List of taekwondo grandmasters

List of taekwondo grandmasters includes notable persons who have been recognised as grandmasters of the Korean martial art of taekwondo. There is no single, universally-recognised set of criteria to define a taekwondo grandmaster; different organisations and different styles have their own rules. The persons listed below are grouped by system: Kukkiwon (widely known as the World Taekwondo Federation or WTF system), International Taekwon-Do Federation (ITF), and other systems (which includes some persons receiving ranks from taekwondo organisations that predate the other two systems, e.g., the original Korea Taekwondo Association).

Contents

Kukkiwon (World Taekwondo Federation)

This list includes persons who: (1) are ranked at least 9th dan by Kukkiwon (the highest rank normally awarded to living persons within that system); (2) are notable as individuals; and (3) are notable for their contribution to taekwondo.

Name Rank Life Residence Prominence References
Ahn, Kyongwon 9th dan 1937– United States of America Founded United Taekwondo Association; former President of the United States Taekwondo Union See main article
Choi, Tae-hong 9th dan 1935–2009 United States of America Founded first taekwondo school in Oregon, USA; former Vice-President of the United States Taekwondo Union See main article
Kim, Ki Whang 10th dan 1920–1993 United States of America Promoted to 10th dan by the KTA; Chairman of the US Olympic Taekwondo team See main article
Lee, Chong Soo 9th dan 1938– Canada Father of Canadian taekwondo [1]
Lee, Hyeon Kon 9th dan c. 1947– United States of America Chairman of Board of Education of Kukkiwon; former Vice Chairman of Education of the WTF; author of taekwondo textbook [2][3][4]
Mayes, Myong Sok Namkung 9th dan c. 1954– United States of America Highest-ranked woman in taekwondo [5][6][7]
Paik, Sang Kee 9th dan 1929–2009 United States of America Early student of B. I. Yoon and K. W. Kim; created Sa-Sang Kwan system See main article
Park, Dong Keun 9th dan c. 1945– United States of America Father of Thai taekwondo; Head Coach of US Olympic taekwondo team in 1988 and 1992 See main article
Park, Sun Jae 9th dan c. 1940– Italy Father of Italian taekwondo; Vice President (Italy) of the WTF; one of the KTA's 12 original masters [8][9][10][11]

International Taekwon-Do Federation

This list includes persons who: (1) are ranked 9th dan by the ITF (and thus officially recognised as 'Grand Masters' within that system);[12] (2) are notable as individuals; and (3) are notable for their contribution to taekwondo.

Name Rank Life Residence Prominence References
Choi, Chang Keun 9th dan c. 1940– Canada Leading campaign to reunite the ITF; one of the KTA's 12 original masters See main article
Choi, Hong Hi 9th dan 1918–2002 Canada Played major role in establishing taekwondo; inaugural President of the KTA; founded the ITF; co-led the KTA's 12 original masters See main article
Choi, Jung Hwa 9th dan 1954– United Kingdom President of one of the three ITF organisations; son of H. H. Choi; involvement in Korean political controversy [13][14][15]
Howard, Robert 9th dan c. 1938- Ireland President of the Republic of Ireland Taekwon-Do Association; helped establish taekwondo in Ireland; first European man promoted to 9th dan [16][17][18][19]
Kong, Young Il 9th dan 1943– United States of America One of the few promoted to 9th dan by H. H. Choi; one of the KTA's 12 original masters See main article
Nam, Tae Hi 9th dan 1929– United States of America Father of Vietnamese taekwondo; pivotal performance in martial arts demonstration 1954; co-led the KTA's 12 original masters See main article
Dang, Huy Duc 9th dan 1944– United States of America Director of Martial Arts Training Center, South Vietnam National Police Force Headquarters; one of the few promoted to 9th dan by H. H. Choi [20][21][22]
Nguyen, Van Binh 9th dan 1936– United States of America Chairman of ITF Masters Promotion Committee; President of ITF-USA; pioneer of taekwondo in Vietnam [23][24][25]
Park, Jong Soo 9th dan 1941– Canada One of the KTA's 12 original masters See main article
Rhee, Ki Ha 9th dan 1938– United Kingdom Father of British and Irish taekwondo; one of the few promoted to 9th dan by H. H. Choi; one of the KTA's 12 original masters See main article
Sereff, Charles 9th dan 1933– United States of America One of the few promoted to 9th dan by H. H. Choi; founded the United States Taekwon-Do Federation [26][27][28]
Tran, Trieu Quan 9th dan 1952–2010 Canada President of one of the three ITF organisations from 2003 to 2010 See main article
Trajtenberg, Pablo 9th dan c. 1955– Argentina President of one of the three ITF organisations after T. Q. Tran's death in 2010 [29][30][31][32]

Other taekwondo systems

This list includes persons who: (1) have been widely-recognised masters for at least 30 years; (2) are notable as individuals; and (3) are notable for their contribution to taekwondo.

