Rhee Taekwon-Do
Encyclopedia
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 "(Australia)" or "(New Zealand)" appended. Chong Chul Rhee
, one of the original masters of taekwondo
, founded the school in the mid-1960s. Two of Rhee's brothers, Chong Hyup Rhee and Chong Yoon Rhee, later came to assist him in the 1970s.
C. C. Rhee claims the title 'Father of Australian Taekwondo' and Rhee Taekwon-Do is widely publicised as being Australia's first and biggest taekwondo school. It has at least 294 publicly-listed dojang
(training halls) in Australia (and at least five such dojang in New Zealand), with perhaps around 1,400 dojang in total at its peak. Several Australian martial art school founders received their foundational taekwondo training in Rhee's school.
Rhee Taekwon-Do is an independent martial art organisation. It was once affiliated to the International Taekwon-Do Federation (ITF), but has had no relation to the World Taekwondo Federation
(WTF).
, is the founder and head of Rhee Taekwon-Do. He holds the title 'World Master
' and claims the title 'Father of Australian Taekwondo.' Rhee is one of the twelve original masters of taekwondo selected from the South Korean military to develop taekwondo under Choi Hong Hi
in the Korea Taekwon-Do Association
(KTA). Rhee is a former unarmed combat instructor in the Korean Marines, and helped introduce taekwondo to Southeast Asia (notably in Malaysia and Singapore) before becoming the first taekwondo master sent to Australia by the Republic of Korea.
Rhee has worked towards the reunification of Korea
, serving as a member during the third through ninth terms—and as Chairman for the eighth term—of the Oceania Division of the Advisory Council on Democratic and Peaceful Unification. He has also served as Chairman of the Seoul Olympics
Supporting Committee and founding President of the Korean Community Hall Construction Supporting Committee. The Republic of Korea awarded Rhee the Dongbaeg Medal
(동백장) in 2003 for promoting taekwondo and Korean culture over the past 33 years.
Two of Rhee's brothers, Chong Hyup Rhee and Chong Yoon Rhee, also hold the title of 'Master' in Rhee Taekwon-Do and assist him in managing parts of the school. Chong Hyup Rhee, 7th dan, is in charge of operations in Melbourne
. He appears on the right in the school's logo. C. H. Rhee is also one of the twelve original masters of taekwondo, and helped introduce the art of taekwondo to Malaysia and Singapore before arriving in Australia in 1970. He conducts grading examinations in Melbourne and Darwin
. Chong Yoon Rhee, 9th dan, is in charge of operations in parts of Sydney
. He trained under Nam Tae Hi
during the late 1950s, served as a South Korean army officer, and helped introduce the art of taekwondo to Vietnam in the late 1960s. C. Y. Rhee retired from military service at the rank of Major, and moved to Australia in January 1976.
C. C. Rhee and C. H. Rhee are listed as pioneers in Asia (1950s and 1960s) and Australia (1970s) in Chang Keun Choi
's list of taekwondo pioneers, while C. Y. Rhee came to Australia some time later.
Kim would have been in the lower dan ranks, and would not yet have held the title of 'Master,' when he was invited to teach in Australia. Rozinsky and Walsh would have held 1st dan ranking in the 1960s. Both Rhee (KTA) and Yun (ITF) would have been in the middle dan ranks and held the title of 'Master' when they arrived, as they were sent to Australia by their respective Korean governing bodies.
YMCA
centre.
Rhee Taekwon-Do's position as the first taekwondo school in Australia might be challenged by the Melbourne Taekwondo Centre (originally the Shuto Karate Club), as tang soo do was one of the arts taught there. Such status would, however, involve recognising tang soo do as taekwondo retrospectively. It is not clear at what point the Melbourne Taekwondo Centre incorporated taekwondo into its name or began using its current name.
in 1972. Peter Wong, 7th dan, trained in Rhee Taekwon-Do in Western Australia in the early 1970s. Jamie Moore, 8th dan, commenced Rhee Taekwon-Do training in Queensland in 1976. Several other ex-members have founded ITF schools across Australia.
