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Korea Taekwondo Academy

The people behind the belt.

Meet the people who guide your training — from your first class to black belt and beyond.

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Academy Leadership

David Bickel

Chief Instructor

Mr. Bickel leads KTA with a focus on clarity, discipline, and student development. He oversees instructional standards at the academy.

Alex Bickel

Head Instructor

Mr. Alex Bickel is a 4th Degree Black Belt known for his strong technique and leadership. He guides day to day instruction and inspires students with disciplined and energetic teaching.

Michelle Bickel

Vice President and Finance Administrator

Mrs. Michelle Bickel manages the financial operations of KTA, supporting the academy’s long term stability and success.

Master Instructors

Cindy Gould

Master

Master Cindy Gould is officially certified 6th Dan (Degree) through the Kukkiwon – World Taekwondo Headquarters.

More about Cindy

I have been training since 1987.
Challenging myself and trying to push past my limits is what I enjoy most about training.
What I find most rewarding about helping other KTA students is in reaching goals they did not believe they could obtain.
My best KTA memory is traveling to competitions in the 1990s with a great group of friends.
My favorite food is bananas.
When I am not at KTA or at work/school, you will likely find me pedaling a bike if the weather is nice or reading a book if it’s not nice out.

Derrick Vazquez

Master

Derrick Vazquez is officially certified 6th Dan (Degree) through the Kukkiwon – World Taekwondo Headquarters.

More about Derrick

I have been training since 1998.
What I find most rewarding about helping other KTA students is when their light bulb turns on and they understand the technique.
My best KTA memory is earning my first dan.
My favorite food is homemade chocolate chip cookies.
When I’m not at KTA, you will likely find me at home chilling out and listening to music on my iPod.

Senior Instructors

Chris Bonham

Black Belt Leader

Chris Bonham is officially certified 5th Dan (Degree) through the Kukkiwon – World Taekwondo Headquarters.

More about Chris

I have been training since 2008.
Finding new areas of improvement is what I enjoy most about training.
What I find most rewarding about helping other KTA students is seeing how much they achieve over time.
My best KTA memory is competing in a poomsae tournament with my daughter as a pair.
My favorite food is Mexican.
When I am not at KTA or at work/school, you will likely find me spending time with my three daughters, two of which are KTA black belts!

Tom Gaber

Black Belt Leader

Tom Gaber is officially certified 5th Dan (Degree) through the Kukkiwon – World Taekwondo Headquarters.

Larry Klutzke

Black Belt Leader

Larry Klutzke is officially certified 5th Dan (Degree) through the Kukkiwon – World Taekwondo Headquarters.

More about Larry

I have been training since 1981.
Forgetting all the hustle and bustle outside the dojang is what I enjoy most about training.
What I find most rewarding about helping other KTA students is their growth.
My best KTA memory is every new black belt handshake line, I always tear up.
My favorite food is (wow, didn’t think this would be the hardest question) bourbon balls.
When I am not at KTA or at work/school, you will likely find me listening to a good audiobook.

Scott Thien

Black Belt Leader

Scott Thien is officially certified 5th Dan (Degree) through the Kukkiwon – World Taekwondo Headquarters.

Instructors

Gloria Hughey

Black Belt Leader

Gloria Hughey is officially certified 4th Dan (Degree) through the Kukkiwon – World Taekwondo Headquarters.

More about Gloria

I have been training since 2011. I enjoy the hard exercises and disciplined training we do every day.
What I find most rewarding about helping other KTA students is seeing the joy they get when they figure out how to execute their poomsae right.
My best KTA memory is the time when I broke my three boards back kick break.
My favorite food is Pancit, a Filipino noodle dish.
When I am not at KTA or at work/school, you will likely find me at my church praying or leading a teen group.

Isaac Norman

Black Belt Leader

Isaac Norman is officially certified 4th Dan (Degree) through the Kukkiwon – World Taekwondo Headquarters.

Alicia McClure

Black Belt Leader

Alicia McClure is officially certified 3rd Dan (Degree) through the Kukkiwon – World Taekwondo Headquarters. Head Instructor at Midwest Academy.

Head Instructor at Midwest Academy — a KTA-affiliated school, not Noblesville daily staff.

Nirmala Jayapalan

Black Belt Leader

Nirmala is officially certified 3rd Dan (Degree) through the Kukkiwon – World Taekwondo Headquarters.

Amy Norman

Black Belt Leader

Amy Norman is officially certified 2nd Dan (Degree) through the Kukkiwon – World Taekwondo Headquarters.

Emerging Leaders

Leadership Team

Brayden Warrick

Leadership Team

Brayden is a 3rd Degree Black Belt.

David Gould

Leadership Team

David is a 3rd Degree Black Belt.

Alan Westerfield

Leadership Team

Alan is a 1st Degree Black Belt.

Yaretzi Hidalgo Reyes

Leadership Team

Yaretzi is a 1st Degree Black Belt.

Junior Leadership Team

Yul Hidalgo Reyes

Junior Leadership Team

Yul is a 1st Degree Black Belt.

Lucca Odreman

Junior Leadership Team

Lucca is a 1st Degree Black Belt.

Nathan Ramirez

Junior Leadership Team

Nathan is a 1st Degree Black Belt.

Behind every class is a team committed to helping students learn, grow, and keep moving forward.

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