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GRAND MASTER CHOI CHANG KEUN (C.K. CHOI)
Tae Kwon Do History
1956 Began training in Tae Kwon Do and Karate.
1958 Trained under Master [Major] Woo Jong Lim, Director of Tae Kwon Do for the Korean 1st Army.
1960 Master Woo Jong Lim created Tae Kwon Do Championships, the first ever held in Korea in Tae Kwon Do history. Won the 1st Tae Kwon Do [Oh Do Kwan] Championship in Pattern and Sparring in Won Ju, Kang Won Do, Korea
1961 Taught Tae Kwon Do at the largest Korean Army Recruiting Training Center under Lieutenant Colonel Woo Jong Lim and General Choi Hong Hi.
Assisted General Choi in creating Gae-Baek Pattern
1963 Won First Korean Tae Soo Do (Tae Kwon Do, Tang Soo Do and Kong Soo Do) Full Contact Heavy-Weight Championship in the 3rd/4th/5th/ Degree Black Belt Division in February. The Korean Tae Kwon Do Association was called the Korean Tae Soo Do Association from 1962 to 1965 because the heads of Tang Soo Do and Kong Soo Do [Korean Karate] did not want to use the “Tae Kwon Do” name. This was the first Mixed Martial arts Championship ever held in Korea.
Selected as one of the ten First Korean Army Representative Team members
Won Korean Tae Soo Do representative Heavy-weight Championship in June
Was the first Professional Tae Kwon Do Instructor recognized by the Korean government.
1964 Invited by Malaysian Tae Kwon Do Association to teach Tae Kwon Do in Penang, Malaysia.
1966 International Tae Kwon Do Federation (ITF) was formed and received No. 5 Recognition Plaque as a founding member and instructor.
1970 Opened the first Tae Kwon Do School in Vancouver, Canada.
1973 Selected as one of four ITF Demonstration Team Members to tour 13 countries around the world.
Was the Chairman of the Umpire Committee of ITF
1978 Selected as one of four ITF Demonstration Team members to tour Sweden, Poland, Yugoslavia and Hungary.
1979 Selected as one of ITF Demonstration Team members to tour Argentina.
1980 Designed the ITF Uniform Logo.
Advised Gen. Choi not to take ITF Tae Kwon Do Demonstration Team to North Korea
1981 Promoted to 8th Degree Black Belt by General Choi.
Attended the 1st South Pacific Tae Kwon Do Championships in Australia with General Choi
During this trip, Master Choi advised General Choi to resign from his position as ITF President and remain as Founder of Tae Kwon Do. This was because of General Choi's personal ties with North Korea and his insistence on taking the ITF Demonstration Team to North Korea without the support of the majority of the ITF Masters. At this junction, South Korea had no diplomatic ties with North Korea.
Elected as one of two ITF Representatives to hold talks with the World Tae Kwon Do Federation [WTF] in an attempt explore the possibility of a merger between the ITF and WTF. Met with Mr. Kim Un Yong (President of the Korean Tae Kwon Do Association, Kuk Ki Won and World Tae Kwon Do Federation) and his representatives but no agreement could be reached.
1980’s-1990’s
Taught Tae Kwon Do and gave assistance to Tae Kwon Do practitioners through teaching and promotional tests
Created practical sparring patterns.
2002 After General Choi's death, Grand Masters: Nam Tae Hi, Kim Jong Chan, Kong Young II, Park Jong Soo, Rhee Ki Ha, Yang Woo Yup, Lee Yu Sun, Choi Chang Keun and others began discussions to unify Tae Kwon Do.
- Wrote Dateline Tae Kwon Do history.
- Currently gives instruction, promotional tests, seminars and other assistance to Tae Kwon Do practioners Teaches Tae Kwon Do based on his own experience with training, teaching, competition and street self-defense.
GM CK Choi believes that Tae Kwon Do practioners must train both the mind and the body to achieve the highest levels of physical fitness and mental discipline. This will uncover the ultimate person within.
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