in 1970, was a Rhee Taekwon-Do 2nd dan instructor in Sydney during the 1970s, and now teaches battodo
. Christopher Nasilowski, 10th dan, trained in Rhee Taekwon-Do in Adelaide from 1972–1984, was a Rhee Taekwon-Do 2nd dan instructor, and now teaches arnis
and jujitsu
. Graham Healy, 7th dan, trained in Rhee Taekwon-Do in Queensland from 1977–1982, was a Rhee Taekwon-Do 1st dan instructor, and now teaches boxing
and taekwondo. Several other ex-members have founded other martial art schools.
in karate
), destruction
(breaking), hyung (patterns or forms), self-defence
, and sparring
. Basics, destruction, hyung, and self-defence are similar to equivalent exercises in other traditional martial art schools. Rhee Taekwon-Do teaches the Chang Hon hyung.
Sparring
takes three forms: three-step sparring, one-step sparring, and free sparring. Three-step sparring and one-step sparring are similar to equivalent exercises in ITF and WTF schools, but free sparring is different, having more in common with traditional karate sparring. Rhee Taekwon-Do free sparring is unscored, unarmoured, and usually 'non-contact' in principle. Members typically achieve non-contact sparring by two methods, whether separately or in combination:
s (급
), and nine black belt
degrees, or dan rank
s (단
). Members start with white belts and progress through yellow, green, blue, brown, and then black.
Non-black belts, from white through to brown, denote the kup ranks. 'Tips' denoting odd-numbered kup ranks are marked by a stripe of the higher colour near the right end (from the wearer's point of view) of a belt of the lower colour. Black belts denote the dan ranks. A specific dan rank is represented by the number of white bars embroidered on the black belt. A black belt with no bars is a Junior Black Belt, a rank assigned to members considered too young (typically 15 years or younger) for 1st dan. One bar denotes 1st dan, two bars denote 2nd dan, and so on. The end of the belt bearing the dan rank also carries embroidery noting the name of the master issuing the promotion (Chong Chul Rhee, Chong Hyup Rhee, or Chong Yoon Rhee).
To attain Rhee Taekwon-Do 1st dan ranking typically takes around four to five years of regular training. Progression through the school's dan ranks is by invitation, and is usually slower than in other taekwondo schools. Invitation appears to be based on a combination of technique and knowledge. Promotion to 2nd dan might come after 10–15 years, in which time someone might have reached 4th dan (ITF) or 5th dan (WTF). Promotion to 3rd dan might come after 20–25 years, in which time someone might have reached 6th dan (ITF) or 7th dan (WTF). Several former Rhee Taekwon-Do instructors who joined other taekwondo organisations received new ranks consistent with these approximations.
Martial arts
Martial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
school in Australia and New Zealand teaching the Korean martial art
Korean 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...
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"...
. Its full name is "Rhee International Taekwon-Do" with "(Australia)" or "(New Zealand)" appended. Chong Chul Rhee
Chong Chul Rhee
Rhee Chong Chul is a South Korean master of taekwondo who is widely known as the 'Father of Australian Taekwondo' for introducing this martial art to Australia since arriving in the 1960s. He is the founder of Rhee Taekwon-Do, which is widely publicised as Australia's first and biggest taekwondo...
, one of the original masters of taekwondo
Original Masters of Taekwondo
Original masters of taekwondo is a group of twelve South Korean martial art masters assembled by the Korea Taekwon-Do Association in the early 1960s to promote the newly-established art of taekwondo...
, founded the school in the mid-1960s. Two of Rhee's brothers, Chong Hyup Rhee and Chong Yoon Rhee, later came to assist him in the 1970s.
C. C. Rhee claims the title 'Father of Australian Taekwondo' and Rhee Taekwon-Do is widely publicised as being Australia's first and biggest taekwondo school. It has at least 294 publicly-listed dojang
Dojang
Dojang is a term used in Korean martial arts, such as taekwondo, Kuk Sool Won, and hapkido, that refers to a formal training hall. It is typically considered the formal gathering place for students of a martial art to conduct training, examinations and other related encounters.-Meaning:Do means...
