Michelle Gordon
Encyclopedia
Tyna Michelle Gordon 티나 미셸 고든 (born April 3, 1960) is a national and international
award-winning American
martial artist. She is known for her work with children and as a martial arts instructor.
, Illinois
, the daughter of Tyna E. Gordon, an elementary
school teacher and civil rights activist, and Emmett A. Gordon, merchant marine and automobile laborer. She attended Oakenwald North Elementary School, William Shakespeare School (Ariel Elementary Community Academy) and graduated from Dunbar Vocational High School. As a child, Gordon read voraciously, attended martial arts classes and played basketball with President Barack Obama's Secretary of Education and former Chief Executive Officer of the Chicago Public Schools Arne Duncan
, actor Michael Clarke Duncan
, singer R. Kelly
, Disco Toni Shelton and other neighborhood friends. She also tutored younger children at Sue Duncan Children's Center
along with Arne Duncan
, Kerrie Holley
(IBM fellow and co-inventor of the Service-Oriented Modeling and Architecture, SOMA and the Service Integration Maturity Model (SIMM)). Gordon has an ethnic studies/Afro-American Studies background from the University of Washington
and has taught martial arts classes. She also taught martial arts to actor Rainn Wilson
of the TV show The Office and award-winning film director John J. Valadez while at Washington. She is the cousin of Ken Norton
, former world champion heavyweight boxer and one of the few to ever beat Muhammad Ali, and Ken Norton Jr. former Pro-football player and current linebackers coach for the NFL's Seattle Seahawks. She holds an AA from City Colleges of Chicago
’s Malcolm X College
and a BA
from the University of Washington
’s School of the Arts and Sciences. As a child she spoke Japanese
and presently speaks and understands several languages.
and world champion martial artist, Master Chucky Currie. She has studied and is certified in various styles of martial arts and currently holds a 4th Dan in Jidokwan Taekwondo, 3rd Dan in Shorin Ryu Karate, 1st Dan in Judo
, 1st Dan in Kendo
, and a 1st Dan in White Crane Kung-Fu.
In 1983, Ms. Gordon relocated to Seattle, Washington to study at the University of Washington. During her time in Seattle, she studied Jidokwan Tae Kwon Do under Grandmaster Leon Preston 8th Dan of Seattle, Washington
and his instructor Tae Hong Choi
9th Dan of Portland, Oregon
and trained with classmates Maurice Smith (16x Kickboxing Champion. UFC Heavyweight Champion), Master Victor Solier (5th Dan and 6x World Kickboxing Champion), Anna Widehov (2x World Tae Kwon Do Champion of Sweden
, U.S. National and U.S Open Tae Kwon Do Champions Raphael Park
, Carla Fortnay, and Liz Evans. While a student at Washington, she worked as a body guard with other Tae Kwon Do friends for various on-campus and off-campus events. Gordon provided security for Rosa Parks
, Attallah Shabazz, Angela Davis
, Minister
Louis Farrakkan, Maya Angelou
, Nikki Giovanni
, Spike Lee
, Sonia Sanchez
, Coretta Scott King
, Yolanda King
, Dr. Maulana Ron Karenga, the Rev. Jesse Jackson, Ruby Dee
, Ossie Davis
, KRS One and Queen Latifah
. In 1992, Ms. Gordon relocated to Durham, North Carolina
to attend Duke University
.
In 1993, she began teaching at Thompson’s Tae Kwon Do, and taught there until the school closed in 1994. In 1995, she joined K.S. Lee's Best Martial Arts of North Carolina, where she taught ESL classes to the Korean masters at the school. In 1997, Ms. Gordon became the head instructor for the K.S. Lee's Best Martial Arts of North Carolina – Durham, until the school closed in December 2006. Under the instruction of Grandmaster Lee, Ms. Gordon trained and traveled extensively throughout South Korea
, and Beijing
, China
(1998 – 2001) as a member of his USA/Korea Demonstration Team. Her other accolades include numerous state, regional and international awards. She is a Kukkiwon
certified black belt and member of the World Taekwondo Federation
in Seoul, South Korea and USA Taekwondo
in Colorado Springs, CO. She is currently the Martial Arts Director and Master Instructor at Infuzion Tae Kwon Do in Durham, NC.
