Chung Do Kwan
Encyclopedia
Chung Do Kwan, created by Won Kuk Lee in 1944, is the first of nine schools or kwan
teaching what came to be known as taekwondo
. This style of Tae Kwon Do is known for its overall power and emphasis on kicks to the head.
), karate
with Sensei Gichin Funakoshi
in Okinawa, and kung fu at centers in Henan and Shanghai
in China
. Lee earned 4th dan in Shotokan karate, the highest dan aside from the founder at that time. According to GM Yong Taek Chong (a student of GGM Lee) "it is probable that he did practice in secret as a teenager because he told this author that when he first started training he and his first teachers would not exchange names due to possible consequences if someone got caught." Chung Do Kwan was the oldest of the martial arts schools, or "kwans", that were established in Korea following liberation from Japanese Occupation
Lee trained under Sensei Gichin Funakoshi
at Chuo University in Japan. Lee also traveled to China and Okinawa, studying martial arts technique, history, and philosophy. According to Won Kuk Lee interview, the main differences among Korean style Tang Soo Do, Karate, and Kung Fu were in how pressure points were used and attacked.
The belt system of the Chung Do Kwan under Lee was as follows: White (8th-5th Guep), Red (4th-1st Guep)and Black (1st to 7th Dan). Testing occurred every six months and students would jump two guep levels per test (8th to 6th guep for example). The reason for this was that many Koreans at that time were poor and could not afford frequent testings.
, it was slow to catch on among other Kwan Heads (Kwan Jang). Two names which were actually the two historical names of Karate, pronounced in the Korean language were being used by the Kwan's. Tang Soo Do (Karate; China Hand Way), which was first used by Chung Do Kwan, was used by the following Kwan's. Tang Soo Do Chung Do Kwan, Tang Soo Do Moo Duk Kwan, Tang Soo Do Song Moo Kwan, Tang Soo Do Oh Do Kwan (ITF root) and Tang Soo Do Jung Do Kwan. The first Kwan to use Kong Soo Do (Karate; Empty Hand Way) was "Chosun Yunmookwan Kwonbop Kong Soo Do Bu" which later became Jidokwan. Kong So Do was used by the following Kwans. Kong Soo Do Jidokwan, Kong Soo Do Chang Moo Kwan, Kong So Do Han Moo Kwan. Kang Duk Won, also a kwan, used the moniker "Moo Do" instead of Tang Soo, or Kong Soo.
On August 5, 1965, the name "Taekwondo" was adopted by all Kwans because that became the official name under the Korea Taekwondo Association (KTA).
Later, the President of Korea, Rhee Seung Man, offered Lee the position of Minister of the Interior. However, when Lee politely refused, President Rhee arrested Lee as well as one of his senior students, Son Duk Sung. After being released, Lee and his family emigrated back to Japan immediately prior to the beginning of the Korean War. Before leaving Korea, Lee appointed his senior student, Yoo Ung Jun to succeed him as the Chung Do Kwan Kwan Jang. Yoo instead became a supporter of North Korea and eventually the position went to Son Duk Sung. Son was succeeded as President of the Chung Do Kwan by Uhm Woon Kyu in 1959.
Uhm served as the Chung Do Kwan President. Uhm also served as President of Kukkiwon
(World Taekwondo Headquarters).
Uhm helped devise the current rules governing modern Taekwondo free sparring, and is one of the pioneers responsible for the formation of modern Taekwondo. He was also Special Instructor for the South Korean Military. He also played a large part in the formation and development of the Korea Taekwondo Association, the World Taekwondo Federation and the Kukkiwon (World Taekwondo Headquarters).
As one of Lee Won Kuk's original and first students, Uhm remains a link to the earliest days of Taekwondo. As Head of Chung Do Kwan and President of the Kukkiwon, he spent decades ensuring that Kukki Taekwondo retains the power, etiquette, high technique, manners, and Way that makes it one of the world's preeminent martial arts. He is one of the most important Taekwondo figures in Korea, and one of the most important in the world today.
