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Black Belts and Boundary Lines:

Professional Land Surveyor lives a double life of discipline and defense

By Michel Sauret

By day, Jeffrey Horneman, a professional land surveyor, is a real As Horneman called out cadences in Korean, his voice carried
estate specialist who defends federal lands against encroachments. through the church auditorium like verbal jabs. The students responded
By night, he is a blackbelt Taekwondo instructor who teaches youths with recited movements called patterns. They attacked the space
to defend themselves in the art of the foot and the fist. around them in a series of strikes, forming a dance of elbow thrusts,
hip twists, wrist snaps and balanced kicks.
On Monday evenings, Horneman can be found roaming barefoot
around a formation of students. He hosts his dojang inside a church Horneman has been teaching free Taekwondo classes to kids and
auditorium in Brackenridge, Pennsylvania. teenagers for 20 years. He had also taught federal employees during
lunch breaks at work until the COVID-19 pandemic pushed many to
Jeffrey Horneman works for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers temporarily work away from the office. His desire is to resume free
Pittsburgh District as the deputy chief of the real estate office. Horneman classes in the federal building downtown if enough employees show
has volunteered to provide free Taekwondo classes to youth through a interest again.
martial arts nonprofit for the last 20 years.
Jeffrey Horneman works for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
During a recent test night, the class wore white doboks, the Pittsburgh District as the deputy chief of the real estate office. Horneman
traditional Korean martial arts uniform students must earn. The smaller has volunteered to provide free Taekwondo classes to youth through a
boys and girls donned white belts, some as young as five years old. martial arts nonprofit for the last 20 years.
Older teenagers sported green or red belts, indicating they had been
training under Horneman for years. “I’ve lost over half of my students since the pandemic, and trying to
get them back has been difficult,” he said.
“We’re teaching kids discipline and how to grow mentally,”
Horneman said about the class. “Every once in a while, you’ll hear me Horneman teaches under a Taekwondo nonprofit founded by a
say to the students, ‘With great power,’ and the student respond, ‘comes catholic priest named Robert Connolly, whom he fondly refers to as
great responsibility,’ a line from Spider-Man. That’s what they’re “Father.” Father Connolly instructed all age groups, including nuns.
learning here.’ “Some people are already terrified of nuns,” Horneman joked. “And

Jeffrey Horneman works for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers then Father goes and makes them into blackbelts. But he said they were
Pittsburgh District as the deputy chief of the real estate office. Horneman his best students because they were already mentally disciplined.”
has volunteered to provide free Taekwondo classes to youth through a Horneman became hooked on martial arts as a teenager living in the
martial arts nonprofit for the last 20 years. ‘80s at the height of kung fu and Chuck Norris movies. He discovered

Jeffrey Horneman helps Catherine Manko with her Jeff Horneman, LS, the deputy chief of the Real Estate Bob Price, surveyor for the U.S. Army Corps of
dobok and belt before her martial arts test at a church office for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh Engineers Pittsburgh District, uses a laser scanner at
in Brackenridge, Pennsylvania, Dec. 9, 2024. (U.S. District. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh Emsworth Locks and Dam on the Ohio River during
Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by District photo by Michel Sauret) de-watering operations. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Michel Sauret) Pittsburgh District photo by John Haas)

22 EMPIRE STATE SURVEYOR / VOL. 61 • NO 2 / 2025 • MARCH/APRIL