Build a life you’re
proud to live.

Grandmaster Chris Berlow helps people bring greater intention to their work, relationships, health, and daily choices. As the founder of Empowered Mastery, an author, entrepreneur, and executive coach, he combines more than four decades of martial arts practice with practical guidance for building a fulfilling life.

Chris began Taekwondo at 13, finding friendship, direction, and confidence during a difficult childhood. He went on to become a national medalist, professional instructor, and school owner. Today, his experience includes leading seminars, corporate workshops, and private coaching, along with co-owning United Martial Arts Centers locations in New York.

He is the author of Mindful Meditation for Busy Lives and It’s Not About the Belt, and a co-author of You Have Infinite Power. His work makes meditation and personal growth accessible to people whose days are already full. He also holds a master’s degree in history, bringing a researcher’s curiosity to the teachings he shares.

A longtime student of Grandmaster Byung Min Kim, Chris was asked to share Il Il Shin with more people. He began by creating dedicated training for martial arts masters and adult students, combining meditation, tea practice, mobility, philosophy, and reflection. Working with Grandmaster Keith Winkle, he has helped develop that work into a broader program, instructor pathway, online community, and their co-authored book, Il Il Shin: Ancient Wisdom for the Modern Warrior.

An avid hiker and outdoor adventurer, Chris brings the same spirit of steady effort and discovery to his coaching. He helps people build habits they can carry into their homes, businesses, and relationships: greater presence, clearer priorities, and the discipline to be better every day.

Grandmaster Keith Winkle has spent more than four decades exploring how people build confidence, overcome limitations, and create lives with purpose. As the founder of Inspire Martial Arts & Fitness, an author, and a personal-development coach, he helps people turn what they learn into how they live.

His approach comes from experience. After a childhood that included five years in foster care, Keith began martial arts in 1985. Training gave him direction, discipline, and a way to see beyond his circumstances. A full-time martial arts professional since 1989, he has built schools, developed instructors, coached families, and helped people recognize strengths they had not yet discovered.

Keith is the author of The F.U.N. Formula, The Black Belt Parent, and the 12-book KJ’s Martial Arts Adventures series. Across his teaching and writing, the message is consistent: take responsibility for your growth, protect what matters, and use your progress to make life better for others.

A student of Grandmaster Byung Min Kim, Keith brings decades of practice, teaching, and honest self-reflection to Il Il Shin. Together with Grandmaster Chris Berlow, he has helped develop the modern program, curriculum, instructor education, and online community that carry these teachings into everyday life. They are also co-authors of Il Il Shin: Ancient Wisdom for the Modern Warrior.

Keith teaches with warmth, directness, and a willingness to ask the questions people often avoid. His invitation is practical: show up, learn from yesterday, keep a promise to yourself, and take the next step toward a life you are proud to live.