Original Masters of Taekwondo
Encyclopedia
Grandmaster (martial arts)
Grandmaster and Master are titles used to describe or address some senior or experienced martial artists. Such titles may be, to some extent, aligned to the elderly martial arts master stock character in fiction...
assembled by the Korea Taekwon-Do Association
Korea Taekwondo Association
Korea Taekwondo Association , originally the Korea Taekwon-Do Association, is the first taekwondo organisation. It was founded in 1959, although official South Korean sources give 1961 as its year of establishment. In 1966, some members of the KTA, led by H. H...
(KTA) in the early 1960s to promote the newly-established art of taekwondo
Taekwondo
Taekwondo is a Korean martial art and the national sport of South Korea. In Korean, tae means "to strike or break with foot"; kwon means "to strike or break with fist"; and do means "way", "method", or "path"...
. In alphabetical order following Korean naming conventions, they are: Choi Chang Keun, Choi Kwang Jo, Han Cha Kyo, Kim Jong Chan, Kim Kwang Il, Kong Young Il, Park Jong Soo, Park Jung Tae, Park Sun Jae, Rhee Chong Chul, Rhee Chong Hyup, and Rhee Ki Ha.
The group came under the leadership of Choi Hong Hi
Choi Hong Hi
Choi Hong Hi , also known as General Choi, was a South Korean army general and martial artist who is a controversial figure in the history of the Korean martial art of taekwondo. Choi is widely regarded as the 'Founder of Taekwondo'—most often by International Taekwon-Do Federation organizations...
(1918–2002), inaugural President of the KTA and later founder of the International Taekwon-Do Federation (ITF), and Nam Tae Hi
Nam Tae Hi
Nam Tae Hi is a pioneering South Korean master of taekwondo, and is known as the 'Father of Vietnamese Taekwondo.' With H. H. Choi, he co-founded the Oh Do Kwan and led the twelve original masters of taekwondo of the Korea Taekwon-Do Association .-Early life:Nam was born in March 1929 in Seoul,...
(born 1929), known as the Father of Vietnamese Taekwondo. Many of these men held senior positions in the ITF under Choi, but several left over time. Most of the men settled in North America, while others settled in Europe or Australia.
Demonstrations and tours
The original masters of taekwondo featured in the earliest demonstrations of taekwondo as a Korean martial artKorean martial arts
Korean martial arts are the martial arts that originated from Korea. Some well known Korean martial arts are hapkido, kuk sool won, and taekwondo. There has also been a revival of Korean sword arts as well as knife fighting and archery...
outside South Korea. The following table summarises demonstrations or instructional tours for which references are available.
| KTA: 1959–1965 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Place(s) | Masters involved | References |
| March 1959 | Far East: Taiwan · Vietnam | C. K. Han | |
| February 1964 | Singapore | K. H. Rhee | |
| 1964 | Penang, Malaysia | C. K. Choi | |
| 1964 | Yugoslavia | S. J. Park | |
| c. 1964 | Brunei · Hong Kong · Indonesia · Malaysia · Singapore | C. C. Rhee | |
| c. 1964–1965 | Malaysia · Singapore | C. H. Rhee | |
| c. 1965 | Adelaide, Australia | C. C. Rhee | |
| c. October 1965 | United Arab Republic (now Egypt) · Italy · Malaysia · Singapore · Turkey · West Germany | C. K. Han, J. S. Park | |
| 1965–1967 | Vietnam | J. T. Park | |
| Early ITF: 1966–1980 | |||
| Date | Place(s) | Masters involved | References |
| 1966 | Netherlands | J. S. Park | |
| c. 1966–1967 | Hong Kong · Indonesia · Malaysia · Singapore | K. J. Choi | |
| 1967 | Japan | C. K. Han | |
| 1967 | United Kingdom | K. H. Rhee | |
| 1968 | Hong Kong | C. K. Han | |
| 1968 | Canada | J. S. Park | |
