Masters Bio

Master Alvin Bernard is a 7th Degree Black Belt Olympic Coach, International Instructor, International Class A Umpire/referee, U.S. National Team Coach and the Chief Instructor of Team USA Taekwon-do Fitness. His interest in the martial arts began at an early age when he was introduced to Karate by a friend. During the early nineteen eighties Master Bernard’s formal training in Taekwon-do began in Aachen Germany under the direction of Mr. Peter Koch. From 1980 to present Master Bernard has trained continuously within the United States. He has trained and competed in numerous styles of martial arts in order to expand his abilities and knowledge.

Master Bernard is trained in ITF Taekwon-Do, Olympic Taekwondo, Shotokan Karate, Hapkido, Kung-fu, Boxing, Kickboxing and Grappling/Submission fighting however, his dedication remains with Taekwon-do. Master Bernard has developed admirable physical condition typical of an elite athlete as he strives to maintain his competitive edge. He has trained and competed in numerous countries and nationally within the United States. His latest accomplishment includes 2003 National Champion in sparring and patterns/ forms which earn him a spot on the 2003 USA Taekwon-do Team.

In September 2003, he competed in the New York International Taekwon-do Tournament winning 1st place in Individual Sparring and 1st place in Team Sparring. In October 2003 the US Team traveled to Australia where they represented their country proudly. Master Bernard won 1st place in individual sparring/fighting, 1st place in Team Sparring and 1st place in Team Breaking overall brining home 3 gold medals and 1 silver medal for patterns/forms. In October 2004 he also competed in the 30th US Taekwon-do championship in Colorado Springs, Colorado where he placed 1st in his division. Master Bernard’s dedication and knowledge have made him a superlative competitor and instructor. He has completed International Instructor Training Courses with Master Tran Trieu Quan in 2004, General Choi Hong Hi in 2002 and with Grand Master Sheriff in 2001. Master Bernard also gives seminars through out the US sharing his winning sparring techniques. Since 1990 Master Bernard has been teaching in the Fort Lee area. His experiences as an instructor range from private lessons with clients to instructing children at the following public schools: Lewis F. Cole Middle School and Huaxia Chinese School in Fort Lee, New Jersey and Eleanor Van Gelder Elementary in Edgewater, New Jersey. He is also known as the premier personal trainer of many professional athletes, movie & TV personalities in the NJ & NY area.

“I like to fight and compete but the martial arts means more to me. Taekwondo for me is a way of life. I try to incorporate the tenets of Taekwondo within my daily routine. I teach my students to respect others and I respect them as well. Winning is great and I love to win but I care more about my students doing their best and feeling good about themselves. I love teaching and I am good at it due to all my years of competing and teaching. I am sensitive to my students needs as competitors and as individuals. I teach each student based on their individual needs and strengths.” Master Bernard has also achieved great success as coach including numerous National Junior Olympics competitions where his students have represented their school honorably. His coaching experience includes local, national and international competitions including the 2005 U.S. National Team in Germany and the 2006 U.S. National Junior Team in Honduras. Master Bernard’s main objective is to teach his students how to utilize 100 percent of their potential through Taekwon-do training. He also continues his training with other instructors throughout the United States.