| Kwang Sung Hwang | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 13 September 1942 Taegu, Korea |
| Style | Taekwon-Do |
| Teacher(s) | Choi Hong-hi |
| Rank | 9th dan Taekwon-Do (ITF) |
Hwang Kwang-sung (born 13 September 1942) [1] is a South Korean grand master of Taekwon-Do, a notable officer of the International Taekwon-Do Federation (ITF), only president of KoreAmerica Taekwon-Do Union (KATU), founder and president of Unified International Taekwon-Do Federation.
Hwang Kwang-sung was born in Taegu, Korea, in 1942. He started martial arts training at age eleven. After studying political science at Kyungpook National University, he attended the Infantry Officer Candidate School in the Republic of Korea Army (ROKA) and graduated as a Second Lieutenant. Subsequently, he attended the ROK Army Taekwon-Do International Instructors School. In 1968–1969, he was one of the Taekwon-Do instructors dispatched to Vietnam during the war. [2] While in Vietnam, as a Captain in the ROK Army, he taught Taekwon-Do to the Korean Tiger Division, the Korean Army, US Army, US Marines, and Vietnamese Army. While in Vietnam, he received commendation medals from Korea and Vietnam. In 1970 Grand Master Hwang retired from the ROK Army as a Captain, and Service Company Commander of the 26th Infantry Division which was also known as the Taekwon-Do Division. . [3] [4] [5]
Leaving his military career, Hwang was invited to the US and first taught a credited course at Manchester Community Technical College in 1971. He opened his first Taekwon-Do school the following year. [5] In 1974, Hwang graduated from the first International Taekwon-Do Federation (ITF) Instructors Course and Umpires Course hosted and taught by General Choi Hong-hi in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. [6] [7] Hwang took students to train at General Choi's home in the early-mid 70's. [8] In October 1976, he hosted General Choi Cup tournament. [9] He subsequently started taking private lessons from General Choi in the 1980s after being promoted to seventh degree Master in Taekwon-Do. He led the U.S. Team at the 8th ITF World Championships in Pyongyang at North Korea's Taekwon-Do Palace. [10] He assisted General Choi in many seminars worldwide. [1] [4] [5]
Hwang simultaneously served as special assistant to General Choi, official spokesman of the ITF, chairman of the ITF promotion and merger committees, and Secretary General of the ITF. [1] [4] [11] [12] 1997 was a monumental year for ITF and General Choi as he promoted three men to 9th degree that year with Grand Master Rhee Ki-ha (UK-9-1) promoted in July 1997 followed by Grand Master Charles Sereff (A-9-1) and Grand Master Hwang Kwang-sung (K-9-1) in December 1997. [4] He was one of only a handful of men promoted to 9th Dan by General Choi. [5]
Taekwondo is a Korean martial art and combat sport involving punching and kicking techniques. The word Taekwondo can be translated as tae, kwon, and do. In addition to its five tenets of courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self-control and indomitable spirit, the sport requires three physical skills: poomsae (품새), kyorugi (겨루기) and gyeokpa (격파).
Choi Hong-hi was a South Korean Army general, and martial artist who was an important figure in the history of the Korean martial art of Taekwondo, albeit controversial due to his introduction of taekwondo to North Korea.
International Taekwon-Do Federation (ITF) is an international taekwondo organization founded on March 22, 1966, by Choi Hong Hi (Korean: 최홍희) in Seoul, South Korea. The ITF was founded to promote and encourage the growth of the Korean martial art of taekwon-do.
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.
Korea Taekwondo Association, originally the Korea Tang Soo Do Association (1961), is the first taekwondo organisation. It was founded in 1959,[a] although official South Korean sources give 1961 as its year of establishment.[b] In 1966, some members of the KTA, led by H. H. Choi, broke off from the KTA and formed the International Taekwon-Do Federation (ITF). The Kukkiwon and the then-World Taekwondo Federation were created by the KTA in the early 1970s. The KTA sits under the Korea Sports Council, is aligned with Kukkiwon, and is a Member National Association (MNA) of the WT. Its goal is to promote the martial art taekwondo as a national sport within South Korea.
Kim Bok-man (Korean: 김복만; Hanja: 金福萬,, 11th dan, was an early pioneer of taekwondo in the 1950s and 1960s in South East Asia, particularly Vietnam, Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore and Hong Kong. He started martial arts training in the Korean art of taekyun in 1941 at the age of 7. While he was a Sergeant Major in the South Korean army, he was called to Malaysia by General Choi Hong-hi Korea's ambassador, to teach taekwondo to members of the government party in Malaysia and subsequently to develop taekwondo, particularly some of the forms created by General Choi, and another martial art called Chun Kuhn taekwondo.
Rhee Ki Ha is a South Korean Grandmaster of Taekwon-Do. He is widely recognised as the 'Father of British Taekwon-Do' for introducing the martial art to the United Kingdom since arriving in 1967. He is also considered the 'Father of Irish Taekwon-Do', and is one of the twelve original masters of taekwondo of the Korea Taekwon-Do Association. Following a career in the South Korean military, GM Rhee emigrated to the UK in 1967. He was a notable officer of the International Taekwon-Do Federation (ITF) during Choi Hong-hi's leadership.
Yun Dukan is a Korean taekwondo grandmaster. A contemporary of martial art masters Hwang Kee, Nam Tae Hi, Jung Won Sun, Chang Gedo and Kim Il Woong, he brought his style of taekwondo to the United States in 1968.
Park Jung-tae was a South Korean master of taekwondo and a pioneer of that martial art in Canada. He was one of the twelve original masters of taekwondo of the Korea Taekwon-Do Association. Following a career in the South Korean military, Park emigrated to Canada in 1970. He was a key leader in the International Taekwon-Do Federation (ITF) under Choi Hong-hi, but founded the Global Taekwon-Do Federation in 1990 after leaving the ITF. After teaching taekwondo for many years, Park died in 2002.
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.
Choi Chang-keun, widely known as C. K. Choi, is a South Korean–Canadian master of taekwondo, and one of the twelve original masters of taekwondo of the Korea Taekwon-Do Association. Following a career in the South Korean military, Choi emigrated to Canada in 1969, where he continues to teach his martial art.
Nam Tae-hi was a pioneering South Korean master of taekwondo and is known as the "Father of Vietnamese Taekwondo". With Choi Hong-hi, he co-founded the "Oh Do Kwan" and led the twelve original masters of taekwondo of the Korea Taekwon-Do Association (KTA).
Kong Young-il is a South Korean master of taekwondo and one of the twelve original masters of taekwondo of the Korea Taekwon-Do Association. He holds the rank of 9th dan. Following a career in the South Korean military, he emigrated to the United States of America in the late 1960s.
Chang Ung is a North Korean sports administrator and former athlete. He is currently the honorary life president of the International Taekwon-Do Federation, having previously served as its President from 2002 to 2015 following the death of General Choi Hong Hi from stomach cancer on 15 June 2002. Chang previously served as a member of the International Olympic Committee representing North Korea, and now serves as an honorary member of the IOC.
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.
Nguyễn Văn Bình is a Vietnamese former judoka. He was a judo competitor for South Vietnam during the 1964 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan.
Choi Jung-hwa is the only son of General Choi Hong-hi, who is regarded as the founder of Taekwondo.