Our History

A little history behind the Cordy family starts with Willie C. Cordy Jr., the second generation of Willie Cordys. Cordy trained in Atlanta at the “Tai Chi Association” in Decatur Georgia under Master Chong. There he studied Traditional Shaolin Kung Fu. Atlanta Georgia is where he earned the name "Young Dragon". Cordy had the fastest feet around. His long extension of his legs helped in his whipping of the tail. Later Cordy had the privalege of teaching the children's classes in Kung Fu. This was an honor he felt he earned for his hard work. Emergencies later in the family put his studies on hold. Cordy had to leave the city and his school he loved for family responsibilities. Cordy returned to the streets of his birth place, Portsmouth Virginia. These are some of the streets that helped mold him into the person that he is. Cordy was born and raised in Portsmouth, it was in the streets of Portsmouth (P-Town) with his friends that Cordy learned how hard life could be. The moral upbringing from his mother and father, and the streets of Portsmouth during the early 80's is what kept him on his toes.

Years later Cordy was blessed with the third generation of Cordy. Cordy returned to the city of Atlanta, but life takes strange turns and Cordy would raise his little one alone. The elder Cordy trained vigilantly in the tradition of Shaolin as much as time would permit, and two years later as little Willie III reached the age of two he constantly asked to learn martial arts. His father started teaching him at the age 3 and then an accident halted young Cordy's training. Cordy's father went through a tragic airplane accident that put his father in the hospital and in eight months time into spinal surgery. At no time did young Cordy leave his fathers' side.

Events soon bought the two back to their home in Portsmouth Virginia. Cordy was determind to make sure his young son received the training necessary for his survival. Cordy searched for a traditional kung fu school. It would be his cousin Phillis to introduce them to the Hunter family in April 2003. Cordy had seen their school but never stopped to ask. It was karate and that wasn't what Cordy was looking for. This would be a turn in their lives. Cordy went with his son to visit the school and young Willie Cordy III liked what he saw. Young Cordy started his training at the “Authentic School of Karate” under the Hunter Family in May of 2003. It was the city of their birth that ended their search. The Cordys had found a new home, one that was there all along. Tragically, the elder Cordy would find himself back in the hospital and through another spinal surgery. This did not stop the younger Cordy from his goals. His father told him to "work hard and don't stop training". Take care of your body and your body will be there for you". Young Cordy kept going.

Young Willie III started training at four years of age with the Hunter family. The school at the time was run by Willie Hunter Jr and his brother Jeffery Hunter. One of young Cordys' favorite instructors is Jeff Hunter, he looked rough to most teenagers, but little Willie took to him like he had known him all along. They were taking over the operation of the school from their father. Their father Kiyoshi Willie Hunter Sr would come in at times and teach. Little Willie Cordy learned his first break from the elder Hunter Kiyoshi during his yellow belt exam. It was a proud day. It would be a full year and little Willie had reached the rank of orange belt and in the summer of 2004, little Willie Cordy III would take his first step toward competition in the "Battle of the Seven Cities" tournament in Virginia Beach Virginia. This was a baptism of fire if you will. At the age of five, Young Cordy walked away with second place in sparring and first place in kata. This was just the beginning.

It wouldn't be until 2006 that little Cordy would compete again. In the ending of the spring of 2005 we lost a warrior of the greatest caliber. Kiyoshi Willie R. Hunter Sr passed May 25th 2005 at the age of 65. Kiyoshi Hunter passed at the rank of seventh degree black belt. He will be missed.

A New Beginning

In the summer of 2006, young Cordy returned to competition competing under the new school name change "Tiger Martial Arts". It was the return to "Battle of the Seven Cities" of that year which earned him the title of "Young Tiger". "Battle of the Seven Cities incompasses the seven cities of Hampton Roads Virginia and the surrounding areas. Cordy at age 7 came back with a drive to win. It was this tournament that Young Tiger had found that obsticles will come that you must cross. On the last match of sparring he found that it was he and his class mate that had to do battle for 1st and 2nd place spots of their ranking. Cordy earned the title of Young Tiger with the way he threw an Ax kick. It is a reflextion on the training recieved for it was Cordy and a fellow class mate of his dojo in the last round of sparring. Cordy finished the round with his Ax kick bringing his class mate down to the floor ending the match. Young Cordy won first place sparring, second place in kata and his first time out doing weapons forms in Bow, he recieved third place. It was a full year for the new Seven City Champion.

