Today we’d like to introduce you to Mohammed Dajani.
Hi Mohammed, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Tae Kwon Do has played a huge role in shaping who I am today. In many ways, it changed the direction of my life.
When I was a young teenager, I was out of shape, lacking confidence, and starting to find myself around the wrong crowd. One day, my sister asked me if I wanted to try a free Tae Kwon Do class at Jhoon Rhee Tae Kwon Do in Annandale, Virginia. I figured I had nothing to lose, so I went.
I took that first class, and I was hooked.
I quickly registered and started attending classes regularly. Tae Kwon Do helped me get into shape, but it gave me so much more than that. It gave me confidence, discipline, structure, and something positive to work toward. I set my sights on earning my black belt, and eventually I achieved that goal. At 17 years old, I was ranked the #2 fighter in the nation.
Along the way, I had the opportunity to learn from some incredible instructors, especially Master Lightfoot. He became a father figure to me and taught me not only how to practice Tae Kwon Do, but how to teach it and, more importantly, how to connect with students and make a difference in their lives. A lot of what I know about teaching today came from him.
In 1999, an unexpected opportunity changed the direction of my life again. An after-school program manager asked me if I could teach a Tae Kwon Do lesson during their summer camp. I agreed, and I remember seeing how much fun the kids were having. I was having just as much fun teaching them.
When the summer program ended, many of the kids and parents asked if they could continue training with me. That was when I realized I had an opportunity to do something I had always wanted to do: give back to the community by providing children with the same positive experience that Tae Kwon Do had given me.
That led me to start Mohammed Tae Kwon Do LLC.
What started as one summer program has now grown into more than 25 years of teaching Tae Kwon Do in the community. Today, I work full-time as an IT Program Manager, but every Sunday I put on my Tae Kwon Do uniform and continue doing something that I truly love.
For me, teaching Tae Kwon Do has never been just about teaching kicks, punches, or how to earn a black belt. It’s about helping students become more confident, disciplined, respectful, and determined. It’s about giving them something positive to be part of and helping them believe in themselves.
I know firsthand how much Tae Kwon Do can change a person’s life because it changed mine. That’s what continues to motivate me after all these years. I’m proud that more than 25 years later, I can still give back to the community and hopefully have the same kind of positive impact on a child’s life that my instructors had on mine.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
No, it certainly hasn’t been a smooth road. There have been plenty of challenges and tough days along the way.
I remember times when we had very few students and I wondered how things were going to work out. There were also times when I lost a lease and had to find a new location within a month. Those situations were stressful, but somehow, things always seemed to work out. Looking back, I think those challenges taught me to be patient, stay positive, and keep moving forward even when I didn’t know exactly what the next step would be.
Running a Tae Kwon Do program also meant making sacrifices. There were plenty of Sunday outings with friends and family that I missed, as well as vacations and other plans that I had to work around. Sunday has always been my teaching day, so I had to make a choice between doing something I enjoyed with family and friends or being there for my students.
There were definitely moments when I wondered if it was worth it. But when I look back at the number of students and families we’ve been able to impact over more than 25 years, I know it was.
The business has had its ups and downs, but I’ve learned that success isn’t always about everything going according to plan. Sometimes it’s simply about staying committed, adapting when things change, and continuing to show up. And after 25 years, I’m grateful that I did.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Mohammed Tae Kwon Do?
Mohammed Tae Kwon Do is a little different from a traditional full-time martial arts school. We are a part-time program, with classes held every Sunday, and we’ve intentionally kept it that way so we can focus on what matters most to us: quality instruction, personal attention, and making a positive impact on our students.
We welcome students as young as three years old, all the way through adults. We also offer school programs, where we can come directly to a school and teach Tae Kwon Do classes to their students.
What really sets us apart is the quality and personal attention we provide. We maintain a strong student-to-instructor ratio so that our instructors can actually get to know each student and provide meaningful feedback. We also track our students’ progress on a weekly basis so we can understand where they are improving and where they may need additional support.
We take promotions and advancement very seriously. We don’t believe in rushing a student to the next belt simply because they’ve been training for a certain amount of time. A promotion should mean something. We want our students to truly earn it and be ready for the responsibility that comes with it. When a student earns that next belt, we want them to feel proud because they know they worked for it.
Another thing that is very important to us is our relationship with parents. We don’t just teach the child and send them home. We make an effort to communicate with our parents, understand what their goals are for their child, and work together to help achieve those goals. Every student is different, and we want to understand what each family hopes their child will gain from Tae Kwon Do.
After more than 25 years, I’m most proud that Mohammed Tae Kwon Do has remained focused on the same principles that inspired me to start teaching in the first place: quality, discipline, personal growth, and giving back to the community.
For us, success isn’t measured by how many students we can put on the floor. It’s measured by the quality of the experience we give each student and the positive difference Tae Kwon Do makes in their life.
How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
The best way to connect with us is simply to reach out. We’re always happy to connect with families who are interested in Tae Kwon Do, as well as schools, community organizations, and others who may be interested in partnering with us.
If you’re interested in having your child try Tae Kwon Do, learning more about our Sunday program, or bringing a Tae Kwon Do program to your school or organization, we’d love to hear from you.
You can reach me directly at:
**Email:** [info@mohtkd.com](mailto:info@mohtkd.com)
**Call or Text:** 703-629-9077
We’re always open to new opportunities to share Tae Kwon Do with the community and help more children and families experience the positive impact it can have.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.mohtkd.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mo_tkd/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mohtkd
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/mohammed-tae-kwon-do-fairfax?utm_campaign=www_business_share_popup&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=(direct)
