Today we’d like to introduce you to Douglas Hall.
Hi Douglas, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I started martial arts 30+ years ago as a sophomore in high school. It was summer, we had just moved, I didn’t know anyone yet, and my mom knew I needed something to do to meet people and burn energy. I’d been asking to try martial arts for a year or two and she found a school down the street for me to try.
I was instantly hooked. It wasn’t just the athletic activity, or the cool martial arts movements, it was the people. The sense of family and the way everyone interacted with respect and genuine care for each other and our growth. I may not have grasped that concept as a teen, but I fully understand it now and strive to instill that same sense of family in my school, my students, and other schools and instructors I work with.
After high school I went to college at West Virginia University. Upon graduation in 1999 I commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Air Force. I went to pilot training in 2000 eventually flying the E-3 AWACS for the better part of my military career before retiring in 2015. Now I fly international routes for United Airlines all over the world.
Tae Kwon Do is my main art, but over the years I have studied several others including Shotokan Karate, Ju-Jitsu, Chi-Lin Kung Fu, Hap Ki Do, and many others. I have been fortunate enough to earn black belts in a few different systems along my journey.
I had always helped teach in every school I attended starting back in 1994 but never had the opportunity to start my own school. I didn’t think that was going to be part of my martial arts journey. In 2017 my current instructor started to encourage me to open a school. In 2018, with the support of my wife and martial arts family, we opened Hall’s TKD.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
For me the road to this point has been fairly smooth. The only obstacle I faced was the ability to commit to training while I was serving in the Air Force. I always kept a hand in the arts training on my own or running a workout group while deployed, but didn’t have a chance to be a student or progress in my knowledge from 2001 through about 2014. Remote locations, having a young family, increased job responsibilities all take away from personal time and the ability to attend a school.
Those are same obstacles many young adults face with continuing or starting a martial art. I would tell any adult practitioner – 1 class a week is better than zero classes, and martial arts is a lifelong activity – you can always get back in.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Professionally, I am an airline pilot. My airline job comes first as it supports my family. However, teaching is my passion. Running a martial arts school affords me the opportunity to mentor kids, teens and adults. The trust families put in me to keep their kids safe and help them grow into strong, capable adults is not something I take lightly. As much as we work on the physical attributes of Tae Kwon Do, we also spend time on character building which is just as important.
Along with the school, we run an annual tournament called SPAR WARS. The first year we had 35 competitors. Next year, 2 May 2026, we are expecting 150+ competitors from about 10 different schools. It’s an open style tournament with the goal of bringing schools, instructors, and students from differing styles and backgrounds together to share in the martial arts camaraderie with some friendly competition.
What sets me apart is I don’t rely on my school to support my family. 90% of what the school brings in goes right back into the school. This enables me to keep enrollment limited and class sizes small. By keeping class sizes small, I get to spend more time with each individual student. I can focus on each student in each class to help them progress and refine technique.
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
Martial arts have been around for a very very long time. Schools didn’t start to become a viable commercial opportunity until the 80’s. Now that movies, cartoons, and sports broadcasting have expanded to make martial arts more mainstream along with parents and therapists recognizing the benefits of martial arts training; enrollment and popularity of the arts will only increase. It will be more incumbent upon parents to pick a good school for their students.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.hallstkd.com
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/DWHallsTKD
