Meet Master Hank

Senior Master Hank Minitrez’s journey into martial arts began in the mid-1980s after watching the original Karate Kid. Like many, he connected with Daniel LaRusso’s story and the idea of learning martial arts “for defense only.” What started as inspiration quickly became a lifelong mission: to master the arts and, more importantly, to teach others how to protect themselves, build confidence, and grow stronger in every way.

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More than 40 years later, Master Hank is a 7th Degree Senior Master Black Belt (Kyoshi), a Kukkiwon-certified Master from World Tae Kwon Do Headquarters in Korea, and a Martial Arts Hall of Honor inductee.

 

He holds black belts in Tae Kwon Do, Karate, Japanese Ju Jutsu, and Tang Soo Do, and also serves as the New Mexico State Director for the National Karate Jujitsu Federation. In short, you’re learning from someone who truly lives what he teaches.

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His path includes earning his yellow belt in 1986 in Socorro, NM, and his first black belt in 1994 while serving in the military in Berlin, Germany. In 2004, he began teaching at one of the largest schools in the Washington, D.C. area, where he spent nearly two decades refining a teaching style that works for everyone—from beginners to advanced students, including seniors and students with special needs—before returning home to New Mexico to build Minitrez Martial Arts.

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His achievements speak for themselves: Black Belt Magazine Instructor of the Year nominee, features in TKD Times, and multiple Hall of Fame and Master of the Year honors. But what truly sets him apart is his passion for helping students succeed.

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That passion is personal. His daughter, Lyndy, began training at age four and has continued for 20 years. She is his longest-standing student, a certified instructor and a 3rd Degree Black Belt.

 

At Minitrez Martial Arts, you’re not just joining a school—you’re joining a legacy of excellence, dedication, and real-world confidence.