Buddhism
. Some of her many accolades are the following:
International
----International mostly means something that involves more than one country. The term international as a word means involvement of, interaction between or encompassing more than one nation, or generally beyond national boundaries...
award-winning American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
martial artist. She is known for her work with children and as a martial arts instructor.
Early life
Gordon was born in ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, the daughter of Tyna E. Gordon, an elementary
Elementary school
An elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
school teacher and civil rights activist, and Emmett A. Gordon, merchant marine and automobile laborer. She attended Oakenwald North Elementary School, William Shakespeare School (Ariel Elementary Community Academy) and graduated from Dunbar Vocational High School. As a child, Gordon read voraciously, attended martial arts classes and played basketball with President Barack Obama's Secretary of Education and former Chief Executive Officer of the Chicago Public Schools Arne Duncan
Arne Duncan
Arne Duncan is an American education administrator and currently United States Secretary of Education. Duncan previously served as CEO of the Chicago Public Schools.-Early years and personal:...
, actor Michael Clarke Duncan
Michael Clarke Duncan
Michael Clarke Duncan is an American actor, best known for his breakout role as John Coffey in The Green Mile, for which he was nominated for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe.- Early life :...
, singer R. Kelly
R. Kelly
Robert Sylvester Kelly , better known by his stage name R. Kelly, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. A native of Chicago, Kelly began performing during the late 1980s and debuted in 1992 with the group Public Announcement. In 1993, Kelly went solo with the album 12 Play...
, Disco Toni Shelton and other neighborhood friends. She also tutored younger children at Sue Duncan Children's Center
Sue Duncan Children's Center
The Sue Duncan Children's Center is a non-profit organization on the South Side of Chicago founded in 1961 by Susan Duncan, mother of current Secretary of Education under President Barack Obama's administration, Arne Duncan...
along with Arne Duncan
Arne Duncan
Arne Duncan is an American education administrator and currently United States Secretary of Education. Duncan previously served as CEO of the Chicago Public Schools.-Early years and personal:...
, Kerrie Holley
Kerrie Holley
Kerrie Holley is a research computer scientist. Holley is an IBM Fellow, known for his contributions to the field of service-oriented architecture. He is a co-inventor of the Service-Oriented Modeling and Architecture, SOMA and the Service Integration Maturity Model .Holley received his B.A. from...
(IBM fellow and co-inventor of the Service-Oriented Modeling and Architecture, SOMA and the Service Integration Maturity Model (SIMM)). Gordon has an ethnic studies/Afro-American Studies background from the University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
and has taught martial arts classes. She also taught martial arts to actor Rainn Wilson
Rainn Wilson
Rainn Dietrich Wilson is an American actor and comedian. He is primarily known for his role as the egomaniacal Dwight Schrute on the American version of the television comedy The Office...
of the TV show The Office and award-winning film director John J. Valadez while at Washington. She is the cousin of Ken Norton
Ken Norton
Kenneth Howard Norton Sr. is a former heavyweight boxer. He is best known for his 12-round victory over a peak Muhammad Ali where he famously broke Ali's jaw, on March 31, 1973, becoming only the second man to defeat Ali as a professional .He and Ali...
, former world champion heavyweight boxer and one of the few to ever beat Muhammad Ali, and Ken Norton Jr. former Pro-football player and current linebackers coach for the NFL's Seattle Seahawks. She holds an AA from City Colleges of Chicago
City Colleges of Chicago
The City Colleges of Chicago is a system of seven community colleges which provide learning opportunities for Chicago residents at the schools or online, and also members of the US military through the Navy Campus to enhance their knowledge and skills. Student enrollment was 115,000 in 2007...
’s Malcolm X College
Malcolm X College
Malcolm X College is a two-year college of the City Colleges of Chicago located on the west side of Chicago, Illinois, USA, at 1900 W Van Buren St. It was founded as Crane Junior College in 1911 to serve graduates of the nearby Crane High School, and was the first of the City Colleges to be...
and a BA
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
from the University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
’s School of the Arts and Sciences. As a child she spoke Japanese
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
and presently speaks and understands several languages.