(training halls) in Australia (and at least five such dojang in New Zealand), with perhaps around 1,400 dojang in total at its peak. Several Australian martial art school founders received their foundational taekwondo training in Rhee's school.
Rhee Taekwon-Do is an independent martial art organisation. It was once affiliated to the International Taekwon-Do Federation (ITF), but has had no relation to the World Taekwondo Federation
World 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...
(WTF).
Chong Chul Rhee
Chong Chul Rhee, 8th 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...
, is the founder and head of Rhee Taekwon-Do. He holds the title 'World Master
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...
' and claims the title 'Father of Australian Taekwondo.' Rhee is one of the twelve original masters of taekwondo selected from the South Korean military to develop taekwondo under 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...
in 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). Rhee is a former unarmed combat instructor in the Korean Marines, and helped introduce taekwondo to Southeast Asia (notably in Malaysia and Singapore) before becoming the first taekwondo master sent to Australia by the Republic of Korea.
Rhee has worked towards the reunification of Korea
Korean reunification
Korean reunification refers to the hypothetical future reunification of North Korea and South Korea under a single government...
, serving as a member during the third through ninth terms—and as Chairman for the eighth term—of the Oceania Division of the Advisory Council on Democratic and Peaceful Unification. He has also served as Chairman of the Seoul Olympics
1988 Summer Olympics
The 1988 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad, were an all international multi-sport events celebrated from September 17 to October 2, 1988 in Seoul, South Korea. They were the second summer Olympic Games to be held in Asia and the first since the 1964 Summer Olympics...
Supporting Committee and founding President of the Korean Community Hall Construction Supporting Committee. The Republic of Korea awarded Rhee the Dongbaeg Medal
Dongbaeg Medal
Dongbaeg Medal , also written as Dongbaek Medal, is a civil award of the Republic of Korea. It is the third class of South Korea's Order of Civil Merit, which is the primary series of awards for Korean civilians...
(동백장) in 2003 for promoting taekwondo and Korean culture over the past 33 years.
Two of Rhee's brothers, Chong Hyup Rhee and Chong Yoon Rhee, also hold the title of 'Master' in Rhee Taekwon-Do and assist him in managing parts of the school. Chong Hyup Rhee, 7th dan, is in charge of operations in Melbourne
Melbourne
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...
. He appears on the right in the school's logo. C. H. Rhee is also one of the twelve original masters of taekwondo, and helped introduce the art of taekwondo to Malaysia and Singapore before arriving in Australia in 1970. He conducts grading examinations in Melbourne and Darwin
Darwin, Northern Territory
Darwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. Situated on the Timor Sea, Darwin has a population of 127,500, making it by far the largest and most populated city in the sparsely populated Northern Territory, but the least populous of all Australia's capital cities...
. Chong Yoon Rhee, 9th dan, is in charge of operations in parts of Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
. He trained under 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,...
during the late 1950s, served as a South Korean army officer, and helped introduce the art of taekwondo to Vietnam in the late 1960s. C. Y. Rhee retired from military service at the rank of Major, and moved to Australia in January 1976.
C. C. Rhee and C. H. Rhee are listed as pioneers in Asia (1950s and 1960s) and Australia (1970s) in Chang Keun Choi
Chang Keun Choi
Choi Chang Keun , widely known as C. K. Choi, is a South Korean master of taekwondo, and one of the twelve original masters of taekwondo of the Korea Taekwon-Do Association...
's list of taekwondo pioneers, while C. Y. Rhee came to Australia some time later.
Significance
Rhee Taekwon-Do occupies a prominent place in Australian taekwondo history. This is reflected in three key claims: (1) Chong Chul Rhee is the Father of Australian Taekwondo, (2) Rhee Taekwon-Do is the first taekwondo school in Australia, and (3) Rhee Taekwon-Do is the biggest taekwondo school in Australia. The school has widely publicised these claims since at least the 1980s.Father of Australian Taekwondo
No one has challenged C. C. Rhee's claim as the Father of Australian Taekwondo. The title might be debated, however, based on claims made about four other martial art masters:- Chan Yong Kim, 9th dan, was the first tang soo doTang Soo DoTang Soo Do is a Korean martial art promoted by Hwang Kee that has roots in various martial arts, including taekkyeon and Subak.-Etymology:...
instructor in Australia. He arrived in the early 1960s, sponsored by the Silvertop Taxi Karate Club or the Australian Judo Federation, and stayed for one or two years before moving overseas. Kim might be considered the first taekwondo instructor in Australia if tang soo do were recognised as taekwondo retrospectively, and so might lay claim to the title. Kim did not establish a taekwondo school in Australia.
