Master Darren Norris was born March 29, 1959 in Hendersonville, NC where he has been a life long member of the community. Master Darren Norris began his studies in the Korean self defense art of Hapkido at the age of 13 under Herschel T. Anderson. He studied at that Dojang until Mr. Anderson retired from teaching in 1974.
Then, in his mid thirties Master Darren Norris returned to Hapkido training under the tutelage of Master Dennis Corn who also taught Aikido in Hendersonville. Master Corn holds a 5th degree black belt in Hapkido with the prestigious Korean Hapkido Federation, 2nd degree black belt in Aikido and 3rd degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do. Around 2002 Master Corn, who had a reputation for brutally effective technique, retired and named Master Darren Norris chief instructor of his school: Aikido and Hapkido of Hendersonville.
In 2003, after having met and trained with the President of the Korean Hapkido Federation, Grand Master Dong Kyun Kim, Master Darren Norris was made the North Carolina State Representative for the Korean Martial Arts Instructors Association. In 2004 Master Darren Norris was honored as a Hapkido instructor by the World Head of Family Sokeship Council and was inducted into the U.S.A. Martial Arts Hall of Fame as Hapkido Instructor of the Year.
In 2008 Master Darren Norris was promoted to 4th degree black belt in Haemukwan Hapkido and awarded the title of Master by the Korean Hapkido Federation. Also in 2008, Master Darren Norris earned the position of United States East Coast Representative for the KMAIA, was and voted in to the KMAIA World Council.
Master Darren Norris continued his accomplishments in 2009 when he was inducted into the Action Radio Network & World Martial Arts Magazine Hall of Fame as the Hapkido Master of the year. The school that he shares with his partner Master Travis Ginn, (also inducted into the Hall of Fame as Tang Soo Do Master of the year) was awarded Traditional School of The Year at the ceremony in Clearwater FL.
Master Darren Norris was honored once again by the Korean Martial Arts Instructors Association (KMAIA) by being the first person in the U.S. certified to teach the KMAIA Weapons Course and is currently booking dates to teach this certification course in the U.S.
Master Darren Norris also continues to teach Aikido and is 2nd degree black belt with the US Aikido Federation under Yoshimitsu Yamada. He is the host of the Annual Aikido Hapkido of Hendersonville Seminar that will be held in May of 2011.
In 2006 Aikido and Hapkido of Hendersonville was located in a small renovated apartment belonging to my teacher on the east side of Hendersonville, NC. Ho Sin Sool Dojang had recently moved from a community building in Asheville, NC to an older duplex style building on the west side of Hendersonville. The instructor of Ho Sin Sool Dojang, Master Travis Ginn was at the time looking for another instructor to sub-lease mat space to help with the rent.
Travis Ginn and I became equal partners and The Traditional Martial Arts Center was born.
A move is never easy and it required a lot of work both for me and my students whom I am very glad to say stuck by me every step of the way. It was touch and go for a while as it always is but Travis and I were determined to make it work.
Can you imagine what Travis and I felt when we found out this past year that we were being honored by Action Radio Network & World Martial Arts Magazine Hall of Fame ceremony in Clearwater Beach, Florida? Not only were we being named Tang Soo Do and Hapkido Masters of the year but our little "fruit stand school" in a little place called Horse Shoe, North Carolina, just outside of Hendersonville was being named the Traditional School of the Year.
There are a lot of aspiring instructors out there who think that you have to have a 5000 square foot space with all the trimmings to have a successful school. As a result they never feel as if they have the means to get started.
Always remember that it is not the building that makes the school it’s the school that makes the building. With a good heart and a good work ethic you could build a successful school in a barn...or a "fruit stand".
You may contact Master Darren Norris at His Email
Aikido Hapkido Hendersonville NC is a Certified Location For the Save A Life Project USA