Career
Gordon began her martial arts education at the Double Dragon Martial Arts Academy in Chicago, Illinois in 1971 under the instruction of Jamail T. Sallie 7th Dan. While at Double Dragon Martial Arts Academy she also trained with childhood friends Super Middleweight World Champion Manson GibsonManson Gibson
Manson "The Master Blaster" Gibson is a retired American kickboxer and a nine time Muay Thai and kickboxing world champion. He was known for his vicious use of spinning techniques and awkward style and was sometimes referred to as the "Thai Killer"...
and world champion martial artist, Master Chucky Currie. She has studied and is certified in various styles of martial arts and currently holds a 4th Dan in Jidokwan Taekwondo, 3rd Dan in Shorin Ryu Karate, 1st Dan in Judo
Judo
is a modern martial art and combat sport created in Japan in 1882 by Jigoro Kano. Its most prominent feature is its competitive element, where the object is to either throw or takedown one's opponent to the ground, immobilize or otherwise subdue one's opponent with a grappling maneuver, or force an...
, 1st Dan in Kendo
Kendo
, meaning "Way of The Sword", is a modern Japanese martial art of sword-fighting based on traditional Japanese swordsmanship, or kenjutsu.Kendo is a physically and mentally challenging activity that combines strong martial arts values with sport-like physical elements.-Practitioners:Practitioners...
, and a 1st Dan in White Crane Kung-Fu.
In 1983, Ms. Gordon relocated to Seattle, Washington to study at the University of Washington. During her time in Seattle, she studied Jidokwan Tae Kwon Do under Grandmaster Leon Preston 8th Dan of Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
and his instructor Tae Hong Choi
Tae Hong Choi
Tae-hong Choi was a grandmaster in taekwondo, winner of multiple martial arts titles and a teacher of thousands of students in Oregon.-Childhood studies:...
9th Dan of Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
and trained with classmates Maurice Smith (16x Kickboxing Champion. UFC Heavyweight Champion), Master Victor Solier (5th Dan and 6x World Kickboxing Champion), Anna Widehov (2x World Tae Kwon Do Champion of Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, U.S. National and U.S Open Tae Kwon Do Champions Raphael Park
Raphael Park
Raphael Park is a public park in Romford, London Borough of Havering. The park is one of a series of parks which stretch northwards from the railway line at Romford....
, Carla Fortnay, and Liz Evans. While a student at Washington, she worked as a body guard with other Tae Kwon Do friends for various on-campus and off-campus events. Gordon provided security for Rosa Parks
Rosa Parks
Rosa Louise McCauley Parks was an African-American civil rights activist, whom the U.S. Congress called "the first lady of civil rights", and "the mother of the freedom movement"....
, Attallah Shabazz, Angela Davis
Angela Davis
Angela Davis is an American political activist, scholar, and author. Davis was most politically active during the late 1960s through the 1970s and was associated with the Communist Party USA, the Civil Rights Movement and the Black Panther Party...
, Minister
Minister (government)
A minister is a politician who holds significant public office in a national or regional government. Senior ministers are members of the cabinet....
Louis Farrakkan, Maya Angelou
Maya Angelou
Maya Angelou is an American author and poet who has been called "America's most visible black female autobiographer" by scholar Joanne M. Braxton. She is best known for her series of six autobiographical volumes, which focus on her childhood and early adult experiences. The first and most highly...
, Nikki Giovanni
Nikki Giovanni
Yolande Cornelia "Nikki" Giovanni is an American poet, writer, commentator, activist, and educator. Her primary focus is on the individual and the power one has to make a difference in oneself and in the lives of others. Giovanni’s poetry expresses strong racial pride, respect for family, and her...
, Spike Lee
Spike Lee
Shelton Jackson "Spike" Lee is an American film director, producer, writer, and actor. His production company, 40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks, has produced over 35 films since 1983....
, Sonia Sanchez
Sonia Sanchez
Sonia Sanchez is an African American poet most often associated with the Black Arts Movement. She has authored over a dozen books of poetry, as well as plays and children's books...
, Coretta Scott King
Coretta Scott King
Coretta Scott King was an American author, activist, and civil rights leader. The widow of Martin Luther King, Jr., Coretta Scott King helped lead the African-American Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s.Mrs...
