Master Steve A. Blakeley
Master Blakeley has been in Taekwon-Do since 1972 and the owner of ENMTKD from 1979 till 2023 when he retired. Master Blakeley, tested for I Dan, under Mr. Andy White and Harley Galloway, in 1980, and in 1986, tested for II Dan, under Master Sung Lee, Lubbock, Texas. In October 1989, Mr. Blakeley met then Mr. W.L. Lang, VI Dan, and severed his ties with WTF and Mr. Sung Lee. In November 1989 Master Blakeley joined the ITF/USTF.
In October 1991, Mr. Blakeley tested for III Dan, under Mr. Walter Lang at the Bataan Memorial Park, Albuquerque. This test holds special memories for Mr. Blakeley because it is the only outdoor testing he knows of, he also tested into the United States Taekwon-Do Federation, and his first test under then VI Dan Walter Lang. Another unique thing about the test was, the board holder had to be place against a tree and was very unstable. The boards still broke, but, on the third try.
Master Blakeley has had the privilege of working out with General Choi Hong Hi, the founder of Taekwon-Do, on six occasions, and was invited to the General's ITF World Conference in Toronto, Canada, in 1995. Master Blakeley was appointed to the office of New Mexico State Director for the USTF in December 1991.
Master Blakeley has competed in over 130 tournaments in his 50 year career and hosted another 21 tournaments. Master Blakeley competed in full contact with a 6 - 1 record and later created Bad Company, ENMTKD's full contact team.
Master Blakeley tested for IV Dan in Tulsa Oklahoma, November 8, 1994. He was tested by Grandmaster C.E. Sereff, IX Dan, and Grandmaster W.L. Lang, IX Dan.
In May of 1998, then Mr. Blakeley along with his instructor Master W.L. Lang, Mr. Floyd Griffin, Mr. Doug Arnold and Mr. Gerard Treich separated from the USTF to form a new association called Yom Chi Taekwon-Do Association. Master Blakeley retired from the Board of Trustees in 2014.
On September 26, 1998 Master Blakeley tested for his V Dan. The Yom Chi Taekwon-Do Association test board consisted of Grandmaster W.L. Lang and Master Floyd Griffin. This was only the second time in 26 years of training Mr. Blakeley had tested in his hometown. The test was held at the Eastern New Mexico University campus, Greyhound Arena.
In October of 2000 Master Blakeley published his first two books which contained the Yom Chi Taekwon-do Association (YCTA} testing requirements. These requirements were revised and printed an additional four times until his retirement from the YCTA. In October 2001, Master Blakeley published his third book. This book is entitled “Taekwon-Do Etiquette and Customs”. In June of 2010, Master Blakeley published his fourth book, “Taekwon-do Instructor to Entrepreneur”.
Master Steve Blakeley coached the ITF world team in Korea twice 2004 and 2010, England 2007, and Italy 2013. These were some of his most memorable trips. Given the chance to represent the United States at these world competitions.
On February 2, 2017, Master Steve Blakeley was promoted by the Yom Chi Taekwon-Do Association to the rank of Master VIII Degree and in July of the same year he received his Master certification from the International Taekwon-Do Federation (ITF).
In June of 2020, Master Blakeley was invited to teach a knife defense class for the ITF in Fairbanks, Alaska. It was an enjoyable weekend.
Because of health issues with his back, 3 surgeries, Master Blakeley retired from Yom Chi Taekwon-Do Association (YCTA) in 2023 and turned his schools over to Mr. James Chacon, V Dan and Mr. Jason Victor VI Dan that some year.