Kang came to the United States in 1969, already an 8th Dan Black Belt, with his family and founded his own Tae Kwon Do academy in Brooklyn, New York. Physically he was known for his power, breaking techniques, and superior knowledge of the Chang Hon Forms. He became the first President of the American Tae Kwon Do Association (ATA) from 1969 to 1978. However his name is not mentioned in the history of the ATA. Even though Haeng Ung Lee (ATA Co-Founder) was a student of Kang. This is due to the political take over of the ATA by H.U. Lee in 1978. Previously there had been a highly influential Chung Do Kwan Grandmaster, Myung Kil Kim, who moved from Korea to South Bend, Indiana, USA, and was as an advisor to the ATA.
In 1977, Grandmaster Myung Kil Kim died of throat cancer and the political structure of the ATA changed. H.U. Lee, then an 8th Degree and ATA vice-president, took over as President. The ATA continued to use the Chang Hon system of forms created by General Hong Hi Choi, following Choi's 1965 book on Taekwondo as a Bible reference guide. In 1983 the ATA discontinued using the Chang Hon forms as its base curriculum and H.U. Lee created the Song Ahm Forms for the new system. This made him the founder of the "New" American Tae Kwon Do Association and Song Ahm Taekwondo, which is very different from the original Chung Do Kwan/Oh Do Kwan version. After leaving the ATA, Kang, Suh Chong served as Vice President of the International Tae Kwon Do Federation (ITF) from 1977 to 1983, and President of the American Taekwondo Federationn from 1978 to 1995.
Before his death, Lee Won Kuk promoted Grand Master Kang Suh Chong to 10th Dan Black Belt. Making him the first of the original Chung Do Kwan Black Belts to receive this honor.
Today at age 79 Kang still teaches and is the Chairman of the All American Tae Kwon Do Federation (AATF) and the World Tae Kwon Do Chung Do Kwan Federation. His Tae Kwon Do system continues to grow through the teachings of his 3 sons, all of whom are masters themselves and have their own schools and organizations as well. The Kang Tae Kwon Do System has schools in the New York Metropolitan Area and Puerto Rico. Also, they have established Tae Kwon Do clubs at MIT and Johns Hopkins University.
In April 2009, Grand Master Kang was inducted into the Tae Kwon Do Hall of Fame.
After Won Kuk Lee retired and moved to Japan Mr. Chung soon followed his teacher, settling in Tokyo and opening the first Chung Do Kwan Branch Club outside of Korea. In 1955 the Chung Do Kwan (like all Korean martial arts schools) officially adopted the name "Tae Kwon Do" for their martial art curriculum and so Master Chung found himself as a major figure in the Tokyo martial arts community serving as president of the All Japan Tae Kwon Do Association. In 1959, while still in Tokyo, Master Chung won the prestigious Tournament of Masters.
In 1974 Master Chung decided to bring his expertise to the Kansas City, Missouri in the United States.
During Master Chung's time in Tokyo as well as in Kansas City he would regularly receive visits from his old instructor, Great Grand Master Won Kuk Lee. It was during one of these visits in 1984 that Master Chung received the rank of 9th Dan Black Grand Master Lee. In 1988 Grand Master Chung retired from teaching, turning his schools over to his students, and moved to Garden Grove, California. But remained active with his students and in retirement Yong Taek Chung spent the next 19 years helping students, instructors, and Masters continue the Chung Do Kwan tradition. Master Chung passed away peacefully in his home in Fountain Valley, California on November 11, 2006.
Hyungs called Chang Hon
, which were introduced by Choi Hong Hi
, Nam Tae Hi
, and Han Cha Kyo
and are still used by the late Choi's ITF
today (Cheon-Ji, Dan-Gun, Do-San, Won-Hyo, Yul-Gok, Jung-Geun, Toi-Gye, Hwa-Rang, Chung-Mu, Gwang-Gae). He did this at the urging of Choi, who wanted Taekwondo to establish its own Korean identity, something it couldn't do with Japanese forms. Jhoon Rhee states that he learned the Chang Hon forms from the South Korean Army Field Manual sent to him by Choi Hong Hi. The Chang Hon set of forms are still taught by independent American Taekwondo instructors who came from the Jhoon Rhee lineage. Rhee's 1970–1971 publication of the Chang Hon forms in a series of 5 separate books through Ohara Publications. Originally the ATA
even used the Chang Hon forms until the 1980s, even today there are dozens of private American Taekwondo organizations that trace what they teach, and the forms they use, to a Chung Do Kwan/Chang Hon influence. Such organizations include: ITF, United States Taekwondo Federation (USTF), National Taekwondo Federation of America (NTFA), American Karate and Taekwondo Organization (AKATO), American Karate Black Belt Association (AKBBA), National Progressive Taekwondo Association (NPTA), etc.
