Jeff Hanson
Chief Instructor - White Dragon San Marcos
137 S Las Posas Rd, Ste 157
San Marcos, CA 92078
My earliest martial arts influence was my father: I remember him teaching me how to leverage out of wrist grabs and how to make a proper fist. It might not seem like much, but that little bit of influence stuck with me. I was always a huge fan of anything martial arts related growing up. I would go through the Army Ranger manuals in the house and try to learn the techniques. I even got my first copy of Bruce Lee’s Tao of Jeet Koon Do when I was only about 9 years old.
My first organized training was in Wu Style Tai Chi which I had learned at the local community senior center in Gualala during my teens. In 2005 at the age of nineteen, I moved from my small town to North County San Diego, and very shortly after, found White Dragon and started my martial arts journey with Choy Li Fut Kung Fu. When I first walked in and saw all the weapons and training dummies from my favorite kung fu films, I knew this was the place for me.
In 2007, I had the opportunity to start teaching at White Dragon Encinitas and began learning from my teacher, Sifu George Estrada. Our instructor and student teams earned first place for several years. In 2012, I earned my black sash and became a full-time instructor. I also held the White Dragon Instructor Tournament Grand Champion titles from 2012- 2014, an accomplishment that very few people have achieved.
In 2013, I moved to our San Marcos location to help build our newest school alongside Sifu Jerime VanDergriff. Shortly after that, I was promoted to Chief Instructor. In 2016, I was given the opportunity to go to China with Grandmaster Doc Fai Wong, traveling and performing with martial artists from all over the world. Since then, I’ve tried to help impart the lessons I’ve learned to my students and instructors. We’ve built our San Marcos location to one of the largest schools in White Dragon. We’ve managed to earn 1st place at the Dragon Cup Tournament several times as the newest school, and built multiple grand champions through hard work, positivity, and teamwork.
My training and my teachers have taught me the importance of self-reflection and setting goals that align with my values and passions. This has helped me understand clearly that teaching and practicing martial arts is one of my life’s greatest passions. It also motivates me to work on all aspects of my life – as a teacher, a husband, and a member of my community. Moving forward, I want to continue to learn, earn my 5th Degree Senior Back Sash, and continue to build our amazing martial arts community in San Marcos. I hope that martial arts can have the kind of positive impact on everyone’s life that it has had in mine.