Monty Hendrix

Monty Brian Hendrix (April 3, 1974) is a world renowned martial arts instructor, former martial arts competitor, published author and actor. He is also the founder of the popular "Essential Martial Arts" chain of self defense schools in North Carolina.

Education
Hendrix graduated from Maiden High School in Maiden North Carolina where he was student body president and lettered in varsity football and golf. Additionally, while in High School, Hendrix attended NC Boy State and the North Carolina Governor's School West where he was also student body president.
Hendrix went on to attend the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where he graduated with a double major in Broadcast Journalism from the world renowned UNC-CH school of journalism and mass communication as well as a second major in interpersonal communications.
Family Background
Monty Hendrix' father - Ronald "Ronnie" M. Hendrix is a former NC state trap shooting champion who played collegiate football and baseball at Gardner Webb and Mars Hill Colleges. Additionally he was a professional race horse jockey and professional rodeo performer as well as a competitive golfer. He is also a former high school football and baseball coach.
Monty Hendrix' mother - Dianne Abernethy Hendrix played collegiate volleyball at Western Carolina University (WCU) where she held the "field day" standing long jump record. She is also a former high school women's basketball coach, who in over 20 years of coaching never had a team finish below 2nd place in their conference.
Taekwon-Do
Monty Hendrix currently holds the Rank of 7th Degree black belt and Internationally Certified Instructor with the Unified International Taekwon-Do federation (U-ITF), holding certificate number A-7-2 (2nd American promoted to 7th Degree Black Belt in the U-ITF). Hendrix trains directly under Grand Master K.S. Hwang (K-9-1), the U-ITF founder, in Taekwon-Do. Grand Master Hwang was one of only a handful of individuals ever promoted to Grand Master by General Choi Hong Hi, the Founder of ITF Taekwon-Do. Hence making Hendrix a 2nd Generation Instructor from the Founder of ITF Taekwon-Do.
HapKiDo
Monty Hendrix is the current East Coast Director for the World HapKiDo Association. Hendrix was original trained by the Late Grand Master Bong Soo Han, International HapKiDo Federation Founder. Hendrix held both a 2nd Degree Black belt and Certified Instructor ranking under Grand Master Han. Making Hendrix a second generation student from the HapKiDo Founder - Choi, Young Sul whom Grand Master Han had trained with directly.
After Grand Master Han's death, Hendrix became a student of Jung, Tae - The current President of the World HapKiDo Association. Hendrix currently holds the rank of 4th Degree Black Belt Master International Certified Instructor with the World HapKiDo Association.
Contemporary Jeet Kune Do and Philippine Martial Arts
Hendrix holds a Full Instructor ranking in Contemporary Jeet Kune Do as well as in Philippine Martial arts under world renowned Jeet Kune Do Instructor, Sigund Paul Vunak, founder of Progressive Fighting Systems. Vunak is also a first generation student from Dan Inosanto (Bruce Lee's most Senior Student). Hence making Hendrix a 3rd generation student from Jeet Kune Do founder - Bruce Lee.
Competitions
Hendrix was a 2002 AAU National bronze medalist in Taekwon-Do in the Adult Men's Advanced Black Belt division for forms and a bronze medalist in the Adult Men's heavyweight black belt division for traditional (non olympic style) fighting. He qualified for the 2002 AAU nationals with two AAU regional gold medal wins.
http://stw.aausports.org/ResultsAwards/PastTournamentResults/2002NationalChampionships.aspx
Additionally, Hendrix won a bronze and silver medal at the 1996 American Taekwon-Do World Championships. The bronze medal was for forms in the men's 2nd degree black belt division while the silver medal was for fighting in the men's 2nd degree black belt division (open weight class). Hendrix was winning the final match 4-0 (5 point maximum) with nearly no time left in the fight when he was disqualified due to a botched call by a referee.
Hendrix was also an ATA top 10 national competitor at the end of the 1995/1996 ATA competition season.
He has also won 3 silver medals and 2 gold medals in the North Carolina State Games Open Karate tournament in men's black belt divisions.
Film Work
Monty Hendrix co-wrote and starred in the instructional safety video entitled: "Traveling Wisely" in 1999/2000 which was sold through both the USA Today and the Wall Street Journal.
Additionally, Hendrix has gained attention for starring in dozens of self defense instructional clips found on youtube.

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