During the Korean War, Park was assigned to the ROK Army Signal Corps and served in the same unit as Uhm Woon Kyu. After the Korean War, Park studied under Uhm and eventually was promoted to 1st Dan in 1954. He first began teaching at Seoul National University in 1955 before becoming the Chief Taekwondo Instructor for the Presidential Protective Forces at the Bluehouse in 1962. Park taught at the Bluehouse for eighteen years.
Chung Do Kwan philosophy is that Taekwondo is a method of self-defense, self-improvement, and a Way of Life.
According to Hae Man Park, Vice-President of Chung Do Kwan (retired), today Chung Do Kwan is a social friendship club that endorses 100% the curriculum of the Kukkiwon system. Park states that Kukkiwon Taekwondo is Chung Do Kwan Taekwondo, and has been developed from the old systems of Chung Do Kwan and the other eight Kwans.
Before students could become members of the Chung Do Kwan, LEE Won Kuk would have the prospective members read the Chung Do Kwan membership oath as well as sign a paper agreeing to abide by the oath. Today, some Chung Do Kwan affiliated schools have their members recite the membership oath before the start of each class.
The Official Chung Do Kwan logos include the Hanja for "Blue Wave School": 靑濤嚴. The same logos include the Hanja for Blue Wave on the two ends of the scroll.
, and the Kukkiwon.
The Chung Do Kwan still issues Dan and other types of certificates from its world headquarters in Seoul, South Korea. Chung Do Kwan members may also receive Kukkiwon poom and dan certification.
Some of the older Chung Do Kwan based schools practice the original Pyong-Ahn forms which LEE Won Kuk incorporated from Shotokan karate. (The Pyong-Ahn forms originated in Okinawa, where they are called Pinan. In Japan, these forms are called Heian.)
Other older Chung do Kwan schools practice the Palgwae
forms, a predecessor of the Taegeuk forms. After black belt, practitioners of the Kukkiwon system practice the Yudanja and Kodanja series of black belt Poomsae of the Kukkiwon (Koryo, Kumgang, Taebaek, Pyongwon, Sipjin, Jitae, Cheonkwon, Hansoo, Ilyo).
Kwans
This article is about martial arts. For the Finnish music band see KwanKwan in Korean literally means building or hall, but when used in martial arts it can also refer to a school or clan of martial artists who follow the same style and/or leader...
teaching what came to be known as 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"...
. This style of Tae Kwon Do is known for its overall power and emphasis on kicks to the head.
Founding
The Chung Do Kwan name was first used by Won Kuk Lee. Lee had studied Taekkyon in An Gup Dong (a street in SeoulSeoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
), karate
Karate
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,...
with Sensei Gichin Funakoshi
Gichin Funakoshi
was the creator of Shotokan karate, perhaps the most widely known style of karate, and is attributed as being the 'father of modern karate.' Following the teachings of Anko Itosu, he was one of the Okinawan karate masters who introduced karate to the Japanese mainland in 1921...
in Okinawa, and kung fu at centers in Henan and Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. Lee earned 4th dan in Shotokan karate, the highest dan aside from the founder at that time. According to GM Yong Taek Chong (a student of GGM Lee) "it is probable that he did practice in secret as a teenager because he told this author that when he first started training he and his first teachers would not exchange names due to possible consequences if someone got caught." Chung Do Kwan was the oldest of the martial arts schools, or "kwans", that were established in Korea following liberation from Japanese Occupation
Lee trained under Sensei Gichin Funakoshi
Gichin Funakoshi
was the creator of Shotokan karate, perhaps the most widely known style of karate, and is attributed as being the 'father of modern karate.' Following the teachings of Anko Itosu, he was one of the Okinawan karate masters who introduced karate to the Japanese mainland in 1921...
at Chuo University in Japan. Lee also traveled to China and Okinawa, studying martial arts technique, history, and philosophy. According to Won Kuk Lee interview, the main differences among Korean style Tang Soo Do, Karate, and Kung Fu were in how pressure points were used and attacked.
