Bless youtube.

Now you young whippersnappers can get a look at the guys who built the road you walk on.

Here's Hee Il Cho in action;


Still teaching aged 67

Hand conditioning in his 50's


Park Jung Tae

Rhee Ki Ha

General Choi

Thanks Mule, I enjoyed that.
Not too sure about the dodgy pink Doboks though....

Mule shed some light - I want to learn more about past tkd masters.

Tell us more....

PeteMills wrote:
Mule shed some light - I want to learn more about past tkd masters.

Tell us more....
Oh I wouldn't dare.
Hopefully you'll be picking up some old school KMA members at some point and there may be some of the silver haired members here already who can tell you plenty.

TKD get's a lot of flak on MA forums, but if those bad mouthing had any idea of what it's top exponents were capable of they'd have some cover story prepared no doubt.

Something I'd quite like to find out about are the masters who came prior to General Choi et al - pre Second World War (and the Japanese occupation in the early part of the twentieth century).

Obviously that wouldn't be TKD but there must have been some Teak-yon (however its spelt!) masters. Also, how did they keep their Korean martial arts alive despite the Japanese occupation?

Hee Il Cho was the figurehead of the TAGB when I was younger. He came over to do the black belt gradings. He was then briefly the figurehead of the GTI when it split from the TAGB. From what I've been told, he isn't very known in his native Korea. I also understand that he was invited to take part in the first UFC, but declined.

As for General Choi, is there any more controversial figure in TKD? I've read so many different stories about what he did and didn't do written by followers and detractors. I think this obituary is quite impartial and it also gives a view on the replacement of kodang with juche.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/2002/aug/09/guardianobituaries.northkorea

SteveBruce wrote:
Hee Il Cho was the figurehead of the TAGB when I was younger. He came over to do the black belt gradings. He was then briefly the figurehead of the GTI when it split from the TAGB.
Hmm, Kim Stones ring a bell Steve?
I fought some of his guys at the TAGB scottish nationals in 93'

mule wrote:
SteveBruce wrote:
Hee Il Cho was the figurehead of the TAGB when I was younger. He came over to do the black belt gradings. He was then briefly the figurehead of the GTI when it split from the TAGB.
Hmm, Kim Stones ring a bell Steve?
I fought some of his guys at the TAGB scottish nationals in 93'

Yes, I know Kim Stones and trained with him on several occasions. He examined me for my 1st and 2nd dan gradings and our TKD class used to be run by him many moons ago (and before I joined). Unfortunately he isn't actively involved in martial arts anymore and it's a few years since I've seen him.

Trying to think of some of the guys who I know that might have been around in '93 from the Leeds or Doncaster clubs. Stuart Wilks, Paul Smith, Eddie McManus, Andy Murray and Steve Derrig possibly.

I've spoken to Andy Murray online.

Sad to hear Kim has given up.
I used to pass his place in Doncaster regular.

SteveBruce wrote:
As for General Choi, is there any more controversial figure in TKD? I've read so many different stories about what he did and didn't do written by followers and detractors. I think this obituary is quite impartial and it also gives a view on the replacement of kodang with juche.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/2002/aug/09/guardianobituaries.northkorea

Nice obituary. I think some of the facts are a little skewed though. From what I know, Choi was the head of the Korean Taekwondo Association which was made up of the Kwans that had come together to formalized TKD. When he left, he formed the ITF, and the KTA became what we know today as the WTF. Also, the credit they give for TKD in the Olympics is kind of dubious. I guess you could give thanks to all of the heads of the original Kwans for where TKD is today, but it is the WTF that turned TKD into an Olympic sport (for better or worse).

I guess you could give thanks to all of the heads of the original Kwans for where TKD is today, but it is the WTF that turned TKD into an Olympic sport (for better or worse).Early TKD was clearly a derivative of Shotokan karate. Of course they have made efforts to distance themselves from that Japanese 'heritage', with the emphasis on high kicks, etc. from Tae Kyon. Who can blame them? The Japs were pretty rough on the Koreans during the occupation and WW2.

It is a shame that so many Koreans claim NO lineage whatsoever from the Japanese styles, since clearly TKD came originally from Japanese Shotokan, and Hapkido from Japanese Daito-Ryu Aiki-jutsu.

I think eventually WTF TKD will go the way of Judo, becoming nothing more than a sport, a shadow of the great martial art it once was. I discourage my students from participating in Olympic-style TKD, since it has had all of the street-effective techniques removed from it (well, most of them, anyway). Some of them do it anyway, but they have to 'train away' all of their useful street reflexes.

I think eventually WTF TKD will go the way of Judo, becoming nothing more than a sport, a shadow of the great martial art it once was. I discourage my students from participating in Olympic-style TKD, since it has had all of the street-effective techniques removed from it (well, most of them, anyway). Some of them do it anyway, but they have to 'train away' all of their useful street reflexes.


I dont know Quick Sabre I feel your been a bit unfair there! I watched the Olympics today and one of our guys narrowly lost out to a chinese fighter for Bronze (after losing to the Italian who beat Steve Lopez)..... I mean I come from an ITF background and sometimes ive got frustrated with watching WTF comps - but that fight had agression, speed, agility and above all else devasting techniques!

But i do agree with your comments with Japanese heritage but hey, what nationalist Korean is going to say this is my style and it derives from Japanese martial art. Not many QS.