About Us

Resilient Martial Arts and Fitness Studio

At Resilient Martial Arts, we believe in helping students build strong minds, bodies, and character through Taekwondo training. Located in Rancho Cucamonga, our gym is dedicated to teaching Self-Defense and Olympic-style Taekwondo while instilling life skills like discipline, confidence, and resilience. We follow the high standards of the Kukkiwon, the global authority for Taekwondo, to provide authentic traditional Taekwondo training. We regularly compete in local and national level sparring and poomsae competitions, and we use advanced tools like Olympic-style electronic scoring systems to train students for tournament sparring.



Led by Master Jesse Smith, a fourth Dan black belt who has been instructing Taekwondo for over 20 years, we provide a welcoming space where students of all ages can grow physically, mentally, and emotionally. Our goal is to help each student rise above challenges, achieve their goals, and develop the skills they need to succeed in life.

Master’s Information

Master Jesse Smith has dedicated his life to Taekwondo, training for over 20 years and teaching thousands of athletes. He is a 4th Dan in Taekwondo, certified as a Kukkiwon master and Black Belt examiner. He believes that Taekwondo is a powerful tool for personal growth, teaching children not just physical skills and self-defense but also deep and essential life lessons. Master Jesse has seen students learn discipline and perseverance by setting and achieving goals in Taekwondo. He has watched the challenge of difficult training build self-control and emotional awareness in his students, helping them recognize and manage their emotions more constructively in regular life. Master Jesse has witnessed firsthand countless times how Taekwondo builds confidence, teaches problem-solving, and creates a supportive community where students can thrive. His goal is to instill these values in the community of Resilient Taekwondo, ensuring every child that enters our gym leaves the mat stronger and more resilient than they were when they came in, both physically and mentally.

The Story of Resilient

Resilient Martial Arts and Fitness was born out of a shared dream to build something meaningful—a place where family, community, and personal growth come together. Master Jesse Smith and his wife, Angela, married in February of 2020, just before the world faced the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. As gyms and in-person instruction businesses struggled to stay open, the couple held on to their vision: creating a space where people could grow stronger together, both physically and mentally.

In September of 2021, that dream became a reality when Resilient opened its doors. The gym was designed by Master Jesse and built with the help of his childhood friends—a true labor of love and dedication. Angela took on the role of gym manager, ensuring everything ran smoothly, while Master Jesse focused on his passion: teaching Taekwondo and guiding students to achieve their best. Together, they created a family-based business built on their core values of resilience, respect, and community.

For Jesse and Angela, Resilient is more than a gym. It’s a positive environment for their two sons to grow up in, surrounded by role models and opportunities to learn and thrive. It’s also a way to give back, helping as many people as possible through the skills and values they’ve cultivated over the years. At Resilient, every student is welcomed like family, and every class is a chance to make a difference.

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