Michael J. O'Malley

Also known as

Michael O'Malley · Mike O'Malley

Description

American taekwondo practitioner and instructor. A 4-time US National Champion, undefeated in his national title reign from 1978 to 1981. He was elected US Team Captain in 1980 and 1981, and coached the US Olympic team ahead of the 1988 Seoul Games. He won bronze at the 1978 Pan American Games and gold at the 1980 Pan American Games. Inducted into the Taekwondo Hall of Fame in 2011 under Lifetime Achievement. He began taekwondo at age 14 at Jae Hun Kim's school near Fenway Park in Boston, took his black belt test at age 16 in the home of General Choi Hong Hi, and later ran Kim's school while Kim completed military service in South Korea. He opened the O'Malley Tae Kwon Do Center in Peabody, Massachusetts in 2011 and sold the business in 2025. He was one of Joe Rogan's taekwondo instructors at the JHK Institute.

Teachers (1)

• 
  Jae Hun Kim

  sports_martial_artsITF Taekwondo Confirmed

  Confirmed

  CNHI article confirms O'Malley trained under Jae Hun Kim from age 14

  The evidence establishes the claim: it is sufficient and consistent, and any conflicting evidence is resolved.

  (1972)

  fact_checkassessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  2 sources expand_more

  fact_check

  CNHI article confirms O'Malley trained under Jae Hun Kim from age 14

  “He looked around for martial arts schools and found one near Fenway Park run by Jae Hun Kim, an MIT student who was the first person to bring authentic Taekwondo to New England.”

  — Enos, Caroline. (2025). One last kick for Master O'Malley in Peabody - CNHIlink history info

  visibilityFirst-hand

  “Jae Hun Kim (Mr. O’Malley’s instructor, Founder of the Jae H. Kim Tae Kwon Do Institute)”

  — Wu, Fei. (2014). Michael O'Malley on Tae Kwon Do Competition and the Path to Resilience - Feisworld Podcastlink history info

Lineage

• ITF TaekwondoJae Hun Kim ← Park Jung-tae ← Choi Hong-hi · 3 generations

Students (1)

• 
  Joe Rogan

  sports_martial_artsITF Taekwondo Possible

  Possible

  Rogan Instagram post mentions O'Malley as instructor at JHK Institute

  Some evidence points to the claim, but it is thin, indirect, or in unresolved conflict with other evidence.

  location_onJae Hun Kim Tae Kwon Do Institute badge (1982–1988)

  fact_checkassessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  1 source expand_more

  fact_check

  Rogan Instagram post mentions O'Malley as instructor at JHK Institute

  visibilityFirst-hand alt_routeIndirect

  “Mr. Kim and Mr. Michael O'Malley (a multiple time national champion) emphasized a lot of heavy bag work and power in their training program.”

  — Joe Rogan. Joe Rogan Instagram post crediting Jae Hun Kim Tae Kwon Do Institutelink info

Sources

Identifiers