Kristen Waterman
Kristin Waterman started Taekwondo in 1992 after doing a day camp at the YMCA. She currently holds a 5th dan black belt in Taekwondo and is Kukkiwon certified. She continued pretty much non-stop from then on under Master Williams for about 20 years. Master Williams was a school teacher, and he could teach anyone that walked through the doors how to do Taekwondo. Mrs. Waterman is grateful for the many years she had under Master Williams to learn how to teach, and how to teach many types of people.
After leaving her original instructor, she went on to open Midwest Taekwondo Academy with her husband, Eric Waterman, in December of 2012, and continued her Taekwondo training under Grand Master Crays. Mrs. Waterman came up under an American instructor with a more laid back atmosphere than what Mr. Waterman came up with, but even though their backgrounds are very different, they found a great happy medium and balance to make a good atmosphere for their program. When Mrs. Waterman brought her idea of starting a school up to her husband, her number one thing was she wanted a positive place for anyone to come to to learn traditional Taekwondo.
Mrs. Waterman has competed at local and national levels for many years and accomplishments include gold medals at USAT and AAU state championships, and multiple gold and silver medals at nationals. Mrs. Waterman also trains in Hapkido, which is incorporated in the school’s curriculum.