. From professional athletes to military personnel, law enforcement officers to children struggling with confidence and self-esteem, he has built a legacy of empowerment through martial arts. His unique approach helps individuals not only develop strength and technique but also cultivate resilience in the face of adversity, mental toughness, and emotional control. For Spillmann, martial arts is about much more than mastering physical movements; it's about mastering life itself. The impact of his leadership is evident in the stories of his students, who credit his programs with helping them achieve success in all areas of life. "Through Grandmaster Spillmann’s guidance, I not only learned how to defend myself but also how to handle life’s toughest moments, " says one former student. "It’s helped me build my career, improve my personal
relationships, and find my purpose.


"The Heart of a Leader: Community and Charity


Grandmaster Spillmann’s legacy is built not just on his martial arts accomplishments but on his commitment to bettering the community. His work extends far beyond the walls of his dojang / dojo. Whether it’s providing support to underprivileged youth, raising funds for charitable causes, or offering motivational seminars for companies, Spillmann’s mission has always been about making the world a better place. One of his most notable charitable feats includes his record-breaking block-breaking event, where he shattered over 411 concrete blocks to raise money for St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital. This act wasn’t just about breaking records; it was about using his strength to give hope to those
who need it most. “Being able to break records and raise funds for many charities was a way for me to give back," He shares.
“It’s not just about what I can do physically, but about using that platform to inspire others to give and help those in need."


His charity work is also deeply embedded in his martial arts philosophy, where students are taught the importance of serving others and being responsible citizens. Whether it’s sponsoring local schools, raising funds for children’s cancer research, or simply giving time to his community, Grandmaster Spillmann believes in leading by example, showing his students that the true value of martial arts lies in the positive impact it has on others.


The Future of Martial Arts Leadership


Grandmaster Spillmann's influence is not just confined to his immediate community; his impact extends worldwide. With a distinguished 9th Degree Black Belt in Taekwondo and a host of other black belts in disciplines such as Rocian Gracie Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, HapKiDo, and Karate, he has earned the respect and admiration of many martial artists around the globe. But what truly makes him unique is his commitment to teaching leadership through martial arts, a philosophy that transcends borders. In addition to running successful martial arts schools like Global Martial Arts USA and GMA Gallatin, Spillmann has also played a pivotal role in the development of martial arts leadership and business education. He has authored manuals and books on running a professional martial arts school, sharing his business acumen, and helping others in the martial arts community
build successful, sustainable careers. The teachings and leadership of Grandmaster Spillmann continue to evolve. His work with GMA Warriors Supplements and the children’s book series, "Leonard the Little Lion, " written by his wife Joanne, reflects the belief that martial arts should be integrated into all aspects of life, helping kids develop resilience and positive life skills, and ensuring that martial artists have the knowledge resources they need to support their growth. Through his leadership, Spillmann is shaping not only the future of martial arts but the future of leadership itself, demonstrating that true success lies in empowering others to become their best selves. He stated, “That blaming others and excuses accomplish nothing but hold you back from success and true happiness."


Join the Journey


Grandmaster Spillmann’s journey from a young martial artist to a global leader has been a story of transformation, resilience, and service. His unique approach to martial arts education focuses on more than just physical skill; it's about creating leaders who are equipped to tackle the challenges of life and positively impact the world around them.
As his legacy continues to grow, Grandmaster Spillmann invites you to join him on this path to self-discovery, leadership, and empowerment. Whether you’re looking to improve your physical abilities, develop stronger mental fortitude, or lead with purpose, martial arts can change your life. If you're ready to start your journey in martial arts and become a part of a transformative community, and you're not close to one of his schools, find a reputable school in your area and take the first step towards mastering not just martial arts, 

but life itself.

Start your journey today with martial arts today.

Area Masters & School Owners

Our Organization of Schools

I invite any school owner who would like to be part of Global Martial Arts USA to join and grow with us as a friendship school. I will help you with all my knowledge and the love I have for martial arts. I also invite anyone to come and sit with me to talk and share ideas; my door is always open to all martial arts masters and students.
 
 GMA - Global Martial Arts Arts USA

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After School Program - Registration + Free Martial Arts Classes

After School Program - Registration + Free Martial Arts Classes

Dear Future ASP Parents,

GMA Gallatin parents and children love our program. The tuition value can't be beat for all of the benefits a child gains in our program.  

Once you register and pay the $175.00 registration/start-up fee, we will enroll you in our system. The registration fee includes the first week plus registration. (Once the form is completed, you will be redirected to PayPal to complete your payment.) * Due to limited space, There are No Refunds

ASP Includes:
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(upon request) 
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* You are not fully registered until the packet is completed at the school, but the $175 registration fee will hold your spot. We can not pick up your child until you complete the registration packet at the school.

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GMA-ASP Policy:

Weekly Tuition $110 per week: (Extended Care Available Extra Fee) To hold your position on weeks off from school, summer breaks, fall breaks, and holidays, there is a weekly $40 maintenance fee to hold your position. The maintenance fee keeps the tuition rates down and saves your spot.  As an added benefit, the maintenance fee also includes weekly martial arts training classes during the off seasons and seasonal breaks. Please note: We do not prorate short school weeks, inclement weather-closed days or sick personal days. You must call the school before 1pm if your child is not attending or does not need to be picked up on a specific day.  If a driver has to wait or have a teacher search for a child, there is a $10 no-call fee. GMA also offers Summer camps and  Fall / Spring camps if there is enough interest.  

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