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George Spiro Thanos is a martial artist champion. Thanos was born in Bethesda, Maryland, in 1952. He began his martial arts training at the Kim Studio in Silver Spring, Maryland in 1965 at the age of 13. [1]
The world-renowned martial arts instructor Ki Whang Kim trained Thanos in Aikido, Yoshinkai style, and Taekwondo. In 1966 Thanos received his black belt in Moo Duk Kwan Tang Soo Do. Thanos dominated the Junior Division between 1963 and 1966. Here are a few of his significant titles
In 1968 at the age of 16, Thanos stepped up to the Senior Division. A partial but instructive list of his titles includes:
Following his extensive competition and training experience, starting in 1975, Thanos ran and taught at the Tae Kwan Do Moo Duk Kwan of America, Inc. in association with the Kim Studio of Karate in Myrtle Beach, SC. In the course of the 1970s, the Karate Illustrated Magazine dubbed Thanos as the "gray Ghost" in response to Thanos's fair complexion, swift footwork and ghost-like speed in competitions he had participated. [9] Among the most recurring contenders against whom Thanos competed are Louis Delgado, Joe Hayes, Albert Cheeks, Gerald Robbins, Flenn Evans, Wayne VanBuren, Jacquet Bazemore, Alan Miller, Carl Beaman, Adolpho Velasco and Joe Lewis. [10] At age 23, Thanos was the Grand Champion at the All American Open Championships at Madison Square Garden in 1975. This was the same title that the Karate legend Chuck Norris had won in 1967 and again in 1968. Thanos's long term close friend and trainer partner, Mitchell Bobrow, as a matter of fact, beat Norris in an exhibition fight. During this time, Thanos was inducted into the Professional Karate Association as part of the original crew of 50 exceptional martial artists of the realm. Following his induction into the PKA, Thanos held the world rating in the Light Heavyweight Division. In 1976, Traditional Tae Kwon Do Magazine awarded Thanos the world rating in the Light Heavyweight Division. [11]
Having taken over his family business of dry-cleaning and laundry in Washington, D.C., Thanos retired from Professional Karate Association and competing in professional fighting circuits in early 1980s. Though his decision to retire from martial arts remained final, his studies in the field continued as well his active participation in the training of the younger generations of martial artists. [12]
At the Great Falls Bukokan, Thanos started his studies in Kenjusu, the art of wielding the Japanese sword in 1991. Master Ki Whang Kim awarded Thanos a 7th degree Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do in 1992. In the course of his pursuit of Kenjusu studies, Thanos received a Kyosei (Black Belt) from Sensei Fredirick Lovert. In 1998, Thanos opened a dojo (training studio) in Rockville, MD which specialized in Tae Kwon Do, Kenjusu and Aikido. At the Living Legends Award Ceremony in Washington, D.C. in 1999, Thanos received a special award and the recognition from Robert E. Everhart. [13] Thanos and Mitchell Bobrow, both of whom started their martial arts careers at the studio of legendary trainer Master Ki Whang Kim, are the only two students of Kim to be awarded the highest ranked of 7th degree Black Belt by the Grand Master Kim. In 2009, Thanos was inducted into the Tae Kwan Do Hall of Fame and celebrated for his "reliance on not any one style of attack in his arsenal but an array of sweeps, punches, round and back kicks while integrating them into a continuous fury." [14]
Taekwondo, also spelled tae kwon do or taekwon-do, is a Korean martial art and combat sport involving punching and kicking techniques. The literal translation for taekwondo is "kicking", "punching", and "the art or way of". It sometimes involves the use of weapons.
Tang Soo Do is a Korean martial art based on karate and may include fighting principles from taekkyeon, subak, as well as northern Chinese martial arts. From its beginnings in 1944 to today, Tang Soo Do is used by some Kwans to identify the traditional Korean fusion of martial arts styles. In the mid 1950s, Tang Soo Do became the basis for the martial art Taekwondo when the Korean Nine Kwans united.
Rhee Taekwon-Do, also known as Rhee Tae Kwon-Do, Rhee Tae Kwon Do, or Rhee Taekwondo,[a] is a martial art school in Australia[b] teaching the Korean martial art of taekwondo. Its full name is "Rhee International Taekwon-Do (Australia)". Chong Chul Rhee, one of the original masters of taekwondo, founded the school in the mid-1960s. Two of Rhee's brothers, Chong Hyup Rhee and Chong Yoon Rhee, later came to assist him in the 1970s.
