CHIEF MASTER VINCENT RAIMONDI
Chief Master Raimondi began the study of Tae Kwon Do in South America in 1973. He was a professional soccer player, active in judo and other martial arts before coming to the USA in 1977. Not long after arriving in Amercia, Chief Master Raimondi continued his martial arts training under the guidance of Grand Master H.U. Lee and in 1985 became certified as an instructor by the ATA. The year 1985 continued to be an exciting year as he opened his first ATA martial arts school in Roselle Park, NJ. Through 1985 – 1987 Chief Master Raimondi participated in many tournaments and consistently finished in the top ten of competitions.
His interest in learning other martial arts led him to study Jeet Kune Do and train under Ted Wong, a student of Bruce Lee, in 1990. In 2005 Chief Master Raimondi received his certification as an instructor of JKD. In 2000, under the tutelage of Korean Master Jeong Ho Kim, Chief Master Raimondi studied the art of the Korean Samurai called Haidong Gumdo and received his certificate in 2002.
By the time 2001 came along Park Karate had experienced tremendous growth and success. The school received the Ambassador Award as one of the top academies in the country (Park Karate was ranked fifth) and Chief Master Raimondi was cited for his distinguished accomplishments and leadership skills. In 2003 the ATA conferred upon Chief Master Raimondi his title as a 6th Degree Black Belt Master and, in 2008, achieved the status as a 7th Degree Chief Master.
But Chief Master Raimondi is not all about martial arts. He is also a respected citizen of Roselle Park, actively involved in many of the township’s activities with the goals of creating a better and cleaner community. His contributions to numerous fundraising campaigns are likewise inspiring, generously giving to the H.U. Lee Fund for college scholarships and also in the hopes of someday finding a cure for breast cancer. He is a devoted husband and father and sees his family as his greatest accomplishment of all.