The belt system of the Chung Do Kwan under Lee was as follows: White (8th-5th Guep), Red (4th-1st Guep)and Black (1st to 7th Dan). Testing occurred every six months and students would jump two guep levels per test (8th to 6th guep for example). The reason for this was that many Koreans at that time were poor and could not afford frequent testings.
Taekwondo
According to the book "A Modern History of Taekwondo" the name "Taekwondo" was proposed in 1955 by a committee led by Choi Hong HiChoi 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...
, it was slow to catch on among other Kwan Heads (Kwan Jang). Two names which were actually the two historical names of Karate, pronounced in the Korean language were being used by the Kwan's. Tang Soo Do (Karate; China Hand Way), which was first used by Chung Do Kwan, was used by the following Kwan's. Tang Soo Do Chung Do Kwan, Tang Soo Do Moo Duk Kwan, Tang Soo Do Song Moo Kwan, Tang Soo Do Oh Do Kwan (ITF root) and Tang Soo Do Jung Do Kwan. The first Kwan to use Kong Soo Do (Karate; Empty Hand Way) was "Chosun Yunmookwan Kwonbop Kong Soo Do Bu" which later became Jidokwan. Kong So Do was used by the following Kwans. Kong Soo Do Jidokwan, Kong Soo Do Chang Moo Kwan, Kong So Do Han Moo Kwan. Kang Duk Won, also a kwan, used the moniker "Moo Do" instead of Tang Soo, or Kong Soo.
On August 5, 1965, the name "Taekwondo" was adopted by all Kwans because that became the official name under the Korea Taekwondo Association (KTA).
Development
The Chung Do Kwan was the first Kwan to open in Korea. Because of his law background, he was appointed as a teacher at the Korean Police Academy and many of his early students were police.Later, the President of Korea, Rhee Seung Man, offered Lee the position of Minister of the Interior. However, when Lee politely refused, President Rhee arrested Lee as well as one of his senior students, Son Duk Sung. After being released, Lee and his family emigrated back to Japan immediately prior to the beginning of the Korean War. Before leaving Korea, Lee appointed his senior student, Yoo Ung Jun to succeed him as the Chung Do Kwan Kwan Jang. Yoo instead became a supporter of North Korea and eventually the position went to Son Duk Sung. Son was succeeded as President of the Chung Do Kwan by Uhm Woon Kyu in 1959.
Uhm served as the Chung Do Kwan President. Uhm also served as President of Kukkiwon
Kukkiwon
Kukkiwon , also known as World Taekwondo Headquarters, and home of the World Taekwondo Academy, is the official taekwondo governing organisation established by the South Korean government...
(World Taekwondo Headquarters).
First Graduates
First generation Chung Do Kwan students include:- Duk Sung Son (Founder, World Tae Kwon Do Association)
- Suh Chong KangSuh Chong KangGrand Master Kang Suh Chong came to the United States in the late 1960s. He arrived in New York and was the first president of the American Tae Kwon Do Association. He also served as the Vice President of the International Tae Kwon Do Federation in the late 1970s...
(Founder of Taekwondo Kuk Mu Kwan) - Woon Kyu Uhm (current Kukkiwon/Chung Do Kwan President)resigned from Kukkiwon 2010,
- Yong Taek Chung
Uhm Woon Kyu
Uhm Woon Kyu was the fourth Chung Do Kwan Kwan Jang, after Lee Won Kuk, YOO Ung Jun and Son Duk Sung. He is also a previous leader of the Chung Do Kwan, as well as the ex-President of the Kukkiwon, succeeding longtime President Kim Un Yong. Uhm's nickname was "Sliding Side Kick God," due to his unmatched ability with that technique. Reportedly, he could kick an opponent from ten feet away using it.Uhm helped devise the current rules governing modern Taekwondo free sparring, and is one of the pioneers responsible for the formation of modern Taekwondo. He was also Special Instructor for the South Korean Military. He also played a large part in the formation and development of the Korea Taekwondo Association, the World Taekwondo Federation and the Kukkiwon (World Taekwondo Headquarters).
