Kuk Sool Won of Alameda was founded by Sa Bum Nim, Erik Lee, in 1995. Erik Lee is a three-time 2nd Dahn Grand Champion. To earn the title of Grand Champion, Mr. Lee competed at the annual World Kuk Sool Association Tournament (held in San Francisco in 1997, 1998, and 1999). The title, Grand Champion, is given to the competitor who wins the highest number of points in the most divisions on a single day. At WKSA tournaments competitors such as Mr. Lee are judged on these divisions:

1. Empty Hand Traditional Forms
2. Sword Forms
3. Staff Forms
4. Techniques (Traditional)
5. Self-Defense Routine (Creative)
6. Sparring (Point, Light Contact)
7. Breaking

Mr. Lee effectively translates these skills to his students and the results are spectacular.

Kuk Sool Won of Alameda is proud to note that it has won the hone of "Top Points School" for an unprecedented six years in a row.

To win this award, each student is given points when he/she wins a medal. Four points are given for a gold (1st), two points are given for a silver (2nd), and one point is given for a bronze (3rd). This year with 75 competitors our school came home with 436 total overall points and the majority of our competitors placed highly in their divisions--a real tribute to Mr. Lee’s ability to inspire his students and create an exciting, fun, and supportive environment.

Mr. Lee began his training in Kuk Sool Won in Berkeley, received his yellow belt in 1989, and has trained daily since then. He opened Kuk Sool Won of Alameda in 1995 and has had twelve students promote to black belt. While Kuk Sool Won of Alameda does not emphasize tournament competiton, Mr. Lee’s students do exceedingly well when they do compete--a reflection of Mr. Lee’s skills as a martial artist and an instructor.