Instructors & Staff
Our extremely talented and experienced instructors and staff are fully trained in Kage No Michi Ninjutsu and have dedicated their lives to progressing The Way of the Shadow and its students. In addition to upholding high quality martial arts, our high-spirited instructors know how to make training fun for both kids and adults. Best of all, our instructors love what they do and genuinely care for the Dojo Family.
Our instructors also hold a wide range of certifications including CPR and Live Scan.
Soke Tafan Hong - Founder
Soke Tafan Hong began training in the martial arts at age 8 under Benny "The Jet" Urquidez and has been interested in the martial arts his whole life. Although he cannot even remember the first time he heard of the art of Ninjutsu, he can remember being completely fascinated by this martial art form. Soke Hong began researching the art of Ninjutsu by reading every book he could find at local libraries and began learning all he could from them. At age 18, he found a school and began formally training in the art.
Today, Soke Hong holds the rank of Shodan in the Bujinkan Ninjutsu System under Grandmaster Masaaki Hatsumi and is the Founder of the Kage No Michi Ninjutsu system. He was inducted into the U.S.A. Martial Arts Hall of Fame in 2008 for "Ninjutsu Instructor of the Year" and has also taught Kage No Michi Ninjutsu at the University of California Los Angeles. Soke Hong has also been featured in National Geographic's Fight Science and has done fight choreography and stuntwork for the Korean blockbuster movie "The Suspect".
In the Kage No Michi Ninjutsu system, as in other martial art styles, the red belt and title of Soke is reserved only for the Grandmaster or founder of the school.
Sensei Charles Moore - Head Instructor, Owner
"I have been training since 2006 in the style of Kage No Michi Ninjutsu. I've tried kickboxing, boxing and military training and none can compare. It's made for the streets and also we can take it in the ring. This style is not for everyone. If you want hard core training, it's here. If not, it's out there. No movement is concrete and set in stone. Soke Hong will take a move that has been done for years and make it more practical for the streets and it works better." Sensei Moore achieved the rank of 1st Degree Black Belt under Soke Hong in September 2011. Sensei Moore is the longest training student with over 16 years of experience in Kage No Michi Ninjutsu and is currently the head instructor of The Way of the Shadow in Torrance.
Abbie Moore - Program Director
Sempai Hannah Moore - Instructor
Coach George Slaughter - Instructor
Junior Instructors
In addition to our full-time staff, we have a team of junior instructors/helpers, called the S.H.A.D.O.W. Team, that assist in the classes on a regular basis. We consider the S.H.A.D.O.W Team as a future instructor/leader training grounds. Their roles range from getting students ready for class to partnering with students and monitoring drill stations.
Learn more about the S.H.A.D.O.W. Team