As one of Lee Won Kuk's original and first students, Uhm remains a link to the earliest days of Taekwondo. As Head of Chung Do Kwan and President of the Kukkiwon, he spent decades ensuring that Kukki Taekwondo retains the power, etiquette, high technique, manners, and Way that makes it one of the world's preeminent martial arts. He is one of the most important Taekwondo figures in Korea, and one of the most important in the world today.
Kang Suh Chong
Kang Suh Chong started his martial arts training in 1938 in Yudo, Su Bahk Do, and later became a student of Tang Soo Do/Kong Soo Do under Lee Won Kuk (Chung Do Kwan Founder) and is a graduate of the first class of Chung Do Kwan Black Belts. In 1953 he founded his own branch of Tae Kwon Do and named it Kuk Mu Kwan. From 1957 to 1969 Kang served as the head instructor of the Korean Central Intelligence Agency (KCIA), formerly known as Korean Military Intelligence Agency, and from 1960 to 1968 he was the commanding instructor for the Republic of Korea (ROK) Army.Kang came to the United States in 1969, already an 8th Dan Black Belt, with his family and founded his own Tae Kwon Do academy in Brooklyn, New York. Physically he was known for his power, breaking techniques, and superior knowledge of the Chang Hon Forms. He became the first President of the American Tae Kwon Do Association (ATA) from 1969 to 1978. However his name is not mentioned in the history of the ATA. Even though Haeng Ung Lee (ATA Co-Founder) was a student of Kang. This is due to the political take over of the ATA by H.U. Lee in 1978. Previously there had been a highly influential Chung Do Kwan Grandmaster, Myung Kil Kim, who moved from Korea to South Bend, Indiana, USA, and was as an advisor to the ATA.
In 1977, Grandmaster Myung Kil Kim died of throat cancer and the political structure of the ATA changed. H.U. Lee, then an 8th Degree and ATA vice-president, took over as President. The ATA continued to use the Chang Hon system of forms created by General Hong Hi Choi, following Choi's 1965 book on Taekwondo as a Bible reference guide. In 1983 the ATA discontinued using the Chang Hon forms as its base curriculum and H.U. Lee created the Song Ahm Forms for the new system. This made him the founder of the "New" American Tae Kwon Do Association and Song Ahm Taekwondo, which is very different from the original Chung Do Kwan/Oh Do Kwan version. After leaving the ATA, Kang, Suh Chong served as Vice President of the International Tae Kwon Do Federation (ITF) from 1977 to 1983, and President of the American Taekwondo Federationn from 1978 to 1995.
Before his death, Lee Won Kuk promoted Grand Master Kang Suh Chong to 10th Dan Black Belt. Making him the first of the original Chung Do Kwan Black Belts to receive this honor.
Today at age 79 Kang still teaches and is the Chairman of the All American Tae Kwon Do Federation (AATF) and the World Tae Kwon Do Chung Do Kwan Federation. His Tae Kwon Do system continues to grow through the teachings of his 3 sons, all of whom are masters themselves and have their own schools and organizations as well. The Kang Tae Kwon Do System has schools in the New York Metropolitan Area and Puerto Rico. Also, they have established Tae Kwon Do clubs at MIT and Johns Hopkins University.
In April 2009, Grand Master Kang was inducted into the Tae Kwon Do Hall of Fame.
Yong Taek Chung
Yong Taek Chung was born in Seoul, Korea on March 3, 1921. While his family had been highly respected and part of the educated class they lost everything during the Japanese occupation and, like most during that time, struggled for survival. Chung became interested in martial art as a boy but it was illegal at that time to openly teach or learn martial art in Korea. Not until he was a young man, at the age of 19, did Yong Taek Chung begin to train in the art of Tang Soo Do under the instruction of Won Kuk Lee. Sometime later, after martial art training became legal, Yong Taek Chung circulated among the later Chung Do Kwan students and he was to become almost a mythic figure because of his exploits. He was known for his toughness and bravery. Mr. Chung was to remain one of Lee's top students and kept a close relationship with his instructor for the rest of his life.After Won Kuk Lee retired and moved to Japan Mr. Chung soon followed his teacher, settling in Tokyo and opening the first Chung Do Kwan Branch Club outside of Korea. In 1955 the Chung Do Kwan (like all Korean martial arts schools) officially adopted the name "Tae Kwon Do" for their martial art curriculum and so Master Chung found himself as a major figure in the Tokyo martial arts community serving as president of the All Japan Tae Kwon Do Association. In 1959, while still in Tokyo, Master Chung won the prestigious Tournament of Masters.
