Master Viet Le

Owner / Master Instructor

I was born in Vietnam in 1972.  Because I was born of a Vietnamese/Chinese mother and an American Army father, I was treated very poorly by the other children in my neighborhood.  In order to defend myself from the frequent fights I had to endure, my grandfather began teaching me a Chinese style martial art similar to Bruce Lee’s Jeet Kune Do at about 6 years old.  In December 1983, my family was fortunate enough to be able to come to America.  I didn’t know any English but I worked very hard to learn the language so that I could work in various jobs and help support my mother and two younger siblings. 

In April 1988, I began training in Tae Kwon Do under Grand Master Carl Runk at Carl Runk’s World Karate which had just opened in December 1987.  I worked to pay for my own membership because my mother could not afford it.  About half way through my training towards my black belt, it was my honor to have begun assisting Grand Master Runk with warming up classes and individual private lessons.  I became a permanent fixture around the school and trained on a daily basis, so much so that I was able to earn my Black Belt in under 2 ½ years.  I was one of two student in the first Black Belt testing under Grand Master Runk and worked for him for several years.  Besides Tae Kwon Do, he trained me in Jiu Jitsu, wrestling, and Vale Tudo.  He was also instrumental in my upbringing and was very much a father figure for me.

While training and teaching, I competed in numerous tournaments as well. I was ranked in the top 10 both regionally and nationally in forms, fighting, and weapons in the Amateur and Professional Karate Leagues and NASKA, and have also won several tournament grand championships in black belt forms, weapons, and fighting.

Other accomplishments include amateur bodybuilding, in which I competed locally and was televised on ESPN.  But the best of all, I have been married to my wife since 1994 and we have three beautiful children together.  My passion in life is martial arts and it is my honor to use my knowledge and abilities to help others to achieve their goals as well.

Mrs. Deirdre Le,

a.k.a. "Mama Le"

Co-Owner / Office Manager / Instructor

Our school is very family oriented. So one day, one of our young after-school program students began calling me "Mama Le" and from that point, it stuck. Even the student parents sometimes call me this, which makes me giggle inside, but I love it.

I was born in Bethesda, MD in 1966, but lived in South Miami, FL until I was 12. Ever since I started watching the TV show Kung Fu and the movie Karate Kid came out, I was intrigued by martial arts. However, I never really expressed to my family my hidden desire to learn because I didn't think that our family could afford the lessons. In 1979, I moved to Fairfax, VA and graduated from Oakton High School in 1984. In 1988, I joined the Marine Corps and received training in Electronics and Electricity, as well as some computer repair training. After my service ended, I received my Computer Technology degree from Computer Learning Center.

Finally, in May 1994, I began my Tae Kwon Do training at age 26 with my daughter, Kyla, who was then 4 1/2 years old. The precision of my Marine Corps training really helped me to excel with my martial arts. Also, in 1994, I met and married my husband, who is now also my martial arts master, Master Le. Yes, I do call him Mr. Le in the school. Some people think this is strange, but I think it would be even stranger to call him Viet when everyone else calls him Mr. Le. It is my way of separating our home family relationship from our martial arts family relationship and business co-ownership. Some students have asked if it is hard for me to work with my spouse and be around him 24-7. Like any other married couple, sometimes that answer is a resounding "Yes!" Yes, my husband is the boss and my instructor! This is tricky sometimes, but it works. I have to say, this whole experience has been one of the best experiences in my life and I wouldn't change it! We make a great team, sort of like the yin and yang. We keep each other balanced. This is what it is all about, and we try to bring that balance to our students, whatever it takes.

Because of various injuries (not related to martial arts) and my pregnancies with our children, twins Julia and Nicole, and our son, Brandon, I was not able to really train for about 9 years. However, in December 2004, at the ripe old age of 38, I began training again. Due to my ability to learn quickly and my attention to detail, I was able to assist my husband to teach very early on. My instruction focuses heavily on forms, hand sparring, and breaking techniques. I earned my black belt in November 2008.