Our Owners
GM Helaney on the cover of Totally TaeKwonDo Magazine.
GrandMaster Jeffrey Helaney, IX Dan
Co-Owner: Omaha Blue Waves Martial Arts
Primary Style: Traditional TaeKwon-Do – IX Dan (Chang Hon)
Secondary Style: Hapkido – VII Dan (Tae Sool)
He has been practicing martial arts since 1969 and holds black belts in TaeKwon-Do, Hapkido, Sports Karate, and Pent-Jak Silat. GM Helaney received his 9th Dan in TaeKwon-Do on April 26, 2014. He is a multiple Hall of Fame Inductee, recognized by Who is Who in Martial Arts as a Pioneer and Legend, a Budo Magazine GrandMaster of the Year, and an Outstanding GrandMaster recipient of the General Choi, Hong Hi (founder of TaeKwon-Do) Awards, and a 2022 inductee of the Official TaeKwon-Do Hall of Fame in the category of Outstanding Leadership.
- President – United States Kido Federation
- Board Advisor – International TaeKwon-Do Federation – HQ (USA)
- Board Advisor – International Jun Tong TaeKwon-Do Federation
- Board Advisor – World Tae Sool Association
Want to know more about GM Helaney? (CLICK HERE)
Master Michele Helaney, TKD V Dan
Co-Owner: Omaha Blue Waves Martial Arts
Primary Style: Traditional TaeKwon-Do (Chang Hon)
Michele Helaney has been involved in the martial arts since 1998. Mrs. Helaney has received both national and international recognition for her work in martial arts. A certified Master Instructor, she holds a 5th Degree Black Belt in TaeKwon-Do, is a personal trainer, a certified weight loss specialist, and a licensed massage therapist.
HEAD INSTRUCTOR - TaeKwon-Do
Master Paige (Helaney) Marion, TKD V Dan, Head Instructor
Paige Marion is a licensed massage therapist and martial arts instructor at Omaha Blue Waves. Ms. Marion holds a 5th Degree Black Belt in TaeKwon-Do and is a United States Kido Federation Certified Instructor. She is a former Professional Karate Commission Ohio State Champion and Nationally Ranked Competitor.
ACTIVE BLACK BELTS (Assistant / Student Instructors) - TaeKwon-Do
Adam Bragg, TaeKwon-Do II Dan
Mr. Bragg holds a 2nd Degree Black Belt in TaeKwon-Do and is a USKF certified Assistant Instructor. He currently works as a supervisor at a local transportation company.
Allisa Kuehn-Dykema, TaeKwon-Do II Dan
Alissa Kuehn-Dykema holds a 2nd Degree Black Belt in TaeKwon-Do, a USKF certified Assistant Instructor, and is an avid sword student. She has a teaching degree and currently works as a speech pathologist with elementary school children.
Joseph Short, TaeKwon-Do II Dan
Mr. Short is a currently a 2nd Degree Black Belt and a USKF certified Assistant Instructor. He is a former member of the E.D.G.E. tournament and demonstration team. He is a Scott Scholarship holder at UNO.
Mary Bragg, TaeKwon-Do II Dan
Ms. Bragg holds a 2nd Degree Black Belt in TaeKwon-Do and is a former Tournament Team Member. She is a graduate of the University of Nebraska’s Engineering program and currently works for a major company in Omaha.
Joshua Littlefield, TaeKwon-Do II Dan
Mr. Littlefield holds a 2nd Degree Black Belt in Traditional TaeKwon-Do and 3rd Dan in WT TaeKwonDo. He is a sergeant in the US Army and a former member of the Army’s Elite TaeKwonDo Team.
Brody Humphrey, TaeKwon-Do II Dan
Brody Humphrey achieved his black belt at Omaha Blue Waves after having been a member for over 7 years. He is an EDGE Team, Sword, Extreme, and Weapons student. Mr. Humphrey was the 2024 Under 18 NOMAD Circuit Male Black Belt National Champion.
Rylee Cvilikas, TaeKwon-Do I Dan
Ms. Cvilikas holds a 1st Degree Black Belt in TaeKwon-Do. She is active in the E.D.G.E. Tournament and Demo Team. She takes weapons, tumbling for martial arts, and Kung Fu classes. Ms. Cvilikas was the 2024 Under 18 NOMAD Circuit Female Black Belt National Champion.
Samyak Jain TaeKwon-Do I Dan
Mr. Jain holds a 1st Degree Black Belt in TaeKwon-Do and has receive national accolades for his student teaching.
Connor Iddings, TaeKwon-Do I Dan
Mr. Iddings holds a 1st Degree Black Belt in TaeKwon-Do. He is studying at Nebraska Wesleyan University. He continues study at Omaha Blue Waves when not in college.
ACTIVE BLACK BELTS (Assistant / Student Instructors) – Hapkido
Bill Humphrey, Hapkido III Dan
Mr. Humphrey is a 3rd Degree Black Belt in Hapkido at Omaha Blue Waves. He is weapons aficionado and enjoys teaching. He currently works in the metropolitan area as an IT professional.
OBW Black Belts on the Move!
Eric Wu, TaeKwon-Do III Dan
Mr. Wu is a 3rd Degree Black Belt in TaeKwon-Do. He spends his summers at OBW, but attends college at the University of California at Irvine. He is a past demo and tournament team member.
Olivia O’Neill, TaeKwon-Do II Dan
Ms. O’Neill is currently a 2nd Degree Black Belt and USKF certified Assistant Instructor. She is a former E.D.G.E Team Member. She enjoys teaching and extreme martial arts. She is currently attending college in St. Louis but still attends classes when home in Omaha.
Isaiah Price, TaeKwon-Do II Dan
Mr. Price is a graduate of the University of Colorado. He has studied TaeKwon-Do, Caporiera, and Ju-Jitsu. In high school he spent a year abroad in Japan and currently works in the hospitality industry in Colorado.
Jacob Price, TaeKwon-Do II Dan
Mr. Price holds a second Degree Black Belt in TaeKwon-Do. He is a graduate of the University of Nebraska. He spent time away living in New Jersey as an HR Specialist but is back in Omaha working in finance.
Christopher Silligman, TaeKwon-Do II Dan
Mr. Silligman is a graduate student at the University of Iowa. He is a former demo and tournament team member. He enjoys competing and staying active. Mr. Silligman stops in frequently at OBW during his breaks.
Bradley Kimmey, TaeKwon-Do II Dan
Mr. Kimmey holds a second Degree Black Belt in TaeKwon-Do. He is studying at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Mr. Kimmey continues to train at OBW during summer breaks.
HONORARY OBW MEMBERS – USKF Black Belts
Master Ben Thompson, TKD V Dan
Ben Thompson has studied with GM Helaney since 1997. He currently owns Open Space Martial Arts in Canton, Ohio. Although Mr. Thompson is an Ohio resident, this USKF certified instructor, can be found several times a year training at or attending events at Omaha Blue Waves Martial Arts.
Master Matt Owens, TKD V Dan
Matt Owens (purposely blurred) was an instructor at Omaha Blue Waves from 2007 to 2014. He left to pursue his dream of working in law enforcement. Although no longer a fixture at the school, Matt still helps out with special events as his schedule permits.
All of our black belts are certified through the United States Kido Federation