Master Linda Smith-Blais
Master Jean Del Porte

Dartmouth Taekwondo is a student-run organization that was founded in 1984 by two brothers, Master Sung Chul Whang and Jun Chul Whang, and their friend, Javier Arizmendi, a former member of the Mexican National Team. Dartmouth TKD practices the official South Korean and Olympic recognized form of Taekwondo led by the Kukkiwon and World Taekwondo Federation (WTF), employing full contact sparring..

In 2002, Dartmouth Taekwondo became affiliated with the Blue Wave Association through new instructors, Master Linda Smith-Blais (left) and Master Jean Del Porte (right).

Master Linda Smith-Blais is a seventh degree black belt who began training in Taekwondo in 1978 under Blue Wave founder Grandmaster Bruce V. Twing. A former regional and national level medalist, she became an instructor in 1988 and ran the West Lebanon gym for eight years. Master Smith-Blais was instrumental in the development of the Blue Wave Association and actively pursues the latest training methods.

Master Jean Del Porte is a sixth degree black belt who began her Taekwondo training in 1979 with Master Chung K. Ma in Wappingers Falls, NY. She competed in local, state and two National competitions in both poomsae and sparring through 1985. From 1989-1994, Master Del Porte was a student of Grandmaster Dan K. Choi and assisted in teaching at Choi’s Taekwondo in Mesa, AZ. She joined the Lebanon Blue Wave in 1994 as a student of Master Linda Smith-Blais.