In the coming year of 2007 Young Tiger bought home three more wins. It was the next year that the Young Tiger would go out and explore more teritory. Cordy went to other tournaments in Virginia and bought home eight more wins. It was the coming of Seven Cities that young Cordy wanted to be on his game. This was the repeat of the title that he wanted. Young Tiger competed in the Junior Black Belt in the Black Belt division and repeated and bought home the Seven City Champ title in the black belt division. 2008 was a turning point for him in training. Cordy felt that he wanted to learn more. With the implimenting of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Cordy and his father went to Shihan Willie Hunter and asked to join the program. There was no place for children in this form of martial arts at that particular time. With persistance and showing his sensai that he was a true warrior, Shihan Hunter created a program for younth under 13. Little Willie Cordy (Young Tiger) got his wish, he started trainging in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu under Master Hunter in 2008.

After years of training he has become the youngest black belt in Shyto Ryu/ Shotokan Karate-Do to come through Tiger Martial Arts. Reaching black belt at the age of nine beating out his teacher who reached it at the age of ten. Tiger Martial Arts moved locations in 2009 to their own building no longer renting dojo locations teaching now over 400 students. Young Tiger showed his dedication to the arts and Master Hunter gave Young Tiger the opertunity to start his training in Muay Thai Kick Boxing.

2009 was a great year for young Cordy. He took his first step in AAU karate and bought home the silver medal in kata and the bronze medal in sparring. We went out to get some experience in the AAU circles. It was an experience that Cordy liked. He has his eye on the future of the Olympics. Young Tiger also went on in 2009 to win the "East Coast Open" and also took a repeat return of 1st place in the "Battle of the Seven Cities". A sad turn in the "Central Virginia Karate Classic" in 2009, Young Tiger was disqualified from competing for 1st place and given a third place for the use of his speed and devistating blows. Sadly the competition was not up to the task. We found that the karate world was changing in Virginia. New rules and the lack of good competition was taking charge of some tournaments. Cordy Jr (the father) put a halt on entering any more tournaments for lack of competition, Young Tiger returned to training. Before years end the Virginia Karate Alliance awarded Young Tiger with Second in State for kata and sparring. This changed may have opened something in Young Tiger. He went on to repeat the State ranking in 2010, only because he had a bad injury of a broken toe which preveted him from competing through the majority of the year, yet his scores were enough to secure his spot. Young Tiger retired from tournaments to return to full time training in his many arts.

Training in three other arts and now has his Second Dan in Shito Ryu/Shotokan Karate-Do, Cordy strives for more education. Cordy has reached the highest level of training in the youth program of Jiu Jitsu at Tiger Martial Arts. At the age of 12 in the month of June 2011, Cordy has moved up to the adult Brazilian Jiu Jitsu class. In month of training in the adult class, young Cordy's father was shocked and proud at the same time. Young Cordy submitted his first adult, a 23 year old man in the Jiu Jitsu class. This the elder Cordy felt made him feel better about his son walking the streets of life. As quoted from the Willie Cordy Jr, the elder Cordy, "I will help my son learn and rise in any art made possible for a father to do".

Young Cordy earned 4 State Championship titles in 2012 at the Commonwealth Games of Virginia and the Virginia Karate Alliance 2012 circuit. The VKA awarded Young Cordy with 2 Competitor of the Year plaques for 2012. The 2 gold medals Cordy bought home earned him a spot in the State Games of America to represent our home state of Virginia in 2013 State Games of America Tournement in Hershey PA. Young Cordy also earned a spot on "Team America", the U.S. International Competition Team. They will be heading to Dublin Ireland for the World Martial Arts Games XIV this summer.

Master Willie Hunter remains Young Tigers head instructor in Karate with the elder Cordy (Young Dragon) as his coach and stratagist.

Cordy has begun his training in Taekwondo Moo Duk Kwan Tang Soo Do under Master Michael L. Cigar Jackson and Olympic Taekwondo under the instruction of Master Charles Parks. Young Tigers dreams of competing on the United States Olympic Team will come true one day as long as the arts stay open to him.

Photography By Willie Cordy Jr.