| c. 1968–1969 | Paris, France | K. I. Kim, S. J. Park, K. H. Rhee | |
| March 1970 | Toronto, Canada | J. T. Park | |
| 1970 | Perth, Australia | C. C. Rhee | |
| 1970 | Vancouver, Canada | C. K. Choi | |
| 1970 | United States of America | K. J. Choi | |
| 1971 | Singapore | C. K. Han | |
| 1971 | United States of America | C. K. Han | |
| 1972 | Apollo Stadium, Adelaide, Australia | C. C. Rhee, C. H. Rhee | |
| November–December 1973 | Africa · Europe · Far East · Middle East | C. K. Choi, Y. I. Kong, J. S. Park, S. J. Park, K. H. Rhee | |
| July 1974 | Sydney, Australia | C. H. Rhee | |
| 1974 | Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, Canada | Y. I. Kong, J. S. Park, K. H. Rhee | |
| 9 March 1975 | Kelvin Halls, Glasgow, United Kingdom | C. K. Choi, K. I. Kim, Y. I. Kong, J. S. Park, J. T. Park, S. J. Park, K. H. Rhee | |
| c. early 1978 | Kenya · Malaysia · Pakistan · South Africa | K. H. Rhee | |
| May 1978 | Hungary · Poland · Sweden · Yugoslavia | C. K. Choi, J. T. Park, K. H. Rhee | |
| 1979 | Denmark · France · Greenland · Sweden · West Germany | K. H. Rhee | |
| November 1979 | Argentina | C. K. Choi, J. C. Kim, J. T. Park, K. H. Rhee | |
| Late ITF: 1981–2002 | |||
| Date | Place(s) | Masters involved | References |
| January 1981 | Queensland, Australia | C. K. Choi | |
| 1981 | North Korea | J. T. Park | |
| October–November 1982 | Austria · Czechoslovakia · Denmark · Finland · Greenland · Hungary · Poland · United Kingdom · West Germany · Yugoslavia | J. T. Park | |
| November 1984 | New York, United States of America | J. T. Park | |
| November 1985 | Norway | J. T. Park | |
| 1987 | Buenos Aires, Argentina | J. T. Park | |
| 1990 | USSR | K. H. Rhee | |
| Post-H. H. Choi: 2003– | |||
| Date | Place(s) | Masters involved | References |
| 25–27 April 2003 | Solvalla Sports Institute, Espoo, Finland | K. H. Rhee | |
| 2–4 May 2008 | Vancouver, Canada | J. C. Kim, J. S. Park | |
| 27–28 September 2008 | Beijing, China | J. S. Park | |
| 2–3 December 2009 | Curtin University of Technology, Perth, Australia | K. H. Rhee | |
Relationship with H. H. Choi
Many of the original masters of taekwondo went on to prominent roles in the ITF in the late 1960s and 1970s. As time passed and many of these masters left the ITF, their photographs were removed from Choi's series of taekwondo textbooks and replaced with photographs of current ITF masters. One of the main reasons for their departure was Choi's insistence on initiating relationships with North Korea, during a period in which that country and South Korea were "technically at war" (Gillis, 2003, p. 104; C. K. Choi, 2010, p. 147), or at best, had "no diplomatic relations" (C. K. Choi, 2010, p. 147) or "no diplomatic ties" (World Taekwon-Do Alliance). At least one of the masters reported that it was with regret that he stopped supporting Choi. North and South Korea are still considered to be technically at war.Seven of the masters settled in North America: Chang Keun Choi (Canada, 1970), Kwang Jo Choi (USA, 1970), Cha Kyo Han (USA, 1971), Jong Chan Kim (Canada), Young Il Kong (USA, c. 1968), Jong Soo Park (Canada, 1968), and Jung Tae Park (Canada, 1970). The leaders of the group also settled in North America: H. H. Choi moved to Canada and T. H. Nam settled in the USA. Three of the masters settled in Europe: Kwang Il Kim (West Germany, now Germany, c. 1970), Sun Jae Park (Italy, c. 1970), and Ki Ha Rhee (United Kingdom, 1967). Two of the masters settled in Australia: Chong Chul Rhee (c. 1965), and Chong Hyup Rhee (c. 1970).
C. K. Choi, J. C. Kim, Y. I. Kong, J. S. Park, and K. H. Rhee have maintained the strongest links with the ITF. H. H. Choi had personally promoted C. K. Choi to 8th dan (1981), Y. I Kong to 9th dan (1997), and K. H. Rhee to 9th dan (1997).
