Grand Master Kent Hups began his TaeKwon-Do career under Grand Master Charles Sereff, founder of the United States TaeKwon-Do Federation, (U.S.T.F) in 1974 while a sophomore studying at Lakewood High School in Colorado. He was promoted to 1st Dan Black Belt in 1980 and began as an assistant instructor at the U.S.T.F. Grand Master Hups taught at the U.S.T.F headquarters for the next 10 years. After a stint in the U.S. Navy, he continued with TaeKwon-Do earning his 2nd Dan in 1982 and was able to fight in the very first national's tournament that year. He joined the police force in 1982 and continued his TaeKwon-Do training earning his 3rd Dan in 1985 and his 4th Dan in 1988.
He attended his first International Instructors course in 1991 which was taught by General Choi Hong Hi, the founder of TaeKwon-Do. In 1994 he attended his second International Instructors course where he was honored to be personally asked by General Choi to demonstrate Yul Gok Tul in front of over 250 black belts from around the world. Grand Master Hups attended a total of six different International Instructors courses during those years. He had the honor to perform demonstrations with General Choi in such places as Chicago, Alaska and Florida to name a few.
He developed a close personal relationship with General Choi over the years often picking the General up or taking the General to the airport while in town and helping the General at World Camps. In one instance when Grand Master Hups went by to pick up the General at his hotel room to take him back to the airport, the General had him move the furniture in the room and they began an hour long TaeKwon-Do workout together. Grand Master Hups has many great stories with the General of times working out, drinking together, eating the General's special spicy Kimchi and many other times together.
Grand Master Hups (then a 5th Dan) started his own school, Hups TaeKwon-Do in 1992 and classes have been held at the City of Westminster's MAC center for the past couple of decades. In 2012, Grand Master Hups formed the Traditional TaeKwon-Do Alliance. Additional T.T.A. classes have been started by his students including West View TaeKwon-Do, Paonia TaeKwon-Do, Gunnison TaeKwon-Do, and In-Nae TaeKwon-Do. It is estimated that Grand Master Hups has trained over 10,000 students and personally promoted hundreds of black belts.
Testing requirements reproduced from the Traditional TaeKwon-Do Alliance Testing Syllabus (revised 2023). © 2013–2023 Traditional TaeKwon-Do Alliance, LLC. All rights reserved. See the Testing Notes for age brackets, kicking terms, breaking rules, and community service guidelines.