- Jack Rozinsky, 9th dan (JidokwanJidokwanJidokwan is one of the original nine schools of the modern Korean martial arts that became Taekwondo and was founded in what is now South Korea at the end of World War II. Its name translates as "School of Wisdom". The Jidokwan in Korea still exists today. It functions as a social fraternal order...
), founded the Shuto Karate Club in 1963; it later became the Melbourne Taekwondo Centre. As Rozinsky taught tang soo do there, he might be considered the first taekwondo school founder in Australia (again, if tang soo do were recognised as taekwondo retrospectively), and so might lay claim to the title. Rozinsky did not introduce taekwondo outside Victoria.
- Terence Walsh, 8th dan (World Kido Federation), claims to have introduced taekwondo to New South Wales in 1969. If he was the first to introduce taekwondo to Australia's most populous state, then he might lay claim to the title. Walsh did not introduce taekwondo outside the eastern states.
- Young Ku Yun, 8th dan (ITF), has been described as having introduced taekwondo to Sydney in 1971. If he was the first to introduce taekwondo to Australia's largest city, then he might lay claim to the title. Yun arrived around five years after Rhee, however, and himself claimed to be the first ITF instructor (rather than the first taekwondo instructor) in Australia.
Kim would have been in the lower dan ranks, and would not yet have held the title of 'Master,' when he was invited to teach in Australia. Rozinsky and Walsh would have held 1st dan ranking in the 1960s. Both Rhee (KTA) and Yun (ITF) would have been in the middle dan ranks and held the title of 'Master' when they arrived, as they were sent to Australia by their respective Korean governing bodies.
First taekwondo school in Australia
Rhee Taekwon-Do was the first Australian martial art school founded by a Korean master and using the name of taekwondo. Rhee's school was also the first nationwide taekwondo school in Australia, having operated in South Australia from its founding in the mid-1960s, Western Australia from at least 1970, Victoria from at least 1971, the Australian Capital Territory from 1971, Queensland from at least 1973, New South Wales from 1973, and Tasmania from at least 1983. The first Rhee Taekwon-Do class was held in the AdelaideAdelaide
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...
YMCA
YMCA
The Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide organization of more than 45 million members from 125 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs...
centre.
Rhee Taekwon-Do's position as the first taekwondo school in Australia might be challenged by the Melbourne Taekwondo Centre (originally the Shuto Karate Club), as tang soo do was one of the arts taught there. Such status would, however, involve recognising tang soo do as taekwondo retrospectively. It is not clear at what point the Melbourne Taekwondo Centre incorporated taekwondo into its name or began using its current name.
Biggest taekwondo school in Australia
Rhee Taekwon-Do's position as the biggest taekwondo school in Australia is supported by independently-verifiable listings of dojang. It has at least 294 publicly-listed dojang in Australia, with perhaps around 1,400 dojang in total at its peak. The claim might be disputed if the Australian member schools of the ITF and the WTF were considered as 'schools' as a whole, whether in terms of numbers of dojang or numbers of members. Rhee Taekwon-Do is, however, a single school under the direct leadership of Rhee while both the ITF and WTF are groups of schools (each with its own head) under a larger governing body.Ex-Rhee members
At least 25 founders of Australian martial art schools (and at least one in New Zealand) received their foundational taekwondo training in Rhee Taekwon-Do or are former Rhee Taekwon-Do instructors. Of these ex-members, the highest-ranked was a Rhee Taekwon-Do 4th dan instructor when he left Rhee's school.International Taekwon-Do Federation
Ex-members who founded ITF schools include three of the most senior ITF instructors in Australia. Ming Tuck Low, 8th dan, attained the rank of Rhee Taekwon-Do 1st dan in 1971, and was a Rhee Taekwon-Do instructor at the University of Western AustraliaUniversity of Western Australia
The University of Western Australia was established by an Act of the Western Australian Parliament in February 1911, and began teaching students for the first time in 1913. It is the oldest university in the state of Western Australia and the only university in the state to be a member of the...
in 1972. Peter Wong, 7th dan, trained in Rhee Taekwon-Do in Western Australia in the early 1970s. Jamie Moore, 8th dan, commenced Rhee Taekwon-Do training in Queensland in 1976. Several other ex-members have founded ITF schools across Australia.