The Korean terms hyeong, pumsae, poomsae and teul are all used to refer to martial arts forms that are typically used in Korean martial arts such as Taekwondo and Tang Soo Do.
Chung Do Kwan, created by Won Kuk Lee in 1944, is one of the first of nine schools or kwan teaching Tang Soo Do. Later, the school began to teach what came to be known as taekwondo. This style of Tang Soo Do is known for its overall power and emphasis on kicks to the head.
Jeff Smith is an American martial arts instructor, best known as the former seven-time PKA World Light Heavy Weight Karate Champion. One of his title defense matches was on the undercard for the Ali vs. Frazier "Thrilla in Manila."
Rhee Jhoon-goo, commonly known as Jhoon Rhee, was a Korean-American taekwondo partitioner. He is widely recognized as the "father of American taekwondo" for introducing this martial art to the U.S. after arriving there in the 1950s. He was a 10th dan black belt and held the title of Grandmaster.
When Taekwondo Strikes is a 1973 Hong Kong martial arts film directed and written by Feng Huang, and produced by Raymond Chow. The film is known for the collective martial arts experience of its cast and the high-quality fight choreography. The film stars an international cast of martial arts film actors, including Angela Mao, Jhoon Rhee, Anne Winton, Wong In Sik, Carter Wong, Kenji Kazama, Sammo Hung, Biao Yuen, and Golden Harvest producer Andre Morgan. This was Jhoon Rhee's only film, and Anne Winton's debut film.
The original masters of taekwondo is a group of twelve South Korean martial art masters assembled by the Korea Taekwondo Association (KTA) in the early 1960s to promote the newly established art of taekwondo. In alphabetical order following Korean naming conventions, they are: Choi Chang-keun, Choi Kwang-jo, Han Cha-kyo, Kim Jong-chan, Kim Kwan-il, Kong Young-il, Park Jong-soo, Park Jung-tae, Park Sun-jae, Rhee Chong-chul, Rhee Chong-hyup, and Rhee Ki-ha.
Mitchell Bobrow is a former martial arts fighter who was trained by Ki Whang Kim in the early 1960s. Bobrow was known for his continuous attacks using a unique combination of kicks, punches, and sweeps including his Trademark Jump Back Kick that scored on his opponents with either leg.
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.
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.
Kim Pyung-soo, also known as Kim Soo, is a South Korean taekwondo practitioner.
Kim Ki-whang, also known in the United States as Ki-whang Kim, was a Korean martial arts grandmaster. He was chairman in the US of the Tang Soo Do Moo Duk Kwan Association and chairman of the US Olympic Taekwondo team in 1988. He helped unify several Korean martial arts into the overall style of taekwondo.
Sihak Henry Cho, was a Korean taekwondo pioneer and instructor with the ranking of 9th dan who is recognized as one of the first people to introduce Asian martial arts into the United States of America. He was the student of Yun Kwei-byung. S. Henry Cho was originally a teacher of Kong Soo Do.
Son Duk-sung was a martial artist, Grand Master, 9th degree black belt, co-founder of the Korean martial art of Tae Kwon Do, successor of Lee Won-kuk and leader of the Chung Do Kwan school (1950–1959). He was also the chief Instructor of the South Korean Army and the Eighth U.S. Army, founder and president of the World Tae Kwon Do Association and author of the books "Korean Karate, the Art of Tae Kwon Do” and “Black Belt Korean Karate ".
Lee Won-kuk was a South Korean martial artist, who founded Chung Do Kwan. He introduced karate to Korea in 1944, creating his own style known as Tang Soo Do Chung Do Kwan style, which became Taekwondo as of 1955; instilling a profound influence in this martial art through teaching future masters and authoring the book “Tae Kwon Do handbook“ in 1968.
Sun-hwan Chung, also known as James Sun-hwan Chung, is one of the highest-ranking Tang Soo Do, Hapkido, and taekwondo grandmasters in the world. He is founder of the Moo Sool Do form of martial arts and is president of the World Academy of Martial Arts, LLC.
Karate was first introduced to American service men after World War II by Japanese and Okinawan karate masters.
