Teachers

Headmaster William Kwok

Headmaster William Kwok is a Doctor of Education and a widely respected martial arts educator with more than 45 years of training and teaching experience. He is the headmaster of Gotham Martial Arts and the founder of the Martial Arts Education Society.

He began his teaching journey in 1998 by assisting Grandmaster Suk-Jun Kim in promoting traditional Taekwon-do. In 2007, with Grandmaster Kim’s encouragement, he established Gotham Martial Arts in Manhattan, where he continues to teach traditional Taekwon-do and Practical Wing Chun Kung Fu full time.

Over the years, he has conducted seminars at institutions including the Korea Society, JP Morgan Chase, Princeton University, and Harvard University. His contributions have been recognized with the Community Leadership Award from the U.S. President’s Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition and a Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition. Since 2022, he has also partnered with the Asian American Federation’s Hope Against Hate campaign, leading safety workshops that promote community resilience.

Headmaster Kwok holds a Doctor of Education from Northeastern University, where his research focused on integrating martial arts and mindfulness in education. He also earned a master’s degree in Government from Harvard University and an MBA from St. John’s University. Earlier in his career, he studied physical education at Columbia University and taught at the City University of New York before dedicating himself fully to martial arts education. He has also served as Co-Chair of Harvard Alumni for Education in New York City.

Community Leadership Award by the US President's Council on Sports, Fitness & Nutrition Award.


Headmaster Kwok and his student, Neel Sethi, who played Mowgli in The Jungle Book (2016)