Biographies
The following table summarises the status of the twelve original masters of taekwondo.| Name | Rank | Life | Residence | Organisation | Affiliation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Choi Chang Keun (최창근) | 9th dan | c. 1940– |  Canada Vancouver, Canada |
Tae Kwon Do Pioneers | ITF |
| Choi Kwang Jo | 9th dan | 1942– |  United States Atlanta, USA |
Choi Kwang-Do | Independent |
| Han Cha Kyo | 9th dan | 1934–1996 | United States Chicago, USA |
Universal Tae Kwon Do Federation | Independent |
| Kim Jong Chan (김종찬) | 7th dan or higher | 1937– | Canada Vancouver, Canada |
Jong Kim Martial Arts | ITF |
| Kim Kwang Il | 6th dan or higher | ?– |  Germany Germany |
? | ? |
| Kong Young Il | 9th dan | 1943– | United States Las Vegas, USA |
Young Brothers Tae Kwon-Do Institute | ITF |
| Park Jong Soo | 9th dan | 1941– | Canada Toronto, Canada |
Jong Soo Park Institute of Taekwon-Do | ITF |
| Park Jung Tae (박정태) | 9th dan | c. 1943–2002 | Canada Mississauga, Canada |
Global Taekwon-Do Federation | Independent |
| Park Sun Jae | 7th dan or higher | ?– |  Italy Italy |
? | WTF |
| Rhee Chong Chul (이종철) | 8th dan | c. 1935– |  Australia Sydney, Australia |
Rhee Taekwon-Do | Independent |
| Rhee Chong Hyup | 7th dan | c. 1940– | Australia Melbourne, Australia |
Rhee Taekwon-Do | Independent |
| Rhee Ki Ha (리반하) | 9th dan | 1938– |  United Kingdom Glasgow, UK |
United Kingdom Taekwon-Do Association | ITF |
Choi Chang Keun
C. K. Choi was born around 1940 in Korea. He began his martial arts training in the South Korean army in 1956, studying taekwondo and karateKarate
is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands in what is now Okinawa, Japan. It was developed from indigenous fighting methods called and Chinese kenpō. Karate is a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes, and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands. Grappling, locks,...
. Choi taught taekwondo in Malaysia from 1964, and moved to Vancouver, Canada, in 1970. In 1973, he held the rank of 7th dan. Choi was promoted to 8th dan in 1981 by H. H. Choi, and attained the rank of 9th dan in 2002. He is still based in Vancouver.
Choi Kwang Jo
K. J. Choi was born on 2 March 1942, in DaeguDaegu
Daegu , also known as Taegu, and officially the Daegu Metropolitan City, is a city in South Korea, the fourth largest after Seoul, Busan, and Incheon, and the third largest metropolitan area in the country with over 2.5 million residents. The city is the capital and principal city of the...
, Korea. His martial art training began when he was still a child, learning kwon bup. Choi served in the South Korean military and came into contact with H. H. Choi there. Around 1966–1967, he taught taekwondo in Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore. Choi moved to the United States of America in 1970 to seek medical treatment for injuries sustained from martial arts training. In 1987, he founded his own martial art system and organisation, Choi Kwang-Do. He is presently based in Atlanta.
Han Cha Kyo
C. K. Han was born on 20 July 1934 in Seoul, Korea. He trained under three martial art masters: Tae Hi Nam, Duk Sung Son, and Woon Kyu Um. Han was the first of the original masters of taekwondo to demonstrate overseas, participating in the March 1959 tour of Taiwan and Vietnam. Following a career in the South Korean military, he emigrated to the United States of America in 1971, settling in Chicago. Han founded his own organisation, the Universal Tae Kwon Do Federation, around 1980. He continued teaching taekwondo until his death in 1996.Kim Jong Chan
J. C. Kim was born in 1937. He taught taekwondo in Malaysia in the mid-1960s. In 1979, ranked 7th dan, he taught and demonstrated in Argentina along with C. K. Choi, J. T. Park, and K. H. Rhee. A letter by Kim published in the July 1985 issue of Black Belt magazine lists his title at the time as President of the 'World Tukido Council.' He is based in Vancouver, Canada.Kim Kwang Il
K. I. Kim contributed to the introduction of taekwondo into West GermanyWest Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
. He was head instructor of the ITF in West Germany, but was relieved of this duty in October 1971. In 1975, Kim was ranked 6th dan. He promoted Rolf Becking, head of the ITF Germany Technical Committee, to the rank of 2nd dan in 1976 in Stuttgart
Stuttgart
Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
, West Germany. Between 1974 and 1977 Kim had a restaurant in Stuttgart and had completed training as a Brewmeister prior to 1974.
Kong Young Il
Y. I. Kong was born in 1943 in Korea. He began training in the martial arts as a child in 1952, starting with ShotokanShotokan
is a style of karate, developed from various martial arts by Gichin Funakoshi and his son Gigo Funakoshi . Gichin was born in Okinawa and is widely credited with popularizing karate through a series of public demonstrations, and by promoting the development of university karate clubs, including...
karate. From 1963 to 1967, Kong served in the South Korean army, attaining the rank of Sergeant. He participated in several demonstration tours across the world. Following a career in the South Korean military, Kong emigrated to the United States of America just before or in 1968. He and his younger brother, Young Bo Kong, founded the Young Brothers Taekwondo Associates in 1968. Kong was promoted to the rank of 9th dan in 1997 by H. H. Choi in Poland. He is presently based in Las Vegas.