Other taekwondo styles
Ex-members who founded non-ITF taekwondo schools include three of the more expansionist instructors in Australia. John Ivanov, 7th dan, was a Rhee Taekwon-Do regional instructor in Queensland in 1995. Robert Frost, 6th dan, was a Rhee Taekwon-Do regional instructor in New South Wales in 2003. Lesley Hicks, 6th dan, commenced Rhee Taekwon-Do training in the late 1970s, and was a Rhee Taekwon-Do 3rd dan regional instructor in New South Wales in 2003. Several other ex-members have founded non-ITF taekwondo schools.Other martial arts
Ex-members who founded schools teaching martial arts other than taekwondo include three instructors with an eclectic martial arts history. Hans Fricke, 8th dan, first met Rhee in PerthPerth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
in 1970, was a Rhee Taekwon-Do 2nd dan instructor in Sydney during the 1970s, and now teaches battodo
Battojutsu
is a Japanese term meaning techniques for engaging a sword. It is often used interchangeably with the terms iaijutsu, battōdō, or iaidō, although each term does have nuances in the Japanese language and different schools of Japanese martial arts may use them to differentiate between techniques...
. Christopher Nasilowski, 10th dan, trained in Rhee Taekwon-Do in Adelaide from 1972–1984, was a Rhee Taekwon-Do 2nd dan instructor, and now teaches arnis
Filipino martial arts
Filipino Martial Arts refers to ancient and newer fighting methods devised in the Philippines, the most popular of which are known as Arnis/Eskrima/Kali. The intrinsic need for self-preservation was the genesis of these systems. Throughout the ages, invaders and evolving local conflict imposed new...
and jujitsu
Jujutsu
Jujutsu , also known as jujitsu, ju-jitsu, or Japanese jiu-jitsu, is a Japanese martial art and a method of close combat for defeating an armed and armored opponent in which one uses no weapon, or only a short weapon....
. Graham Healy, 7th dan, trained in Rhee Taekwon-Do in Queensland from 1977–1982, was a Rhee Taekwon-Do 1st dan instructor, and now teaches boxing
Boxing
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...
and taekwondo. Several other ex-members have founded other martial art schools.
Training
Rhee Taekwon-Do teaches the military style of taekwondo, closer to traditional martial art than modern martial sport in nature. Training consists of exercises that may be classified as: basics (group drill exercises; similar to kihonKihon
is a Japanese term meaning "basics" or "fundamentals." The term is used to refer to the basic techniques that are taught and practiced as the foundation of most Japanese martial arts....
in 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,...
), destruction
Breaking (martial arts)
Breaking is a martial arts technique that is used in competition, demonstration and testing. Breaking is an action where a martial artist uses a striking surface to break one or more objects using the skills honed in their art form. The striking surface is usually a hand or a foot, but may also be...
(breaking), hyung (patterns or forms), self-defence
Self-defense
Self-defense, self-defence or private defense is a countermeasure that involves defending oneself, one's property or the well-being of another from physical harm. The use of the right of self-defense as a legal justification for the use of force in times of danger is available in many...
, and sparring
Sparring
Sparring is a form of training common to many martial arts. Although the precise form varies, it is essentially relatively 'free-form' fighting, with enough rules, customs, or agreements to make injuries unlikely...
. Basics, destruction, hyung, and self-defence are similar to equivalent exercises in other traditional martial art schools. Rhee Taekwon-Do teaches the Chang Hon hyung.
