ABOUT
Our Team
We are a small team of individuals committed to developing lifelong skills for children and adults in Washington, DC.
Abdur-Rahim Muhammad
Founder and President
A native Washingtonian, Abdur-Rahim Muhammad was raised in Boston's Roxbury section which he proudly refers to as his other home. He is a graduate of Hampton University and the University of the District of Columbia. Muhammad began his Martial Arts training in 1970 and continues to teach in the traditional manner so highly emphasized by all his instructors with the motto, "learn kindness, learn justice and then learn Kung Fu." SiFu (which means teacher/father) Muhammad has trained and led teams to compete in tournaments throughout Asia. In 1995, he founded the Hung Tao Choy Mei Leadership Institute on historic U Street in Northwest Washington, D.C.
Alisa Johnson
Treasurer
Alisa Johnson is a legal editor with a major US news agency. Alisa has been with the Hung Tao Choy Mei Leadership Institute since its inception.ashington, D.C.
Samer Najia
Secretary
Samer is a life-long student of the martial arts with experience spanning multiple decades. He has studied Jow Ga since the 1980s. Samer is an engineer and pilot. He brings his talents to aircraft construction, running his own firm, and giving back to the community through a robust model rocketry program in the DC MD VA region.
Ken Rubotzky
Senior Instructor
SiFu Ken started his martial arts training in New England in the 1970s with Karate. At the end of that decade he studied Aikido in Providence, with a Sensei from Cambridge, MA. He is a graduate of Oberlin College where he continued with Aikido, and Indiana University where he had the chance to study Jujitsu for a short time. Ken has worked in the public and private sectors, and now prefers the challenge of consulting and small business. Ken has been with Hung Tao Choy Mei for over twenty years. He is lucky to have traveled overseas with HTCMLI several times. He teaches adults and children and is active with the Lion and Dragon dance teams.
Jabari Exum
Drumming Instructor
Jabari "X-Factor" Exum, born as Jabari Kibwe Jawanzaa Ibyn Yahya Exum (Translation: Brave Honorable Dependable Son of John) is an electrifying performing artist born and raised in Washington, DC.
He is a skilled percussionist in the West African/Latin Tradition and is a prolific writer and performer of Hip-Hop music (which he considers his 1st of two instruments).
Jabari Exum is our Djembe drum instructor for the 2023-24 children's program. Jabari's powerful experience in performing, producing, creating, and teaching is astonishing and we invite you to become familiar with his work: http://jabariexum.com.
Empower the next generation of leaders
Your donation is an investment in our community and directly benefits the free children's programs we provide to DC kids. Together, we can expand our reach and empower more young leaders.