Taekwondo Hall of Fame
Encyclopedia
The Taekwondo Hall of Fame ® (TKDHOF) is an international organization of technical advisors who are themselves members of the World Taekwondo Federation
(WTF), International Taekwon-Do Federation (ITF), and other major taekwondo
entities. The technical advisors are responsible for identifying, recognizing and honoring persons and groups who have significantly contributed to the development, growth, and advancement of taekwondo as a martial art and global sport.
, Canada
, Mexico
, Puerto Rico
, Afghanistan
, Russia
, Ireland
and India
. For example, Senior Master Kavanagh of Ireland was appointed as an advisor (representing Ireand and Spain) at the 2011 Awards Ceremony and Banquet held at KUKKIWON World Taekwondo Headquarters in Seoul, South Korea on August 25th.
Kim Pyung Soo, a 10th-degree
black belt
and founder of the Chayon Ryu style who has been featured in Taekwondo Times magazine and Black Belt magazine
, is the Senior Technical advisor in the United States
. Kim Pyung Soo was inducted into the Hall of Fame and received the "Journalist-Historian of the Year" award.
According to the TKDHOF, "Taekwondo is an art which can be practiced by nearly everyone, designed to improve the human being on various levels".
The first official Taekwondo Hall of Fame® awards ceremony was held on April 6, 2007, in the USA.
2009
The second official Taekwondo Hall of Fame® awards ceremony was held on April 10, 2009, in Teaneck, New Jersey
, USA.
2011
The third official Taekwondo Hall of Fame® awards ceremony was successfully held on August 25, 2011 in Seoul. Korea at KUKKIWON World Taekwondo Headquarters.
was one of the first persons inducted into the Taekwondo Hall of Fame®. He currently teaches in Jersey City, New Jersey
and recently released a book on the subject.
2004 Olympic
silver medalist Nia Abdallah
of Houston, Texas
was the first actively competing female to be inducted.
Allen Steen
, Skipper Mullins
, and Mitchell Bobrow
were inducted to represent the best fighters of the 60's.
Mike Warren, Joseph Hayes, Albert Cheeks, Fred Absher and members of the team that competed at the 1st World Taekwondo Championships held in Korea in 1973 were inducted to represent the period of the 70's.
Several of the most prominent figures in history of taekwondo were also inducted including Nam Tae Hi
, Kim Bok Man, Rhee Ki Ha, Chang Keun Choi
, Cho Sang Min, Young II Kong and the "Pioneer of American taekwondo" Jhoon Goo Rhee
.
Other inductees included Alejandro Chacon Zambada, John Critzos II
, Mounir Ghrawi (Lebanon
), William Sullivan, Ray Nikiel, Dawn Lefebvre, John Holloway, Chuck Stepan, Joe Corley
, Sarah Chung, Darryl Henegan, Arlene Limas
, US Army Sgt
Louis Davis, Laxman Basnet, Ramiro Guzman of Mexico, and Benny Rivera. Benny Rivera's students were also awarded "Puerto Rico Team of the Year". M-Team of California gave a spectacular demonstration earning them the "Demonstration Team of the Year" award. Pradipta Kumar Roy (India)http://sites.google.com/site/pradiptakumarroy, Ruma Roy Chowdhury (India), Senior Traditional Taekwon-Do World Master, Paul Kavanagh (Republic of Ireland) (Inducted into TKD Hall of Fame in 2009) appointed Technical Advisor Ireland and Spain (2011), co-opted onto The Taekwon-Do Hall Of Fame® Organising Committee in Seoul 24th August 2011.
Other nominees for induction included Henk Meijer
(Netherlands
), Amr Khairy (Egypt
), Levent Tuncat and Pinar Budak (Germany
), Brigette Yague (Spain
, Donal O'Donoghue
(Ireland), and Wong Liang Ming (Singapore
)
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), International Taekwon-Do Federation (ITF), and other major 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"...
entities. The technical advisors are responsible for identifying, recognizing and honoring persons and groups who have significantly contributed to the development, growth, and advancement of taekwondo as a martial art and global sport.
Organisation
The Taekwondo[Hall of Fame® headquarters is located in New Jersey, USA, with technical advisory staff located in KoreaKorea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
, Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
and India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. For example, Senior Master Kavanagh of Ireland was appointed as an advisor (representing Ireand and Spain) at the 2011 Awards Ceremony and Banquet held at KUKKIWON World Taekwondo Headquarters in Seoul, South Korea on August 25th.
Kim Pyung Soo, a 10th-degree
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...
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...
and founder of the Chayon Ryu style who has been featured in Taekwondo Times magazine and Black Belt magazine
Black Belt Magazine
Black Belt is an American magazine covering martial arts and combat sports founded in 1961 by Mitoshi Uyehara. During the early years of the publication, Uyehara was a hands-on owner and publisher...
, is the Senior Technical advisor in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Kim Pyung Soo was inducted into the Hall of Fame and received the "Journalist-Historian of the Year" award.
According to the TKDHOF, "Taekwondo is an art which can be practiced by nearly everyone, designed to improve the human being on various levels".
Awards ceremonies
2007The first official Taekwondo Hall of Fame® awards ceremony was held on April 6, 2007, in the USA.
2009
The second official Taekwondo Hall of Fame® awards ceremony was held on April 10, 2009, in Teaneck, New Jersey
Teaneck, New Jersey
Teaneck is a township in Bergen County, New Jersey, and a suburb in the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 39,776, making it the second-most populous among the 70 municipalities in Bergen County....