In 1974 Master Chung decided to bring his expertise to the Kansas City, Missouri in the United States.
During Master Chung's time in Tokyo as well as in Kansas City he would regularly receive visits from his old instructor, Great Grand Master Won Kuk Lee. It was during one of these visits in 1984 that Master Chung received the rank of 9th Dan Black Grand Master Lee. In 1988 Grand Master Chung retired from teaching, turning his schools over to his students, and moved to Garden Grove, California. But remained active with his students and in retirement Yong Taek Chung spent the next 19 years helping students, instructors, and Masters continue the Chung Do Kwan tradition. Master Chung passed away peacefully in his home in Fountain Valley, California on November 11, 2006.
Later Graduates
- Hae Man Park (Vice President, Taekwondo Chung Do Kwan)
- Yong Ho Kim (Actual President of the World Chung Do Kwan & Mudo Academy)
- Yong Un Kwon (Actually Chef Instructor in Central Chung do kwan Dojang in Seoul - Korea)
- Hyun Ok Shin (United Chung Do Kwan Association, headquartered in Floral Park, NY)
- Tae Zee Park (President Tae Park Taekwondo, Headquartered in Jackson, MI)
- In Mook Kim (President and GM American ChungDoKwan Taekwondo Association ACTA)
- Michael T Dealy (Founder, World Martial Arts Association, Headquartered in Brooklyn, NY)
- Seipong Chang (Harrisburg, PA- World Tae Kwon Do Association under Duk Sung Son)
- Yong Taek Chung (Kansas City, MO- World Tae Kwon Do Association under Duk Sung Son)
- K.C. Park (Yorktown Heights, NY- World Tae Kwon Do Association under Duk Sung Son)
- J. Bock Chung (Madison, WI- World Tae Kwon Do Association under Duk Sung Son)
- Soo Yick Chay (Oak Creek, WI- World Tae Kwon Do Association under Duk Sung Son)
- Tai Doo Kang (Minnesota- World Tae Kwon Do Association under Duk Sung Son)
- Young Sik Choi (Lousiville, KY- World Tae Kwon Do Association under Duk Sung Son)
- Nak Yong Chung (Indiana- World Tae Kwon Do Association under Duk Sung Son)
- Dennis Callahan(Indiana- Director of Indiana Chung Do Kwan-Founder Karate Institute-member Korean Tae Kwon Do Association under Uhm Woon Kyu )
- Dong Hoon Kim (AZ- World Tae Kwon Do Association under Duk Sung Son)
- Lindsay Lawrence (President, Chungdokwan GB)
- Kyung Woo Tu (St. Louis, MO- World Tae Kwon Do Association under Duk Sung Son)
- K.H. Kim (Omaha,NB- World Tae Kwon Do Association under Duk Sung Son)
- Ricardo Dos Anjos (Westchester, NY- World Tae Kwon Do Association under Duk Sung Son)
- Jerry Orenstein (Long Island, NY- World Tae Kwon Do Association under Duk Sung Son)
- Ralph Rubino (World Tae Kwon Do Association under Duk Sung Son and Co-Founder of USA Tae Kwon Do Masters Association)
- Jack Emmel (World Tae Kwon Do Association under Duk Sung Son and Co-Founder of USA Tae Kwon Do Masters Association)
- Ron Geoffrion (World Tae Kwon Do Association under Duk Sung Son and Co-Founder of USA Tae Kwon Do Masters Association)
- Jim Cahill (World Tae Kwon Do Association under Duk Sung Son and Co-Founder of USA Tae Kwon Do Masters Association)
- Edward B. SellEdward B. SellEdward B. Sell is an American martial arts instructor, and the highest ranking non-Asian practitioner of tae kwon do, holding the rank of 9th degree black belt in the art.- Biography :Edward B...
