Chung Do Kwan

Uhm Woon Kyu was the fourth Chung Do Kwan Kwan Jang, after Lee Won Kuk, YOO Ung Jun and Duk Sung Son. 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 was one of the most important Taekwondo figures in Korea, and one of the most important in the history of the Chung Do Kwan.

Woon Kyu Uhm passed away on June 10, 2017.

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.[6] However his name is rarely 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.

Before his death, Lee Won Kuk promoted 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 89 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, Kang was inducted into the Tae Kwon Do Hall of Fame.

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 Chung decided to bring his expertise to the Kansas City, Missouri in the United States. During Chung's time in Tokyo as well as in Kansas City he would regularly receive visits from his old instructor, Won Kuk Lee. It was during one of these visits in 1984 that Chung received the rank of 9th Dan. In 1988 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. Chung died on November 11, 2006, in his home in Fountain Valley, California.

Jhoon Rhee was a graduate of the Chung Do Kwan.[7] Thus, Chung Do Kwan is often associated with what Rhee originally taught Americans. Rhee introduced Americans to the Oh Do Kwan Hyungs called Chang Hon, which were developed by Choi Hong Hi, Nam Tae Hi, Han Cha Kyo, Kong Young Il, Choi Chang Keun, Kim Bok Man and Park Jung Tae[8] 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.

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. When Korea, first became a republic, the first President Park Chung Hee ordered 6 of the top martial arts to send their best fighter to be his bodyguard. Grandmaster Park was selected to represent Taekwondo. He was the presidential bodyguard for a long time and stayed at the Blue House (equivalent of the White House as blue is the royal colour of Korea). He is the President of the World Chung Do Kwan Association. This is the oldest school of Taekwondo, which started in 1944 before the official naming of the art. Currently, although Park has retired, he now travels all over the world updating Taekwondo standards. Pak Hae Man has many notable students amongst them, Grandmaster Edward B. Sell, the first non-Korean 9th dan,[9] Grandmaster Brenda J. Sell, the 1st female Chung Do Kwan 9th Dan and 1st 9th Dan American-born Kukkiwon holder,[10][11] (Frank Massar) of Massar Taekwondo and (Sheamus O'Neill) of World Taekwondo Association, and Grandmaster Manny Sosa President/Founder of the Victory Taekwondo Chung Do Kwan Association. Among others promoted to senior rank by Grandmaster Park Hae Man are Grandmaster Mark Iles (9th Dan) and Grandmaster Andy Davies (9th Dan) of UK Chung Do Kwan and GM Aristides Montalvo Santiago(9th Dan ) from Puerto Rico.

Choi joined the Chung Do Kwan in 1958. He has trained with teachers such as Won Kuk Lee, Duk Sung Son, Yong Taek Chung, and Tae Hi Nam. Choi has won 12 gold medals in regional, national, and international contest. Trained in Taekwondo, Kung-Fu, Kumdo, and Yudo. He became a presidential bodyguard in 1970-1973 also he has taught troops in South Korea and China. In 1976 Choi was invited to the United States by Master Chung, Nak Young. In July 2004 Grandmaster Choi was tested for his 9th Degree Black Belt by Grandmaster Cho and Master Park, Hae Man. This degree was granted by Grandmaster Uhm, Woon Kyu, Head of Kukkiwon Institute and Chung Do Kwan. Grandmaster Choi is the President of T.T.C.A (Traditional Taekwondo Chung Do Kwan Association) which he founded on Jan. 1 1996.

Hyun Ok Shin - United Chung Do Kwan Association

Hae Man Park - Current President of Taekwondo Chung Do Kwan

Kyu Seok Lee - Senior VP Asian Tae Kwon Do Union