, USA.
2011
The third official Taekwondo Hall of Fame® awards ceremony was successfully held on August 25, 2011 in Seoul. Korea at KUKKIWON World Taekwondo Headquarters.
Members
Dong Keun ParkDong Keun Park
Park Dong Keun , also known as D. K. Park, is a South Korean master of taekwondo. He holds the title "Grandmaster," the rank of 9th dan in taekwondo, and was undefeated as a taekwondo fighter in more than 200 championship competition...
was one of the first persons inducted into the Taekwondo Hall of Fame®. He currently teaches in Jersey City, New Jersey
Jersey City, New Jersey
Jersey City is the seat of Hudson County, New Jersey, United States.Part of the New York metropolitan area, Jersey City lies between the Hudson River and Upper New York Bay across from Lower Manhattan and the Hackensack River and Newark Bay...
and recently released a book on the subject.
2004 Olympic
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
silver medalist Nia Abdallah
Nia Abdallah
Nia Nicole Abdallah is the 2004 Olympic silver medalist and the first U.S. woman to officially medal in Taekwondo at the Olympics.- Early Life :...
of Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
was the first actively competing female to be inducted.
Allen Steen
Allen Steen
Allen R. Steen is an American martial arts practitioner, teacher, and promoter. He was taught by Jhoon Rhee, the "Father of American Taekwondo", and was the first of Rhee's American students to reach black belt standing. He was inducted into the Taekwondo Hall of Fame in 2007.Steen was a business...
, Skipper Mullins
Skipper Mullins
Lewis Ray "Skipper" Mullins is an American martial arts fighter who has been described as "the greatest kicker in the history of the U.S. karate scene".- Biography :...
, and Mitchell Bobrow
Mitchell Bobrow
Mitchell Bobrow was a champion martial arts fighter trained by Master Ki Whang Kim in the early 1960s and quickly developed as Great Grand Master Kim's first Grand Champion student...
were inducted to represent the best fighters of the 60's.
Mike Warren, Joseph Hayes, Albert Cheeks, Fred Absher and members of the team that competed at the 1st World Taekwondo Championships held in Korea in 1973 were inducted to represent the period of the 70's.
Several of the most prominent figures in history of taekwondo were also inducted including 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,...
, Kim Bok Man, Rhee Ki Ha, 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...
, Cho Sang Min, Young II Kong and the "Pioneer of American taekwondo" Jhoon Goo Rhee
Jhoon Goo Rhee
Rhee Jhoon Goo , commonly known as Jhoon Rhee, is a South Korean master of taekwondo who is widely recognized as the 'Father of American Taekwondo' for introducing this martial art to the United States of America since arriving in the 1950s. Rhee is ranked 10th dan.Rhee was born on January 7, 1932,...
.
Other inductees included Alejandro Chacon Zambada, John Critzos II
John Critzos II
John Critzos II is an American martial arts fighter, champion, and instructor who teaches martial arts at the United States Naval Academy. He is also a practicing personal injury lawyer.-Biography:...
, Mounir Ghrawi (Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
), William Sullivan, Ray Nikiel, Dawn Lefebvre, John Holloway, Chuck Stepan, Joe Corley
Joe Corley
Joe Corley is an American karate and kickboxing competitor, instructor, broadcaster and promoter who was instrumental in the success of the Professional Karate Association and the early establishment of professional kickboxing in the United States....
, Sarah Chung, Darryl Henegan, Arlene Limas
Arlene Limas
Arlene Limas is an American taekwondo practitioner and multiple international gold medalist. Limas, who is of Mexican and Polish descent, graduated with honors from Whitney Young Magnet High School in Chicago and received a degree in Political Science from De Paul University.Limas made history when...
, US Army Sgt
Sergeant
Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent....
Louis Davis, Laxman Basnet, Ramiro Guzman of Mexico, and Benny Rivera. Benny Rivera's students were also awarded "Puerto Rico Team of the Year". M-Team of California gave a spectacular demonstration earning them the "Demonstration Team of the Year" award. Pradipta Kumar Roy (India)http://sites.google.com/site/pradiptakumarroy, Ruma Roy Chowdhury (India), Senior Traditional Taekwon-Do World Master, Paul Kavanagh (Republic of Ireland) (Inducted into TKD Hall of Fame in 2009) appointed Technical Advisor Ireland and Spain (2011), co-opted onto The Taekwon-Do Hall Of Fame® Organising Committee in Seoul 24th August 2011.
Other nominees for induction included Henk Meijer
Henk Meijer
Henk Meijer is a Dutch taekwondo coach and former Olympic taekwondo competitor. He was the men's heavyweight champion at the 7th World Taekwondo Championships in 1985, becoming the first non-Korean to win a world title in taekwondo in South Korea...
(Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
), Amr Khairy (Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
), Levent Tuncat and Pinar Budak (Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
), Brigette Yague (Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, Donal O'Donoghue
Donal O'Donoghue
Donal J. O'Donoghue was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician. A teacher by profession, he was first elected as a Fianna Fáil Teachta Dála at the 1944 by-election for the Kerry South constituency. The by-election was caused by the appointment of Fionán Lynch as a Judge. He was defeated at the 1948...
(Ireland), and Wong Liang Ming (Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
)
See also
- Korean martial artsKorean martial artsKorean 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...
- International Taekwon-Do Federation
- List of taekwondo grandmasters