XCEL: Tae Kwon Do Martial Arts Center Excells in Hasbrouck Heights

“When we get new students, they understand that we are trying to teach them how to defend  themselves but we are also here to teach them self-confidence and how to express themselves. We teach them confidence and self-discipline so that they do better in school and in life,” says owner Steven Lee of Xcel Tae Kwon Do.

“We want them to be sure of themselves when they leave. We want our students to have goals to have fun at the same time.”

Master Steven Lee immigrated to this country at age nine from Korea and was raised in Hasbrouck Heights. He went through the Hasbrouck Heights School system having gone through Euclid School, Franklin School and is an alumnus of Hasbrouck Heights High School Class of 1989.  

“I have a lot of wonderful memories growing up here in town. This is the reason why I decided to open my business here in town.”

“As a child, I was always skinny and a little shy, so my parents got me into a Tae Kwon Do class and I really excelled at it. I started competing at all levels and was winning many competitions. I was noticed by a recruiter representing the Olympic Committee and I spent the next ten years of my career training at the Olympic Camp in Colorado Springs, CO. I trained for ten hours a day representing the US National team. At the time I was at the camp, Tae Kwon Do was not an Olympic sport.” Steven was the five time National Champion and served as US National Team Captain in many Olympic Tae Kwon Do championships. He was also voted by the US Olympic Committee as the National Tae Kwon Do Athlete of the Year.

While he was at the training camp, he was able to continue his education at the University of Colorado and was able to travel and compete in countries such as Denmark and the Philippines. “It was tough for me about the time I retired from the sport Tae Kwon Do became an event at the Olympics,” Lee said.

“When I retired, I moved back to Hasbrouck Heights and in 1999 I opened my business on the Boulevard,” heexplained.  “I like working with the kids in Hasbrouck Heights. We have such a good diversity of kids. We teach what it is like to win and lose. You have to put in a lot to this sport. We just don’t teach
self-defense at the school, we teach our students confidence, discipline and building character. When you compete, it opens your eyes to the rest of the world.”

“I find that my students also do well in school because they are structured and have a focused energy. They also respect authority, both to me and themselves. I have students from age three up to their 50s. It is good exercise for all age groups. We focus on teamwork, courage and flexibility,” Lee said.

Working with Steven is Chrissy Adamo, a third degree black belt instructor and a National Champion who still is one of the top competitors in the world. She served as the coach of the New York University’s Olympic Tae Kwon Do team.