(Founder, United States Chung Do Kwan Association) - Jhoon Rhee (First permanent Tae Kwon Do Instructor in America)
- Duk Kyung Choi
- Paul Bisong (Flying Tiger Taekwondo)
- Chase Woolman (World's Youngest Master Co-Founder and Sr. Instructor of Tae Kwon Do School of Excellence & Bok Academy Middle School)
Jhoon Rhee
Jhoon Rhee was a Chung Do Kwan school graduate . Thus, Chung Do Kwan is often associated with what Rhee originally taught Americans. Rhee introduced Americans to the Oh Do KwanOh Do Kwan
Oh Do Kwan founded in 1955, was the 6th Kwan to open in Korea.-Meaning:The word Oh can be translated both as 'mine' and 'our', which makes the meaning of Oh Do Kwan 'the school of my way'.-Founding:...
Hyungs called Chang Hon
Hyung
The Korean terms hyeong, pumsae and teul are all used to refer to martial arts forms that are typically used in Korean martial arts such as Taekwondo and Tang Soo Do. In non-martial terms, hyung can mean "big brother," but this is fundamentally distinct from hyeong...
, which were introduced by 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...
, 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,...
, and Han Cha Kyo
Han Cha Kyo
Han Cha Kyo was a South Korean master of taekwondo, and one of the twelve original masters of taekwondo of the Korea Taekwon-Do Association. He held the rank of 9th dan in taekwondo. Following a career in the South Korean military, he emigrated to the United States of America in 1971...
and are still used by the late Choi's ITF
International Taekwondo Federation
International Taekwon-Do Federation is a Taekwondo organization founded on March 22, 1966, by General Choi Hong Hi in Seoul, South Korea. The ITF exists to promote and encourage the growth of the Korean martial art of Taekwondo...
today (Cheon-Ji, Dan-Gun, Do-San, Won-Hyo, Yul-Gok, Jung-Geun, Toi-Gye, Hwa-Rang, Chung-Mu, Gwang-Gae). He did this at the urging of Choi, who wanted Taekwondo to establish its own Korean identity, something it couldn't do with Japanese forms. Jhoon Rhee states that he learned the Chang Hon forms from the South Korean Army Field Manual sent to him by Choi Hong Hi. The Chang Hon set of forms are still taught by independent American Taekwondo instructors who came from the Jhoon Rhee lineage. Rhee's 1970–1971 publication of the Chang Hon forms in a series of 5 separate books through Ohara Publications. Originally the ATA
American Taekwondo Association
The American Taekwondo Association was founded in 1969 in Omaha, Nebraska by Haeng Ung Lee of South Korea. It is one of the largest taekwondo organizations in the United States, and in association with the Songahm Taekwondo Federation and World Traditional Taekwondo Union , is one of the largest...
even used the Chang Hon forms until the 1980s, even today there are dozens of private American Taekwondo organizations that trace what they teach, and the forms they use, to a Chung Do Kwan/Chang Hon influence. Such organizations include: ITF, United States Taekwondo Federation (USTF), National Taekwondo Federation of America (NTFA), American Karate and Taekwondo Organization (AKATO), American Karate Black Belt Association (AKBBA), National Progressive Taekwondo Association (NPTA), etc.
Hae Man Park
Park Hae Man began his martial arts career when he saw a demonstration at the Seoul YMCA in 1949. After witnessing that demonstration, he asked his father if he could join the YMCA Kwon Bup Bu under Yoon Byung In. His father approved, and Park spent six months learning under Yoon before the Korean War broke out. Prior to training in the martial arts, Park was active as a gymnast.During the Korean War, Park was assigned to the ROK Army Signal Corps and served in the same unit as Uhm Woon Kyu. After the Korean War, Park studied under Uhm and eventually was promoted to 1st Dan in 1954. He first began teaching at Seoul National University in 1955 before becoming the Chief Taekwondo Instructor for the Presidential Protective Forces at the Bluehouse in 1962. Park taught at the Bluehouse for eighteen years.