Name Rank Life Residence Prominence References
Ahn, Eung Choon 9th dan 1941– United States of America Founded Hae San Martial Arts Association [33][34][35][36]
Cho, Hee Il 9th dan 1940– United States of America Founded Action International Martial Arts Association; wrote several taekwondo books See main article
Cho, Sihak Henry 9th dan 1934– United States of America Pioneer of taekwondo in the United States of America; wrote several books; contributed karate article in World Book Encyclopedia (1976) See main article
Choi, Kwang Jo 9th dan 1942– United States of America Founded Choi Kwang-Do; one of the KTA's 12 original masters See main article
Han, Cha Kyo 9th dan 1934–1996 United States of America One of the KTA's 12 original masters See main article
Hwang, Kwang Sung 9th dan c. 1942– United States of America One of the few promoted to 9th dan by H. H. Choi [28][37]
Park, Jung Tae 9th dan c. 1943–2002 Canada One of the KTA's 12 original masters See main article
Rhee, Chong Chul 8th dan c. 1935– Australia Father of Australian taekwondo; founded Rhee Taekwon-Do; one of the KTA's 12 original masters See main article
Rhee, Jhoon Goo 10th dan 1932– United States of America Father of American taekwondo See main article
Yates, Keith D. 10th dan 1950– United States of America Founded Nam Seo Kwan Tae Kwon Do; author of several martial arts books. See main article

See also

References

  1. ^ Chong Lee Taekwondo: Grand Master Chong Lee (2010). Retrieved on 24 December 2010.
  2. ^ Grandmaster H. K. Lee Tae Kwon Do: Grandmaster H. K. Lee (c. 2004). Retrieved on 1 June 2009.
  3. ^ Richmond Sunlight: House Resolution no. 503 (Virginia General Assembly, 10 May 2006). Retrieved on 24 February 2010.
  4. ^ DiCicco, M. (2009): Following Tae Kwon Do to its origins: Members of area studio return from expo in Korea with medals, memories, fighting skills Connection Newspapers (26 August 2009). Retrieved on 20 March 2010.
  5. ^ Amadio, K. (c. 2008): Tae Kwon Do belt system Retrieved on 22 April 2009.
  6. ^ US Taekwondo Center: Grand Master Myong Sok Namkung Mayes (c. 2008). Retrieved on 22 April 2009.
  7. ^ USA Taekwondo: Life Members & Application (2009). Retrieved on 20 March 2010.
  8. ^ Hawkins, P. (2004): An interview with Grandmaster Lee Yoo Sun Totally Tae Kwon Do, 5:9–15.
  9. ^ Lee, K.-M. (2000): Taekwondo on the world stage Koreana: A quarterly on Korean art and culture, 14(4):20–23. Retrieved on 18 January 2010.
  10. ^ Fumarola, M. (c. 1998): Taekwondo Magazine: Il Taekwondo in Italia (Italian). Retrieved on 18 January 2010.
  11. ^ Kang, S.-W. (2009): Choue re-elected as WTF head The Korea Times (14 October 2009). Retrieved on 20 May 2010.
  12. ^ Choi, H. H. (1993): Taekwon-Do: The Korean art of self-defence, 3rd ed. (Vol. 1, p. 122). Mississauga: International Taekwon-Do Federation.
  13. ^ Blue Cottage Taekwon-Do: Grandmaster Choi Jung Hwa Retrieved on 23 February 2010.
  14. ^ Chait, L. (2008): President Choi Jung Hwa (9 January 2008). Retrieved on 24 February 2010.
  15. ^ BBC News: N Korea 'hired taekwondo killers' (9 September 2008). Retrieved on 24 February 2010.
  16. ^ http://www.masterhoward.com/index.php/history/the-history-of-grandmaster-robert-j-howard.html
  17. ^ http://www.masterhoward.com/index.php/news/media.html
  18. ^ http://www.thejournal.ie/72-year-old-dubliner-promoted-to-taekwon-do-grandmaster-232375-Sep2011/
  19. ^ http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2011/0920/breaking56.html
  20. ^ Duc Dang Martial Arts: Grandmaster Dang Huy Duc Retrieved on 2 August 2011.
  21. ^ Blue Cottage Taekwon-Do: IX Black Belt Directory Retrieved on 23 February 2010.
  22. ^ Anslow, S. (2010): Totally TKD Q & A Totally Tae Kwon Do, 11:13–14.
  23. ^ Taekwon-Do Center: Grandmaster Van Binh Nguyen, IXth Degree Retrieved on 5 March 2010.
  24. ^ Van Binh Self Defense Academy: History Retrieved on 5 March 2010.
  25. ^ International Taekwon-Do Federation USA: Board of Directors Retrieved on 5 March 2010.
  26. ^ World Black Belt: Charles Sereff (c. 2005). Retrieved on 22 April 2009.
  27. ^ United States Taekwon-Do Federation: Organization Retrieved on 23 February 2010.
  28. ^ a b Nowling, D. G. (2008): Hwang, Kwang-Sung (2 June 2008). Retrieved on 24 February 2010.
  29. ^ Loboda, T., & Jedut, J. (2004): Interview with ITF Vice-President Senior Master Pablo Trajtenberg (24 October 2004). Retrieved on 24 February 2010.
  30. ^ Kingdom Schools of Taekwon-Do: Adrian O'Mahoney (c. 2009). Retrieved on 23 February 2010.
  31. ^ International Taekwon-Do Federation: Board of Directors (c. 2009). Retrieved on 23 February 2010.
  32. ^ International Taekwon-Do Federation: Grand Master Tran update (31 January 2010). Retrieved on 19 February 2010.
  33. ^ Hae San Martial Arts: Grandmaster E. C. Ahn (c. 2004). Retrieved on 26 May 2010.
  34. ^ Warner Robins Karate Academy: Grandmaster E. C. Ahn (c. 2004). Retrieved on 26 May 2010.
  35. ^ Jun Tong Taekwon-do Federation: Grandmaster Eung Choon Ahn (c. 2009). Retrieved on 26 May 2010.
  36. ^ Byron Karate Academy: Grandmaster E. C. Ahn (c. 2010). Retrieved on 26 May 2010.
  37. ^ United International Taekwon-Do Federation: Grandmaster Hwang, Kwang Sung (c. 2005). Retrieved on 24 February 2010.