Park Jong Soo
J. S. Park was born in 1941 in Chung-Nam, Korea. He trained in taekwondo under H. H. Choi. In 1965, he was invited to be the coach of the German Taekwon-Do Association, and moved from South Korea to West Germany. The following year, he moved to the Netherlands and founded the Netherlands Taekwon-Do Association. In 1968, Park settled in Toronto, Canada. Park holds the rank of 9th danDan (rank)
The ranking system is a Japanese mark of level, which is used in modern fine arts and martial arts. Originally invented in a Go school in the Edo period, this system was applied to martial arts by Kanō Jigorō, the founder of judo and later introduced to other East Asia countries.In the modern...
, and is still based in Toronto.
Park Jung Tae
J. T. Park was born in 1943 or 1944 in Korea. He began training in the martial arts as a child, starting with boxingBoxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
before moving on to judo
Judo
is a modern martial art and combat sport created in Japan in 1882 by Jigoro Kano. Its most prominent feature is its competitive element, where the object is to either throw or takedown one's opponent to the ground, immobilize or otherwise subdue one's opponent with a grappling maneuver, or force an...
and then taekwondo. From 1965 to 1967, Park directed military taekwondo training in Vietnam. He emigrated to Canada where he met his future wife, Linda, in Toronto in 1970. In 1984, Park was ranked 8th dan in the ITF. He founded his own organisation, the Global Taekwon-Do Federation (GTF), on 14 June 1990—the year after his departure from the ITF due to North–South Korean political issues. Park was based in Mississauga until his death in 2002.
Park Sun Jae
S. J. Park is a pioneer of taekwondo in Italy. In 1964, he visited Croatia to present seminars on his art. He introduced taekwondo to Italy around 1968. In 1968, he was ranked 5th dan, and in 1975, he was ranked 7th dan. He was elected Vice-President (Italy) in the European Tae Kwon Do Union (within the World Taekwondo FederationWorld Taekwondo Federation
The World Taekwondo Federation is the International Federation member of the International Olympic Committee for the competition events of the martial art of taekwondo...
) at the union's inaugural meeting in 1976. In 2002, he was a member of the arbitration board for the WTF's World Cup Taekwondo championship in Tokyo. On 15 February 2004, the Executive Council of the WTF elected him as Acting President of the WTF following Un Yong Kim's resignation from the presidency of the organisation. He is currently Vice President (Italy) of the WTF. Park was President of the Federazione Italiana Taekwondo (Italian Taekwondo Federation) around 1998, and still held the position as of 2008 and 2009.
Rhee Chong Chul
C. C. Rhee was born around 1935 in Korea. As a youth, he trained in martial arts, basketballBasketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, boxing, gymnastics
Gymnastics
Gymnastics is a sport involving performance of exercises requiring physical strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, and balance. Internationally, all of the gymnastic sports are governed by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique with each country having its own national governing body...
, and weights. Later, he was an instructor in the Korean Marines
Republic of Korea Marine Corps
The Republic of Korea Marine Corps is the marine corps of the Republic of Korea...
for three years, teaching unarmed combat to the Marine Commandoes, Marine Brigade Headquarters, and the Marine 2nd Infantry Division. Rhee helped introduce the art of taekwondo to Southeast Asia—most notably in Malaysia and Singapore, but also in Hong Kong, Indonesia, and Brunei. He founded his own organisation, Rhee Taekwon-Do
Rhee Taekwon-Do
Rhee Taekwon-Do , also known as Rhee Tae Kwon-Do, Rhee Tae Kwon Do, or Rhee Taekwondo, is a martial art school in Australia and New Zealand teaching the Korean martial art of taekwondo. Its full name is "Rhee International Taekwon-Do" with "" or "" appended...
, in Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
, Australia, around 1965. Rhee came to be known as the Father of Australian Taekwondo. He is presently based in Sydney.
Rhee Chong Hyup
C. H. Rhee was born around 1940 in Korea. In the mid-1960s, he contributed to the introduction of taekwondo to Malaysia and Singapore. He arrived in Australia in 1970 and settled in MelbourneMelbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Australia. Rhee is in charge of Rhee Taekwon-Do operations in Melbourne.
Rhee Ki Ha
K. H. Rhee was born on 20 March 1938 in Seoul, Korea. His martial arts training began when he was around 7 or 8 years of age, learning judo from his father. He later learned karate from one of his schoolteachers. When Rhee served in the South Korean military forces, he came into contact with H. H. Choi and learned taekwondo in the 35th Infantry Division. From February 1964, he taught taekwondo to Royal Air ForceRoyal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
personnel in Singapore. He emigrated to London on 2 July 1967. He attained the rank of 8th dan in 1981, and was promoted to 9th dan by H. H. Choi on 1 July 1997 in Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
, Russia. Rhee came to be known as the Father of British Taekwondo, as well as the Father of Irish Taekwondo. He is now based in Glasgow.