Technique and Philosophy
Beginning in early times, Chung Do Kwan technique and philosophy centered on mastering basics, developing powerful technique, pinpoint accuracy in application, strong kicking, and deep appreciation for manners and etiquette. Its trademark techniques are the side kick, jumping side kick, and sliding side kick although it practices many other techniques as well-all in accordance with Chung Do Kwan principles. From the start, Lee Won Kuk wanted his students to be men of honor, only allowed upright individuals as his students, and encouraged them to live honorable lives as Chung Do Kwan students. All in an effort to restore the good reputation once held by Korean martial arts and distance itself from the notion of Taekwondo students as troublemakers.Chung Do Kwan philosophy is that Taekwondo is a method of self-defense, self-improvement, and a Way of Life.
According to Hae Man Park, Vice-President of Chung Do Kwan (retired), today Chung Do Kwan is a social friendship club that endorses 100% the curriculum of the Kukkiwon system. Park states that Kukkiwon Taekwondo is Chung Do Kwan Taekwondo, and has been developed from the old systems of Chung Do Kwan and the other eight Kwans.
Chung Do Kwan Oath
- We, as members, train our spirits and bodies according to the strict code.
- We, as members, are united in mutual friendship.
- We, as members, will comply with regulations and obey instructors.
Before students could become members of the Chung Do Kwan, LEE Won Kuk would have the prospective members read the Chung Do Kwan membership oath as well as sign a paper agreeing to abide by the oath. Today, some Chung Do Kwan affiliated schools have their members recite the membership oath before the start of each class.
The logo
The Chung Do Kwan logo is the Korean Um/Yang symbol containing a clenched fist (symbolizing physical power) holding a scroll (symbolizing scholarliness). In a sense, balance is what Chung Do Kwan students should strive for in life. The two ends of the scroll contain the Korean Hangul characters for "Chung Do".The Official Chung Do Kwan logos include the Hanja for "Blue Wave School": 靑濤嚴. The same logos include the Hanja for Blue Wave on the two ends of the scroll.
Today
The Chung Do Kwan still exists in Korea and now functions as a fraternal friendship social club which is no longer a martial arts style. It, along with eight other recognized Kwans (Song Moo Kwan, Jidokwan, Chang Moo Kwan, Moo Duk Kwan, Han Moo Kwan, Jung Do Kwan, Kang Duk Won and Oh Do Kwan), formed the basis of the Korea Taekwondo AssociationKorea 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...
, and the Kukkiwon.
The Chung Do Kwan still issues Dan and other types of certificates from its world headquarters in Seoul, South Korea. Chung Do Kwan members may also receive Kukkiwon poom and dan certification.
Chung Do Kwan forms
According to Uhm Woon Kyu, the ex-President of Taekwondo Chung Do Kwan, the Chung Do Kwan today follows the complete curriculum of Kukkiwon.Some of the older Chung Do Kwan based schools practice the original Pyong-Ahn forms which LEE Won Kuk incorporated from Shotokan karate. (The Pyong-Ahn forms originated in Okinawa, where they are called Pinan. In Japan, these forms are called Heian.)
Other older Chung do Kwan schools practice the Palgwae
Bagua (concept)
The bagua are eight diagrams used in Taoist cosmology to represent the fundamental principles of reality, seen as a range of eight interrelated concepts. Each consists of three lines, each line either "broken" or "unbroken," representing yin or yang, respectively...
forms, a predecessor of the Taegeuk forms. After black belt, practitioners of the Kukkiwon system practice the Yudanja and Kodanja series of black belt Poomsae of the Kukkiwon (Koryo, Kumgang, Taebaek, Pyongwon, Sipjin, Jitae, Cheonkwon, Hansoo, Ilyo).
Further reading
- A Modern History of Taekwondo 1999 (Korean) Kyong Myung Lee and Kang Won Sik ISBN 89-358-0124-0
- Global Taekwondo 2003 (English) Kyo Yoon Lee ISBN 89-952721-4-7
- A Guide to Taekwondo 1996 (English) Kyo Yoon Lee ISBN 8975000648
- Kukkiwon 25th Anniversary Text 1997 (Korean) Un Yong Kim
- Kukkiwon Textbook 2006 (English/Korean) Um Woon Kyu
- Korean Karate by Duk Sun Song