Sparring
Sparring
Sparring is a form of training common to many martial arts. Although the precise form varies, it is essentially relatively 'free-form' fighting, with enough rules, customs, or agreements to make injuries unlikely...
takes three forms: three-step sparring, one-step sparring, and free sparring. Three-step sparring and one-step sparring are similar to equivalent exercises in ITF and WTF schools, but free sparring is different, having more in common with traditional karate sparring. Rhee Taekwon-Do free sparring is unscored, unarmoured, and usually 'non-contact' in principle. Members typically achieve non-contact sparring by two methods, whether separately or in combination:
- The attacker consciously stops just short of hitting the training partner, while still executing attacks with full speed and power. The attacker has primary responsibility for non-contact, at a given moment during sparring, and this typically occurs when one training partner has more experience than the other. This is normally the practice when one training partner is a beginner.
- The defender actively avoids or blocks an incoming attack executed by the training partner. The defender has primary responsibility for non-contact, at a given moment during sparring, and this typically occurs with training partners of similar experience. This is normally the practice when both training partners are in the senior ranks.
Ranks
Rhee Taekwon-Do ranks are denoted by coloured belts, which indicate a member's level of experience and responsibility within the school. There are ten coloured belt grades, or kup rankGEUP
GEUP is a commercial interactive geometry software program.It lets you dynamically explore mathematics or build mathematical models of real world.OS: Windows 7/Vista/XP/2003/2000/NT4/Me/98/95-Main features:...
s (급
Hangul
Hangul,Pronounced or ; Korean: 한글 Hangeul/Han'gŭl or 조선글 Chosŏn'gŭl/Joseongeul the Korean alphabet, is the native alphabet of the Korean language. It is a separate script from Hanja, the logographic Chinese characters which are also sometimes used to write Korean...
), and nine black belt
Black belt (martial arts)
In martial arts, the black belt is a way to describe a graduate of a field where a practitioner's level is often marked by the color of the belt. The black belt is commonly the highest belt color used and denotes a degree of competence. It is often associated with a teaching grade though...
degrees, or dan rank
Dan (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...
s (단
Hangul
Hangul,Pronounced or ; Korean: 한글 Hangeul/Han'gŭl or 조선글 Chosŏn'gŭl/Joseongeul the Korean alphabet, is the native alphabet of the Korean language. It is a separate script from Hanja, the logographic Chinese characters which are also sometimes used to write Korean...
). Members start with white belts and progress through yellow, green, blue, brown, and then black.
Non-black belts, from white through to brown, denote the kup ranks. 'Tips' denoting odd-numbered kup ranks are marked by a stripe of the higher colour near the right end (from the wearer's point of view) of a belt of the lower colour. Black belts denote the dan ranks. A specific dan rank is represented by the number of white bars embroidered on the black belt. A black belt with no bars is a Junior Black Belt, a rank assigned to members considered too young (typically 15 years or younger) for 1st dan. One bar denotes 1st dan, two bars denote 2nd dan, and so on. The end of the belt bearing the dan rank also carries embroidery noting the name of the master issuing the promotion (Chong Chul Rhee, Chong Hyup Rhee, or Chong Yoon Rhee).
To attain Rhee Taekwon-Do 1st dan ranking typically takes around four to five years of regular training. Progression through the school's dan ranks is by invitation, and is usually slower than in other taekwondo schools. Invitation appears to be based on a combination of technique and knowledge. Promotion to 2nd dan might come after 10–15 years, in which time someone might have reached 4th dan (ITF) or 5th dan (WTF). Promotion to 3rd dan might come after 20–25 years, in which time someone might have reached 6th dan (ITF) or 7th dan (WTF). Several former Rhee Taekwon-Do instructors who joined other taekwondo organisations received new ranks consistent with these approximations.
External links
- Rhee Taekwondo South Australia contains an interview with C. C. Rhee from c. 1975.
- Rhee Taekwon-Do Melbourne contains several Rhee Taekwon-Do links.
- Rhee Tae Kwon Do Mildura/Sunraysia contains two interviews with C. C. Rhee from 1985 and 1995.
- Rhee Tae Kwon Do Perth contains a video interview with a senior Rhee Taekwon-Do instructor from 2002.