Celebrating 51 continuous years of Korean Martial Arts Training.
Master Terry O’Connell, known to his students as Master Terry, is the Director (Kwan Jang) and Senior Master Instructor at Jung Martial Arts Family Center in Montoursville, Pennsylvania.
With over 51 years of continuous martial arts study and 31 years of teaching experience, Master Terry leads a program that is built upon time tested principles that have shaped generations of students into capable, thoughtful, disciplined and compassionate young leaders. True leadership is quiet, confident strength without arrogance, and courage guided by respect. That perfectly describes Terry O’Connell.
He is a Korean-certified and internationally recognized Master Instructor in the traditional Korean arts of Hapkido, Tae Kwon Do, and Kumdo (also known as Geomdo, the “Way of the Sword”).
Master O’Connell holds a 7th Dan Black Belt in Authentic Hapkido and serves as the USA Director for the World Jung Moo Hapkido Association. He is also affiliated with the Korea Hapkido Federation and has served on the Secretariat Board of the prestigious HAPKIDOWON (World Hapkido Headquarters).
In addition to his martial arts accomplishments, Master O’Connell is a retired law enforcement officer with more than 25 years of distinguished service in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania. Throughout his career, he held multiple roles including Patrol Officer, Criminal Investigator, Use-of-Force Instructor, and Chief of Police. He also served as a Special Deputy U.S. Marshal with the Middle District of Pennsylvania Fugitive Task Force, and is a proud veteran of the United States Marine Corps.
Master O’Connell has extensive experience in law enforcement defensive tactics and has trained hundreds of officers across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. He is also certified through the National Rifle Association’s Law Enforcement Division as an instructor in Handgun, Shotgun, and Precision Long-Range Rifle disciplines.
Today, Master Terry teaches Hapkido full-time, offering both private and public instruction at the Jung Martial Arts Family Center, where he continues to guide students with a focus on discipline, respect, and the lifelong pursuit of excellence.
“I began my martial arts journey at the age of fourteen, nearly five decades ago. In the early 1970s, finding quality martial arts instruction in the hills of North Central Pennsylvania was a challenge. My father, a U.S. Navy veteran who had experienced martial arts firsthand during his service, supported my interest and accompanied me to several local classes, always encouraging me to keep searching and stay committed.
Like many teenagers of my generation, captivated by the rise of Chuck Norris, Bruce Lee, and Billy Jack (featuring Grandmaster Bong Soo Han’s Hapkido), I was determined to learn. I attended every class I could find. But it wasn’t until I enlisted in the United States Marine Corps and traveled throughout Asia that I truly understood what my father had been trying to tell me.
Over the past fifty years, I’ve had the privilege of training in Japan, Okinawa, and Korea. Through those experiences, I discovered the profound difference between authentic martial arts, deeply rooted in lineage and tradition, and much of what is commonly taught in the West. Many years ago, I made a personal vow: I would never again study or teach martial arts that were not authentic in both lineage and instruction.
Today, our dojang is proudly affiliated with some of the most respected and authentic Martial Artists in the world. I am deeply honored that our Black Belt students become part of that living lineage directly connect to the founder of HapKiDo, carrying forward not only skill, but tradition, integrity, and purpose”.
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