Grandmaster Monroe began his Taekwondo training in 1980 under the guidance of Grandmaster Kyu Boong Yim in Dallas, Texas. At the age of 10 years, Grandmaster Monroe set his Taekwondo goals, goals that would shape his life for years to come. His first goal was to become a U.S. National Champion. This goal was accomplished in 1988 by winning the U.S. Collegiate National Championships in Kansas City, Missouri. Next on the list was to make the United States Olympic Team. This was accomplished by making the Alternate Spot on the 1988 and 1992 United States Olympic Team. He then set his sights on the United States Olympic Training Center where he spent 1989 as a permanent resident, training with U.S. Olympic coach Sang Chul Lee. His next goal was to train where his Instructor trained when he was younger. He moved to Seoul, Korea in 1990 where he lived at Cheung Ang University and trained under the Korean Olympic Coach. His final goal was very simple, to train students that felt the same way about Taekwondo as he does and on December 7, 1992 he opened the Korean Taekwondo Institute in a small warehouse in Irving, Texas. His one small school grew to many when his students decided to open up Korean Taekwondo Institute's of their own. He has had schools in Irving, Watauga, Carrollton, Allen, Farmers Branch, Euless, Bedford and Mansfield Texas. He currently oversees operations in Irving and Mansfield.
Grandmaster Monroe's Accomplishments Are Plenty:
1986 Texas State Champion
1987 Texas State Champion
1987 U.S. Collegiate National Championships: Silver
1988 Texas State Champion
1988 U.S. Collegiate National Championships: Gold
1988 U.S. Collegiate Team
1988 U.S. Olympic Team Alternate
1988 U.S. National Championships: Silver
1989 Texas State Champion
1989 U.S. National Championships: Bronze
1989 U.S. Olympic Festival: Bronze
1989 U.S. National Team
1990 Texas State Champion
1991 Texas State Champion
1991 U.S. National Championships: Bronze
1991 U.S. Olympic Festival: Bronze
1991 U.S. Pan Am Team Alternate
1992 Texas State Champion
1992 U.S. Olympic Team Alternate
1993 Texas State Champion
1993 U.S. vs. Mexico Champion
2005 U.S. Select Team Head Coach
2008 - Present Texas State Taekwondo Association Vice President
Former AAU Taekwondo Association Chairman
Currently Holds the Rank of 8th Dan Black Belt