, Yolanda King
Yolanda King
Yolanda Denise King was the first-born child of Coretta Scott King and civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr...
, Dr. Maulana Ron Karenga, the Rev. Jesse Jackson, Ruby Dee
Ruby Dee
Ruby Dee is an American actress, poet, playwright, screenwriter, journalist, and activist, perhaps best known for co-starring in the film A Raisin in the Sun and the film American Gangster for which she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.-Early years:Dee was born Ruby...
, Ossie Davis
Ossie Davis
Ossie Davis was an American film actor, director, poet, playwright, writer, and social activist.-Early years:...
, KRS One and Queen Latifah
Queen Latifah
Dana Elaine Owens , better known by her stage name Queen Latifah, is an American singer, rapper, and actress. Her work in music, film and television has earned her a Golden Globe award, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, two Image Awards, a Grammy Award, six additional Grammy nominations, an Emmy...
. In 1992, Ms. Gordon relocated to Durham, North Carolina
Durham, North Carolina
Durham is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the county seat of Durham County and also extends into Wake County. It is the fifth-largest city in the state, and the 85th-largest in the United States by population, with 228,330 residents as of the 2010 United States census...
to attend Duke University
Duke University
Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
.
In 1993, she began teaching at Thompson’s Tae Kwon Do, and taught there until the school closed in 1994. In 1995, she joined K.S. Lee's Best Martial Arts of North Carolina, where she taught ESL classes to the Korean masters at the school. In 1997, Ms. Gordon became the head instructor for the K.S. Lee's Best Martial Arts of North Carolina – Durham, until the school closed in December 2006. Under the instruction of Grandmaster Lee, Ms. Gordon trained and traveled extensively throughout South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
, and Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
(1998 – 2001) as a member of his USA/Korea Demonstration Team. Her other accolades include numerous state, regional and international awards. She is a Kukkiwon
Kukkiwon
Kukkiwon , also known as World Taekwondo Headquarters, and home of the World Taekwondo Academy, is the official taekwondo governing organisation established by the South Korean government...
certified black belt and member of the World Taekwondo Federation
World Taekwondo Federation
The World Taekwondo Federation is the International Federation member of the International Olympic Committee for the competition events of the martial art of taekwondo...
in Seoul, South Korea and USA Taekwondo
USA Taekwondo
USA Taekwondo is the national governing body of Taekwondo for the United States Olympic Committee and as such is the official Member National Association of the World Taekwondo Federation in the USA. It began in the 1970s as the AAU National Taekwondo Association, and later broke away from AAU...
in Colorado Springs, CO. She is currently the Martial Arts Director and Master Instructor at Infuzion Tae Kwon Do in Durham, NC.
Personal life
Gordon is in a relationship and spends a great deal of her time tutoring at-risk students and teaching Tae Kwon Do. She currently resides in Durham, North Carolina and is the head instructor at Infuzion. Gordon is a practitioner of MahayanaMahayana
Mahāyāna is one of the two main existing branches of Buddhism and a term for classification of Buddhist philosophies and practice...
Buddhism
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
. Some of her many accolades are the following:
- 1997 — Most Caring Coach Award – USA Weekend Magazine, Arlington, VA
- 1997 — Most Caring Coach Award – Herald-Sun Newspaper, Durham, NC
- 1998 — Presidential Diploma – World Tae kwon Do Federation, Seoul, Korea
- 1998 — Tae Kwon Do Training Certificate – The World Tae Kwon Do Academy, Seoul, Korea
- 1999 — Presidential Diploma – World Tae kwon Do Federation, Seoul, Korea
- 1999 — Tae Kwon Do Training Certificate – The World Tae Kwon Do Academy, Seoul, Korea
- 2000 — Presidential Diploma – World Tae kwon Do Federation, Seoul, Korea
- 2000 — Tae Kwon Do Training Certificate – The World Tae Kwon Do Academy, Seoul, Korea
- 2001 — Presidential Diploma – World Tae kwon Do Federation, Seoul, Korea
- 2001 — Tae Kwon Do Training Certificate – The World Tae Kwon Do Academy, Seoul, Korea